# April showers bring... Nov '05 Mamas!!!



## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

Ok everyone, here's your April thread! And a link back to the old one.


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## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

Well my mom claimed that she'd tried to calm Rowan but that Rowan screamed at her and ran away from her. Which is entirely possible. So I guess she was feeling just a bit put out and rejected when she said that Rowan needed to have more tantrums. I let it go. I see my mom so rarely that it's not worth bickering with her when she's here.

I didn't get a whole lot of sleep last night but Rowan did ok. She slept from 1 to 7 straight through, although she was whimpering and tossing and turning quite a lot which kept waking me up. So I traded places with DH and slept on the couch, where the dog kept me up whimpering and tossing and turning. She's going to the vet this morning, poor thing has some sort of UTI or anal gland impaction or both.

I'm just going to suck back my coffee and try to struggle through another day of work on very little sleep. I wonder how long it will be before people start to notice I haven't been very productive lately.


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

Its a beautiful day here today! Sunny and 80 degrees! I bought some new shorts at Old Navy, and actually found some that aren't so low-rise that they show pubic hair, so I bought two pairs. The last three years I've either been pregnant or less than a year post-partum, so now that I'm me again (!) I'm out of shorts that fit me and had to dip into my old college clothes. And while I'm happy to be that size again, I really wanted some new shorts that would fit, too.

I've got all kinds of laundry out on the line and am trying to figure out where to take the kids this afternoon that will be fun. Today is DH's birthday, so I'm making a pineapple upside down cake for dessert, after we go out for pizza for dinner. Its a happy day! Sadly, its supposed to cool off and only be in the 50s the rest of the week, but we'll enjoy today!


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

It's gorgeous here too. And I mean gooo-HOR-geous!







Gotta love days like this.


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## Bex80 (Feb 8, 2004)

Just thought I'd say that I'm still alive. I'm really busy with the therapy/dealing with crap stuff. I can hardly take care of regular life but I think of you guys all the time. I started Zoloft last week and am looking forward to feeling better so I can start getting things accomplished again. And work towards healing.









So, I'll be reading. I'm always reading.


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## Bex80 (Feb 8, 2004)

QoC! Your family is beautiful!!


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## spiritmomma (Aug 29, 2005)

I was going to do a multiple quote thingy from the last thread, but since we're on a new thread, I can't...
SO
I agree on all fronts about running your child into exhaustion.







That's been my strategy since we began weaning. Many a day is spent like this:

5am morning nurse
7am wake up for the day
8am breakfast/ pack the bags/ get us both dressed
9am get into car

_This part involves Park/ Children's Museum/ Playgroup_

2 or 3pm Get back into car, Isa is asleep inside of 5 minutes.
5pm she wakes, she snacks, we play, play, play, then eat dinner around 6:30 or 7
Play, Play, Play some more... bed time around 9pm

I make sure she is running unobstructed for at least 3 hours before her afternoon nap. Then I make sure she is actually TIRED before trying to get her into bed for the night. When we put her to bed by the clock, it goes poorly. When she's rubbing her eyes into pink-ness, it takes a lot less time.

Today has been wonderful. Despite the fact that I realized my driver's license expired in February on my birthday. And that the license plate on my car expired yesterday.... Isa fell asleep in the stroller instead of her car seat. And we've been outside quite a lot. On Saturday night, Joshua and I removed all the screens from our "screened in porch". Now our porch is open and breezy and wonderful. And now Isa can swing a lot higher in her swing! We also have spent quite a lot of time in the yard and taking walks in our neighborhood today, as I am trying to avoid getting pulled over with not one, but TWO expired licenses.







Wow. Things are really slipping my mind these days. Spring fever!


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## MamaFern (Dec 13, 2003)

well it snowed here last night. its friggin freezing and totally weird! 2 days ago i was out in a tank top digging the garden and sweating and now im shivering and feeling sick.. we have all had the stomach flu or norwok virus or something in the last week.. its horrible. ngaio threw up for 12 hours straight and on just everything.. i did about 8 loads of laundry in the past few days.. im tired of this winter stuff.. i want summer. NOW.







