# May '04 babes are growing up to be CHILDREN.



## KKmama (Dec 6, 2001)

Go, go, go!


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## LauraLoo (Oct 9, 2006)

Interesting that you posted this....just the other day I was looking at dd thinking how much she was looking like a little girl and not baby-ish at all. Even the quality of her conversation and questions isn't toddler-like anymore.......My baby is growing up







:


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## elsanne (Mar 10, 2004)

Hi Laura!







:

They really are growing so fast, except that Sol still has her own fabulous language--every day she acquires another "real" word or two and I am kind of sad to see her baby language go...

example:

"Mami, tu do-do cae mi esta!"

The first one was when I was driving and she was drinking a yogurt and my driving techniques were causing her to have technical yogurt drinking difficulties, so she said tu (you) do-do (did, or make) cae (fall) mi (my) esta (this thing).

It's wild, I understand every word and most of it is some twist on Spanish, and some English.

Somehow she is also able to make herself understood to people outside her family, too...

She has been so sweet with her baby sister sometimes, I just love it and it makes my heart just melt to see her be sweet. Many times it's "BEBE, NO!". so much so that Amara believes her name is "BEBE". She will turn when you say it. She also turns when you say, Amara, thankfully.


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## mcsarahb (Aug 25, 2003)

Subbin'. Whassup ladies.

Sooooo I was on call yesterday and didn't even get called in for a single birth. Poop. So I didn't see jstar, obviously, even if she was there last night.









I'm taking Lily in for a haircut this morning. A real haircut. Shorty-short-short, for the summer at camp with a lake and bugspray and sunblock and very few showers. I'm hoping for a Shirley-Temple-slash-pixie look. I'll post pics soon!

I finished one of my big projects, so now all I have to do is write my 10-page paper on premature rupture of membranes and study for my 3 finals. In a week. Aw yeah.









Thinking of all y'alls...

Sarah


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## elsanne (Mar 10, 2004)

Hugs to the Meg-meister....


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## TurboClaudia (Nov 18, 2003)

hola mamas!

breakfast calls, followed by zoo fun

~claudia


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## jstar (Jul 22, 2004)

no labor last night but i'm having regular contractions this morning. nothing painful but definitely SQUEEEEEZING. fingers crossed this turns into something. babe is WAY lower today and my ankles are still swollen from last night. so i feel closer to something happening even if this goes on for days

i had to get out of the house though so i'm at work. MIL!!!!!!! last night at dinner isaac asked if we were taking grandma back to the airport. she hadn't even been there 24 hrs yet







and then he told me he wanted to go to school this morning (which lately has been more like 'i want to stay home today') but i left without incident and he said bye mom! i'm sure they'll be fine. she talks to him in this high pitched voice though which is







:

and yay i made it to his performance last night...which was awesome. he was clinging to his 'girlfriend'. i guess she was the security blanket for the big crowd they were standing in front of. and then they had a clown come who was GREAT and isaac was completely enamored. he hadn't seen anything like that before. the guy was pretty dang funny

can't wait to see lily's haircut. sounds cute AND definitely a good idea for camp. good luck finishing up all that school stuff and yay for cruising into summer!!!

hi laura









sol's language sounds so cute. one of my favorite things isaac says is 'it doos!' instead of 'it does!' and 'i have two ones' instead of 'i have two'


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## Jacqueline (Jun 11, 2003)

Jstar-I'm hoping this turns into something for ya! I was about ready to hop in the shower, but something told me to check here first, so I did.

G is taking an early nap today because I'm getting my haircut during his regularly-scheduled naptime and then we see the midwife (I'm almost 31 weeks!).

Forget to tell y'all that at the last visit (2 weeks ago) she checked my glucose and it was fine. This was a big relief to me as I had to cut out all the sweets and white flours with G for the whole 3rd tri, even though I wasn't technically "GD." My last mw just seemed a little hypervigilant about it. Anyway, this mw sees no need for concern since my weight gain is normal, baby's size is okay, etc. Wooheeee! Not that this gives me permission to go nuts with the sugar, of course, but last time I even cut out fruit. Man, that was hard and would be even harder now that we've got sweet strawberries in our backyard.

I'm feeling better on the abx. I took the cough syrup last night and slept so much better. I'm hoping I don't need it tonight, but my condition tends to worsen at night, so we'll see. I felt a little dopey, but not too bad.

elsanne-Sol's language is so interesting! It's amazing how their minds put together stuff.

G's most interesting sentence lately is about our outdoor cat, Oliver. He'll see him on the deck and say "Mom, Oliver's basking in the sun." Whoa. This from a kid who barely put two words together a year ago. He gets confused on possessives and verb forms, however. He says "hers toys" instead of "her toys" and "tooked" instead of taken, etc. but that's all normal, I figure. He will repeat some words just because they sound funny and then try to make rhymes out of them by making up silly words. He definitely gets this from dh...he's a big-time word lover/poet/writer type of guy.

Okay, now I really need to get in the shower.


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## Jacqueline (Jun 11, 2003)

Oh, and a question about car seats.

Last I measured, G was almost 40 inches. I noticed on the side of our Britax Roundabout that he's outgrown it at 40 inches and/or 40 pounds! So, I need to get another one. I really like the Britaxes even though they're pricey. They just seem so much more comfortable than the other brands. They have two larger-size models, the Marathon and Boulevard? I'm kind of confused about what the differences are. Anyone know or have any other suggestions?

We are staying with a convertible as I don't think he's ready for the booster yet.


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## TurboClaudia (Nov 18, 2003)

jacquie: there are four larger britax models: the marathon, the decathlon (comes with infant insert pillow for use with small, small babes), the boulevard (has true side impact protection) and the regent (a monster, forward facing only, goes up to 80 lbs, five-point harness seat). the first 3 are the same seat shell with the differences being the marathon is the "bare bones" model with a lift bar release mechanism (my preference but some toddlers figure out how to release it themselves), the decathlon comes with the insert pillow & has a push button release mechanism (which incidentally has given britax problems if the plastic piece falls off, thereby disenabling the user to loosen the straps) and the boulevard has the side impact "wings" by the headrest & a lift-bar release mechanism. the regent is a great seat for five point harness for a long time, but it's a beast so make sure it fits in your car before you commit to it.

note: jess may actually really be in early labor. she posted on the portland thread about contractions getting her attention. i am going out for lunch and errands, but i will check back later...

~claudia


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## jstar (Jul 22, 2004)

i'm hoping! i'm going to eat indian food for lunch to see if that helps. i've had a couple of pretty painful ones now but then in between those i think i'm just hallucinating that anything is happening. only time will tell









we got a marathon after isaac outgrew the roundabout on height.


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## mcsarahb (Aug 25, 2003)

Oooh, excited! I think this is it.























Jacqueline, how in the world did you get to 31 weeks already???????????? Where have I been? That is awesome.


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## orangecanoe (Aug 3, 2003)

jess--yippee!! I'll be thinking 'blue' thoughts!







: So excited for you guys!

Will someone tell my kids to stop puking?? C did yesterday from a medication reaction, E did today---I think from being overfull.

Both are still napping, but I need to wake them or they'll be up all night. Hot, hot, hot here, but I think we'll go out back to pick some lettuce for dinner and see if there are more strawberries.

Love Sol's language! C had some really funny syntax when she started getting more talkative. Now it's just her perseverative questions that drive me







: ...


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## KKmama (Dec 6, 2001)

Kids, stop puking.









Go, Jess, go! But when *does* your mil leave? Maybe I'm a party pooper, but I think you should get more free dilation, and then when she's gone, have the baby.









Z is in a Wizard (which I believe is the Boulevard). (He's closing in on 40", too, but he's only ~30 lbs.) I like how the straps adjust (with a dial), I like the wings. And actually, I think the 40" is just a guideline. I think for forward facing, it's when the tops of his ears are within an inch of the top of the (hard plastic shell of the) carseat. I don't think a Marathon is substantially bigger than a Roundabout; ie, I think you'd be better off with a Boulevard. We had planned to keep T in the Wizard till he was 6 at least, but then L happened. My advice on boosters: keep the kids in a 5 pt harness as long as possible. Delay, delay, delay as much as you can with the booster. They really don't keep them as snug *at all* as the 5 pt harness, and it's much better from a user pt of view to have a larger/more mature kid in there. Just my opinion. YMMV.

I want to see Lily's hair, too. I'm curious about any grand conclusions about PROM

My fave, Els, is "BEBE NO".














:


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## A&L+1 (Dec 12, 2003)

Here stalking Jess... I hope this is it.

I have been around, but I find it hard to post from home. The SAHM thing is keeping me pretty busy and I am not sure how you all read and post at MDC without regularly schedule breaks like I used to get at work! I am thinking that SAHMs need a union.









I can't wait to hear more from Jstar. BTW, Henry was our boy name through both pregnancies - love it! I am also fond of Hollis and Kai, actually, but I really love names from the 1920s for some reason.

Must go do something constructive while the double nap is actually working out today.


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## Miss Juice (Jun 9, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *KKmama* 
Kids, stop puking.

















:

els, I love the language! Cracked me up, reading it. I think it's so amazing that they can just learn two languages at the same time. Wow.

Jess, thinking good thoughts for you! Shifting into high-stalk gear.

My insight for the day is that it's truly amusing to take a three-year old for a passport photo. See, they're not allowed to smile for the photo. Which, of course, left me and all the staff of the photo shop in hysterics on the floor, as Allison screwed her face up into a million different contortions, while standing on a box... OMG I might just pee myself now remembering it. I mean, really, put your kid in front of a camera and ask him or her NOT to smile for the picture. See what happens.


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## orangecanoe (Aug 3, 2003)

E was not listening, KK. Turns out the puke was no fluke. Eww. I'm so not cut out for cleaning up bodily fluids. I'm guessing she has whatever 24 hour puke thing C had.

Bring on the weekend!


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## jstar (Jul 22, 2004)

i'm heading home from work. they're getting a little more intense although the intense ones are only every other ctx or so. but i think it is heading in the right direction.

speaking of cleaning up body 'stuff'. isaac has been in underwear now for i think 2 weeks except at night. and sunday and monday he had poopy underwear incidents. so i think he is not totally 'poop underwear trained' yet and i've been expecting every day this week to get poopy underwear in his cubby at school. but nothing. so i've asked if he's pooped at school and he's said no. i don't think he has ever pooped in the potty at school so this would be a big step. SO last night i gave him some root beer laxative thinking it must have been DAYS. i called MIL after lunch and i guess while she was in the shower he had to poop and couldn't get the gate to his room open (he can close it but not open it). and his potty was in there. (and we only have 1 bathroom). so she found him in OUR room holding handfuls of poop. she says 'i'm washing your bedspread' ugh. i said 'at least it didn't get on the carpet becaue the bedspread is easier to clean' and i guess it did get on the green rug. i'm SCARED to go home!!!!! poor kiddo. he gets on the phone to tell me gleefully 'i did BIIIIIIIG POOP!!!!'









ok. i'll letcha know if anything exciting happens


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## mcsarahb (Aug 25, 2003)

Go, baby, go!


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## emmalola (Apr 25, 2004)

Go, baby go! No more Poop on the floor! GooooOo!

no more puking, please.

oh, damn. do we need to check the height on the carseat now? I feel like we keep buying them and not using them to their full potential. gah.

lily's haircut sound soooooo cute.

I cut sweets' hair this morning. The lentil watched, completely delighted. After it was done, he told his dad that now his hair will grow long, just like the lentil's. He's really into having long hair. It's very cute.

Sol's language is amazing. A tri-lingual baby.









yay for low glucose! I have my one-hour glucose test this week. trying to eat well in prep. any advice, mommas?

me: hips hurting more and more these days, especially when I'm sitting for a long time. I never had that with the lentil. It's interesting how different this pregnancy is.

Time for a little braindead television. netflix. whatever. good night! (good thoughts to jstar!)


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## TurboClaudia (Nov 18, 2003)

jess just called me and her water broke and the contractions are coming closer together and feeling stronger and she had already packed up the computer to take to the hospital and they are headed ther sometime later. she wanted me to let you all know.







:



















~claudia


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## Sarah'sMama (Nov 30, 2002)




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## Jacqueline (Jun 11, 2003)

go, Jess, go!

Came by to stalk...glad I did!


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## emmalola (Apr 25, 2004)




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## A&L+1 (Dec 12, 2003)

Yippee!!!
Go baby and Jess!


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## mcsarahb (Aug 25, 2003)

w00t! The hospital where she's going has amazingly great nurses. I hope she gets one.







And her doula is great, for sure.

emmalola, my only suggestion would be to eat a small, protein-rich, low-carb breakfast the day of your test. What time of day is it?

S.


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## Miss Juice (Jun 9, 2005)

Wahootie!








:


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## Mama Faery (Apr 19, 2004)

Oh WOW! Go Jess go!!!!









Here I am, FINALLY subbing, and MAN, already 2 pages! Rock on, mamas!









Today is Rowan's birthday party! We've been singing the Blue's Clues Birthday Song:
"Have a happy birthday, YOU-OO,
And we'll have a great day TOO-OO!
Everybody play, it's Blue's (Rowan's) Special Day!
Happy Birthday....BLOW OUT THE CANDLES!!"

And he's out there playing while we get everything ready. It starts at 11. Wish me luck and good weather!

MMF!


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## elsanne (Mar 10, 2004)

Aw, have so much fun, Rowan and mommy!!! Thinking of youguys today.


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## orangecanoe (Aug 3, 2003)

Just up for some early morning stalking....thinking of you Jess!!

Have a fun par-tay, Rowan!! Some one of these years we will have to crash it!


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## jstar (Jul 22, 2004)

mornin! we got to the hospital at 8pm and he was born at 8:40. i was complete when i arrived. it went very quickly from not so very painful to insanely painful minutes after i called claudia. it took 40 mins of pushing because he was 10 lbs 15 oz and 23.5 inches long














his shoulders got stuck and the doctor had to turn him to get him out. when we got here we had i think 5 nurses and then a doctor i hadn't met before but he was great. and we had a doula we'd never met before because another client of gretchen's water broke before mine (someone who wasn't even due for 3 weeks). the doula got here when i was already legs up & pushing but THANKFULLY she had a camera because doug left ours in the car









i'm feeling pretty good. tired.

his name is ebin douglas









and while i am beaming proud of myself for doing it without the epidural i'll be getting one if i ever birth again







that was crazy painful. CUHRAZZEEEE

ebin is farting and pooping in daddy's arms right now







heh.


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## TurboClaudia (Nov 18, 2003)

yippee!!! enjoy the sweet newborn head! much love to you and doug and big brother...

love,
claudia


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## elsanne (Mar 10, 2004)

OH MY EFFIN GOD, Jstar!!! CONGRATULATIONS AND WELCOME EBIN!!!!!!!

AAAAAH I AM SO AMAZED, ASTOUNDED, YOU BIRTHED A HUGE BABY!! IN 40 minutes!!!!

Jeezus girl. Didn't even miss a day of work. I 'spect you'll be back to work Monday? You nut!
















Oh my god I am just so excited and happy it went so smoothly. Yaaay!

I am so happy for you that you did that naturally! Jeezus!


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## elsanne (Mar 10, 2004)

I just can't quite get over how huge he is and how fast you pushed him out and how FINE YOU SEEm! After doing such an amazing thing! Yay Jess!


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## Jacqueline (Jun 11, 2003)

Yay! Congrats! What a quick labor. Maybe too quick....







And, almost 11 pounds! I bet there's nothing left of your belly now.

Enjoy your baby moon. Aahhh...it's making me a little misty-eyed.


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## Sarah'sMama (Nov 30, 2002)

*Welcome Ebin Douglas!!!*


































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































*Way to go Jess!*


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## mcsarahb (Aug 25, 2003)

Wow, wow, wow. You are amazing. Hello, Ebin! What a great name. That is a big baby! You go, girl! I am soooo happy you got to do it how you wanted! You'll have to give me the deets later when I see you...









Sigh. Enjoy your probably-already-in-3-month-clothes boy!









Sarah


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## jstar (Jul 22, 2004)

thanks may mamas







you're making me weepy







:

yeah he's not exactly swimming in the clothes. the best part - no iv! and they really do have great nurses here. the doc was funny too. he said if i had another HE would get the epidural for me

i'm too excited to take a nap







:


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## mcsarahb (Aug 25, 2003)

So tell me the deets now.







What else did the doc do before he turned him? Do you mind sharing the gory details?


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## Miss Juice (Jun 9, 2005)

Congratulations Jess, and welcome Ebin!
You rock, mama. Rock, rock, rock.


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## orangecanoe (Aug 3, 2003)

Congrats and welcome, Ebin!!! Can't believe he came so quickly! Has Isaac had a chance to visit yet?? oh...and yeah, ditto what sherri said!


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## KKmama (Dec 6, 2001)

I feel like I'm late to the party. Woo hoo, Jess!!!! Congrats! Great name! Big baby!







:


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## emmalola (Apr 25, 2004)

Congratulations! This was wonderful news to find today. Hooray! You're amazing- almost 11 lbs? Holy Moly!


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## jstar (Jul 22, 2004)

isaac visited last night and this morning and is being very proud and sweet. and he's being great for grandma at home. they headed home for nap and now we're all ready for a nap here

quick deets: i had to ask doug because i couldn't see anything. he said the doctor unwrapped the cord around his neck and then turned his head (not sure from what orientation to what) and then reached in to pull one shoulder out and then reached in with the other hand to pull the other out. i felt an intense amount of twisting and then SWEET RELIEF!!!!!!!

i hope i'll have a chance to write out the birth story while i'm here. it has been pretty mellow. it seems like far fewer intrusions than with a first babe

ebin means rock. and i felt like i pushed out a boulder. so in the end we decided on that one

ok more milkin and then hopefully a snooze


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## elsanne (Mar 10, 2004)

WAHOOOO JSTAR I am flyin' high with you! I just can't stop thinking about you and Ebincito.


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## orangecanoe (Aug 3, 2003)

So...can we call him the little rockSTAR?







Can't wait to see some pics!


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## elsanne (Mar 10, 2004)

laughup laughup laughup laughup laughup laughup


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## jstar (Jul 22, 2004)

funneh heather







i uploaded some pix. i'll post the linky at yg.

i guess he is a little rockSTAR


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## mcsarahb (Aug 25, 2003)

Oh meh gah you gehls ah funneh.










Thanks for the deets. You are a rockstar yourself!


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## fiddlefern (Nov 9, 2003)

Wahoooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Welcome Ebin rockSTAR, and congratulations, Jess! No wonder it hurt. I mean, ya pushed out an 11 POUND BABY in _40 MINUTES!!!_. Sheesh.

Got off work, went straight online, to catch up with ya'll.

Happy Birthday, Rowan- glad it was so fun.

Heatherfeather- it's too bad we don't live on opposite coasts. It would be great to get our oldest together and chat about strategies. L has MAJOR perseveration issues, that were a big factor in his developmental delay identification. Like, he CAN'T answer a question about one thing if he is interested in something else. Actually, he struggles with answering questions at all unless they are very basic, but that's more related to the receptive language thing. Anyhow, between the reflux and the mobility issues and the perseveration, I here ya big time, mama.

They shut off my long distance because I haven't taken the time to pay bills,







:, so I'd better get to it.


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## TurboClaudia (Nov 18, 2003)

hooey, jess, i'm still amazed about ebin being just shy of 11 lbs.

with the twisting and turning of the babe, i have to suggest the craniosacral therapy and baby chiropractic if you are open to it. giving birth is hard work, and being born is hard work, and it's really amazing what those chiros can do for the babies. korin (chiromama on mdc on the portland thread) works with the babies and is awesome (she's at numinosity on ne broadway @ 26th). i would see her if i didn't live way the butt out here and hadn't found a great local chiro for us and the littles.

much love to you and doug and isaac and ebin...









~claudia


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## A&L+1 (Dec 12, 2003)

Woohoo! Way to go Jess and Ebin. You are both rockstars!!! Love to you on your babymoon.







Welcome to the world, big boy.


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## Mama Faery (Apr 19, 2004)

I'll go back and read more in a bit but....GO JESS! Rock on with your bad-mama self!








Welcome Ebin! Fantastic name and it sounds great with his big brother's! Isaac and Ebin! Ebin and Isaac!








Yay! Lovin' the pictures!

Oh, and the party was FAB. More later, gotta go to church.


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## jstar (Jul 22, 2004)

i'm still in a bit of shock myself about the size of this boy. and i definitely am feeling it internally. i feel like my bowels are bruised...and they probably are. sitting and laughing and walking are a little tricky. well he's down to 10lbs 2oz now. far more normal









we are packed up and waiting to get discharged. i'm so ready to go! i feel like i had a 2 day babymoon just with ebin and that was pretty nifty. of course he slept all day yesterday and was up hourly all night. and i was zonked. my milk came in though so he's happy. doug just took isaac and mil back home since we can't all fit in the car. isaac says 'we're all done with pospital!' yay!

i got some cute brother pics i'll upload

my chiro does baby adjustments too. i think i could use an adjustment myself after i've recouperated a while.

baby rooting.


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## nuggetsmom (Aug 7, 2002)

Yahoo on the rockstar babe.

Julia has not pooped in a week and I feel horrible about it right now. I really need to be on top of things more.

I am back and catching up. I went campingthis weekend and had a great time. Then I washed windows today.


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## elsanne (Mar 10, 2004)

Hey jacqueline! How fun, to go camping! Was it beautiful? Sorry to hear about Julia's lack of poop--does she need to eat more fruits/veggies, or what else could you be "on top of"?
windows...washing...sounds vaguely familiar...