:







:







:

ahem. sorry for the rant.

i realise i havnt been here much.. i guess ive been busy and trying to ween my addiction to the computer since we wont have one when we move or at least no internet in our house..
i still havnt had more work on my tattoo since i didnt want to spread sicky jerms to matta and her babe, so im getting kinda bummed about it.

today is my gramas 85th birthday!

off to take a nap..

love you all.


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

Sunny day here too







I have a line full of nappies drying in the sun (or at least, I had) and Skye and I were playing out in the garden.
Hrumph. Only 19 sleeps to 30


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

Wow, how many cross-posts? Fern, Bex, love you too. But Fern- no internet? We'll miss you


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## spiritmomma (Aug 29, 2005)

Fern, I hear you on the weather thing... I don't have TV so I haven't heard this straight from the weather man, but someone said it's supposed to snow here too. Hmmph. I hope that's not true. My sinuses could use a break.







:


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## MamaFern (Dec 13, 2003)

ill miss you too! but there is internet at the library and at MIL's house, so ill be around probably as much as i am now









Quote:


Originally Posted by *flapjack* 
Wow, how many cross-posts? Fern, Bex, love you too. But Fern- no internet? We'll miss you


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Bex80* 
QoC! Your family is beautiful!!









Thank you! I took some amazing pictures of the kids the other day - here they are!

Well, I'm having a lady clean house tomorrow, then hopefully get the carpets cleaned on Wednesday, and the real estate agent will come out this week to measure and take pictures and then the house will be listed! Woohoo! (I think I'm going to go throw up.)


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## MelW (Jan 13, 2005)

Hi Bex! Thanks for checking in, mama. I hope you're doing better









Helen







May your 30s be an amazing decade. And very, very fertile.

QofC~ Your kids are beautiful!

We're having a nice day here, too, after a bit of a dreary weekend. I'm slowly getting my garden ready, but would love to have a free afternoon to spend digging in the dirt. Alas, I'm off to work in a few minutes!

spughy~ I hope the rest of your mom's visit goes smoothly. It amazes me how parents can behave and feel so judged by their children's decision to parent differently than they did. I hope you find peace with her.

Fern~ Lots of healing vibes- and sending some sunny weather your way, too. I'm really ready for summer, too.

Neela is now at the will not shut up stage of toddlerhood. I love it! Today we went out to buy a birthday present for her dad, and she talked to herself the whole way to the store in the carseat "Neela funny. Laughing. Hahaha. Driving. Store. Shopping. Present. Dada." etc. Then later in line at the post office she found stuffed animals and made all of the noises to entertain the people in line (including "monkey. loud. screaming.") and then lifted her shirt, was horrified that "button missing" until I helped her find her bellybutton. She then nursed a stuffed dog "dog. nursing milk."


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## Phoenix_Rising (Jun 27, 2005)

Wow, it has only taken me this long to figure out how to bring over a multi-quote from the other thread. Geez. I need some sleep.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *flapjack* 
Susannah- yep, you're right, that was the announcement. And everyone else missed it







But I started bleeding right when I should have anyhow, so things obviously weren't meant to be







:

helen- i'm sorry. i remember feeling really really upset when my period showed up when we were TTC.









Quote:


Originally Posted by **Amy** 
Susannah, isn't it the worst!?? I was telling DH, I never had PMS this bad before I had Brynn! And then I was like, well, yeah; I wasn't sleep deprived then, either, and I could also get away and be by myself when I needed to, or just zone out and watch TV, read, etc. I told DH we need to have a strategy for next month so that I get some relief *before* things get so bad!!

umm. yeah. sleep deprivation. i'm feelin' it! and being by myself? i've got that today. didn't go to work because i nearly fainted getting ready to leave the house this a.m. - DP was surprised i wanted time alone while i am home instead of having keagan crawl all over me.








and of course about 20 telemarketers called during the hour and a half i was trying to nap. no joke.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Bex80* 
Just thought I'd say that I'm still alive. I'm really busy with the therapy/dealing with crap stuff. I can hardly take care of regular life but I think of you guys all the time. I started Zoloft last week and am looking forward to feeling better so I can start getting things accomplished again. And work towards healing.









So, I'll be reading. I'm always reading.









i HATE dealing with crap stuff! good luck to you









Quote:


Originally Posted by *flapjack* 
Sunny day here too







I have a line full of nappies drying in the sun (or at least, I had) and Skye and I were playing out in the garden.
Hrumph. Only 19 sleeps to 30









helen, we'll see you through 30. it'll be good


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## Phoenix_Rising (Jun 27, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MelW* 
then lifted her shirt, was horrified that "button missing" until I helped her find her bellybutton.


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

Seriously Helen, I LOVED 30. My life became 100000000% better my 30th year.







So I hope yours does too!

Bex, glad to see you back to say hello. I hope things keep getting better for you.

Mel, that is *hilarious*!!!!!!!!! Sounds like a day with Brynnie.









I have two questions for y'all. One, do you worry about/limit the amount of soy your babes eat? Brynn LOVES the soy "sausage" patties and the soy "chick'n nuggets" but since reading that article in Mothering a couple of years ago (and then hearing about other peoples' experiences) I am a bit wary of letting her eat it every day. How do you feel about it?

Second, I was going to just PM *Fern* but I will ask all of you, do you know of a good herbal PMS remedy type thing? I'd like to try something but have no idea what to look for. Thanks!


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## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by **Amy** 

I have two questions for y'all. One, do you worry about/limit the amount of soy your babes eat? Brynn LOVES the soy "sausage" patties and the soy "chick'n nuggets" but since reading that article in Mothering a couple of years ago (and then hearing about other peoples' experiences) I am a bit wary of letting her eat it every day. How do you feel about it?

I do worry a bit. We don't have any non-fermented soy in our regular diet at all. However, if we go out and tofu appears on the table, I will let Rowan eat it if she wants, I'm not hard-core on that.

It's not just about the phytoestrogens, though, it's more about the packaged-ness and all the added chemicals and fillers and whatnot for me. I'm not trying to make you feel bad for feeding Brynn that stuff Amy - honest!!! You have to give kids what works for you. I just never buy the stuff to try - and I wouldn't - but I wouldn't buy packaged "real" chicken nuggets either.


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## MamaFern (Dec 13, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by **Amy** 
Second, I was going to just PM *Fern* but I will ask all of you, do you know of a good herbal PMS remedy type thing? I'd like to try something but have no idea what to look for. Thanks!


evening primrose oil?! it works well for me, i think.. sometimes i think i have permanent PMs.. or im just really pissy these days.







:

and on soy.. i feel a bit the same was as sarah, though we do get the green label mandarin pressed organic tofu once in a while because i love it in stirfry and tofu samwhiches.. every once in a while, mostly on road trips, we will get some veggie dogs or something but i too worry about the processedness and packaging as well as the nutritional stuff.. i think everything in moderation is ok.. mostly.. some things i wouldnt reccomend.
But if it was my kids favorite and they would eat it i probably would give in sometimes.. both my kids are now very picky eaters.. it makes me want to bash my head sometimes.


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *spughy* 
I just never buy the stuff to try - and I wouldn't - but I wouldn't buy packaged "real" chicken nuggets either.

I know! I think about that all the time too - like, OK, if I don't want her to have soy, what's the alternative? Tyson chicken nuggets? No thanks! Just for the record, I did drive 30 minutes to the whole foods store the other day and bought organic free range pork sausage, *hoping* she'd like that as much. No such luck of course! They didn't have beef sausage though, so I will wait til our farmers' market starts up again and get some from the local Amish farmer and hope she likes that. So I guess I should just buy some fresh chicken and fresh sausage, cut it into nuggets, cook it up, and then freeze it. Would that work?


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## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by **Amy** 
Second, I was going to just PM *Fern* but I will ask all of you, do you know of a good herbal PMS remedy type thing? I'd like to try something but have no idea what to look for. Thanks!

Amy I found this article which I thought was actually quite good: http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/pms-relief despite being from a very mainstream source. Especially the calcium-magnesium thing... I think a lot of women are pretty deficient in the cal-mag. A good dose of a hearty broth-based soup made from real bones would probably do you some good. (If you're not vegetarian - are you vegetarian? If so I apologize... and a good dose of pills or coral-based cal-mag liquid (which I have never been able to stomach) might be in order







)


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## SoulJourney (Sep 26, 2005)

Hi y'all! Just popping in for a quick hello since I haven't posted in FOREVER. I was looking for the March thread when I realized, DUH, it IS April now!