Jessica how's the hospital-home transish going?


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## mcsarahb (Aug 25, 2003)

Wait...I'm supposed to wash my windows? Crap.


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## orangecanoe (Aug 3, 2003)

u/s went fine this morning. claudia was right....twas indeed an anterior placenta. kidneys look great!







head is up on the right and feet down low. cute as a button....looks a bit like E I think.

busy day....must be monday!


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## emmalola (Apr 25, 2004)

That's great, Heather! Wonderful news!

McSarahB, I can't believe you don't wash your windows monthly, twice monthly during the rainy season. Martha Stewart has excellent suggestions on how to better organize your sloppy life. How can you see out your windows with all that grime?









Yay! Camping! We're planning a trip in two weeks. If I can get over being pissy with my husband. He told me the other day that I've been really curt with him and he doesn't like it. Excuse me? Mr I Can't Close A Cabinet Door/Put Away the Vacuum/Wash the Windows/ Refill the Brita/ Give a Freaking Backrub Every Once In Awhile? I have no reason to be pissy because I'm PREGNANT?!!! oooooh. I'm still mad at him for that comment. I wish I could wave a magic wand and give him sore hips, no sleep, fat body image issues, impending PAIN, stretch marks, achy feet, tired back, exhausted brain, and 2+ years of breastfeeding. Let's see who's cranky now, tough guy! grrrrrrrr. This, from the man who feels put out when the lentil wakes up at 6:00 instead of 6:45, like the world is about to end. double grrrr!

Oh, I think I'm in a baaaaaad mood today.


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## TurboClaudia (Nov 18, 2003)

heath: yay for cute looking babes & an explanation for late movement sensations!

elola: you want for me to come down there and kick his pants in gear? ok, that was some slap talk which is so not me but i will leave it typed there because it makes me laugh. seriously, though, what's up with men and not giving you a free pass when pregnant? while pregnant, i repeatedly told bill i had no sympathy for him when he would come home sore from hockey or wake up sore the next day. i'm like, dude, that's how i wake up every morning from month 3 til babe is 4 months old.

must poop.

bbl...

~claudia


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## mcsarahb (Aug 25, 2003)

Yay, Heather, for healthy cute babies! So how far along are you now? Was this the regular 18-20-week ultrasound? Holy cow.

emmalola, hope your deadbeat husband changes his tune. I'm sure you've reminded him that it's at least 50% his fault...

My little late physical bloomer is getting oh so adventurous these days. She's climbing things on the playground she's never even noticed before, insisting on running full tilt downhill on the sidewalk, and adding scrapes and bruises to her knees daily. It's fun to watch, but a little nervewracking. I swear, she's hit her head more lately than she has since learning to walk.

I cannot believe we are leaving for ME in less than 2 weeks. Eeeeek! How am I going to do this?!

Sarah


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## mamameg (Feb 10, 2004)

Congrats Jess and Welcomes Baby Ebin! LOVE the name! Pics are so cute! Love those brothers looking so much alike!









We went camping this weekend and had a pretty good time. Some drama among friends (there were 14 people total, including 5 kids), but all in all, it was fun.

Gotta go return mini van to rental place. Sooooo tired.


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## elsanne (Mar 10, 2004)

Meg! so glad you had some fun!

Heather, not even a whisper about the sex?!?


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## orangecanoe (Aug 3, 2003)

Nope, nary a whisper!







We're not finding out, but even if I did peek I wouldn't tell!







: Hb still in the 160's so I'm still guessing girl since all these pg's have been the same. Who knows! I thought E was a boy!


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## KKmama (Dec 6, 2001)

The only reason windows get washed around here (once or twice a year, whether they need it or not--ha ha ha) is because it's something we've been able to manage to do *with* the kids. Even so, the upstairs windows are filthy. It's much harder to clean *them* (involves a ladder, inside and out), which we *can't* do around the kids.

EL, I feel put out on your behalf. Why don't men get that pg is *not* easy? Serioiusly, all of them float along through our pgs not even thinking about the baby-to-come, and we are stuck being PREGNANT. Ack.









MCSB: that sounds like T to a t (heh heh). He was *so* careful when he was learning to walk and when he was a toddler. He smacked his head *much* more at 3 than when he was learning to walk, and got lots of scrapes etc that 3rd summer, just like Lily. (My advise: carry a tiny tube of your favorite ouchie goo and some bandaids with you whereever you go. It saved the day many times for us.) FWIW, he's going through another phase of being daring, and ack, some of the scrapes and bruises from the playground are *not* pretty.

I was thinking that Z was finally looking a little less skinny, but now he's looking twig-armed again. I think he also just went through a growth spurt, so hopefully, that's all that's going on. His ped wants me to do challenges with the foods we're avoiding with him (soy, dairy, and eggs), so I'm going to gear up to do that. Oh, how I'd love to feed him cheese and hard boiled eggs and so on... This morning, he wore a cowboy hat to the grocery store and carried a little blue purse. Pretty cute.







:


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## elsanne (Mar 10, 2004)

The cowboy hat and blue purse really makes me smile.

Sol today performed her new feat "mami, mira!" over and over--jumping off of high/tall things. Yeeeaaaah. We have a ledge that is about hip height, she jumped off of that . Another train climby toy that is about waist height too. Crazy girl. Luckily, not too many bumps or bruises although several waaaaah episodes per day are not unusual.


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## jstar (Jul 22, 2004)

as soon as we moved into 'shorts' season we moved into bloody knees season. you'd think eventually they would callous over









i sit and look at how dirty my windows are as the morning sun shines through

i can empathize with julia. i haven't pooped postpartum yet and i'm starting to freak about it. i think i need a big ol cup of real coffee tomorrow. this is not ok.

nursing this babe is so different than isaac (at least from what i remember). i'm going to see how his weight check is on wednesday. i'm not feeling like he's getting enough but maybe i'm thinking of how isaac would nurse for 40 mins of every hour at a month old. i can't remember how much he nursed the first week or so

yay for healthy ultrasounds. and you have my pregnancy sympathies (all of you pregnant mamas). because it IS hard. so is birthing. and it is so much harder when you have energetic little ones to chase on top of all the usual discomforts.


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## TurboClaudia (Nov 18, 2003)

i call morning goddess for today!









i have nothing else to say.

my mom and dad fly in late tonight to help celebrate marek's b-day this friday. they get to see crawling stefan live and in person again. still no teeth, but the dang gums are hugely swollen again.

must assist bill in locating his pants. why oh why can't the man find any of his stuff, like, evaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrr???

~c


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## Miss Juice (Jun 9, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *TurboClaudia* 
must assist bill in locating his pants. why oh why can't the man find any of his stuff, like, evaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrr???

Oh, so completely do I relate to this. DH suffers from CantFindAnythingItis. DH: "Where's the peanut butter?" Me: "In the fridge, middle shelf, on the left behind the mayonnaise." DH: "I don't see it." Me: "Middle shelf?" DH: "Nope." Me: (interrupting at least three crucial and time-sensitive morning activites) "Right HERE, on the middle shelf, behind the mayonnaise." DH: "Well, it wasn't there when I looked." RIGHT. I had it up my sleeve the whole time









ugh jstar on the postpartum poo. Ethan was a big boy too (10 lbs 9oz) and I really felt bruised all over after his birth. Definitely wincing for the first few days, but not much more than that if I remember (which is increasingly doubtful).


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## elsanne (Mar 10, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *TurboClaudia* 
must assist bill in locating his pants. why oh why can't the man find any of his stuff, like, evaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrr???



AH! AH! I know the answer! It's "Male Pattern Blindness", a common phenomenon to all men and especially married ones. Can't find the mayonnaise in the fridge when it's right in front of his face, can't find the baby's socks when they are where they always are, etc etc ad nauseum.

What I want to know, Lisa, is is this a male thing, or in lesbian couples does one woman do this one--thereby making it not a male thing, but a relationship thing?


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## TurboClaudia (Nov 18, 2003)

y'all must be having nicer weather than here since juice and i appear to be the only ones posting today.









i'm really sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeepy today.

~claudia

eta: oooh, wait, there's elsanne! x-posted


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## mcsarahb (Aug 25, 2003)

I think it's a relationship thing. DH knows where stuff is in our relationship, mainly because he's the one home most of the time. Although it's confounded by the fact that we have both a nanny that comes over daily and a friend living with us, so half the time neither if us can find anything...







:

I'm ready for this school thing to be over. My brain is moving on.

Thanks for the reassurance re: Lily's bonks and bruises. It is really a remarkable change in the last month or so. She is so much more fearless, yet still not completely able and dependable. She's also suddenly into eating meat and eggs and almost nothing else...I wonder if it's related??

Jstar, I must tell you: I told Lily that Isaac's baby brother was here, and she said, "Oh, so Isaac's mama hatched that baby out of her belly?"









S.


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## KKmama (Dec 6, 2001)

Yo, I'm here (nak, and trying to find a plumber). Does that mean I'm a loser?







:

Now I see MCSB's post: maybe Lily's growing, too? I would imagine that if all of a sudden, you're half an inch taller (or your feet are bigger), you wouldn't necessarily know what to do with yourself. T had some nasty bonks that summer Z was born (I still remember)....


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## jstar (Jul 22, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mcsarahb* 
Jstar, I must tell you: I told Lily that Isaac's baby brother was here, and she said, "Oh, so Isaac's mama hatched that baby out of her belly?"









S.

awwwww







:

that's just about how it happened









ok. scabby nipples suck. i have superstrong letdown and it is freakin this babe out. he starts sputtering and tries to pull off to only nurse the very tips of my nipples. OWWWW. after he gets over the initial flow he's nursing well now. and peeing plenty. phew. he had another long dry spell yesterday and i was worrying again but then he had a brick dust pee. and seems to be really soakin dipes now. maybe his systems weren't totally working yet.

my systems are working!!! yahooty







so much for decaf coffee. i *need* regular coffee. i am still so sore though. i can't remember how long this lasted with isaac.

ebin has a stinky cord stump. like peeeeeewwww. we go to the ped tomorrow but it is really pongy. and a little gooey. i'm wondering about giving it a little wipe with alcohol tonight. whatddya'll think?

isaac is in full throttle freakout mode now. throwing toys and screaming while i'm on the phone and all that good stuff. i think it is the combo of him not being used to being home so much (he gets house crazy). and of course the little creature who has invaded our lives







i am really glad he is going to school tomorrow so he'll go have fun and have his normal 'routine'. he asked to go to school today. so i'm glad he'll get to go tomorrow!

i'm loving the help from my MIL. she has really different strengths than my mom and one of hers is to insist on watching baby and isaac while i go take a nap. which is soooooooo awesome and needed. my mom is more of a hand the baby over as soon as it squeaks. MIL finds ways to keep him happy (even without binky). we did the binky for one day and then i changed my mind because of his latch. i'm going to try again later. isaac never was a binky boy and sometimes i think it would be handy

my dh can find most things except whatever is 'supposed' to go in the junk drawer. like the garage key or the screwdrivers. then he freaks. 'look in the junk drawer' 'we need a designated place for these things to go' they are designated junk!!!


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## nuggetsmom (Aug 7, 2002)

Julia finally did it and it was the hugest poop ever.

I know you were wanting to hear that.

I don't know why she doesn't poop much ever, but usually I will realize she hasn't and give her chocolate prune flaxseed muffins.









Campin g was beautiful and the kids slept from 4 PM Saturday till 7 AM Sunday. They were so tired from being everywhere all the time. There were all sorts of families there that we knew (it was the preschool camping weekend) so they all had tons of friends around and the kids really stayed withing bounds of the group camp and played and the adults sat around or we explored the creek and stuff like that. It was actually very relaxing and fun. It is getting easier to go on vacation and stuff with these kids, but all of us cooped up in a hotel room makes me crazy.

The problem with electron diets and reading deprivation is that I kind of like it. It feels simpler and now I don't want to check my email. Or even do much of anything except read my book and go to bed HA!

I need to figure out the preschool teachers salary and email that out and go to bed.
nighty night
(jstar- I am glad that there was new baby news. congrats and I hope you poo soon and don't spend an hour and a half on the one toilet in the house making your older sister pee on the baby potty)


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## Miss Juice (Jun 9, 2005)

jstar your MIL sounds like a great help.

Having a minor mama melodrama. Last night Allison was really fighting bedtime. She was up, whining and fussing, for almost an hour and a half after we put her to bed. Her sister was sound asleep within minutes. She must have gone to the bathroom 8 times during that hour and a half. I don't know if that was just a bedtime delay tactic, or whether she really felt the urge to go - at first I thought the former, but one of the times I went up there, I got her settled back in bed and I snuggled up with her, and she jumped up and said she needed to go again. So then I started worrying about a UTI. She did sleep well, and wasn't complaining this morning, but it's in my head and I'm stressing.

She was born with a kidney malformation, she was on abx for the first 6 months of her life, and she had surgery to remove an extra ureter and 1/3 of her right kidney when she was 6 months old. She hasn't had any problems since, and has never had a UTI, but with the history I'm just feeling all prickly.

She's at school, and I'm going over there for the moving-up ceremony in an hour and a half. I'll see how she's doing, ask her teacher if everything seems OK, and take it from there.

Els, I know you guys just went through a UTI - how did it start? Anybody else have any experience or insight? Based on the fact that she's not fevery and wasn't complaining this morning, I'm guessing this is all in my head. I just feel icky.


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## orangecanoe (Aug 3, 2003)

Juice---with E's uti's the big tipoff was she started refusing food and retching/gagging while she was eating. That usually progressed to vomiting. Once she had a higher fever, but the others were just around 100. Not sure if she'll appreciate it, but you can also peek to see if the urethral area looks more reddish. If there is anyway you can catch some pee in a clear container, E's uti samples were always cloudy. Hope it's not!


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## KKmama (Dec 6, 2001)

Jacqueline, yea for poop. It's good to hear how great your camping trip was. We're trying to get geared up for Yellowstone. It's too late for camping reservations, but there are several campgrounds which are first come, first serve (sounds a little scary, no?). But the boys REALLY REALLY want to go, so I guess we will.

Juice, sorry about the pee worries. T has a funky ureter on one kidney, and whenever his peeing pattern is off or he complains of pain in the area, I start the mama worry train up. Hopefully it was nothing...

Heather, I *love* the hippo pic!

Z was *so* cranky this morning, and right now, he's asleep. It seems like he's been a little under the weather recently. Poor guy. Well, L is finally awake, so off I go. I'm trying to work on chore lists for the kids... wish me luck.


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## Miss Juice (Jun 9, 2005)

Thanks KK and Heath. I think things are OK - I was at school earlier, and her teachers said she was acting normal, and hadn't been to the bathroom an unusual number of times. She hasn't complained of anything, so I'm hoping this was just a Bedtime Avoidance Tactic. It's just tough, because with the history I really wouldn't want to wait at all (honestly I'd do the abx without a moment's hesitation in this case) but I also do not want to haul her to the doctor over a bedtime avoidance tactic.


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## elsanne (Mar 10, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Miss Juice* 
Thanks KK and Heath. I think things are OK - I was at school earlier, and her teachers said she was acting normal, and hadn't been to the bathroom an unusual number of times. She hasn't complained of anything, so I'm hoping this was just a Bedtime Avoidance Tactic. It's just tough, because with the history I really wouldn't want to wait at all (honestly I'd do the abx without a moment's hesitation in this case) but I also do not want to haul her to the doctor over a bedtime avoidance tactic.


Hoping this still holds true today/tonight...I'm glad she seems to be all-good!


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## emmalola (Apr 25, 2004)

So I went to the chiropractor today and was wholly dissatisfied. He originally was treating me for migraines, but I don't typically get migraines when I'm pregnant, so he's just been doing maintenance work. So today I went in complaining of pubic symphysis pain and shoulder pain. He did a great adjustment on my neck, but totally ignored my shoulder pain. Then he gave me this whole story about how he didn't want to adjust my pelvis while I was pregnant. I didn't want to push him, but I know that chiropractic care is one of the few things that people say actually helps with pubic symphysis pain. So now I'm considering getting a new chiro, but he's the only one who practices my particular flavor of chiropractic in town (gonstead). Any suggestions?


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## orangecanoe (Aug 3, 2003)

maybe look on icpa4kids.org?? I guess figuring if they're certified/trained for kiddos they might be more up on pg ailments??


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## Miss Juice (Jun 9, 2005)

aw, EL, an unsatisfying chiro visit is the pits. I have to say, I am pretty shocked that he wouldn't adjust your pelvis - pelvic alignment is one of the MAIN things you need during pregnancy and birth. So that's a little strange to me. If you're really considering changing providers, I can help you find someone, if you'd like.


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## emmalola (Apr 25, 2004)

Oh, Miss Juice, I would love some help. I don't want to dump this guy, but the more I think about it the more I feel like I'm wasting a lot of money on bogus adjustments. He does this one thing where he says he's doing an adjustment and says "got it!" when the table creaks, but I'm not entirely sure he's actually done anything. And this is for $40.00 a visit! Let's talk.


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## mcsarahb (Aug 25, 2003)

ITA. That's basically all my chiro did for me while preggo. Although mine was sacroiliac joint stuff. Owie.

I had a minor stress attack this evening. Sigh. So not looking forward to the next week.

Call tomorrow. G'night.

S.


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## nuggetsmom (Aug 7, 2002)

Camping with no reservation does sound scary, but these things have a way of working out if you let them.

The BAT around here tonight was "Mom how do you spell Jello?". Yeah right, like you would get some.

Juice, I am sorry to hear about your worries, but maybe you can ask her if it hurts. I actually have cloudy pee a lot so I don't know if that is a true indicator, but it could be an adult/child thing too.

I have been totally lame about Julia's bthday party and I feel guilty. I invited people with an email, and I have no energy to do anything else. We are going to the zoo, and then I am doing a stuffed animal exchange instead of having people bring her gifts since she got lots from us. Plus then I dont have to give out a bunch of plastic carp which will clutter up other houses. I don't know how this will go over but we shall see. Meanwhile Naomi has her Ballet recital on Saturday too and we will be spending most of the day driving to it and hanging out while they get ready. To see her for probably 3 minutes.

Well, I don't think Julia actually noticed she is getting shortchanged. so I will stop worrying about it.


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## A&L+1 (Dec 12, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *elsanne* 
What I want to know, Lisa, is is this a male thing, or in lesbian couples does one woman do this one--thereby making it not a male thing, but a relationship thing?

I think it is basically a relationship thing based on the fact that it is not possible for two people who live together to both know everything there is to know - there has to be a division of labor somehow and I suspect it is less likely to be unfairly divided when both parties think that the workload should be more or less equal and there is some basic agreement about what constitutes work.

MCSarahBEE - we should talk soon. I never called you after the midwifery today conference, and now you've been to another of the nurse midwifery type...when is a good time?

My dad is in the hospital again. It's okay in that I am at peace about it at the moment. He signed a DNR order and I have to say that oddly that is reassuring.

Eleanor has a 12" bike we got her for her birthday and she is ace. There is nothing that she can't do now!

Gotta go hang with Alison in the few moments before we go to sleep. It's been







:







:







: around here.

love to the may mamas and the big kids!


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## mcsarahb (Aug 25, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *A&L+1* 
MCSarahBEE - we should talk soon. I never called you after the midwifery today conference, and now you've been to another of the nurse midwifery type...when is a good time?

I would love to chat. I will be quite frantic from now until Tuesday at about 2 pm. But after that should be good. My number's on the YG.









What's a 12" bike?

I'm sorry your dad's in the hospital, but glad you're at peace with it. It is so hard, these things.

Nugget - I always worry about Lily feeling hurt and she never even notices anything like that. I think we could have just sung her "Happy Birthday" and she would have been happy. Maybe demanded one cupcake or something, but that's it.

Sarah


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## Mama Faery (Apr 19, 2004)

Arg!!! I'm here!
(I'm queer, get used to it! Um, ahem...sorry.







)

I'm not the best company this week, AF has arrived and taken my sanity, patience and pain management away with it! *growl*
My stomach hurts, I have many digestive issues, I am bleeding like a stuck pig (sorry for the imagery), and DAMN, the cramps!








I am also dealing with residual emotional repercussions with weaning. More on that, perhaps, in the YG.
Now, back to the








UGH. This sucks.

Love to you all though. I will read and catch up in my silence.


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## mcsarahb (Aug 25, 2003)

I'm so glad our Morning Goddess is back! I've missed you, Renae. I know you've been in here and there, but not enough, girl, not enough. I have post-weaning emotional stuff, too, Renae. We should have a YG chat.

I'm sitting here drinking my coffee out of a Denny's mug.

Have a good day, all ya'lls.

Sarah


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## jstar (Jul 22, 2004)

i so naively assumed breastfeeding would be easier the 2nd time around







super painful engorged breasts that are keeping me awake. check. choking the baby with milk. check. scabby nipples. check. what gives? i thought these boobies would know the routine???

how's this for postweaning blues....i pumped one side to relieve the pain this morning and asked isaac if he wanted it. 'no'. 'is that wierd?' 'yah. that's weird'.