: March was a hellish month for us...Noah was REALLY sick for eight or nine days (So I know how you feel *Fern*!), I was sick, Noah's dad came to visit and turned his world upside down (10hrs/day, 3 days in a row is TOO much for Noah, for the record), we moved in with our wonderful mama friend (MDC and IRL) who is newly single and I have been house/dog sitting for my sister. WHEW. Crazy month.







: But, on the bright side, it HAS been beautiful and Mr. Noah and I have spent an amazing amount of time outside. I've been walking/jogging/rollerblading/riding every day that it's nice! He's starting to finally be OK with the bike trailer, which is a really good thing!

Bex80...good to see you around, sister!







to you, you know you always have us to lean on!

Fern...When Noah vomited for twelve hours I gave up and kept him naked on a towel the entire time.

Helen...I agree with Amy, 30 was incredible for me! I love my thirties much more than my twenties, no doubt.

Ok, mamas, Noah is currently throwing EVERYTHING down the stairs so it's time to redirect my attention!

Miss you guys!


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## Kavita (Dec 7, 2004)

I'm late to a Passover seder, so I'm just popping in to say hi and sub!


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

Amy, did you have problems with PMS before you had Brynn? What I'm finding, and have done since I was pregnant with Skye is that I have extreme mood swings when I'm not getting enough omega 3's in my diet- and epo is my preferred method of getting those into me because of the whole skin thing. Because Brynn's still dependent upon you to provide the essential fatty acids she needs to help her brain grow, as well as you needing those efa's to help your brain grow and keep you sane and on top of things, I'd try it. I like the idea of calcium and magnesium, but I don't know if popping pills would be the right way for me to go at this time of my life. How about a nice cup of raspberry leaf tea instead?


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by **Amy** 
I know! I think about that all the time too - like, OK, if I don't want her to have soy, what's the alternative? Tyson chicken nuggets? No thanks! Just for the record, I did drive 30 minutes to the whole foods store the other day and bought organic free range pork sausage, *hoping* she'd like that as much. No such luck of course! They didn't have beef sausage though, so I will wait til our farmers' market starts up again and get some from the local Amish farmer and hope she likes that. So I guess I should just buy some fresh chicken and fresh sausage, cut it into nuggets, cook it up, and then freeze it. Would that work?

OK- for the nuggets. Cut some chicken into strips across the grain and let it marinate in yoghurt for a few hours. I hear butterilk is better, but it's twice the price over here. Drain it off and dip in egg and breadcrumbs (I use ritz crackers, ymmv) Place on a baking sheet and open-freeze and then transfer to a freezer bag. Add spices at every stage of the proceedings as desired







We use cumin, coriander, black pepper, thyme and oregano. Bake in the oven for a while until properly done.
I have never met a child who won't eat sausages, so can't help you there.


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## Kavita (Dec 7, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Queen of Cups* 
Well, I'm having a lady clean house tomorrow, then hopefully get the carpets cleaned on Wednesday, and the real estate agent will come out this week to measure and take pictures and then the house will be listed! Woohoo! (I think I'm going to go throw up.)


I'm totally with you there sister! We have been working our butts off with the whole house situation. The people who have been supposed to come and get work done have been generally flaky/not showing up/behind schedule when they do show. With the result that now I am on a pretty intense deadline--we are already listed as of yesterday, they will put up the sign tomorrow or the day after, we got the pictures taken and loaded this morning, we are having someone come to do a virtual tour thingy on Wed or Thursday, and then we have our first open house on Saturday. We are mostly ready, but the hallway that was supposed to be painted on Sunday, wasn't, because the guy who was supposed to do it went out and got drunk Saturday night and didn't show up until 3 pm and then did one or two other things but not that. So now I guess we'll have to figure out when/how to do it ourselves. Meanwhile I am having either some tooth infection, or a sinus infection, or both.







I'm supposed to have my permanent crowns put on this Thursday--don't know if that's going to happen given the situation with my teeth/gums. And then we're going to Louisville to look for a house on the seventeenth of April.







:

Oh, a kind of funny thing happenned today. The sheet rock guy was here fixing the ceiling, and I went to put Ella for a nap and I was so tired I fell asleep nursing her. He left, and left the door unlocked. Meanwhile, my friend came over with her little guy who's Ella's age (I knew she was coming but thought she was coming a little later than she did) and she let herself in. So I woke up to hear an adult voice and then a little voice in the living room saying "mommy mommy mommy!" I figured that DH must have come home from work early, and that maybe he had taken Ella into the other room without waking me up. But then I looked down and there she was in my arms, still attached and sleeping away! Then there was this little "mommy mommy!" voice again from the other room. I was still so groggy I just couldn't wrap my brain around how Ella was asleep here with my boob in her mouth, but also awake in the other room calling me!! Then I woke up a little more and realized that it must be my friend and her baby!







It was so surreal though!!

*Amy*--we tend to stay away from soy, for the reasons cited in that article. I'll feed her edamame sometimes, or miso soup and the bits of tofu floating in it if we are eating sushi or something, but that's about the extent of it. I'd actually rather feed her chicken nuggets! But I'm not veg either, so she eats lots of chicken, and she's a really good eater and not too picky about things generally. (Although she's getting pickier, and more opinionated about what she wants to eat, and how she wants to eat it and when. Like every morning she asks for blueberries first thing! And cheese. And she doesn't like string cheese--she wants baby swiss.







) Does Brynn eat eggs? I feel really good giving Ella eggs, we get the free range organic kind. How's the job hunt going for your DH?

Mel, that's hilarious about her missing button and nursing the doggie! Sooo cute! Ella's funny thing about the tummy is that we always play with her tummy and say, "oooh, it's so chubby!" So now she will rub or point to her tummy and proudly say "chubby!" I think she thinks that's what it's called, although until recently she would also say "tummy" too.

Bex, glad you're stopping in and it's good to hear from you! Sounds like you're doing what you need to do for yourself, I'm glad, and hope things start looking up soon!

SoulJourney, hope that April is calmer for you! Yay on the bike trailer! I think I want to get things hooked up somewhat so that I can bike again--either a bike seat on back, or a bike trailer. Do you have a little helmet for him? What do you recommend?

Spiritmomma, hope you can get everything renewed without incident!

Flapjack, sorry it didn't happen this month. But 30 is really young. Heck, I didn't even meet DH until I was 31, and I was 33 when I got pregnant for the first time. You are young and you have proven fertility and you have a lot of time. (Unlike those of us who are pushing 36, ahem!)

Susannah, hope you are feeling better after your yucky morning!! Do you know why you almost passed out? glad your DP watched the little guy so you could (try to, anyway!) rest!


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

Thanks for all of your feedback about the soy - it really helped me solidify my thoughts on the whole issue. Yes, she is rather a picky eater, but I am definitely of the mindset that I only want to offer her foods that I feel good about letting her eat so that she doesn't get used to/stuck on something that I eventually want to remove from her diet. YKWIM? That is a great idea on how to make nuggets, Helen! Oh, and for those who asked, we're not vegetarian - especially Brynn! Nine times out of ten when we ask her what she wants to eat, the reply is: "MEAT!"









Kavita, Soul Journey, Fern, and QoC - sounds like y'all are going through so many transitions now and having a lot of stress in your lives. I hope this time passes and your normal routines can resume (or be re-created) soon!! I will be right there with you in a matter of weeks, though!

Spughy, thanks for the link to the article. I haven't read it yet but I will when my brain is a little more awake.







: Speaking of awake, I can't imagine how hard it must be to get up and go to work and try to be functional after having nights like I know we do. I think that is my only saving grace, that I can get away with not being intellectual on most days!!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Kavita*
How's the job hunt going for your DH?

It's going really well right now. He's in San Jose today (and yesterday) interviewing with a private school, which would be cool for me because then I could get a job teaching pretty easily, maybe next year when Brynn is 2 1/2 years old. Also, we'd be driving distance to my family (yay!). Then he comes home tomorrow and we drive to Louisville for an interview Thursday. He also had an interview in St. Louis last week, which he felt good about, and then he's got one penciled in for Friday the 13th (dun-dun-DUN!!) in Atlanta! I am glad he's got that one scheduled, but my hunch is that he will accept an offer from one of the other 3 before that one even happens...which would be bitter-sweet for me because I will be THRILLED BEYOND WORDS when this whole thing is over, but I still wish that we could move to Atlanta so that I could be closer to Melia and her family. So, I guess we'll just wait and see.