*rejection* this is after he asked yesterday if he could have some. he only wants it from the source. if they weren't so incredibly SORE i would let him.

i miss morning goddess posts too. i've been reading more than i can post but still getting a lot more compy time than i expect i'll get after MIL leaves. i feel bad complaining about her before she got here because she is incredibly helpful. 2 nights ago ebin fed from 11 until 2 and then screamed from 2 until 5 because he was so full of gas. she *awesomely* took him off my hands because i was so tired.

cord stump fell off







stink is mostly gone.

you'll have to pardon me babbling about my non may04 babe for a while. i should probably do that in the ddc or something. but ya'll are my buds







i am LOVING being able to cuddle with isaac on my lap without that huge belly in the way. and being able to lay in bed and read him stories without heinous heartburn. so far i've been able to do his bedtime routine without interruptions


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## emmalola (Apr 25, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *jstar* 
i so naively assumed breastfeeding would be easier the 2nd time around








{snip}
you'll have to pardon me babbling about my non may04 babe for a while. i should probably do that in the ddc or something. but ya'll are my buds







i am LOVING being able to cuddle with isaac on my lap without that huge belly in the way. and being able to lay in bed and read him stories without heinous heartburn. so far i've been able to do his bedtime routine without interruptions

Wait- it's not easier? I was just today smugly thinking "thank goodness I've already been through that part!" oh, carp.

And jstar, don't stop talking about the babe! i can't wait to snuggle the lentil without him having to hold on for dear life. Your little messages are a beacon of hope!

I had a prenatal visit today- the baby is head-down, they think, and I hope my one-hour glucose went okay. I didn't feel as ill after this one as I did from the last, although I did doubt my ability to drive home. And I could post this to the DDC, but they don't know me at all and MMF! MMF! MMF!

The lentil has been a total uncooperative boob lately. It's so hard not to bribe him for every single thing. I'm starting to understand how parents let their kids bury their heads in gameboys- after awhile you just lose energy for redirecting and negotiating. Here, kid. are you happy now? sigh.







:

I am more and more convinced I need to find a new chiro. thanks for the encouragement, friends!


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## mcsarahb (Aug 25, 2003)

Jstar, I'm sorry to hear about the boobie issues. It sounds like a latch problem to me. Nipples shouldn't be scabby, ever. Have you had his latch evaluated by an LC? A *good* LC? If you want a name, go to Beyond Birth (Dixie or Lyla) at Zenana.

Yeah, don't stop talking about the new one. We talk about non-Maybaby things all the time. And new babies are among the best topics I can think of, ever.

emmalola, you're truckin' right along. Getting close! Sorry about the lentil's attitude. Lily is frequently pretty obnoxious, too, but I can't help but think it is partly my fault for being so absent.









Sarah


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## Miss Juice (Jun 9, 2005)

Seems that the UTI worries were for naught. YAY! A slight repeat of the potty trips last night, but at this time I'm pretty sure it was just a BAT.

Elola, I'm on the hunt for some chiro suggestions for you. Did some research today, and I'd like to make a call or two tomorrow - I'll try to PM you in the next day or so. If I don't, REMIND ME! Or PM me with some details about specific thoughts/preferences, though I feel like I have a pretty good idea based on what you've already said.

jstar, even after Ethan was born (#3!) I was surprised at how sore my nips were. Then I realized - yes, *I* have done this before, but HE hasn't! I got really serious about working on his latch - mostly, make sure he opens super-wide before latching. That solved almost all my problems. I was still sore at latch-on for a week or more, but it got better fast. Even still, at 10 months, I have to MAKE him open wide. He just wants the very tip still, and that's a recipe for a lot of pain!

Renae,























nugget, I'm in the superlamelackoplanning camp. Allison's birthday is next Tuesday (yep. I'm a maymama fraud) and we have not even talked about what to do. At three, I think we can still totally get away with a friend or two, some cake and some running around. But that means I actually have to, like, call or email people or something. Because written invites are just not happening around here!


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## orangecanoe (Aug 3, 2003)

jstar---I forget if I already responded on the nips or not or just did in my head. I'm a flake! Mine got scabby with both girls because they were both little hoovers and pulled out the sinuses. ouchie just thinking about it. Have you tried nursing him next to your thigh on a pillow sort of sitting up? E preffered that or straddling my thigh sitting up (and then you can lean back a little) in the beginning because of OAL issues.

loooong day. We went to the zoo and I had to take C to her OT session except the OT wasn't there!







: She had called my house at 1pm to cancel the 230 session. Except I wasn't at home.







:







: That and E's PT cancelled at 810am for an 830 session. I'm so over all this therapy/running around/messed up schedules schtuff.

But the day ended well. We went to the community pool and splashed about and then DH brought home pizza.


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## TurboClaudia (Nov 18, 2003)

here, just busy with the fam visiting and getting ready for marek's little b-day bbq this saturday.

juice: you are not a mmf fraud, just a very wanted intruder.







: and i'd have to join you in getting kicked out if they wanted all the non-may babes out, what with my "i'm coming in my own damn time" 9 days late baby.

ok, must attend to stuff.

~claudia


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## elsanne (Mar 10, 2004)

Chiming in about "starting afresh" with breastfeeding #2. Yes, I thought you got some kind of "get out of jail free" card with the breastfeeding biz for multiple chillern. Think missjuice's open-wide is very important too! I remember struggling to get amara to open wide enough.


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## Jacqueline (Jun 11, 2003)

Hey all,
I've been reading, but just not writing anything. We're doing swimming lessons this week each morning and that has pooped me out! It's only a 1/2 hour, so that's pretty pathetic. These are just parent-child classes. G's the oldest kid in there and he is quite resistant to EVERYTHING we try. So, I'm putting up with a lot of whining and "mommy, no." I don't know if he'll ever learn to swim on his own...but this is all status quo for my guy.

Anyway, jstar, keep updating us on the little one! I love hearing about it. It's really getting close (I'm 32 weeks virtually) and I'm really itching to meet this one. I'm sorry the bf'ing is tough. I have a fear of this, so it's good for me to read your struggles. I do hope you get some help though. I agree with the big mouth latch issues. That was our struggle, even when he was 2 1/2, so I plan to be more vigilant about that this time.

EL-I hope you find a better chiro. I went to our old one once so far this pg, but I feel he's too "cracky" IYKWIM. However, I haven't gone to him since and I really need an adjustment. I can feel it. We don't have a lot of options in our little town, though. And, he's $60 each time and we frankly haven't had the $$ since we bought our house.

Renae-sorry you're feeling, well, poopy! I hope it gets better!

B-day parties-I hope you all have good ones, TC & Jacqueline.

Tomorrow is G's well-visit. It's the first time we've gone to a ped. here, so I'm anxious to meet her. I've heard good things about her, though, so I'm hopeful.

Okay, I'm working tonight, so I better close. I know I'm leaving stuff out..Just wanted to check in.


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## jstar (Jul 22, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *emmalola* 
Wait- it's not easier? I was just today smugly thinking "thank goodness I've already been through that part!" oh, carp.

mmm yeah. i was feelin smug about that too







. silly me.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *emmalola* 
And jstar, don't stop talking about the babe! i can't wait to snuggle the lentil without him having to hold on for dear life. Your little messages are a beacon of hope!

tee hee. that's exactly what isaac was doing. nothing like the baby taking up all the lap real estate! i am also LOVING sleeping on my back. can't wait to sleep on my stomach again once the boob pain is gone

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mcsarahb* 
Jstar, I'm sorry to hear about the boobie issues. It sounds like a latch problem to me. Nipples shouldn't be scabby, ever. Have you had his latch evaluated by an LC? A *good* LC? If you want a name, go to Beyond Birth (Dixie or Lyla) at Zenana.


it really was a latch problem that started the scabbing. at first it was hard to get him to latch on at all and he wouldn't take the left boob. so my left one is relatively unscathed and the right one is the damaged one. then his latch was getting better and i asked the nurse and she thought it looked good because both his lips were flanged out. i requested the LC at the hospital and was on the schedule but she never made it. and i checked out a few hours early because i was feeling







: being in that room for 2 days.

THEN my milk came in and i got so engorged he was just getting the nipple and not the aerola. or he would get a good latch and when the letdown was too strong he'd start pulling off to just the tip. so i bought a nipple shield on tuesday and i'm using that for the initial part to slow the flow until the boob gets a little softer and he can nurse well. it seems to be helping. or i'm pumping a tiny bit if they're too painful.

i was really worried when he wasn't peeing much that he wasn't feeding well but his weight was 10lb2oz on sunday and 10lb11oz on wednesday. now he's peeing and pooping to beat the band.

i considered going to an LC on tuesday but we are cash-poor right now waiting on a long overdue paycheck. (i think today is payday again and still no paycheck dangit). i was thinking of lyla because i really like her advice in the pdx thread. i *think* we're figuring it out

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Miss Juice* 
jstar, even after Ethan was born (#3!) I was surprised at how sore my nips were. Then I realized - yes, *I* have done this before, but HE hasn't!

that's exactly it-- ebin had to learn and he definitely wasn't a natural. i think i'm surprised at the engorgement though. overeager boobies









glad it wasn't a UTI. i can imagine being *very* on edge about that with alison

the newest saga - ebin has goopy eye! i put breastmilk in it but it didn't do anything. and i can't remember what else to do. time to get the books out









i think we're going to take isaac for a haircut today. he's lookin shaggy. i'm giong to take him to bishops and hope it is more 'hip' than 'military' like his last haircut









i can't believe how far along the next gestating babes are!!! we're going to have more siblings soon







:














: it still hasn't really sunk in that i have 2 kids







whoa

i bought one pack of sposies to use with ebin until the cord stump fell off. and i bought size 1 not newborn because i figured i'd have a biggun. we're only 1/2 way through the pack and he's leakin out of every one. too small! so i put his first cloth one on this morning. awwww cute!

i don't know how much chiro care i'm going to get in now. the new budget is purty tight and ours is $40 a visit. i really liked it while i was pregnant

hey renae - i hope your







is gettin better. i feel ya on the bleedin thang. and i *hate* pads.







:

i feel like i've hardly seen doug...he was back to work monday morning. i'm glad it is almost the weekend again!


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## KKmama (Dec 6, 2001)

The thing that probably scares me more is just Yellowstone *period* in August. It's going to be a total zoo, but that's *the* week we have free. We may just wind up going to Teton instead.

I think we're going to ask T's b-day guests to bring him books. And I'm thinking of creative "goody bag" ideas... I hate the stupid plastic carp, too.

Oh, Lisa... just hugs. Yeah, a DNR *is* oddly reassuring. When we got to that point with my brother, I had more peace. And then he went.

Jacquie, what you described with G is what we get with T, even still.









Goopy eye--some kids just have narrow tear ducts. You can milk the goop out--have someone show you IRL. We had to do that with newborn T till he was ~6 mos. old.


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## orangecanoe (Aug 3, 2003)

ditto the tear duct goop stuff. E still occasionally gets it, but was pretty gunky the first week or two.

my brain is wilted from the heat...what was I thinking tackling the pool in 95 degree heat. phew!


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## mamameg (Feb 10, 2004)

Hey Renae, Mia is eating raisins, and Jett was chomping some too, and it made me wonder... how are things with Raisin Mama? Hope that situation hasn't been causing you any stress lately.

Goopy eye. Jett had it for a few weeks. Massage the tear ducts. It usually goes away in a few weeks, but can continue for several months. Nothing to worry about, from everything I've read. But you've probably looked it up and figured all this out on your own by now.









I am tripping out - on Thurs night we went to Sultan's 8th grade promotion ceremony. He's on his way to HIGH SCHOOL! I can hardly believe it.

DH did something at the ceremony that made me so proud of him! He regularly read the Megan's Law website and keeps up on local registered sex offenders. We live in a small community, so it makes sense that we could actually run into these people around town. Well, during the ceremony, he spotted a guy he recognized from the site - taking pictures with a telephoto lens. CREEPO!!!!!!! DH discreetly excused himself, called the cops, discreetly described where the guy was sitting/what he was wearing. The cop spotted him and said, "oh yeah... we know him." They waited until the ceremony was over and discreetly escorted him away. Blatant parole violation, as I believe RSOs may not be within 1500 or 2500 ft of any school. Muchless on campus with a CAMERA, TAKING PHOTOS. uke So yeah, John totally stepped up, stepped in, took action and protected some kids... all without disrupting a very special ceremony! he even saw Sultan walk across the stage to get his Certificate of Promotion. YAY DH! I'm beaming with pride over it. But it was really creepy at the same time. The CREEPIEST part of it all was watching the guy and the woman he was with being escorted out. Neither of them looked the least bit alarmed, or annoyed. Totally emotionless, as if they know the drill, and know it well. Sick sick sick.







I can only hope that guy was booked and his camera/film was confiscated. John's thinking about following up with the cops to see what happened. It should all be a matter of public record.

Feeling GOOD today. (Thanks for all the great comments and support on the YG







: ) It's our anniversary today (6 yrs married, 11 yrs together) and the kids are staying the night at my parents house tonight. We are going to a silent auction benefit for Mia's preschool tonight (we're raising money for a new playground), and while it's not my first choice of how to spend our anniversary, we get to get dressed up, drink wine, eat yummy food and socialize with new and old friends. So it should be fun. Is it totally awful that we have virtually no money to bid on anything? Oh well.... we donated a couple of things to auction off, and we are going to the actual event ($150/couple), so I guess I don't feel too bad. I just hope there are enough wealthy people there to make up for our lack of bidding. At least we're showing up! Some people aren't even doing that.









Okay, gotta get some lunch together for Mia and I while Jett is napping. MMF!


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## elsanne (Mar 10, 2004)

Want to post something witty, but can't find anything to say.

I'm happily, blissfully, peacefully ALONE right now, it's incredible. Going to go play with myself (and NO, NOT LIKE THAT, you pervs).


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## KKmama (Dec 6, 2001)

Just checkin' in. T and I are at the computer, working on a rewards chart (rewards as in, you get 10 stars, you can see Revenge of the Wererabbit). Went to Touch a Truck this morning. I hope the boys are exhausted and nap well (because I want one).

Meg, that was just creepy. Kudos to John for keeping it low-key. And major







to Sultan. That's a big step, going to high school next fall.

That's all for now. Busy busy weekend as usual.


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## jstar (Jul 22, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mamameg* 
Goopy eye. Jett had it for a few weeks. Massage the tear ducts. It usually goes away in a few weeks, but can continue for several months. Nothing to worry about, from everything I've read. But you've probably looked it up and figured all this out on your own by now.










im trying to massage the tear duct and it is still goopy but not quite as bad. i'm not so bugged about it but it is driving my MIL nuts. OH YOUR POOR EYE! i'm not rushing off to the ped for it which i think she wants me to. we'll be there wednesday anyway

just sayin hi. today i've spent virtually the entire day sitting down and whaddya know...i feel a lot better 'down there'. i took isaac grocery shopping yesterday and after pushing the race car shopping cart and walking for an hour i was in a lot of pain last night. made me realize i *need* to stay off my feet

i've only been to yellowstone in the winter. and i only visited the very edge in montana where i went cross country skiing for the 1st time. it was beeeutiful and there were insane amounts of animal tracks in the snow. i'd love to see it in the summer sometime.

isaac's new haircut is so cute i can't believe i waited so long to take him in. he looks about 6 years old now.

ok mamas -HELP! isaac is 100% in underwear now (even at night) but he is holding his poop in. he's resistant to pooping on the potty







he was doing a little better with it...some accidents and sometimes on the potty but MIL told me he fell in and hit teh water a few days ago and i think that has him freaked. i've been telling him he is going to get a bad tummyache but i don't know what else to do to encourage him to go. it has been DAYS


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## mcsarahb (Aug 25, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *jstar* 
ok mamas -HELP! isaac is 100% in underwear now (even at night) but he is holding his poop in. he's resistant to pooping on the potty







he was doing a little better with it...some accidents and sometimes on the potty but MIL told me he fell in and hit teh water a few days ago and i think that has him freaked. i've been telling him he is going to get a bad tummyache but i don't know what else to do to encourage him to go. it has been DAYS

Can you get one of those little inserts? Lily sometimes uses it and sometimes doesn't, but it's handy when she doesn't want to hold on for dear life just to poop.


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## KKmama (Dec 6, 2001)

Dear MCSB, are you talking about an insert to the toilet seat, so Isaac doesn't fall in, or an insert to his fanny, so the poop falls out? Inquiring minds want to know.


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## fiddlefern (Nov 9, 2003)

Hi everymama. Caught up on 4 pages of reading.

I had an exhausting shift this weekend. Showed up at work yesterday to find an ISP intake meeting in progress (meeting to have a new client stay there). The other crisis client left a few weeks ago. New client was seriously medically fragile and WAY over our heads. I first insisted another staff spend the night with me. Then the two of us spent the whole night calling everyone and their mother. It ended with us calling 911 around midnight and saying it was dangerous for the person to stay with us. All ended well- the client got surgery at OHSU today. But then I had 15 pages of paperwork to complete and/or photocopy for the county. We went ALL the way up the chain of command to make this happen. Whew. Glad to be home, even though home is messy and I'm behind on my financial stuff here. Poor W didn't get much attention, as I was pretty distracted by WORK during my shift. He seems happy to be home too. He is such an incredible sweety (happy sigh).

Lisa- I am thinking of you and your dad. I am glad you have had so much more time with him then you originally anticipated, but that must be hard/good.

Jstar- I am LOVING hearing about E. Loving it. Hope the sore nips are all gone soon (well, the soreness, not the nips.) tee hee.

Doh- just realized I missed a whole page of posts- off to go read that now. Nighty-night all!


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## elsanne (Mar 10, 2004)

kk, I think she means toilet insert (the holding on for dear life cued me in).

gah. funky sunday so far, hope it gets better!


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## orangecanoe (Aug 3, 2003)

jstar--only tip would be to add some of jacqueline's special recipe chocolate prune flax muffins to his diet so he can't hold it. C's issues are more tricky so we do the non-crunchy med. thing. She also prefers the little potty/feet on the floor thing so maybe a potty seat plus foot stool would help? Or just sitting backwards on the potty?

FF--ack! Sounds stressful to deal with, but in the end that you guys advocated for the client and got them where they could get more appropriate treatment. phew!

Rain, rain go away. We were supposed to go to Sesame Place tomorrow, but the weather is looking iffy. Bummer! Was supposed to meet up with an old HS friend there too! TG I hadn't told C in advance or I wouldn't hear the end of it.

We hit the pool again yesterday and the girls had fun. MUCH easier with DH there! I couldn't believe what a little daredevil E was jumping off the side of the pool into the water with no fear. No doubt my girls are opposites!

So Els, did you have fun playing with yourself?


----------



## jstar (Jul 22, 2004)

we do have an insert and stool. i guess he just didn't put the insert in that time.

still no poop







and doug gave him kid lax this morning. he had to go and told me he had to go and hopped up on the pot but he was still resisting and i'm sure it is going to be a doozy. i also have glycerin squeezer things for babies. i may try one of those later if he acts like he needs to go. he also has the little bjorn up in his room and sometimes he'll sneak away and go there. or use it when he wakes up from nap. i think the feet on the floor is easier for him. this is hard.....at what point do you go to the doctor? i am *super* paranoid about this because i was hospitalized at 3 for constipation. and kids can really stretch out their colons and do damage.

i've never shown him how to sit backwards but that might be a new novelty to him. he refuses to sit to pee anymore. loves to stand and point it









fiddlefern - that sounds like a really stressful night at work. i'm glad you had someone there with you and that you got help for the client. yikes.

new babe has 'diaper' issues. we can't contain the pee and poo to save our lives







bummis always worked great for isaac but this babe has chicken legs. E slept from 10pm til 3:30 last night! and i'm convinced he only woke because he peed out his outfit. then we were up til 5:30 and slept til 7:30. not TOO bad so far. he seems to have a good 5 hour stretch most nights and if he didn't pee or poo himself out i think he may go longer. my MIL is not diggin the cloth (plus they're leaky too) so we just bought size 2 dipes and we'll see how it goes







must feed the beast


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## orangecanoe (Aug 3, 2003)

jstar---you're using prefolds, right? Have you tried the bikini twist fold? C had chicken legs and that's the only thing that held it in. PM'ing you about the other stuff.

I met with my trainer at the Y on Friday and I'm still sore!







But I was good and went again today and did most of the weights and 30 min of cardio and I was pooped. Guess maybe I should've started back at the Y earlier than 20wks, huh?


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## Miss Juice (Jun 9, 2005)

Heath - 20 weeks already???
'snot possible!!!







:

(I think it's a girl)


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## mcsarahb (Aug 25, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Miss Juice* 
Heath - 20 weeks already???
'snot possible!!!







:

I know, right?! Sheesh. You people MUST stop skipping weeks on me. I can only take so many new human beings in my life at a time.









I think it's a boy.

S.


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## orangecanoe (Aug 3, 2003)

C thinks it's a girl, but I still haven't got a clue!







Apparently, according to C, the names are Maggie for a girl and Bobby for a boy. I have inside info that neither of those are the names, but you'll have to wait til Halloween to find out for sure!







Forget me lamenting lack of movement....baby got the message and has commenced turning cartwheels!









okay....need to finish uploading some pics and get to bed already!


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## elsanne (Mar 10, 2004)

MJ do you see your ddddc?


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## elsanne (Mar 10, 2004)

Awwwwww Heath you talking about baby movement gives me a little pang of nostalgia...pregnancy is so amazing.


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## emmalola (Apr 25, 2004)

I'll go with boy. Just because I'm stubborn that way.

We had a very busy weekend- sweets is still out of town and we had to deal with a trip to the zoo, a tornado (total rarity in NM!), a snake in the house, a subsequent new pet, and doggie diarrhea. It's just a barrel of monkeys around here. And my mom is visiting, and is being frustratingly slow to pick up on helping out with the lentil. Why is it she'll mop the floor without being asked, but I have to beg her to read to him for 20 minutes so I can take a shower? I just don't get it. And then she talks about how much she wants to be a part of my children's lives. What is she thinking?