I'm starting to feel some minor panic about moving too. The military is moving us (for free, yippeeeee!!), which means they come and pack everything, move it, and then unpack on the other end...but it also means there isn't a lot I can *do* to make myself feel like I'm getting us ready. And, until DH accepts an offer, we don't even know the date that we'll be moving (our lease is up here on May 15th), so it's really like we're just holding our breath for the next week or so to find out what's going to happen in the next month to 6 weeks. It's crazy!!! The owners of our house are putting it on the market too - this week - so I have felt a ton of pressure to deep clean and make it look really presentable. Thankfully we took about a zillion pictures when we moved in, before Brynn was born, so the house was spotless back then. Actually when I looked at the pictures, I was like, "Wow, our house will never been that clean again!" and I told the real estate agent she should use those instead of taking new ones of what the house looks like now.







So anyway, we've had to schedule the home inspection, minor repairs, blah blah blah. That's all annoying, especially in the midst of DH being gone so much. The house is a wreck!

Overall, though, I am excited about everything. It's just so surreal to think about how different our life is going to be by this time next month! I can't wait to find out where we are moving so I can start looking into apartments and/or rental houses (we're going to rent for a year, most likely), figure out the neighborhoods where we'd want to live, and get in touch with the other MDC mamas in that area. Which, can I just say - MDC has been such a great resource during this whole relocation phase! I have been able to reach out in all of the different areas that we're considering and I feel like I've already got a network! Kavita, have you been in touch with the Louisville moms yet?

God, I'm just rambling away here, aren't I?


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *flapjack* 
Amy, did you have problems with PMS before you had Brynn? What I'm finding, and have done since I was pregnant with Skye is that I have extreme mood swings when I'm not getting enough omega 3's in my diet- and epo is my preferred method of getting those into me because of the whole skin thing. Because Brynn's still dependent upon you to provide the essential fatty acids she needs to help her brain grow, as well as you needing those efa's to help your brain grow and keep you sane and on top of things, I'd try it. I like the idea of calcium and magnesium, but I don't know if popping pills would be the right way for me to go at this time of my life. How about a nice cup of raspberry leaf tea instead?

No, I didn't really have bad PMS before Brynnie. I do take a supplement, usually it ends up being every other day or so. I think it's EPO but I'd have to look at the bottle. Do you really think RLT would make a difference? I still have some left over from pregnancy (I used to drink it daily) but I don't really crave tea anymore so I haven't even thought about it.


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## SoulJourney (Sep 26, 2005)

Kavita: I definitely have a helmet for Noah! I used to sell bikes & equipment for REI and another small locally owned shop. I was also an (pre-Noah) avid cyclist and beginner racer. Therefore, I have always been a stickler about helmets. Noah has a Trek helmet, which was around $30. The cheaper ones aren't as good and definitely do not have the adjustability, which means they don't fit as well, which means they are essentially useless.







If you are going to spend time cycling for longer periods of time as opposed to just tooling around town, I would definitely invest in a trailer. The seats are fine for short distances/commuting around town but the trailers are infinitely safer and more comfortable. I am fortunate that the woman I nanny for purchased a two seater trailer for her son and mine, and she has a REALLY nice road bike that I can use. I talked her into a Chariot trailer, which is AWESOME. We have the Classic and it also doubles as a jogging stroller. Noah enjoys being in the trailer with some snacks, water and a book! He falls asleep in it easily, too! Hope that helps!

On the PMS note, I definitely am more *ahem* bitchy now that I've had Noah.







It's probably just as much stress and such as it is hormones but DAMN. Does EPO really work? I think my sister should use it, too!







The biggest thing that works for PMS and stress in general for me is exercise. It's seriously my drug. At the end of winter I actually took the online quiz for PPD and I fell into the range of needing to seek therapy!







: I have NEVER in my life felt like I was even close to depressed until this past winter. Thankfully, the weather cleared up just in time and I am now exercising five days a week on average and I feel so close to my old self it's silly!


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## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

SoulJourney, I am envious of your exercise.







I have to plan and be super-efficient with my time in the morning to even get a 20-minute workout in at lunch. I miss exercise. I miss it so much. I miss having a healthy body. And on the amount of sleep I got last night, I can't even contemplate exercise. I'd dissolve.

Mamas, I need help. Yesterday Rowan was, as usual, at my IL's all day. DH totally believes me that exercise is the key to getting her to sleep better, but he's unwilling to ask his mom to change anything she does. She takes Rowan for a long walk in the afternoons IN THE GODDAMN STROLLER. She likes it. Rowan tolerates it.

I didn't get much sleep last night. Rowan was up every hour or two after 1 am.

I am on the verge of crying at my desk. I am SO tired. I feel sick to my stomach. I just wrote DH an e-mail threatening to put Rowan in daycare if he & his parents can't get it together to get her outside running around for 2-3 hours a day. He'll probably be all pissed off about that. I don't care. I can't handle it anymore.

Should I go through with it? If they won't take her outside to play for as much as she needs in order to sleep, should I really put her in daycare? I'd have to take a few vacation days to get her used to it but it might be worth it. Opinions?


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## spiritmomma (Aug 29, 2005)

*Spughy:* Maybe you could (or DH) present them with ideas that wouldn't take too much energy on their part, but could give Rowan the exercise she needs... Is there a toddler friendly park near their home? Can Rowan walk instead of being in the stroller? Do you have a Children's Museum (if so, it is worth whatever the cost in membership fees...TRUST ME.) Maybe they just don't know what kind of exercise she needs or WHY she needs it.
Personally, I think any place she can run around without having to be told "no" a zillion times would work. Is their yard a safe place for her to do that?
Short of that, tell them her doctor says she needs more exercise.







That ought to do the trick!


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

Hmmm, well, would she be getting more exercise at a daycare, do you think? I agree with Jaymi that you should help them come up with alternatives and TOTALLY play the doctor card if that'll help!

I just bought some running shoes last week and have been exercising every day, which does feel good. It's hard to get going, that's for sure, but I have lost a couple of pounds...so I'm staying motivated. I miss fitting into my cute clothes and feeling good about my body, but most of all, I miss feeling fit!!

Brynn is currently running around the table (we're outside on the screened porch) giggling and chanting, "Nipples, Booby!" Where's the camcorder when you need it!?? A few minutes ago she was opening her mouth and saying "Aaahhhhh" (which we've practiced so that I can see her molars) and I asked her, "What's in there?" and she said, "Monkeys!"









I took some beautiful pics today. Want to see?


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## MelW (Jan 13, 2005)

Spughy~ I agree with Jaymi, too. Before making major changes (since the change to a new daycare would likely involve some disrupted sleep initially, too), I would see if you can work with your MIL. What if you paid for classes- gymboree-type stuff that she could take Rowan to where Rowan could get extra exercise without too much running around and extra work for your MIL?

Amy~ Your photos are beautiful! I love the comparison to last year- she's so much bigger.

Kavita~ Good luck with your teeth, your move and all of the rest!

We're the proud owners of a chariot bike trailer/jogger stroller, too. We checked out the Burley trailers, that are made locally, but preferred the Chariot. It was a Christmas gift from all of the grandparents. We've been running a couple of mornings a week, and I tow Neela to daycare in the afternoon and drop of the trailer for DH who picks her up and tows her home. I'm amazed that my former stroller-hating kid loves it, but it's so roomy that she can easily eat and read/play with small toys it in. And it feels great to exercise as a family! She has a good helmet (I think it's a Bell). Which she sometimes wears to do crazy daring things on the playground, too.


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## Awaken (Oct 10, 2004)

Nak. Subbing. Things are such a mess here, I am really down.







:







:







: toddler fussing.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Bex80* 
Just thought I'd say that I'm still alive. I'm really busy with the therapy/dealing with crap stuff. I can hardly take care of regular life but I think of you guys all the time. I started Zoloft last week and am looking forward to feeling better so I can start getting things accomplished again. And work towards healing.









So, I'll be reading. I'm always reading.









Bex-







2

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MamaFern* 
. both my kids are now very picky eaters.. it makes me want to bash my head sometimes.

ug, same here. i go crazy cooking healthy stuff and driving around to get the healthiest ingredients and me and the dogs are the only ones who will eat it.

Helen -







- thinking of you

Sarah spughy- so sorry things are rough. if it's any help you have lots of us here in the same situation.


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## MamaFern (Dec 13, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *itsybitsy25* 
Nak. Subbing. Things are such a mess here, I am really down.