So while she was taking her second nap of the day today (yes- two naps!), I taught the lentil how to play drums on a giant 5 gallon barrel. in the house. with sticks. I don't even get to nap twice in one day, and I'm pregnant! She went clothes shopping while the lentil was sleeping and when she got back and I was still awake she gave me a hard time for not napping. But I couldn't nap because I had to set up the new snake house, eat lunch, clean up lunch, and take care of other business. I don't know what the woman is thinking. drives me up the wall.

But at least she mopped the kitchen, right?

Oh- a friend just lent us 3 boxes full of cloth diapers- mostly fuzzi bunz and a few bummis. I'm not even sure what to do with them. Because we had limited laundry access at our old house, we used disposables with the lentil. It's a little crazy around here!


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## nuggetsmom (Aug 7, 2002)

KK- Tetons are beautiful and very close. You can camp there and visit Yellowstone

Jacqueline - it is amazing what a teenager can do with a preschooler when it comes to learning to swim. That is what we did - the parks and rec class uses teenager who teach the kids swimming and they love it. So G will learn but it may be with someone else









The BD party was OK. Not everyone figured out that it was a stuffed animal exchange and there was tiredness and confusion, but I am sticking with this concept. It will catch on eventually I think.

I can forward the prune flaxseed muffin recipe on the YG or even here. J also holds her poop in and I called the advice nurse who said - well they can't hold it in forever but as long as you don't do it regularly, you can give her a laxative. But I think the laxative gives her tummy aches so I won't be doing that again. The glycerine supposetories freak J out and I don't do that anymore. Last time she screamed for hours she was so upset. The lax will work eventually, so give it time.

We have a seat that fits over the regular seat and flips up and down. I think you can get something like it at one step ahead. Very convenient.

I love the baby talk about all our babies. 504 or not

HF 20wks?







:

Lisa, I truly feel for you about your dad. The extra time is nice, but this must still be a hard time for you.

Usually if I check in after this long there is a page worths from Renae. She must really be in a funk.

The Ballet recital was indeed hours of driving and waiting so we could see her for 3 minutes of which 2 were spent peering out at the crowd (which was in the dark) to see if she could see us. It was great. (yes there is a hint of sarcasm) Then N was upset that we did not get her flowers.







:


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## Mama Faery (Apr 19, 2004)

Hey.
I am so sorry I haven't been very regular here...part of it is that I am trying really hard NOT to spend too much time on the computer (haha, I end up wasting time in all sorts of other ways







) and well, it's getting towards summer and I cannot believe how much activities increase the more sun we get.







Which is great, sure, but I swear, I am doing something every freakin' day until August!









Also, as I am about to get into, Rowan is...well, I guess he's THREE. *sigh* I hope I am not the only one who is going through the absolute freakin' MADNESS.









I miss you all, truly.









Basically, though I have barely been here, I come to you with some d-rama.







I hope that's okay.
Rowan is...well, I've been saying he's totally INSANE, but that doesn't help anyone.







:
Let's see, where do I even start? He screeches. I mean, if he asks for something (in his totally horribly whiny voice, EVEN when I ask him as calmly as I can to use his "regular" voice, he ignores me--the whine is practically all I hear anymore) if he asks for something and I DARE to say "no" (and I don't say "no" often!) he SCREAMS and repeats himself over and over again, working himself into a frenzy that I cannot break through in ANY way. It gets worse if I walk away, worse if I try talking to him, and then, finally, I raise my voice. THEN he gets more upset and tells me "not to yell, Mama!!"
Mind you, he's been yelling for 20 minutes.







:
It usually culminates in me threatening to take him upstairs for a break, or screaming at him, or everyone in tears. It SUCKS.

And then, god forbid DH and I want to TAKE him anywhere (no matter WHAT it is--church, a carnival, the children's museum, the GROCERY STORE), either he will talk it up like the best thing ever, but once we get there he freaks out completely and SCREAMS if we try to remove him from the car--Saturday we went to a freind's birthday party an HOUR away, and he screamed to go home. We left him in the car (safely, of course) for 1/2 hour before we could get him out, and he still cried for 10 more minutes.
Or, like yesterday with church, he just flat-out said NO. Actually he said:
"Mama, you go to church by yourself, I stay here and play with Daddy"
Dude, church used to be one of the only times we could just sit and *be*, listen to a service, socialize a little, and Rowan got some socialization with a few friends his age in the child care room, which he USED to love.

And he gets our UNDIVIDED attention SO MUCH of the time...he gets plenty of free play, we don't overpack our days with activities, it's not like we drag him all over creation and he just wants a little time at home. He *gets* time at home, trust me! We have no plans today! He just NEVER wants to DO anything!!

He's afraid of EVERYTHING; or he SAYS he is. He wants to watch endless amounts of television (well, DVD's and PBS, respectively) and when I go to turn it off, see above. It took me 1/2 hour yesterday evening to get him from the television to outside for dinner, with time out threats, yelling, TRYING to empathize, comforting, more raising voices, more throwing hands up and saying, near tears, "I can't deal with this!"...you see what I'm saying.

Oh, and what happened to my child who would at least TRY any food we gave him?? He helped DH make eggplant parm yesterday, but did he touch it? Oh, NO--he screeched when we even ASKED him to take a teeny bite. he ate plain pasta and an orange juice popsicle, with a few tiny bites of broccolini in between. That was it. Oh, and a banana right before bedtime.

We've let our zoo, aquarium and museum memberships lapse because I'm not spending hundreds of dollars (or rather, letting the IL's spend that much) for him to NEVER go, or freak out once we get there.
Basically, everything is a nightmare right now and I don't know what to do.








I've resorted to, I have to admit, just sitting his impossible little butt in front of an hour of Oswald, or Blue's Clues, just letting him TV himself out until he is FINALLY ready to deal with life again. I don't know what else to do.







:







:







:
(I know, I know. I have to break the cycle. I just...especially on crappy days where we can't go ANYWHERE...I dont know what else to do! Half the time he yells at me to "go AWAY, Mama!!" *sigh* I am at a loss)

I am also pi$$ed at our pediatrician (well, not HIM, but his office). You have to call and *leave a message* to get an appointment for physicals, and they call you back at *their* convenience. Um, I called them like last Tuesday, and nothing. No call back, and all I can do is leave another message. They won't even TALK to me if Rowan's not immediately *sick* How messe dup is that??? If it weren't for the fact that our Dr. is awesome, or if I had more energy to care right now (I don't), I would switch peds again. I just can't be bothered anymore.

I know the reasons he could be doing this (he weaned, he's three, it's a phase, transitions, blah blah blah) but that doesn't help me DEAL WITH IT.

And I don't expect any solutions. Yesterday I just looked at DH and said "Oh god, what is happening to him?? Is he autistic? Crazy? Sick??? WHAT???"
I need to go read some stuff that reassures me that he's normal. *sigh*
And I needed to come to my May Mamas for some reassurance.

Not to mention the slight depression I find myself in post-weaning. *sigh* I am not equipped to deal right now.

Sorry for the depressing novel. Maybe I should have moved this to the YG, but I think this is MDC-safe.
Honestly, today, I don't really care.

Have a great day, everyone.







I will try to be more present in the future. When I'm like, not on vacation, anyway.







One good thing about this summer is all the fun stuff that's happening. More on that later.


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## Miss Juice (Jun 9, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *elsanne* 
MJ do you see your ddddc?









I just noticed! 'Twasn't there last night before I went to bed, I'm sure!








: nothing like a DDDDC to brighten your bleary-eyed morning







:

HF, when I was pg with Ethan, Caitlyn was SURE he was a boy. I asked her how she knew, and she said (very matter-of-factly), "I can see his penises."

EL your mom sounds very much like mine in some regards. She has *her* idea of how things will go, and she's not really able to change her program to meet the actual situation. And yeah, at least she mopped the kitchen floor. (Of course, I have issues with my mom such that when she mops my kitchen floor I take it personally, like she thought it was too dirty to walk on anymore. Ah, the neverending cycle of relationship issues...)

The only tornado I ever saw was right there in ABQ, and wow was that scary. And







on your new pet.

Nugget we just had our first-ever ballet recital as well. At least C went on twice, but it was rough! Get there 45 minutes early, wait 15 minutes into the show, bawl so you can't see anything anyway, wait another hour, watch the second 3-minute routine. Then we weren't supposed to leave early, but there were stll at least another hour of performances, and it was already 8:30. We sprung C from backstage and made our escape. It was good, she had a great time, but I was so







: with the organizers. Sigh.








Lisa







Renae


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## Miss Juice (Jun 9, 2005)

Renae, we crossposted. Not surprising, since it takes me 35 minutes to post a few lines of text these days!

Ugh and







. Allison is mega-whiny these days, and I've basically started ignoring it. I tell her I can't understand what she wants (which is true) and that if she can talk nicely to me I'll be more than happy to help her, feed her, play with her, whatever. And the meltdowns... patience testers, for sure. When I'm feeling the rage boiling up inside I start chanting "She is three and I am thirty." (I'm older than thirty, but I like the way that sounds.


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## Miss Juice (Jun 9, 2005)

OK, Miss PostyPants over here, because for two posts now I've forgotten my initial issue - is it terrible for us NOT to have a party for Allison? Her birthday is tomorrow, and we have... um... nothing. She doesn't need anything present-wise, she can't tell us anything she wants or is interested in (we have waaaaay too much carp in this house). We could have a few people over for something mellow next weekend, but when I asked her what she would like, she said she'd rather go to the zoo than have a party. So, do I call a couple of her friends and invite them to join us? Or do I just let it go, and make a cake tomorrow and call it done?

One last thought - new annoying behavior - when she does something not OK (sitting on her brother for instance), and I ask her not to do whatever it is, she looks at me and yells, "But I'm NOT."







:


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## Mama Faery (Apr 19, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Miss Juice* 
One last thought - new annoying behavior - when she does something not OK (sitting on her brother for instance), and I ask her not to do whatever it is, she looks at me and yells, "But I'm NOT."







:


Oh MAN, that would drive me







! Hahaha. But as you know, I am already being driven







by my child. *grin* Thanks for the thoughts, Juice!







I try to do that "He is three and I am thirty(one!







)" And well, sometimes it works, and other times...







So yeah.

As for the party, goodness, don't feel bad about not giving her a party! If she just wants to go to the zoo, rock on! Less work for you!















I have already been thinking of next year, and maybe not giving a party, but waiting till he's 5 or something. I have plenty of time to think about it, but yeah.
Parties can be fun, but not if no one wants one!









Good luck and happy birthday to Allison! Heehee!

Okay, so he's still watching TV







: I have no idea what to do today. I gotta vaccuum at some point...*sigh* No motivation. I suck.


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## jstar (Jul 22, 2004)

we didn't do a party for isaac this year and he was fine with it. he wanted to go to chuck e cheese and i debated about inviting a couple of friends but didn't. one of our grownup friends who we call 'uncle' came. and grandma

happy belated 'happy big 3!' wishes to mr. marek







i hope he had fun with his grandparents this weekend!

renae - sending hugs your way. i don't have any advice about getting rowan to go places. isaac loves to go places and actually if we *don't* go anywhere he starts getting housecrazy and acting out. i did too much activity last week trying to keep him entertained and i realized i'm not going to feel better if i don't stay off my feet. i spent the whole weekend sitting down pretty much. i still feel like my pelvic floor is completely crushed.

but yeah once they get into a frenzy there is no reasoning with them. isaac has gotten really 'comfortable' with grandma because she has been here for over a week now so he's started being a lot more bratty with her (rather than good behavior when he doesn't know someone really well). he's being RUDE and i'm really working on his tone of voice. 'you can't talk to grandma like that - please ask nicely or say no thank you' that kind of thing.

he pooped yesterday! on his little potty when he woke up from nap. phew! and then a few hours later he had a totally runny accident in his pants and was really upset. and we stocked up on pears and pear juice.

the boobies are feeling better. i think i just forgot the phase where if you don't nurse with regular frequency they turn into boulders. the last year of nursing isaac i really didn't have that anymore even though there was milk. the boulder boobs hurt!

ebin is doing well







and my sister in law arrives tomorrow. i'm going to a babywearing class at zenana tonight. my first trip to zenana...i'm excited to see it. (a spa for pregnant and postpartum ladies)


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## TurboClaudia (Nov 18, 2003)

i'm back. did you miss me? maybe just a teensy bit?

so i have a three year old now, too. i was very nostalgic the past week or so thinking back to three years ago in the final days of that first pregnancy and the whole laboring for a night and a day and another night and a part of the next day. also starting a new tradition with this birthday of writing a letter to the boy(s) and saving it in a box to give them when they turn 21 so they have memories of this year and writings from me. gotta get on that letter now...

my little babe is a crawling MACHINE now! everywhere! nothing is safe: the recycling is particularly fascinating. and the air vents on the floor. and the magnets on the fridge. everything, i tell ya.

bill had to drive up to seattle today for a meeting at the The Evil Empire, and then i have a meeting that i guess i will be dragging both boys to tonight since bill won't be home until after 7 and then he has a hockey game at 820. interesting day, it should be...

renae:







marek is "afraid" of a lot of stuff, too. and tv is on way too much around here, too. he requested it last week, and once i obliged but the other time i didn't. we found other things to do. more









just rediscovered "raising your spirited child" by mary sheedy kurcinka and realized, ummm, yeah, i have on of those. i wouldn't have considered marek a spirited child when he was a babe, especially in comparison to mcsb's lily and my friend's son D. but he totally is now. must purchase book. hmmm... powell's run?

ok, off to chiro. bill had an appt scheduled this morning but had to cancel it so i called up and am going instead.

rescuing my slightly frustrated babe from under the kitchen table now...







:

~claudia

p.s. the cutest thing ever: marek says "mom, i think stefan is just frustrated because he can't reach his toy."


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## KKmama (Dec 6, 2001)

Just here to give out some hugs.







: Renae and







: Lisa.

I actually have my act together this year wrt Fathers Day, so I'm going to go work on that.


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## orangecanoe (Aug 3, 2003)

Renae---C and Rowan are totally in a groove. Maybe we should plan an aquarium meetup so they can swap notes on how unfair the world is. I've actually gotten used to the background noise of whine in the last week or so.







: We've been trying to give the behavior less and less attention (though DH is a nag and will engage her) Basically, I state something once or twice and put in the "earplugs" so to speak. The other night at dinner she flipped because the annie's m&c had "milk" in it....i.e. cheese sauce.







meal over! Especially funny since we eat so much of it here that I buy it in bulk at costco, but whatever! And then she screamed and hollered and carried on (still in her chair at the table mind you--her choice) for twenty minutes while we ate and shouted " I....want....vanillla....pudding....." over and over and over. Um, yeah, fun times! Despite all her other issues, I'm labeling this all as totally three. She seems to be playing with her power/authority/control over things. She's also not eating as much and she pretty much will eat anything usually. I could go on, but yeah, I have a newly three year old who is just "off" right now. And in between it all charming. Oy.

EL--how frustrating! So the snake is a pet? I have a fear of all things wiggly--eeps!

Well darn weather forecasters...it's 3pm and still no rain so we could have done sesame place after all. DH said if he's not too busy he might take off Thursday and we'll go then. Maybe a trip to the pool after naps if it's still sunny.

Still no luck on the tricycle front. Got the fold and go one at target, but had to return as it was too small. Went to toys rus and tried a couple, but she really needs one with a push bar and they didn't have any of the kettler ones in the store. May just wind up buying online I guess.


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## Miss Juice (Jun 9, 2005)

2 quick things - A *loves* her snake, which is a stuffed animal from the Des Moines Zoo. She wants a new one for her birthday.

Also, DH wonders why I wander around the house saying, "Oh, carp." Or, more likely, "CARP!!!"


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## elsanne (Mar 10, 2004)

Juice has totally not noticed her ddddc. Dang if I'll be doin' that again.








:

TC I missed you!!!! Glad to hear an update. oops...gotta run...sol is "all done" with the bath.


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## Miss Juice (Jun 9, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *elsanne* 
Juice has totally not noticed her ddddc. Dang if I'll be doin' that again.

Whaaaah? I refer you to the first post on this page.

Quote:

nothing like a DDDDC to brighten your bleary-eyed morning
you made my day! I just didn't know it was you.


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## A&L+1 (Dec 12, 2003)

Thanks for the







guys. I am trying to decide if I should go to MI tonight or wait until the weekend or not at all. I decided last night that I would decide this morning thinking it would all be clearer in the daylight...alas, not really. Choices are: Tonight because my dad is giving up and I am afraid to wait; this weekend because it will be quite a difficult week for Alison to juggle both girls (it's also the last week or school for her) and our friends leave this weekend; or not at all because I can't change anything by going and I am mostly at peace with his death - I do have a lingering fear that I will regret not going primarily because I think my dad wants me to, and I know my mom does, but also because I can't really believe this is happening.

So, I have been reading along the last few weeks. I just don't have any energy to use to post responses and be a good friend. There are several of you that I am thinking about regularly right now because you have tough stuff going on. So don't think I don't love you!


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## Sarah'sMama (Nov 30, 2002)

Big







Lisa.

Do you want my vote/thoughts on the matter? Go now. I think you may regret not having that final goodbye. I know you seem to be at peace, but this is a decision that will stay with you forever. And while it will be tough on Alison, I think she would wholeheartedly support you in this. There are times when you have to rely on your partner, and I think this would be one of those times. I hope you don't mind my unsolicited advice.


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## Miss Juice (Jun 9, 2005)

That's what I was going to say, too.

When we knew my grandfather was passing, I took my then 2-yr old and my 6-mo pregnant self across 5 states to say goodbye and to be there for my mom. It was hard. But I was so glad to have had that last visit.








Lisa.


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## orangecanoe (Aug 3, 2003)

Lisa--you're in my thoughts!


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## emmalola (Apr 25, 2004)

Lisa- go! You may never get this opportunity again. We call them partners because we are in a partnership- sometimes one has to fill in so the other can take care of life's speedbumps. I would go. But that's just unsolicited advice from me. Either way, you have big hugs from us this week.

Renae- When I read your long post, the thing that just jumped out at me is that Rowan is seeking boundaries. He is at that place where he's learning where he has control in this world, and he's testing the water to see how far his control lies in his relationship with his parents. Clearly, he has a lot of control over you, but he's not entirely sure where the limits are and he's learning how to gain more and more control. The lentil has been trying that same sort of screaming/protesting thing with us, telling us he hates doing things he has always enjoyed in the past. There are times when I'll let him go through the screaming process (remember his 1 hour tantrum at the supermarket a few weeks back?) but I am always going to make sure we end up doing what we set out to do. We hate to do things that aggravate the screaming, that's for sure. But at the same time, we can't do what he wants to do every day, all day long. If the lentil had his way, we'd sit and watch Little Einsteins all day, every day, with periodic breaks for Annie's Shells and White Cheese. (and only that particular type of mac n cheese.) But at three he needs to get out, play, learn how to make new friends, and explore nature. But we're learning to not fear the screaming, and force him to do what we need to do. He's also learning about having priviledges revoked for bad behavior, and although that's a hard pill to swallow, it can sometimes get us where he wants to go. So my longwinded message is to try to remember that you're the boss in this relationship because you really do know what's best for your son. Right now he needs to get out, socialize, experience life, and have a mom who's confident and in control. It's a pretty scary world out there, and he can't possibly control everything, and that's probably pretty frightening for him.

This is all coming from a parenting philosophy that advocates a certain amount of control. I'm not saying we need to beat our kids or live rigid lives, I'm just suggesting that kids want someone to guide them through their days. I had pretty flexible parents growing up, and after their divorce they gave up parenting all together. I remember craving order and rules, because living without rules meant that everything was totally arbitrary. What might get me ice cream one night would get me a spanking the next (so to speak) and it was a very confusing time. I believe rules help kids define their world, give them a sense of security, and help them feel safe and nurtured. If your parenting philosophy is less interested in rules, than this advice is totally bogus. But I couldn't help but throw that out there.

Mom is still here- actually she's at a job interview at this very moment. Nervous for her. Things have been a little tense because she's so wrapped up in her own life that she misses out on my needs. I was on the verge of tears yesterday, but sweets came back from his long weekend last night and we're starting to rally. My mom needs serious limits too, and I'm always trying new ways to negotiate things with her. At first I thought I wasn't being clear in my expectations because she wasn't helping where I needed help. So I told her how I needed her to help me the next morning, with specific examples. And what did she do? She slept in, woke up five minutes before we were to leave, and was totally, frustratingly useless. And she made us late. So I gave up yesterday, and it actually went better without me expecting her to help at all. I know she wants to help, but she doesn't hear when I'm asking for help. It's so freaking frustrating.

Our snake is doing quite well, at least. He likes worms.







:


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## TurboClaudia (Nov 18, 2003)

finishing lunch and eating yet more leftover birthday cake...









happy birthday to the last mmf: MissJuice's A!

renae: limit testing as elola wrote sure sounds like a lot of what rowan is doing. our marek is doing a lot of the same. bought that book i mentioned the other day: raising your spirited child. have yet to crack it open but after this morning, boy, i sure do need to.

tok both boys to my monthly doula support network meeting last night as it was a volunteering and working meeting for the gentle birth world congress that's happening here in portland at the end of september. marek was his usual hesitant self at first (lots of "mom, i neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed you." "i'm right here, marek." "but i neeeeeeeeeeeeeed you, mom." what does he actually need? they both did really, really wel, actually. stefan was on my back almost the whole time because he's in the throes of separation issues right now. but it was all good, really. stefan was asleep by the time i drove three blocks, but i drove around for an extra 20 minutes after the 35 minute drive home to get marek to fall asleep because that was easier and quicker than having to go through the whole going to the potty, getting dressed for bed, reading books, asking for countless drinks of water and laying in bed for many minutes with him while he falls asleep.

worrying about stefan and his weight again. he looks skinnier, but maybe that's just because he's gotten longer. must measure his length and head again so i can stop worrying about his almost complete lack of weight gain this past month. also wish his darn teeth would just come in so he would get some relief and also so i can feel better about giving him more food-food. he did gag and spit up after a rice puff got stuck in his little throat the other day, though, and that freaked me and bill both out a bit.

must finish eating cake before S wakes from nap... toodles, poodles! (a la mcSb)

~claudia


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## nuggetsmom (Aug 7, 2002)

Lisa - I too vote for you to go. Have you said your final goodbye? Because in my limited experience it is valuable. And the memorials afterwards are the period at the end of the sentence of your dad's life. It is closure. If you feel like you need to go then you should. It may not be only for your closure, it may be for someone else.

When MIL was here she held on for two days after everyone thought she would give up. She died right as J was falling asleep. The night before both kids had slept fitfully and restlessly. It is my honest belief that MIL knew this and wanted to spare my kids any pain and she hung on till they were asleep and would not notice the bustling of the hospice workers and the crematorium pickup. She did not want them to realize that when the soul escapes you are left with simply a thing.

I don't know what I am trying to say with that story but there it is.


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## orangecanoe (Aug 3, 2003)

Claudia--perhaps all that newfound mobility, plus height growth?? Sorry you're worrying though! The doula meeting sounds fun! Reminds me I need to email my doula after my mw appt tomorrow and get her her deposit.

EL--ack on the mama drama. I have very, very low expectations of my mother and she never disappoints!







: I like what you said re: control/boundaries/etc.

I had to run to the doctor's this morning to get an inhaler and C was a wild child in the waiting room/exam room. She's usually quiet as a mouse in public, but not so today. Wowza. And then CVS afterwards was doubly fun. So glad I had them both strapped in the double stroller for containment at least! Have to take E back to the docs at 5ish. Her fever was back up towards 103. TG DH is coming home early to stay with C so we don't have to have a repeat. Especially not when we have to sit in the sick germy, sick waiting room. Both of them are taking long naps at least.

Signed both girls up for swim lessons at the Y last night. I hadn't seen the listing before but they had an adapted class for 3+ so I did that for C because I think she'd be lost in the regular 3-5yr old class. She needs lots o' repetition. Trying to find our summer groove/schedule somehow.


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## TurboClaudia (Nov 18, 2003)

also meant to send







s to lisa. you should go tonight. it will be hard for alison this week, but she knows that there is only one end to a person's life. /unsolicited advice

~claudia


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## A&L+1 (Dec 12, 2003)

EL took all my thoughts with regards to your post, Renae. You had me thinking about control and rules and how to navigate that difficult territory with a 3yo. Alison is ace at this - she is a middle school teacher with an early childhood development degree after all. A lot of what you are describing is the same stuff I struggle more with than Alison does (it takes me 20 minutes to get out of the house with eleanor when it'll take her 2 minutes). Maybe there is parenting class that would be helpful - here there is a great parenting program with age specific classes that I sometime think would be helpful to me. Just a thought.

I am thinking I will go to Michigan in a day or two because the news today is that my dad is coming home for hospice care tomorrow rather than stay at the hospital. He's stable and alert and my mom would like help in a few days to get organized rather than during the transition. I will keep you all posted and I appreciate your thoughts.

okay, off to bathe - something I can't recall the last time I did







:


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## mcsarahb (Aug 25, 2003)

Oh my goodness.

Hugs to you, Lisa. I am glad things are clearer now. I'm sorry you are going through this and am watching your graceful process with admiration and respect.

Claudia, Happy Birthday to your first! Been thinking about you.

Same to you, Miss fresh Juicy juice. Except to your second.









Emmalola, your mama's behavior sounds difficult and frustrating. I think it is hilarious you appropriated a wild snake for a pet. I did that when I was in middle school, with a few worm snakes we found in the woods. Lasted about a week before my mom made me get rid of 'em.

Heather- Hope E feels better and YOU, too! Was the inhaler for you?

Renae - Lily is doing a lot of the same. I find it extremely difficult to follow through with limit-setting. I feel it is important and agree for the most part with emmalola. It is hard for me to find a balance between respectful, parent-led limit-setting and the distasteful idea of "punishment." I think I have a complex. DH is too hard on her (for my tastes), yet I resort to things like bribes when my patience wears thin. Which I don't like, but I don't know what else to do. The main problem is that we don't have time to think about this stuff and create a unified plan for dealing with what is, I truly believe, normal 3-year-old stuff (that drives me absolutely BONKERS because I am already stressed to my limit with other stuff in life right now).

I finished my big paper and had one of big exams today. Blah. One more biggie tomorrow and I am done, oh plus a bunch of excruciating data entry that I have been avoiding all quarter. Also must start thinking about packing for this 2-month trip that is happening in 2 days. O. M. G.

I need a nap. Like a 24-hour nap.

Sarah


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## nuggetsmom (Aug 7, 2002)

OK, I just got back froma board meeting for preschool. It ended early (10PM)

3 yo are the worst. Even J does these things and N asked me why she is being so difficult. And J is so mellow and easy going. This is causing major sibliing issues because J is not willing to just go along with N anymore, only she would if it weren't for some preprogramed 3yo thing that is occuring. Instead she resists whatever N suggest, and she is not used to compromising at all with J (though she is great at it with others) and then J will hit N. This all started june 1st. Yes, exactly 1 day after turning 3!

I don't think that both parents have to parent the same. We are different people and we can have different techniques. Not that I would call what DH does a technique but














:
I do think that it is important to be a united front in the moment and to back each other up in the moment and work out any dissagreement later. DH is very good about this and even if I am being totally unreasonable he will back me up. We often discuss later and realize that I could and should have handled something better. I am not very good at not taking over for him when he is supposed to be in control so that is something I need to be working on.

and when the above fails - yell really loud!

kidding


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## KKmama (Dec 6, 2001)

Random replies (ISP was down yesterday)....

Lisa, I'm glad you're going to get out there to say good-bye to your dad. I agree with everything that has been said. This is a difficult time, to say the least.... I've been thinking of you and will continue.

The 3 thing/difficult age/setting boundaries/agreeing with partner about parenting... doing a lot of nodding my head, but not necessarily about Z (T was a *much* more difficult 3 yr old, to be perfectly frank... I think Z got his "difficult" stage in a little younger, more like 2). I also have to use different techniques with Z than I did with T, so I hope everyone is remembering the proverbial grain of salt. I guess the thing that helped me the most with T was getting out (ironically) when he was driving me crazy. I think I've told you guys about our "going for a trike ride" technique. When Z was a little baby, some days, I think we'd go for 5 or more rides around the block. He would just be going crazy, and it seemed to focus him a bit (and focus me). And the nap. And making sure he got enough to eat. He is *still* such a creature of habit. Otherwise, just







. I agree about the whole limits things. With T and setting limits, sometimes, I'd just have to remind myself (over and over and over): "This is developmentally appropriate! This is developmentally appropriate! This is how he's learning limits!" And I can say that now, at almost 6, he "gets" limits really well, does really great with them at school. (Conversely, when he has no limits--ie, with my mom--he's so [email protected] good at working the situation.)

Have I mentioned that I have cracks all the way around both nipples from L and teething?







:

Gonna try to reconstruct and time-stamp-edit yesterday's blog post...


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## mittendrin (Nov 5, 2003)

OMG, you guys are still around? WOW!!! I belonged to the May 04 Due Date Club and kinda lost touch after I had Lukas. I didn't even go on MDC much and am now active in the Oct and Nov DD Club. This is the first time in ys I checked teh Toddler Forum again.
I even remember some names...WOW!
I guess a littel update is overdue: Lukas just turned 3 and is a very active, very energetic and dramatic child. He fight with and imitates his older brother as much as he can. Since he's such a handful he was sure to be our last child but I recently lost a whoooole bunch of weight and apparently the diaphragm didn't fit anymore. So #3 is due end of October







:

It's so great I found you guys again, will keep posting along


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## elsanne (Mar 10, 2004)

Annika, I remember you! Congrats on your newest! Many of us have had subsequent muffins as well...several still baking in the oven as we speak...

TOTALLY EFFIN EXCITED LADIES BECAUSE I am going to purchase (most likely, it's still not a done deal) a Toyota RAV 4! 1998! I am so psyched. Just today it's all goin' down so I am just beside myself.

Thanks, Uncle Sam! Yeah baby! Head of household two dependents!!!! Single motherhood pays off for once!


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## jstar (Jul 22, 2004)

reading along and i've been wanting to post. i should be heading for my nap right now (oh precious window of opportunity!!)

hugs and thoughts for lisa xoooox. i'm glad you are going.

it is good to hear the 'limits' talk for me. i'm a super softie by nature with the 'won't he just want to be good because he wants to?' thoughts. but after my mom and dh were both telling me our dear isaac was walking all over me i had to change my approach. and it has definitely paid off. part of it was working with doug to decide what was ok. what was not. how we handled tantrums. what we set for the rules. and he is consequently a much more pleasant child now. and wow he listens sometimes!







:

babo calls.


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## A&L+1 (Dec 12, 2003)

I am leaving tonight and will be back next week - I feel I should tell you all this even though it's not exactly unusual for me to have a week pass between posts. Thank you all for your thoughts and good wishes...it really does help and matters a lot to me.


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## mamameg (Feb 10, 2004)

Lisa. Thinking of you and your family.


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## TurboClaudia (Nov 18, 2003)

lisa: peace and love and lots of MMF hugs to you...







for your father

~claudia


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## fiddlefern (Nov 9, 2003)

Lisa- I am so glad you are able to go.







s

Annika- yes, I remember you! You had a different user name back then. And I also remember you checking in with us once when the kiddos were about 1 or so. Good to hear from you again, and congrats on the little one in the "oven."


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## fiddlefern (Nov 9, 2003)

Claudia- I don't think I ever wished M a happy birthday. Happy very belated birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also, I am thinking of you in your watchfulness with S. That would totally stress me out. I think you are much better about being even-kealed about these things.

Smooches.


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## jstar (Jul 22, 2004)

i'm starting to remember what that waking up every 2 hours all night long thing feels like







: LOOPY!

i should be paying bills right now. the looooooong overdue paycheck finally arrived. yahooty









happy bday to miss allison too! (or spelled alison?) my brain is fried.

i can't remember if i got to post about it but i was heading to that babywearing class at zenana spa the other night. i got there and got out of the car and then realized there was some smoke coming out of the roof of the building next to the spa. by the time i realized the building was really ON FIRE my car got totally blocked in by firetrucks. about 8 of them showed up within 30 seconds. so i was stuck and there were many ladies holding babies hanging out on the corner for a little while. finally i realized my car was not going anywhere for at least several hours so i had doug come get me. of course isaac knew i was at a fire and he is *obsessed* with fire trucks. so he had a screaming tantrum that he couldn't come see it too. i took pictures for him and he also saw it on the news. not quite the babywearing thing i was expecting! isaac keeps saying 'there was a fire at your meeting!' yep.

ok. babe is content sitting in his poopy pants but he needs a change!


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## mcsarahb (Aug 25, 2003)

Lisa, thanks for the update.

jstar, that is crazy about the fire. I hope everyone was ok.

I remember you too, Annika. Welcome back!









Elsanne - congrats on the wheels.

We are leaving tomorrow morning. Packed this morning and now I'm about to go to Bodyworlds with a friend. Next time I post I'll be in Maine!

Sarah


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## orangecanoe (Aug 3, 2003)

Sesame Place, take 2 derailed by *cold* weather!







: I actually had to dig out sweatshirts for the girls to wear to the park this morning!

Sarah----take me with you!! I can't wait til our trip there in August. Where are you visiting?


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## nuggetsmom (Aug 7, 2002)

Wow, it is so bleeping hot here it is insance. DH and I have been bickering because I am too haot and tired.
I am going to shower and then go to bed. I had a beer to help that along.


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## mittendrin (Nov 5, 2003)

Thanks for the welcome, guys. I can't believe how many of you from the original DDC are still around.
Gonna take ma a while to get caught up









I'm excited, going in for my 20 wk U/S today. We'll find out the sex of the baby, as I've had enough surprises this year. First the pregnancy, which was totally unplanned. What WAS planned, was dh's vasectomy end of March








Then my mom got diagnosed w cancer, luckily w chemo she's going to be ok in 1/2 year or so, but it was an eye opener: we've decided to move back to Germany next year to be closer to my family. Finally, I've been homesick ever since I've stepped foot on American soil









Send some open legs vibes my way, please... Update later today


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## elsanne (Mar 10, 2004)

I've had an interesting few days....check blog for deets!

Annika, whaddya mean "open legs vibe"? I am sorting through all the vibes I know how to send and I just can't find that one...


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## orangecanoe (Aug 3, 2003)

open legs= cooperating baby!! How exciting! Sounds like we're due around the same time.

Els---wowza! Thinking of your friend...how scary! yay for woo-woo car though!! That cracked me up.

Today has been a day so far. Tried to salvage by making some muffins but my teaspoon measure was nowhere to be found so guesstimating left the muffs a bit off. oh well. must run to grocery store and get something for din-din. tgif!


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## emmalola (Apr 25, 2004)

Open legs! I hope everything turns out well, annika!

I'm just completely tapped out. Not sure if this is run of the mill depression or just exhaustion. My mom's visit was really difficult (never chose a therapist as your mother!) and the lentil has been super SUPER clingy and needy. I just want to sit in the tub and cry. No, what I really want is a few days to myself without everyone in my family telling me that they NEED me. sigh.

Lisa- thinking of you.


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## elsanne (Mar 10, 2004)

Ah! I get it now! Open legs...I was trying to figure out why mama would want open legs...duuuuh...

Heather, you use measuring equipment when you bake? Whatta concept! Could revolutionize everything!









Emmalola I wish you meditation-retreat-like peace. I feel that way soooo often, what with the two children thing and the littlest being in separation anxiety-teething phase, and the bigger one jealous of the clinger babe...


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## TurboClaudia (Nov 18, 2003)

annika! wecome back! ~~~open leg vibes~~~

els:







kuh-ray-zee... yay on the car score & its companion bella...







: gotta love the woo-woo!

elola & everyone having 3 year old struggles:

You MUST all go out and borrow/buy/beg for this Mary Sheedy Kurcinka book i'm reading: Rasising Your Spirited Child. and then you MUST actuially read it instead of relegating it to that growing pile by the bedside table that you mean to read but never seem to make time for.

rough morning here. stefan decided to wake every 20 minutes from 4am to 630am when i finally stormed in to marek's room where bill was sleeping and informed him that i needed to sleep. then i accidentally slammed the door to that room which woke marek up so off for some tv entertainment bill went with marek AND stefan, thereby buying me just over an hour of actual sleep stretched out on my bed... ahhhh...

~claudia


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## jstar (Jul 22, 2004)

its a nacho libre kind of morning. i am i am i'm proud i am

we gloriously slept til 9 after staying up til 11







:

emmalola - that sounds rough. i had to read what you wrote a couple of times because i thought it was saying never choose your mother as your therapist







sorry it was rough with mom. and that the lentil is clingy. i hope it is just a funk and not real depression. if your mom is gone maybe you'll get back to your normal family routines

sending open leg vibes to annika for her BABY and not herself









so i talked to the nurse yesterday for my followup call and i guess i have cartilage and ligament damage







i am still *so* sore inside. if i walk or cough or sneeze i just ache. she said something about cartilage on (in/around?) the pubis symphis and strained ligaments. i'm wondering (oh resident vaginal expert mcsarahbeee) if this is permanent or will it get better????? i'm supposed to go buy some support underwear from target. zoiks. and i still have a suture down there which hasn't dissolved and it makes me kind of ill to think about it (because i am queasy queen). ewwy.

i know you all needed a vaginal update this morning














saweee!

the good news is that i went and bought a couple of pairs of shorts yesterday one size bigger than my normal size. YAY REAL CLOTHES! i put all the maternity clothes in a pile because i can't face them anymore







i still have mega tummy pooch....i can't remember how long that took to shrink last time. i'm guessing it won't shrink as much this time since it was streeeeeeettttched to the maximus


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## mittendrin (Nov 5, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *jstar* 

sending open leg vibes to annika for her BABY and not herself


















Naa, I really don't need THOSE anymore... As for the baby, it's a

boy!

Another one. Yesssss, I kinda have to digest that and am very glad we found out so I can prepare myself. This was my last shot at a girl. O well, I love him so much already, he was sucking his thumb and then spread his legs to show off his package, hahaha.

Heather, congrats, good spacing there, eh?


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## Miss Juice (Jun 9, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mittendrin* 







Naa, I really don't need THOSE anymore...

well, hem hem, I've used mine more since the big V than ever before







: though our surprise #3 is now 10 months.

Congrats on your boy!!! I was sooooo freaked with the surprise, and it's been more wonderful than I ever would have thought. Moving overseas... it sounds like you have your plate full!

Survived a week that was just really rough all around. Had all three kids home with me, and went to work with them







: I can work, it's all good, I can stay home, that's good too.... but having them all with me at work, and in the pre- and post- work times... OMG I am half dead right now. But I hafta say I did more this week, and did it well, than I ever thought I could have managed. I am tired but I am also proud. Go me!

ETA a photo from this evening... after a long week. I took this photo myself with my free hand, because I am wonderwoman.


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## elsanne (Mar 10, 2004)

OH, juice, that photo is really amazing. Did you also have a glass of wine? I had several...and am feelin' groovy. No word on my friend's husband. *sigh*

"hem hem..." had me rolllin'!!!









Annika, CONGRATS on the baby boy! I hear ya on needing to be prepared for that. I'm glad you did.

Jstar Nacho Libre is right up there with Lebowski for me. I bought my niece a lucha libre mask because she is nacho libre's biggest fan.


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## KKmama (Dec 6, 2001)

Just hi, busy busy tired tired here. Major work on the Fathers Day stuff, and I'm giving up on the surprise, so he's getting it tonight (plants in terra cotta pots which the kids painted).

Hi Annika! I thought I was going to have a 3rd (surprise) boy, but I didn't. I think your user name was different before, no?

EL, if sitting in the tub and crying will help, do it!







At least your mom is gone though, right?







:

(Will our kids talk about us this way someday?







: )


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## Miss Juice (Jun 9, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *KKmama* 
(Will our kids talk about us this way someday?







: )

Yes. Yes, they will.

OMG Fathers day is this weekend? Like two days from now? I am screwed. Though, I've told him repeatedly that he should set the tone for fathers day by delivering on mother's day... but I never follow through.

Els, pouring that wine now. This week... yeah.


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## emmalola (Apr 25, 2004)

miss juice, that photo is completely precious. It should win a prize or something.

I never got my bath with wine, being that I'm not supposed to 1) drink wine or 2) take hot baths. But I did just get up from a nap, hopefully curing the burning rage that has consumed me for most of the day. Except for that brief moment when the guy at Starbucks recognized me and asked how I was doing, then wished me well. That's when I almost started crying. sigh. Oh, the pregnancy hormones, how they torture me. (and sweets, and the lentil, and anyone else who crosses my path.)

kkmama- I'm hoping to avoid the mother/daughter thing by only having sons.









Speaking of my mom, she called me to tell me that my brother finally came out to her last night. Well, he didn't come out, but he did reveal that he's having "homosexual relations". Then she told me that he's really tormented and he's going through a difficult time right now. Gee, you think? Poor guy can't come out to his homophobe parents until age 37 and he's started showing symptoms of liver failure from his alcoholism, and he's going through a difficult time right now? Sometimes I wish my mom would step out of the happy little bubble she lives in and examine her own life, you know? geez. what a wingnut.

Okay- father's day? I got sweets some tools because we need them and he's too thrifty to buy them himself. In fact, I think he's never bought a single tool- everything in our toolkit came from me, from before we met. Anyway, i need to wrap those things NOW, but how do you wrap a 10-pack of screwdrivers? I didn't do anything for my dad, and I'm starting to feel a little guilty about that, but since he gave me 6 cans of soup for my birthday I should just get over it. Or I could give him back his cans of soup as a blatant regift...







:

I guess my inner rage wasn't quite dispelled by my nap. time to go grouch somewhere else. have a great weekend, all!


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## emmalola (Apr 25, 2004)

double posting to inform everyone that sweets has redeemed himself. He offered to do both bed and bathtime tonight, sparing me the bath ritual. And then he just sent the lentil in to the office to give me a goodnight kiss and all of a sudden I feel tons better. whew. Glory, hallelujah.


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## jstar (Jul 22, 2004)

no posting today?? you all must be out thoroughly spoiling your baby's daddy's
















just saying 'hola' and happy sunday

our big plan for the day is the baseball game. hopefully it won't rain on us


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## KKmama (Dec 6, 2001)

OMG, I just realized that in my efforts to make Father's Day nice for dh, I totally forgot my own father. D'oh.







:


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## Sarah'sMama (Nov 30, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *KKmama* 
OMG, I just realized that in my efforts to make Father's Day nice for dh, I totally forgot my own father. D'oh.







:

oops









Father's day here was pretty good. I want to give a big shout out to heatherfeather. DH loooooved he onetruemedia montage. I ordered it to have on dvd and he got all choked up while we were watching it. So thank you thank you thank you. I was so







: at FIL, though. I gave him a copy as well, and we sat down to watch it, and he would watch a little, get distracted by other people, dogs, kids, etc. So in all, he probably watched half of it. I was rather hurt.







:

Welcome back mittendrin! And congrats on boy #3!! Glad to see you back with us. Can't wait to hear of your upcoming move to Germany! I remember how homesick you were back a few years ago.

Lisa, thinking of you daily.









jstar, how's the new one doing?

emmalola, big hugs to you. I love reading your blog, btw.







:

Speaking of blogs, I am seriously addicted to all your blogs. Thank you for sharing them!

sarahbee, how's ME treating you? Can you remind me again what you're doing?

alrighty, just checkin in on my main mamas. much love to all.


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## TurboClaudia (Nov 18, 2003)

i'm around, just in busy summer mode. in oregon, everything happens all summer. like the strawberry festival was this weekend at 2 dufferent farms, the balloon festival (hot air balloons) was, too, and pride was downtown. crazy oregonians coming out of hibernation in a big way.

we had a nice beginning to father's day, but then bill freaked out on me when he found that a bill for $30 fir my pap had gone to collections because the insurance company didn't follow through on their end with reprocessing. it's a covered test, dudes! just pay the frickin' $30 already. so i got grumpy at him because he made it seem like the roof was falling in on top of him or he was being crushed by a bookshelf or his finger got sliced off by a computer part, when really it was just a piece of mail. and then he does his usual defensive reactionary thing and tells me to stop saying f*** and i'm like, huh? and i just got frustrated and went for a walk around the block and marek was having a meltdown and going out to eat just seemed like a bad idea. then stefan took for-EVAH to fall asleep and i missed the second phone call from my sis (it was her birthday yesterday) and then i went to wake up bill from laying diwn with marek cause for sure, marek would already be asleep, but no he wasn;t and then he "needed" me to lay down with him so i didn't get any time to talk to bill because he was asleep on the couch by the time i emerged from marek's room. so blech.

sleeping, occasionally sucking cute baby on my lap.







:

happy monday, mamas!

~claudia


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## orangecanoe (Aug 3, 2003)

Sherri---now I wanna see it!! So glad it was a hit with the father that counts!

It's totally monday. gah...just got the girls down for a nap after a looooong flippin' morning and somehow managed to step in an errant marble of poop. yup, that kind of day!


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## emmalola (Apr 25, 2004)

Ug- woke up with a horrendous headache this morning. Went to my prenatal visit and the midwife asked if I could spend the rest of the day in bed. Of course not, my husband has to work and the lentil is on summer break. I wish sweets had just stepped up and offered to take the boy for the day. Instead he offered to let me drive him to work an hour later, so I could sleep. I just started crying, because an hour isn't even a drop in the bucket for this tiredness. So I took him to work, went to the drugstore and bought some stool softeners and sudafed, and took the lentil to the library. The kid has already watched too many vidoes, I could do it again. We got some books and made it home for naptime. But the good news is that the baby is healthy. The lentil got to hear the heartbeat- said it sounded "like a dog." wouldn't that be a surprise!

TC- I'm so sorry your father's day was poopy.

Oh- the lentil's latest irritating thing? Always asking me "mom?" and then not following through. Or asking half of a question and never finishing it, so I'm left hanging. Driving me totally crazy. "Mom? Mom? Mom?" Gah!

Sarah's Mama- thanks for the nice comment about the blog. I've been writing a lot lately so I don't strangle my husband.

KK- I didn't do anything for my dad either. whoops. but not really, I just couldn't be bothered, you know?


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## TurboClaudia (Nov 18, 2003)

had to share this funny celebrity father's day video from the future with y'all.







 suri cruise -- contract was up







:

that is all.

~claudia


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## jstar (Jul 22, 2004)

i gave my dad a new grandson









squeaking babe next to me so this will probably be quick. the doulas (the one we hired and then the one that was at the birth) visited this morning and brought a cd of pictures. awwww! he looks *so* different already. he really looked like isaac at first and now, not really. there are 2 videos and the first is the actual birth. i haven't watched them yet...will save them for when doug gets home. but as he says he's already seen it. and he and the doula both said i might not want to







the queasz factor might get to me

my bosses neice took isaac to the zoo today with her 2 cousins who are close to him in age. he was soooo excited. she said 'i'll bring him back around 5' and i said







: i can actually fathom grocery shopping with just one child. i can't fathom it yet with 2. and we need milk. and bread. and dinner. because i wasn't organized enough to realize that yesterday when doug went

we had our first day on our own yesterday and it was a good one. park playdate in the morning, lunch and a 3 hour nap. the house was a *disaster* and i had hoped to tidy up before doug got home. but i had barely made a dent in the upstairs. but then he took isaac to the grocery store and we did a family vacuuming venture and doug cooked dinner. he's being mr good husband right now.....i hope he keeps it up! we were both happy to have our house back to ourselves

errant poop marble made me laugh. we are having the poop rollercoaster here with isaac. after another 6 day stretch we gave him laxative and when that didn't work i gave him a glycerin enema. 10 minutes later he was dancing around running from room to room and i'm saying 'SIT ON THE POTTY' then he went 2 more times within the next hour (thank god). the third time he got a little poop on the bath mat and when i went in to help him he told me 'some kid pooped on the rug!!!!'























ebin is doing well. he's feeding every 2 hours at night which is a little exhausting. but he does have a 'nighttime' concept from about 10pm to 8am which i can't complain about. he eats and goes back to sleep. the poor thing has the constant-poop thing going and has a really red bum. i am trying to change his dipe frequently and yesterday i had him in dipes with no covers for a while. he's a little risky to have totally naked because he is a firehose and he can shoot poop out about 3 feet! as i have discovered the hard way

ok i should be cramming food down my throat while he is sleeping instead of posting.


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## Miss Juice (Jun 9, 2005)

ELola I have NOT forgotten the chiro. Last week was extra-crazy and it seems we're all still reeling a little.

My dad is TOTALLY the type to give you a can of soup for your birthday. He gave my mom an ice pick for Christmas once. Brave, or crazy, or both, right?

Currently fretting about the UTI again. Allison had her 3 year well visit today, and there were trace ketones and trace blood in her urine. I hadn't mentioned the worry of two weeks ago, since it seemed to resolve itself immediately, but when the doc told me about the blood, I was a little concerned. No bacteria in the urine, but the doc was a little concerned about a hidden strep infection which can apparently cause bleeding in the kidneys... so I'm waiting tensely by the phone for his call with the strep results. I hate it because this is so not like me.

I seem to be exceptionally anxious right now, just feeling like everything is about to come crashing down around me. I notice I'm clenching my teeth all the time. And yet nothing is any different than it was before (last week, last month, last year etc) so I have NO idea what that's all about. I've never experienced anything like this, and to be quite frank, it is really irritating and very non-fun.


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## KKmama (Dec 6, 2001)

Ack, Juice! Sorry about the bladder/kidney worries. I hope you get results soon. :hag

Our little positive reinforcement discipline experiment with T is working better than I thought it would. He's accumulated enough stars to earn his first reward. He wants to make chocolate chip cookies, so tomorrow, we'll get some chips at the store... One of my friend's kids (who is 4 and a half) actually commented to her mom about T's behavior and how helpful and nice he is (that got him the star that pushed him over the brink).
Z is in the middle of an egg challenge, and so far, so good. I'm really hopeful--I want him to be beyond his allergies in time for preschool in the fall.

Dude, summer *is* busy. Just a little break here before we go off to our next thing. Tues and Thurs are our very busy days. Fri is our busy day. Mon and Wed? Not busy.


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## Mama Faery (Apr 19, 2004)

I'm here, for a moment.
Thinking with love of you all, been feeling kinda...well, great about our summer, because there's all sorts of fun stuff going on for us, Newport this week (starting Friday, till next Friday) and then my younger brother is coming to visit in mid July (haven't seen him since January of 2000!







), and THEN I am going to NY state to have a fangirly weekend with some fellow AFI dorks who are actually MY AGE







and then...Hawaii.







and







and









Things with Rowan have been not great, I dread any outings, this morning's birthday party was HELL, and well...we have at least two more this summer, one next Saturday for an adult friend of ours (but there will be many toddlers there, toddlers he KNOWS, but he will still freak out, I guarantee it) and then another toddler birthday in July. I want to sequester myself and my son because I don't want to deal but I also want to FORCE the little poop to GO and DEAL, and I always end up having to do a little of both. He FREAKS, then sits alone for upwards of an HOUR, and then he'll play happily for the last hour or so.







Nothing I can do but what I'm doing.

I HAVE read the book that has been recommended, Raising Your Spirited Child, but I think I ought to check it out of the library for a second perusing. I have a hard time with all the "advice" out there, I've been feeling rather cynical about it. Because talking to actual parents seems to help more, because well, no matter what sorts of advice and ideas the books have, it's still a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants sort of deal. We are in HELL for a little while, and then, all of a sudden, it's over...only in time for something new to start up to take its place!
Sometimes it's nice to talk to other mamas and know that they're either going through the same sort of thing or have gone through it, and emerged intact. So I am trying to keep a handle on it, though this morning I thought I had lost my sanity along with my soul. This afternoon was better, he's napping again occasionally and it makes for a more pleasant Pooperton until bedtime.









Annika, I don't think we've met!







I'm Renae.







Anyone else come on board while I've been AWOL?

I







you all and I hope no one's written me off! I still think of you ALL, ALL the time!!

Oh, another time-taker...I am the lay minister at our church this weekend.







I am giving the service (with the help of many others, but EEP! Still!) and I am excited and freaking the f*&k out at the same time! Hahaha.

So, there's my update. More again another time.


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## KKmama (Dec 6, 2001)

Oh, dude...









I was hesitant to offer advice in the first place because I know sometimes what is needed more is just a hug (but I gave advice anyway














. I also want to reiterate than yeah, everyone's child is different, and anything I/we offer may not fit. At all.









If it helps at all... T was a *real* handful at 3. Moreso than everyone else's 3 year old it seemed. (I had my private moments wondering if he was okay, if I was just a crappy parent, etc.) But we're through it. And one of my closest friends IRL... her dd is even more of a handful. She's the 4.5 yr old I mentioned above (who said lovely things about T today)... she is an amazing, complicated, deep child, but she is difficult. And she has been since she was, oh, about 2. It's not a phase; it's who she is. Some kids, even with great parents and parenting, are just that way.
So just hoping I for one didn't offend you...









Good luck this Sunday. I'm giving a service myself in July.


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## Mama Faery (Apr 19, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *KKmama* 
Oh, dude...









I was hesitant to offer advice in the first place because I know sometimes what is needed more is just a hug (but I gave advice anyway














. I also want to reiterate than yeah, everyone's child is different, and anything I/we offer may not fit. At all.










Oh oh oh! NO worries, KK!







I didn't mean my FRIEND'S advice! I meant books, and magazines, and BabyCenter, THAT sort of advice!!!
Hearing from REAL mamas that I KNOW, mamas who have some sort of real idea at what I'm going through...that is SO TOTALLY OKAY!!!

I was actually telling Joe that one of the good things about sticking around the party this morning was hearing from other parents of 3 year olds and knowing that there ISN'T anything "wrong" with Rowan...I mean, he practically had a panic attack today when we got there.

Which actually leads me to a question; would you stop going to parties altogether at this point? I just wonder if going to my friend's party this weekend would just be stupid, driving an hour (when we will be in Newport!) just to have to deal with upwards of an hour of panic attack, knowing that eventually he'l get over it?

I dunno.

No, PLEASE feel free to share your experiences/thoughts with me!







Sorry I wasn't more clear. My brain has truly been utter mush lately.

I can barely read books and magazines I WANT to read. Haha.

Okay, off for something sweet, like ice cream.


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## TurboClaudia (Nov 18, 2003)

renae: i totally could have written your post about the birthday party like every week for the past 17. there is a group of local mdc mamas (west side of portland) and we get together pretty regularly, and marek KNOWS all the kids, talks about them all the time, but every time we go anywhere to meet up with them (a house, the park, the fountain, wherever) he does this "mommy, i neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed you..." thing and wants me to pick him up, and just observe the rest of the crowd and be on the sidelines and pick him up and half the time i have stefan on my back in the ergo, the other half stefan is nursing or needing my intervention to protect him for ebullient 1 year olds, so i really don't have the time or the hands or the strength to be holding a 3 year old for as long as he wants to be held. inevitably, i offer him food or he asks for some snack, and then he sits for a while and surveys the situation and starts to engage in play.

but i have resorted to asking him shortly after we get to wherever and he's not engaging, "we came to play with our friends, with paul and henry and ruby and naia and whoever, but you seem to be having a hard time. would you like to stay and play or would you like to go home? going home is okay, if you want." it's a pain in my ass, especially since the mamas have become good friends of mine and it's nice to connect with parents who parent the same way we do. i left once when i just couldn't deal, and i have walked him outside at least a few more times and he always asks (no, whines) to go back in but doesn't immediately engage. i know that's just his way of doing stuff, but it really is a pain in my ass. thankfully the mamas know it's his modus operandi and they just give him his space. the kids are usually too busy playing to notice, but sometimes they are very persistent at wanting him to join and that's a learning curve for marek, too, to tell them, "no thank you, i don't want to go on the climber right now" and be okay with it and for them to learn to respect his space.

i feel like i'm not making much sense but that's probably more the flu-ey thing i've been fighting all day which started with a sore throat and moved to achey body.

jess, if you're reading this, i think we'll have to postpone tomorrow for a bit because i don't want to infect you and ebin and your household. marek and stefan appear to have drippy noses from the whole deal that don't seem allergy related.

okay, off to wake my napping 3 year old.







: last night going to bed was hell because he napped from 3 to 5 and tonight he's napping from 545 to 615. grrrr.... he really needs to nap earlier but he never winds down enough during the earlier time frame.

~claudia


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## Sarah'sMama (Nov 30, 2002)

KKmama said:


> Ack, Juice! Sorry about the bladder/kidney worries. I hope you get results soon. :hag
> 
> Wow, KK, aren't you the picture of upliftingness! Offering a hag! I thought I'd seen it all....until now
> 
> ...


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## jstar (Jul 22, 2004)

a :hag or a














love it.

ugh the achey thing is the worst-- i hope it isn't a major illness claudia. i had a very close call with mastitis on friday night. big sore boob with a mega red stripe on the sore duct and then i started to get achey. ebin decided to feed for hours and hours which saved me. and i probably posted about this already but i have no memory







:

i bought a ring sling today and then grocery shopped with ebin! success. he is sleeping right now so i should wash the bigger kiddo

i watched the birthing video and it just looks sort of unreal to me. wacky stuff that birthin'

i think i'd keep going to parties with rowan, renae. it is probably the best thing rather than avoiding social things. but maybe hold rowan as much as possible til he warms up (?). or leave early if he gets too overwhelmed.

i definitely think they're all so different and what works for one may not work for another. it is kind of hard to offer advice when you don't know a child in real life kwim. i do a lot of things i didn't think i'd do. and its all by the seat of my pants









juice - i hope you get results soon on the strep test. that would be very worrisome. and that sucks you're feeling tense and on edge. your week sounded really intense though! even when all that is 'normal' your body might just be saying 'whoaaa stressout!' i hope things chill out a bit for you


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## Miss Juice (Jun 9, 2005)

Morning, gals. No call from the ped yesterday







but I have ot assume no news is good news. I'll call them this morning once they open. I'm actually feeling a lot better this morning. AF showed up last night and I put my grumpy self in bed extra-early, so I'm feeling more rested. Less stressy overall. Never experienced anxiety as a symptom of PMS before, but I guess it's possible?

Thanks for the :hag and the







s







:

Yay for shopping success Jstar! I feel so accomplished when my errands run smoothly.

The party thing is tricky, isn't it... I don't have anything to add that hasn't already been mentioned, but here's a







Allison is also a much easier 3-year old (so far) than Caitlyn was. Or I'm more resilient. Or something.

TC







: for quickly passing symptoms.


----------



## Miss Juice (Jun 9, 2005)

Ped update - strep culture was negative. YAY! So we just have to go back in 6 weeks to do a repeat UA. Fun, fun, getting a 3yo to pee in a cup. (Guess it might be easier with a boy?)


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## Sarah'sMama (Nov 30, 2002)

Yay! for negative cultures for the juiclet!









Going strawberry picking this morning.


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## KKmama (Dec 6, 2001)

Ack, did I wish Juice a :hag? Oh carp.







: for me... Yea for the neg culture!

Renae, wasn't sure if you meant us... I got plenty of unsolicited advice when T was 3, and it really







me. Also... one of my good friends has a son for for quite a while just wouldn't interact at play groups, birthdays, etc. We all just let him play by himself, in another room, whatever. He's out of that phase now. Another friend has a little boy who just doesn't deal well with busy busy social situations. They tend to make their stays brief. I think it's totally okay to do things differently if that's what your child needs. (Saying that--sometimes, Mama needs to get out, and compromise has to be learned by the child, too.)

Jacquie, I wouldn't mind hearing that you and yours are okay... I read in the paper this morning that a bunch of people in your area are being evacuated because of a forest fire...

We finally got T's Trail A Bike. Got it put together (rather too late last night) and I just *had* to ride it around the block with him. Z was up too late and totally fell apart at bedtime--the gasping cry, y'know. I snuggled him to sleep, feeling guilty. I think I'll hook up the train (bike-trail a bike-trailer) and go for a ride around the neighborhood this morning. Then wait for the plumber, then go to the store for T's chocolate chips for cookies.


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## jstar (Jul 22, 2004)

yay for the negative strep culture!

getting out of the house in the am has never been my forte. and mr. big child had to be at school by 9 with sack lunch in hand for a field trip today. i set my alarm and went into the whirlwind mode and was feeling smug until i couldn't find the car keys. frantic searching ensued and then i finally found them buried in the couch cushions. phew that was a close one. we got there at 8:55







i thought dh had used my keys to lock my car last night because i told him my back window was still down. nope - he didn't get that i meant 'will you go close my window?' (which i should have just said). so all night my back window was down with the marathon thrown in the back. amazingly the carseat was still there (thank you godesses) and i don't think any cats or racoons slept in the car. and i live in a pretty high crime area!

now that my visitors are gone and isaac is at school i have this 'guilty' feeling that i'm just lounging at home. i wonder how long that will take to pass??







my new life of leisure! which is more like the life of laundry!

diaper questions for ya'll. i switched to cloth again now that i am down to 5 sposies and my MIL is gone. anyhoot. my question: i can't get around the nighttime concept. what do you do for night for a newborn? the prefolds get so wet so quickly i hate to have him in one for hours and hours. and last night he fell asleep at 11 and we were in bed until 7:30 with only one barely-awake feeding (stuck a boob in his mouth at 4:30). so no dipe changes that whole time (i had him in a sposie). i can't imagine he'd be that content in cloth? should i stick with sposies at night? previous nights when he's woken more i've changed him 2 or 3 times. but if he's sleeping....i'm not inclined to wake and change him

so i quit doing the trifold and started using the snappi and no more leaks! awesome.


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## orangecanoe (Aug 3, 2003)

Jess...at night we've always used fuzzi bunz or something with a doubler topped w/ fleece. Or just use the sposies...no biggie!

tired. that is all.


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## TurboClaudia (Nov 18, 2003)

fleece or microfleece layer next to the skin or fuzzubunz or happy heiny for nighttime here, too. once they stop pooping at each feeding, that is. i change with every poop or when wet with newborns.

feeling better but still headachy and drippy nose. stefan had a bit of a fever last night and now a drippy nose and marek has a drippy nose, too.

need lunch.

~claudia


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## mamameg (Feb 10, 2004)

hey y'all. just popping in to say hi. lots of ups and downs here. today is down, just trying to keep my head above water. trying to remember that when i feel like this, i need to reach out, not retreat. so this is me, reaching out. love you guys.







:


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## orangecanoe (Aug 3, 2003)

Megan---- ***hugest hugs*** Is there something you can do for just you today?? Sounds like a day for us to meet at Starbucks and let the kids run crazy while we relaxed! ....oh the darn distance!


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## mamameg (Feb 10, 2004)

oh heather.... something just for me today? now that's just crazy talk.







actually, no, nothing like that is in the cards. john is out of town for work until late tomorrow night, and my mom's sister is visiting, so she declined any help for me this week. we are supposed to meet a friend at the library in an hour. i guess that means i need to feed the kids some lunch or something. oh yeah, that.







:


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## orangecanoe (Aug 3, 2003)

Days like today when I wish the girls were cats and could fend for themselves...kwym!! Steal away from the kiddie section and get yourself a book at least!! I'm avoiding the library atm, what with the $20 in overdue fines looming!







:


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## mamameg (Feb 10, 2004)

wait, does spacing out on the web while my kids beat on each other count as doing something for myself? if it does, i've been doing that all morning!







:

oh, don't even get me started on library fines. i don't check books out at all because i am the WORST at returning them on time. if at all.







:







:


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## Miss Juice (Jun 9, 2005)

meg.

Here's a real story from our house this morning to make someone smile.

DD1 (5.5 yrs) starts yelling at Allison.
Me: (from the kitchen) Please don't yell at your sister.
DD1: She's pouring lemonade on Ethan's head.
Me: Allison, we do not pour lemonade on people. (another thing to add to the list of "things I never thought I'd hear myself say to another human)
Allison: No, mommy! I asked Ethan can I pour this on you! And he didn't say NO!
Me: Well, he doesn't exactly talk yet, so you'll have to take my word for it.
Allison: No, mommy! I asked him! He didn't say no!

What more can I say?


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## Sarah'sMama (Nov 30, 2002)

Love ya meg!

Maybe thsi will make you smile!

At the strawberry patch, there was this retired couple picking berries. They were both bent way over rummaging through to find the berries. Sarah says to me, wide eyed, "Mom, I see a BUTT!" The man had the biggest butt crackage evAR. Not just an innocent coin slot, but a full moon. Luckily he was far enough ahead of us that I don't think he heard, but I qucikly told her to be quiet about the man's butt.


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## TurboClaudia (Nov 18, 2003)

juice: love the lemonade story.









sherri: coin slot & full moon







:

megan:














2














2 and a :hag too







:

sarah-bee: are you gone from here for the whole rest of the summer? we miss you!

renae:







s for you, too. and a boot to the head for rowan. just kidding! hug for him, too. "mama, i neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed you..."

feeling better, albeit drippy nose and no tissues in the house and down to the last two rolls of tp in the bathrooms as i type, so gotta get some more paper supplies later....

ta for now!

~claudia


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## TurboClaudia (Nov 18, 2003)

also just wanna say... mmmmmmm... bubble tea...









that is all.

~c


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## Miss Juice (Jun 9, 2005)

LOL about coin slots and full moons!

Allison is obsessed with butts. The other day in the grocery store I had to take two girls to the restroom, so I figured might as well capitalize on the trip and go myself. As I stand up, she announces loudly in a large public restroom, "I smelled your butt!" I ignore her, which is my first line of defense against unexpected embarassments. As we leave the stall, she says again, "Smelled your butt" repeat repeat repeat until I say, very calmly, "We do not discuss people's butts in public." I was dying, though. Dying.

TC glad you're feeling better - I hate the drip drip drip thing.


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## jstar (Jul 22, 2004)

good chuckles all around

hmmm isaac is pouring water down the heater vent. arggghhhh

i think i'm going to stick with the sposies right now for night....which means i guess i'll have to buy a pack. i only have size large fuzzibuns. and he is doing the constant poop thing right now. like literally every 30 seconds and when i wipe his butt that causes him to pooop more







when i'm home and he's happy laying on the couch on the changing i'm just changing dipes every time i hear it and not even bothering with covers.

hugs mamameg


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## mamameg (Feb 10, 2004)

thanks for all the hags. and the hugs.









we went to the library and the girls were running around like maniacs, so my mama friend and i looked at each other and said "park!" and headed outside so they kids could get out some ya-yas.

amazing what a little human contact (this is my one friend in town who knows about my tough time lately, so no faking it was involved) and fresh air and sunshine does for a sour mood. feeling mucho better. it also helped that while we were at the park, john called me to say hi because he was concerned that i said earlier in the day i was feeling lonely and he wanted to check in with me and make sure i was okay. just when i feel like pitching his ass out the window, he does something sweet like that and i decide he's not so bad after all.







:

ok, jett is screaming in the high chair (guess he didn't really want that banana as much as i wanted him to sit in the high chair and eat it while i posted) so i gotta run.


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## mcsarahb (Aug 25, 2003)

Here in Maine...very busy...no internet. This is the first time I've been out of camp since we got here. Will maybe catch up in August.







Love to you all - I've been thinking about you!

Sarah


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## Jacqueline (Jun 11, 2003)

Hi all-I've been meaning to post, especially cause I thought KK might ask about the wildfires and such and I didn't want anyone to worry.....We're fine. They have evacuated about 60 homes about 5 miles from here, but the fire seems to be getting contained now, despite dry weather and unusually hot (upper 90s) conditions.

We were a little worried on Monday, cause no one seemed to have definitive answers to if the fire was coming our way, and at one time, we were surrounded by 3 active fires...so it was a little nerve wracking to say the least.

My sister and ex-sister-in-law visited this weekend. Glenwood Springs had a big Strawberry Days Festival, so we were out in the sun and heat a lot. Tired me out!

G started Mighty Mights Soccer for 3 year olds on Tuesday and he did so well! I was so proud of him. He started out needing daddy with him, but when the coaches divided the kids into groups of four, he just followed the group and participated with nary a whimper. He kicked a humungous soccer ball into a goal, kicked a regular size soccer ball around some cones and flags, learned about high-fiving after all plays, apparently...he just did so well! Now, this was week one, but so far it's gone way better than swimming did. Maybe he's just not a water boy.

He also pooped in his little potty chair today for the first time ever. Small steps, it will happen.

More company coming tomorrow, and I'm getting tired of it, frankly. DH and I actually need to finish up some unpacking and it's the kind we have to do together because it involves deciding where some baby items will go, etc. With all this company, we've been continually cleaning our house for a month. Oh well, I guess I've still got six weeks left to nest.

I know I need to catch up on everyone else's stuff. Just know that I'm thinking of each of you and reading regularly. I work tomorrow night and if it's slow, I'll have some more time to respond individually.









Night, ladies!


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## elsanne (Mar 10, 2004)

Hi ladies!

once again I dropped off of mdc's radar for reminders and I kind of need them. Anyway I found youguys again!

Jacqueline, glad you are not being evacuated, and sorry about the nonstop visitors! That can be so tiresome--you need to rest, being pregnant and all!

Meggy, so glad you went out for some human contact. So glad you have a friend, with kids, irl, you can do that with! I am thinking of you and sending you much love. And when you wrote that about John ("just when you were going to pitch him out the window...") I SO KNOW what that's all about! Somehow Viet knows riiiiiiight where my line is.

Love the funny kid anecdotes!

I am a dancin' fool these days, that's kept me busy. Tonight is a performance 1.5 hrs away, have I arranged childcare yet? Nope. Gah! Hag!

The "hag" thing really tickles my fancy.

Jstar I use fuzzibunz at night, but used disposables for several months at night too. I actually love that now I am using ZERO disposables...with Sol I always used disposables at night and didn't know that a fuzzibunz would really work, and it does!

Sarah's at camp in Maine? Wow! I think I missed something! Anyway, Sarabee, if you come back, here's a







:

TC what's bubble tea? I could relate though, because I'm having the best, sharpest cup of coffee EVAR, and it is making me able to leap buildings in a single bound. Leap piles of toys, anyway.

Sherri I was thinking of you because I thought, gee, sherri hasn't written on the thread in a while, what's she up to? as I put a very cute pink n purple dipe on Amara...then realized, it's me that's been away from the thread!

AAAAAH did I tell youguys I bought the RAV4??? I am sooooo excited, if I have not told you the story I am sorry, I have been remiss. I bought it from a woooooo wooooo! woman and it makes for a perfect Elsanne story.
I have to go get it now. Anyone want to get a car in Phoenix and drive it to me?


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## lilylidou (Jun 12, 2007)

My baby is growing so fast. I like her progress.


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## TurboClaudia (Nov 18, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lilylidou* 
My baby is growing so fast. I like her progress.

at first i was like, huh? so i looked back at lilylidou's posts and she is a mama in china with a little girl. she wrote that she is still learning english, hence the short posts and simple grammar.

anyway, just me being protective again. but i like joiners.








lilylidou! welcome!

~claudia


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## orangecanoe (Aug 3, 2003)

Welcome, Lilylidou!!

Els---every time you talk about dancing, makes me wish I could come watch! (cause you are never getting me to dance!







)

Meg---so glad you got some time out with a good friend and got to let the kiddos run amuk!

Jacquie--the nonstop visiting would stress me after a while! Soccer sounds like such fun! I tried to get C into the little kids sports class at the Y, but it filled up so fast! We need pics!

Today was beautious so we went to the zoo, zoo, zoo... C had a stellar, happy day! E stayed asleep for the transfer from car to crib and C didn't nap in the car on the way back which means she's napping now. Yippee! Now some quiet time to do nothing for me!

Very bummed about a Sarah-less summer!


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## Miss Juice (Jun 9, 2005)

YAY Heath for just a few minutes of quiet. We had jackhammers in our basement today which prevented naps for both the 10 month old AND the three-year old. It's been a rough afternoon







: So I called DH at work and asked him to try to come home early so I wouldn't lose my mind. ANd he DID!!! And then he promptly went upstairs and spent more than an hour trying to unclog the upstairs sink. Leaving me in the same situation as if he hadn't been home. ANd to top it all off, the sink is now more clogged than when he started









Tomorrow's my day 'off', though, and the girls go to summer daycamp, so all I have is the baby from 9-1. 4 hours of relative solitude... mmmmm.


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## Sarah'sMama (Nov 30, 2002)

Els, welcome back! You sound like you 're in a good an fun place right now. Good for you!









We're going camping this weekend. Heading out early tomorrow afternoon, so I'll see you all next week! We're all so excited. We spent most of the day figuring out what we have, what we need, etc. We're tenting, and dh and I haven't camped since before kiddos, so I'm feeling rusty. But we're all super duper excited, and it will be so nice ot be in the fresh air. Weather looks good! So wish us luck, and I'll catch you all next week! kisses to all!


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## orangecanoe (Aug 3, 2003)

Sherri--I am way jealous!! I haven't been camping since I was in HS I think. DH has never been so not much hope there. May just have to figure out an MMF! camping adventure in a couple years!









Today is E's first swim class at the Y. C very perturbed at me that I'm going to shower quick now and take them to the park instead of letting her veg in front of Sesame Street. "but it's my most favorite thing eeeevvvvverrr!" Pass the mean mommy award!


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## elsanne (Mar 10, 2004)

Hi ladies! I love camping. If I cannot get youguys to come down here and retreat in luxury, well, I guess I can come for a camping adventure.

Last night was another bellydance show in a city about 1.5 hrs away, this director biz is for the birds sometimes. I love/hate calling the shots. The musicians running late, to the point that we were on stage, doing slow motion sound checks time and again, me going on and on about What Is Tribal Style Bellydance to the audience, explaining the exotic instruments the eventual musicians would play...we finally improv'ed to a recorded song when they FINALLY showed up *phew*.
Mega stress.

So, my eyes are sandboxes this morning. I can't believe I made it juuuust squeaking under the 9.15 dropoff school thing, as per usual.

But it was fun, and I can't wait for Saturday's performance!

Heather, isn't it so true that when toddler/child has a good day, everyone has a good day? Glad youguys had a blast at the zoo.

Amara is going to be ONE in a couple weeks. No. Way! How did this happen, and so quickly? I kept saying to myself what I had heard so often: "The first year with two is the hardest, then it is actually easier than one..."
And I am almost done with this first year! Whoa dude!







:

I would love to hear thoughts/experiences on the sibling intervention thing. Those with more than one child: how often do you intervene for arguing/fights? Talk to me about this. When is good, when's too much? My goal is total hands-free sibling relationship.
They have started to hit one another for any little disagreement, and while nobody's damaged, it bugs the carp out of me.


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## Sarah'sMama (Nov 30, 2002)

Els, I really like the book "Mom, Jason's Breathing on Me!" by Anthony E. Wolf, Ph.D. Some of the stuff in there is for children a bit older, but it gives you the fundamentals and gets you in a mindset of how to parent without taking sides. It also is helpful in getting your kids to learn how to solve conflict on their own.

Alrighty, everything packed and loaded. We're outta here!


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## Sarah'sMama (Nov 30, 2002)

Oh, and to answer your question, here's what I try to do most of the time.

I try to wait and see if the argument is something they can sort out on their own. If it seems that some intervention is needed, I address them collectively, ie "Girls, what seems to be the problem?" or something of the nature. I learned from the book that children want you on their side, which they feel is "winning" the argument. So when you address them collectively, you're staying neutral and not jumping in and taking a side right away. And resolving the problem, I try as hard as I can to keep that collective mindset. If there was a clear infraction on someone's part, I try to smooth that over.


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## jstar (Jul 22, 2004)

i LOVE camping. i was out driving on the freeway and looking at the mountains and having a major urge to head for the hills. but i think it will have to wait for july. and we need to upgrade to a 'family' size tent. the 2 person dome just isn't going to cut it anymore







i think claudia is camping this weekend too







have fun campers!!!!!!!!!!

my kitchen is a mess. time to tackle it. and i'm hoping to pull weeds when ebin conks out for his am snoozefest.

you know i have 2 fuzzibuns and i tried them at night with isaac and they always wicked onto his jammies from the fleece. and when i was in mother natures recently she said that for a while she was using bad fleece for the fuzzibuns and has improved them again. maybe i have the bad ones??? maybe i'll buy a couple of smaller ones and see.

wow amara is almost 1! i'm a loyal toyota lover. you'll be stoked on your rav4


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## TurboClaudia (Nov 18, 2003)

yes, we are camping this weekend and i'm currently royally pissed at bill who was supposed to bring lunch home an HOUR sgo and then we were going to pack but he's effing late and i'm hungry and marek's hungry and i've done all i can do without adult help watching small people... grrrrr...


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## KKmama (Dec 6, 2001)

Meg...







and :hag if you want one. I totally KWYM about human contact, and I'm glad you got some (and maybe some where you didn't feel obligated to paste on a smile???).

With the squabbling... doing what seems most appropriate, I guess. Separating them, if I think that will help. Since they're boys, trying to get them to *talk* to each other about whatever the problem is is a biggie.

I like hearing all the goofy stuff. Especially about butts.

Wow, I can't believe Amara is going to be one! I do have to say that my sitch now is easier than it was a year ago (or a year and a half ago), and I'm enjoying it a lot more than say, when T was 2, 2 1/2.

We need to do upgrade to the mega-family-sized-car-camping tent (from the 2 person backpacking tent--those days are OVAH). We're not sure if we're going to Yellowstone in August, but we're going camping *somewhere*. (Sherri, have fun!)

Juice, isn't it interesting how if you only have *one* and it's the easiest one, it's practically like being alone?









Jacquie, glad you're okay. The fires sound a little scary.







on the soccer. G just seems like a soccer kind of guy. Sorry about all the company... isn't it just about nesting time for you???

We've been really, REALLY busy (in a good way) with our summer schedule. It's mainly just getting out, doing a lot of unstructured playing (incl. hiking and dinking around in water) with friends. Man. After last winter, I have to say, I'm really enjoying mysefl.

I had a beer with our new neighbor while the kids played... she asked me if I was a Mothering mom. (She subscribes.) This is a good sign. We talked about our births...


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## elsanne (Mar 10, 2004)

That is a very good sign, kk! How great that you might have a mama friend right next door with similar values.

TC I so know how you feel about waiting on B and whenever he gets home, etc etc...I rolled my eyes with you because I get soooo sick of that kind of BS.

Hopefully you are happily camping now...have fun, happy campers!

Happily snuffling in my jammies and coffee cup as I write this, after a GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP! Seems like Amara woke 8 million times but I went to bed with the girls and got UP with the girls, who slept an extra hour and a half, so I am fully well rested. This is good after the previous night trekking to that show I told ya about, and getting up at the usual time. I was really on edge yesterday. Lack of sleep does me in REAL fast, I don't know how the chronically sleep-deprived do it.

Tonight is another show, and every Saturday. I am looking forward to it. More director complaints: the show we trekked to, has not paid us yet (and is a better-paying one than the usual Saturdays) and my musicians are grouchy about that. It's the City that is footing the bill on that one so gov't things are like, the runaround. Bigtime bother, and more stress. Gah.

So psyched about my car. I canNOT figure out how to get it, due to my other car here, which I want to keep. As a migrant gringa, I am allowed only one car. Solution would be: Viet brings the other car. Strange laws of importation require that NO CAR MADE IN JAPAN be imported, so my Camry is SOL. I can bring in my RAV4, even though it's made in Japan, because my migrant status is a temporary one (same deal with the Camry) and it's not a permanent importation.
The Camry is a '92, with 286k miles on it. Two windows that don't work. It's market value is like, zip. So to sell it seems stupid; it's value to me as a car is much greater than the $500 or so I would get for it. The idea is that Viet drives the Camry and has ability to take the girls AWAY from my house and me for spells, which we are unable to do if I need the car for any reason.

So here's my solution: Have a ****** drive the car into Mexico, with the title in their name, and then fly back to their home never to see or worry about the car again. The hitch is that if that same ****** ever wants to drive into Mexico again with a car in their name (beyond the border cities) they will have difficulties, and yes the Camry will be illegal after their tourist visa expires but that's not a huge deal. So I'm desperately seeking a ****** who would do that, and there are millions who never plan to drive their car into Mexico (just flying in would never be an issue), but how many want to do this for me? Like, none that I can tell! I'm hitting up my family members but they all eventually plan to drive in. Guh.

That's my report for this Fine Saturday.


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## fiddlefern (Nov 9, 2003)

Elsanne- I hope you find your ******.









My, oh my. I just read 4 pages and my head is spinning. I would desperately love to participate in all the may mama goings-on, but I'm just too overwhelmed with my own little life.

I finally paid bills last week, only to receive a letter from a collection agency (for a bill I already paid) today. Ack- I've always had a pristine credit report (TC- gotta say I'm not so good being calm about little pieces of mail, but also I'm sorry that day sucked so royally for you).

We moved last weekend, upstairs, to run away from the moldy wall from a shower leak.

There is family drama. Crazy false accusations have been made against me. Tears have fallen. Many angry letters composed in my head, but none sent as of yet. Fortunately, dh is fully supportive of me, or this situation would be way more horrible than it is. Perhaps I will elaborate on YG, though I have talked to several of my IRL friends already, people who are familiar with the parties involved.

Kids are both happy and healthy. Today W learned to roll over on purpose. Today L said to his baby doll, "oh honey, maybe I should give you some milk," and proceeded to pull up his shirt and nurse.

That is all for tonight. I'lll try to get online again within the next week, so as to not get so behind- it feels so good to check in with ya'll.


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## Miss Juice (Jun 9, 2005)

els, that's quite the conundrum. I hope you find your ****** too! Could you reverse the trip, and send one of your local friends UP to fetch it?








fiddle. Even without details, that drama sounds really wretched.


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## elsanne (Mar 10, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *fiddlefern* 
Today L said to his baby doll, "oh honey, maybe I should give you some milk," and proceeded to pull up his shirt and nurse.










: fern! This anecdote is too cute. I am sooo soooorrry about your family drama and collection letter.

Wakey wakey here. Last night was fun, wine was consumed.


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## jstar (Jul 22, 2004)

last night was fun for us too - we went to a wedding. m&ms were consumed by the handful. i don't think anyone should put out bowls of m&ms anywhere that there may be a 3yo on the loose.









this wedding was at a house which was on probably an acre smack in the middle of vancouver and this garden was *AMAZING*. the owner has been working on it for 30 years. i'm talking waterfall, stream, 2 koi ponds, tons of hidden sitting areas, cave, stone pathways for exploring, outdoor bathroom (!), and so many amazing plantings. i wanted to live there! it was so inspiring.

bedtimes are a nightmare these days. isaac does not want to go to sleep. and by the end of the day i can't cope with that









beth - that is so cute what L said







i'm glad you got moved upstairs and away from the mold. i hope the family drama resolves itself soon

els - if i didn't have these 2 kidlets i'd do the drive









coming home an hour after he says is one of my dh's 'talents' it is one that really grates on a frazzled nerve

kk - your summer fun sounds, well....FUN! dinking around in water sounds great.

i got out in my yard on friday and pulled some weeds and it felt GREAT. my 2 front beds are overrun with weeds right now and it bugs me every time i come home. those are next


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## TurboClaudia (Nov 18, 2003)

back from camping... ahhhhh... fun... got rained on today as we packed up, though. that was not fun. now must go unpack car full of somewhat wet stuff, so more later this week.

els: car sitch... hmmm... what city is car in currently? and where do you need it to end up? just over the border or down by you?

~claudia


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## elsanne (Mar 10, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *TurboClaudia* 
back from camping... ahhhhh... fun... got rained on today as we packed up, though. that was not fun. now must go unpack car full of somewhat wet stuff, so more later this week.

els: car sitch... hmmm... what city is car in currently? and where do you need it to end up? just over the border or down by you?

~claudia

Glad you had fun camping! Did you do s'mores? I have so many positive camping family memories.

It is in Phoenix, and needs to end up over any border (closest would be Nogales, about 4-5 hrs' drive from Phoenix).







:


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## orangecanoe (Aug 3, 2003)

I would so love to run off and make that trip! darn distance! I'm pretty absolutely sure I'll never be driving a car of mine to Mexico.

FF--miss you and hearing about your guys. That story about L is cute and amazing on many levels! Can't believe W is getting so big!

Humor me, but what are reasons one could be reaaaalllly tired when pregnant. I'm thinking baby growth spurt or it's normal or I'm a nut or combination of the three? I am ready to fall asleep by 5pm every day and have no energy for anything. blah. Iron? Thryoid? Don't see the mw again til the 9th or 10th or something.


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## jstar (Jul 22, 2004)

if you're like me you're dropping asleep at 8pm (or 5pm!) and then completely wide awake at 3am. are you getting any naps in the afternoon? i think it is just pregnancy tiredness. i was able to nap on weekends but not weekdays and i would be really wiped out on work nights.

i'm glad camping was fun. we bought our family sized tent last night at costco (we only had the backpacking tent too and i also agree those days are OVAH)









ahhh monday morning. i have so many dishes and and loads of laundry to do! FUN!


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## KKmama (Dec 6, 2001)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *heatherfeather* 
Humor me, but what are reasons one could be reaaaalllly tired when pregnant. I'm thinking baby growth spurt or it's normal or I'm a nut or combination of the three? I am ready to fall asleep by 5pm every day and have no energy for anything. blah. Iron? Thryoid? Don't see the mw again til the 9th or 10th or something.

Iron? I remember needing some extra food and rest ~5 mos. Where are you at?

Quote:


Originally Posted by *fiddlefern* 
There is family drama. Crazy false accusations have been made against me. Tears have fallen. Many angry letters composed in my head, but none sent as of yet. Fortunately, dh is fully supportive of me, or this situation would be way more horrible than it is. Perhaps I will elaborate on YG, though I have talked to several of my IRL friends already, people who are familiar with the parties involved.

Don't know what it is, but I'm sending







s your way and :hags their way. If you *do* want to elaborate elsewhere, feel free.


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## nuggetsmom (Aug 7, 2002)

I dropped of the MDC radar. We had a HUGE party on Saturday to celebrate our 10th aniversary complete with bouncy castle for the little ones.
Next week we are leaving town again.
I have so much to say that I can't even get started. I guess it will have to wait.


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## elsanne (Mar 10, 2004)

Heather, there are so many reasons one needs to rest during pregnancy. PLUS, you are A SAHM, which means you work your arse off every single day for many more than 8 hrs. So. Pleeeenttyyyy of reasons to be sleepy. Are you taking a good multi vitamin? I take all-one powder (www.all-one.com) in juice.


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## orangecanoe (Aug 3, 2003)

KK--that must be it then...am about 5.5ish months.
Els--I do think I need a better vite....

Highlight of the day: C puking all over her therapist's office. half-choked on a darn pretzel. so glad she had shells and sauce for lunch. yucko. total flashback moment. I can't believe I used to deal with that with her every day/multiple times a day until until almost 2.

Off to change into jammies, see the girlies off to bed and rest!


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## TurboClaudia (Nov 18, 2003)

hey all, remember ducettemama? she's pregnant again and due in december. just caught a post of hers in the dec ddc and clicked. you still reading along, ducette?

bad evening. stefan was freaking out and beyond tired but wouldn't go to sleep. it was driving me crazy. literally. need to unwind. glass of wine would be nice but i think i'm too tired. maybe tea... els: mamas who do it mostly by themselves rock, because i would seriously have a breakdown if i had no one to relieve me and save me from myself.

~claudia


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## Sarah'sMama (Nov 30, 2002)

claudia. Sorry 'bout yoru bad day. I had one yesterday, too. I tooootally lost my cool with Sarah and have felt awful ever since.







:

So the camping trip was a huge hit! We had a blast, and the girls are great little campers. Only downfall was the college kids across the way Saturday night who were loud into the wee hours of Sunday morning. I knew we were in trouble when I saw them with a funnel and lots'o'beer in the afternoon.







But we had a good time, and are looking forward to doing it again sometime soon.

Katie had her first dentist visit this morning and she did great!! The office I took her to was highly recommended by some mama friends of mine, and it didn't disappoint! They were so nice and patient with her. They also had a TV in the room, so she could watch some cartoons while they worked, so that was a nice distraction. But honestly she didn't need it, she was actually excited to go. And she was beyond thrilled when they gave her a toothbrush to take home! So big sigh of relief there. Now Sarah has an appt. tomorrow afternoon, and that's the one I'm most nervous about. She's sooo squeamish and I worry it will not go well.

Alrighty, better sign off! Catch you later!


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## jstar (Jul 22, 2004)

i know the feeling. except my 'relief' is out golfing. he says 'i thought you'd be mad i wasn't home with you and the kids.' well i wasn't, til you mentioned it







just kiddin. i wish i had a 'getaway' hobby right now but that hasn't happened yet.

doug and i have both needed someone to save us from ourselves at night. every.single.night. involves screaming episodes from isaac and him staying up until 11. it is soooooooo tiresome and he is driving us both to the brink of insanity with it







: my mom is coming sunday. maybe she can get him back on his routine.

my goal for the day is 'vacuurming'. and taking some worn shoes back to nordstrom with no box or receipt. isaac wore them once and that was it. we'll see if it works.


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## KKmama (Dec 6, 2001)

I thought my isp ate my post, but here it is (from ~3 hrs ago):

I'm having a little break from the kids... just got back from running errands. Ack--what is it about running errands in the afternoon that makes my kids insane? (Is it all kids, or just mine?) Grr. L is normally so mellow, too, but she's teething (my nipples off) and I think she has a touch of a virus that's been going around. Anyway, picture me trying to return a gallon of concrete stain. Carp--I don't have the receipt (even though I *always* have the receipt). Then I try to choose a new color of concrete *paint*, except there are 2000 colors and the kids are screaming like banshees. I grabbed some paint chips and ran. I was supposed to pick up a new swamp cooler float (sounds *waaay* more glamorous than what it is), but I left the old broken one in the car. Let's hope the one I grabbed was the right one.

Jess, my getaway hobby is gardening... Hmm. That sounds good right about now.

***

Thinking of you all.. the summer seems to be flying by (maybe except for the pg ladies...







)


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## elsanne (Mar 10, 2004)

kk, please hag me!!!







I like your new senior title.

getaway hobby = bellydance. Stressful hobby = bellydance.

Methinks me needs a new hobby. jk, because really I adore it. I just don't wanna be the teacher any more! I just wanna dance!


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## Mama Faery (Apr 19, 2004)

Y'all, I feel like a bad friend.







:
I just realized I zoomed off to Newport with nary a "see ya later"! on Friday! I am home briefly because I was SUPPOSED to see Morrissey with my best friend this evening, but after playing 5 or so songs the man walked off the stage and we were told he "lost his voice" and they'd reschedule the show for another time.







GRR!
Ah well, at least I got here to feed the







and check email and shoot off a note to you wonderful mama-jamas.

I am thinking of you all, and I love you muchly. I'm sorry I've been such a flake lately!









More when I get back Friday afternoon! Newport's been fun, who knew, Rowan digs the beach like WHOAH...bodes well for Hawaii in July!

Hope you all are well.


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## elsanne (Mar 10, 2004)

Hey Girl! Missed you 'round here! Bummer about Morrissey, I once saw the Pixies in Portland and I can't remember who it was but they were obviously very ill, and just did a few songs and then shut down the gig like that. Must be hard to be a rock star, no time for illness!


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## TurboClaudia (Nov 18, 2003)

to all the mmf!

kk: i like your new senior title, too. i almost typed t*tt*e (insert i's for the stars)







our boys are crazy on afternoon errands, too. either crazy or falling asleep in the car, neither of which bodes well for getting things done.

els: was talking to friends of ours last night and they mentioned they used to live in phoenix, so i asked them if they still knew anyone down there who might be able to help you with the car. they are thinking of some maybes...

renae: bad friend! *slaps your hand* totally kidding! as i mentioned before, everyone in portland comes out of hibernation in the summer so there are like 7 things to do each day and we have to choose and i haven't even called back my friend who left me two voicemails last week because we have been sooooooooo busy just doing regular stuff and i feel like a horrible friend.

i went down to the car dealer which i usually don't go to because we (really just me, actually) had a bad experience there when we almost leased a car for bill from them 10 years ago. creepy sales guy, weird "no commission" sales gimmick (ummm, they probably call them "bonuses" instead of something like that), anyway, bill bought the new car from them and it was a semi pleasant experience except for they forgot one of the things he wanted on the car and that they quoted him. it's more confusing to write about than what actually happened. but they have a service department that apparently has only an oil changer department and you are supposed to be able to get in and out in about 45 minutes. ummm, not today. call for appointment when you have children. totally ticked off about that because my car is about 8k overdue for an oil change.

"mommy, i need some snack, mommy, i need some snack, mommy, i need some snack..."

gotta go.

~claudia


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## elsanne (Mar 10, 2004)

Oh, Claudia, that would be awesome. I am really goin' nuts trying to figure out how to do it.

I always wondered what your senior title meant! SNS?


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## TurboClaudia (Nov 18, 2003)

sns == supplemental nursing system == nursing with a little tube down at the end of the nip so baby breastfeeds and gets mama's milk but also supplement (formula or breastmilk)


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## TurboClaudia (Nov 18, 2003)

so my mom just called me. my former co-worker (and still my mom's co-worker -- we worked for the same company) found his 28 year old (same age as my sis) daughter's body when he arrived back home after work today. they are not sure of all the details, but they believe she had a heart attack. she was very heavy and led a mostly sedentary lifestyle, and her dad (the co-worker) has high blood pressure and a heart issue, so this is very plausible. it's so sad, though. please send him and his whole family good thoughts.


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## orangecanoe (Aug 3, 2003)

Thinking of the family, Claudia. What a shock it must have been to them.


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## KKmama (Dec 6, 2001)

Claudia, that is terribly sad.







for the family.

I tried to SNS with Z. If I had had success, I wouldn't have had to do the NG tube.

Ooh, Renae is the bad friend, the one who never calls you back, the one you always ask to go somewhere with but she never invites you. (Notice how she didn't invite *us* to Newport?)







Summer is *busy*, dude.

Speaking of t*tt*es: Z lifted up his shirt this morning and pointed to his own little boy n*pples and said: "Mommy, these are *my* pink things like your pink things."


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## Jacqueline (Jun 11, 2003)

Claudia, how awful for the family of your former co-worker. Very sad.

I'm up at this hour because I was just lying in bed trying to find a comfortable position and not sleeping at all. Yet I'm tired. Body just won't let me sleep. I just took some chamomile homeopathic pellets, so maybe that will calm the body down. I was not this achy while pg with G. I just have so much trouble getting comfortable in bed.

I've been mucho absent again. I just don't know how doing the little activities of the day keep me so busy. The heat here has not helped. I feel really wiped out each afternoon and must nap when G naps, so I'm not getting anything done while he's asleep.

34 weeks now. Got some more birth supplies together off the checklist; picked out an outfit for the little one! Been going through all your clothes, KK! That's been fun. So, I guess I am accomplishing some things. Our "office"/baby changing room is still in shambles, though. I really want to get it more together.

Oh, my mind feels so jumbled, I'm having trouble forming sentences. Maybe that means I'm ready for sleep. We'll see.

night all. I wish this was more productive email, but







to everyone. I really do think of you often.


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## fiddlefern (Nov 9, 2003)

It's kinda the middle of the night, but we got back super-late from a spur-of-the-moment trip to Olympia. I just had to escape my reality for a while. Dh and I had a very relaxing trip to my pop's house. Basically, we hung out in his large house and took turns napping and watching the kids. Grandpa came home in the evenings and played with the kids while we had couple time. Woo hoo. We even went _out_ on a _date_ for about an hour. (Sorry Jstar- I know I was supposed to cook for you this week!!!)

Nuggets- very interested to hear your update when it comes.

Heatherfeather- hope you are able to get the rest you need, and sorry about C's pukies.

Els: yup, we also could have avoided the tube had the sns worked.

L has been _crazy whiney_ the past few days, I think because he's tube weaning again and having a hard time with the fewer cals. But he's up to 28 lbs, 3 oz and holding, which is awesome.

I think I'll dash off to the yg and then go to bed.


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## jstar (Jul 22, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *KKmama* 
Jess, my getaway hobby is gardening... Hmm. That sounds good right about now.

that is one of my favorite hobbies but i need a getaway from the house hobby. actually i told doug last night i want to go the fabric store and dawdle very slowly without 2 kids. washing bottles and tubes and trying that is on my list of things to do ASAP. and judging how he does not love the paci i'm not optimistic.

yesterday isaac was at school and ebin was napping so i weeded *one* of the front flower beds. hopefully i'll be able to get to the other one today or tomorrow. we have *so* much yard debris to take to mcfarlands. like a giant pile of tree branches and bamboo. i want to do it saturday....or more like i want doug to do it saturday







: we can't all fit in the truck. and i bought some cosmos and dahias and zinnias to plant. my egg carton seedlings became victims of life with the newborn









Quote:


Originally Posted by *TurboClaudia* 
my car is about 8k overdue for an oil change.


yikes so is mine!! like sooooooo overdue. i have a mental block against oil changes right now.

sorry about your coworker's daughter. that is awful! and so unexpected at that age.

ff- don't worry. and my mom is coming sunday until the 14th so we'll have plenty of food help. i didn't even get a meal to you until W was about 2 or 3 months old














your trip to oly sounds great

jacquie - getting so close!

bedtimes have been *terrible* around here. last night was the first night he fell asleep in his own bed without a tantrum. and it was only 10pm







: (the tantrum was before the bath







: ) ok must throw clothes on to drive him to school. i've adopted the tactic of having him sleep in his tshirt and underwear so i only have to wrestle shoes and shorts on him in the morning.







:


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## A&L+1 (Dec 12, 2003)

I am totally remiss for not posting&#8230;yikes, it's been weeks. Sorry.

My dad died on the 15th and I have been in Michigan since before that. It was a death we were grateful for but still not easy to accept. I will miss him so much.

I am at work today after getting home late last night so I can't really write coherently right now. I just wanted to let you know that I am doing well. I have been thinking about you all.


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## orangecanoe (Aug 3, 2003)

Lisa--


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## TurboClaudia (Nov 18, 2003)

lisa: i was thinking of you earlier today. thanks for the update. wishing you and your family peace and love.

update on my former co-worker's daughter's passing:
preliminary results indicate that it was not a heart attack, but rather an acute asthma attack. the heat and humidity (like 95+% humidity) has set in in the Northeast and New England, and no one was home to help her when she couldn't help herself. the family is quite obviously heartbroken and reeling with things they need to do, and my mom's boss is out of the country because his own mother passed a few weeks ago in taiwan. he is close friends with this man, and both of them have high blood pressure and heart issues so it will likely hit him hard, as well. my mom is feeling kind of numb.

thank you all for your thoughts. i just can't even begin to imagine what this family must be feeling right now.

hug your little ones extra close today, mamas.

~claudia


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## jstar (Jul 22, 2004)

lisa, i'm so sorry about your dad














s i've been feeling like a boob for not posting 'thinking of lisa' because i've been thinking about you. is your sahm time over or did you just have to go into work briefly?


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## Sarah'sMama (Nov 30, 2002)

Thanks for the update, LIsa, I've been thinking alot about you and wondering how everything was for you. I hope you can feel love and support coming at you from upstate NY.







:


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## Jacqueline (Jun 11, 2003)

Lisa,







. Been thinking of you, too.


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## emmalola (Apr 25, 2004)

lisa-







: and thanks for the update. I'm so sorry for your loss.

renae- I try not to post when I'm going to be online, just because I wouldn't want stalkers to know when I'm not home. It's silly, I suppose, but you know. And by the way? I was gone for the past week too! We were in RI, suffered through the heat and were so glad to be back in NM last night when our plane landed in the middle of a huge lightning storm.

TC, sad thoughts your way too. That sort of thing is just so surprising and sad.

Too crazy busy to update, but we survived a hellish plane trip, a visit to granny and a week without rules. Even so, the lentil has been pleasantly cooperative today- maybe he's as relieved to be back in the routine as we are.


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## mamameg (Feb 10, 2004)

Lisa. Been thinking of you a lot, thanks for the update. Sending you and your family peace and love.


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## KKmama (Dec 6, 2001)

Oh Lisa, I'm sorry. I'm glad your father is no longer ill, but how you must be grieving.


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## Miss Juice (Jun 9, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *jstar* 
i've been feeling like a boob for not posting 'thinking of lisa' because i've been thinking about you.

Me too.







And thinking of you still.

TC that's intense and very sad.


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## elsanne (Mar 10, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *KKmama* 
Oh Lisa, I'm sorry. I'm glad your father is no longer ill, but how you must be grieving.

















:

Lisa, sending much love your way.


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## Mama Faery (Apr 19, 2004)

Oh, much love to you, Lisa.







Thinking of you and your family.
And oh, Claudia, how awful.







Much healing thoughts to them too.
There is WAY too much sadness right now. *sigh* An online friend of mine (a girl who is a fellow AFI fan) found out her cancer is possibly back.







I found out yesterday and it really hit me hard for some reason. Damn. I can't believe how close I am to so many people I have never actually met *in person*...like I feel like a terrible person for barely being online here, you know? I know I have to get over myself but well, as Elsanne says, it IS all about ME, after all.








And EL, you were in RI?!?!? OMG! Someday, oh, someday, we will meet.

We are home from Newport, it was Good Times. Luckily, we were able to avoid much of the horrible heat & humidity this past week because we were so near the ocean, and we spent many days last week on the beach. I thought all the sad and messiness would freak me (and Rowan, for that matter) right the heck out, but he LOVED digging in the sand and he had DH and I carry him into the ocean several times, once, we totally weren't prepared for it, and he just leapt right in, regular diaper and clothes on and all!







Then we were driving downtown with a naked baby wrappe din a balnket strapped into the carseat, to a local Gap to get him some cheap pajamas because going back to our room at the time wasn't an option.








Like I said, Newport was an adventure this year. Rowan had an excellent time, and I can see each year getting better as he gets older.









Some of his terror of things seems to have abated, or maybe I am finding a way to handle it? I'm not sure. I only know that he didn't want to go into the little Exploratory center/teeny aquarium (that one of my friends used to work for before hse had her DS, incidentally) Wednesday and I talked him into it somehow. I told him that *I* was going in and he was too little to stay outside without me, so he HAD to come with me, an I would hold him until we left if he wanted...and once we got in there he wanted down and was all over the place and had a great time. There were very few tantrums in Newport, and I'm not sure if it was because we were on vacation and things were chaotic anyway, or what!

Also, President Bush







:














was in town Thursday, and we attended a protest and rally outside the Naval War College where he was speaking. My friend was like "hey! You're in Newport at just the right time! Come to this protest with us!" Rowan even helped me make the sign we carried.







Of course, when he saw all the people, he was kinda freaked out but when I gave him the option to ride in his "Stroll-oh-oh-oh" (he says it like that and now WE call it that too! Hahaha!) he was cool. THEN he was chanting "What do we want? Troops out! When do we want it? NOW!!" I'm not even kidding. It was awesome.

So anyway, a good week was had by all. I am about to go to bed. I've missed you, and darn it, I am gonna keep up if it kills me!









Much love to you all, always. MMF!


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## fiddlefern (Nov 9, 2003)

Lisa- I am glad you got to spend that time with your dad before he died.








s

Renae- sounds like a great trip.


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## DucetteMama21842 (May 11, 2006)

I've totally missed out on everything and feel like I might as well reintroduce myself. I have a horrible memory and don't remember everyone either.

It's been a crazy time for us. I got my certification to teach Bradley Method Natural Childbirth Classes AND to be a doula. So exciting! Then... the bug just wasn't enough as my husband says.. I was just too obsessed with everything pertaining to birth and wanting women to have the amazing experience they hope for.... so I enrolled in college to work my way towards my midwifery degree.

I cannot believe that Dominic is three years old. It breaks my heart, but it's so much fun all at the same time. He's like THE best person to hold a conversation with- so much more interesting and hilarious! Plus it helps that he loves Isaac and is constantly trying to help me take care of him. They run around laughing and playing with each other all day.

Then we found out I was pregnant. We are due in December and planning our first homebirth!!!







:





















Dominic is so excited and his constant (and asked with a very serious attitude) question is, "Can *I* have that baby in your tummy?" As cute as it is.. don't worry- I've explained that we'll share it.









So I have another month off of college before I go full time for fall quarter. Gonna be interesting. Hey- I can do it though. I'm superwoman. Oh yeah.. did I mention I was due a couple days after the quarter ends?









Reacquaint with me mamas!


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## jstar (Jul 22, 2004)

renae - that sounds like a great trip. i think they act up less on vacation because it is fun and exciting







kinda like grownups. hah.

i was given a 'president poopyhead' onsie for the new babe with a picture of bush. he just wore it this week









congrats ducettemama on your new pregnancy AND on going back to school! that is awesome

i should be doing dishes instead of dinking on the net


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## TurboClaudia (Nov 18, 2003)

jstar: dishes schmishes







did you get my phone message from the other day? how did this week go for you? i know your mom is coming this week but we'd still love to hang out now that we're not sick anymore. let me know.

welcome back ducette! congrats on everything! hope you can stay in touch with us...

going to visit thomas the traing later day and take a ride "in his passenger cars and then just walk on the tracks and then i don't know" (the answer to what are we going to see at thomas today)

i got to sleep in today. ahhhhh so nice. need more of that.

baby hates the ak of nak so ta!

~claudia


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## elsanne (Mar 10, 2004)

Hi Danile! I was psyched to see MMF in your sig!

My child is totally digging her stash from the latest birthday party today, that we both went to dressed as princesses. It was really fun. Her stash is the pinata goodness. Gah. Sugar.

I am too tired to introduce myself, but I am a bellydance bee-yotch off to tonight's gig. After last night's gig. After rehearsals. *puts hand to forehead dramatically* I am going to not allow myself to complain, because after all, it's fun and awesome during, and it's an artistic creation that is working toward self-realization. Right?
I just want a day off, and guess what? Tomorrow I teach a 3 hour class!
*returns hand to forehead and swoons*


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## DucetteMama21842 (May 11, 2006)

Oh my gosh! Your daughters name is Amara! I was in LOVE with that name. Since I was like 12. DH wouldn't go for it because he has others he wants for a girl first that I agreed on a long time ago.... so I named our baby puppy Amara! Beautiful!


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## Mama Faery (Apr 19, 2004)

I so totally rock the thread-starting:
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...17#post8521817

Here's our July thread, yo yo yo.


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