:







:







: toddler fussing.

ug, same here. i go crazy cooking healthy stuff and driving around to get the healthiest ingredients and me and the dogs are the only ones who will eat it.


oh momma.. im so sorry things are tough right now.

i know your older boy is really tiny like elwynn.. do you find yourself worrying about your baby too?
ngaio was big when she was born but she is only about 23 Lbs now.. i cant help worry about her growing slowly like elwynn. i actually made him a drs appt after trying to be okay with him Still being 20 something LBS at 4 years of age and having most 2 and 3 year old tower over him. im always sick with worry that something else is wrong







i just want to know i guess, but on the otherhand, i dont want him to be poked and prodded, which is why ive avoided it so long.
and ngaio..all she wants is boobie and i just dont feel like i have enough, or that my milk is nutritious enough..shes just not gaining quickly at all. *sigh* she nibbles food or chews it and spits it out. she wants Juice and raw carrots all the time, which i hesitate at and refuse to give her (carrots that is)
i try everything and its making me so sad.. not to mention the fact that im makingall of this food that i dont want to waste so i end up eating it and im getting fat . Ug.


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## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

Fern, itsybitsy, bex80 -







. I should be grateful that the only issues we've got are sleep issues. Rowan is a cheerful, happy little soul who eats well. But, Fern - Rowan's only 23 lbs too. She was pretty big when she was born as well - not as big as Ngaio, but nearly 9 lbs - the second biggest girl in our DDC, IIRC. I don't know if it would work for you, but there are these fresh mozzarella or bocconcini "pearls" that you can buy in the deli section of most groceries I think - by TreStelle - they aren't salted, so the LOs can eat as many of them as they like. Rowan LOVES them. They are our stand-by, if-all-else-fails food.

Anyway, I wouldn't worry about Ngaio's weight. And Elwynn looked pretty healthy to me, just small. What was Timothy's height like when he was that age?

Spiritmomma and everyone else who responded to my "they won't exercise my kid" woes - yes, the IL's yard is a safe place to play. I suggested (in my email to DH) that his father take Rowan outside and play "I'm going to get you!" with her for half an hour or so. She LOVES being chased. She giggles and runs and runs and runs. She's not so good at chasing although she will do it if the mood strikes. There is also a park very nearby with a small playground but the slide (which is the toy she loves best) is too big for her there still. Basically, there is no excuse for her not getting exercise except they just don't do it and MIL looooves the stroller. And yes, it can be tedious walking with her. She is slow, she doesn't just follow automatically, and she generally needs to be convinced that she wants to go the same way that you want to go. She's not keen on holding hands, either - but she is very good about staying on the sidewalk. Although there are no sidewalks around the IL's neighbourhood, now that I think of it. Odd. Lots of walking paths, but no sidewalks. Anyway, they would have to put considerable effort into her outside jaunts. DH IM'd me a little while ago and we chatted about it a bit. He thinks that her not sleeping when she doesn't get enough exercise is a symptom of the problem not the cause. Sure, but if you CAN treat symptoms, you should, right???







:


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## barcelona (May 1, 2006)

Oh my, there is so much to catch up! And I'm sorry I've been pretty MIA. Between rehearsals, my two mornings at work, and keeping up with Finley, it's been tough to find free typing time. I have been reading, reading along, though. Big Hugs to all of you mamas going through a rough time...

Unfortunately, I only have a few moments before I need to go get dinner ready and do our nightly thing.

But I did want to let y'all know that I will be on Law and Order: Criminal Intent tonight, if you happen to be near the telly! (Helen, I realize you won't be able to see it, but I'll post it on my website next week and anyone who misses it can watch it if you want). It starts at 9pm Eastern time, on NBC, and I'm toward the end of the episode. I'm both excited and nervous, and just hope I'm not mortified.

Sorry to come by with just "me" news, but will be on in the coming days to catch up more with everyone!

Love to everyone. Thinking of you all the time.


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## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

Barcelona! Which character do you play? How will we know it's you???

I'm totally going to be watching


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## MamaFern (Dec 13, 2003)

me too! i never watch this show, but i will tonight.. how exciting!

fern

Quote:


Originally Posted by *spughy* 
Barcelona! Which character do you play? How will we know it's you???

I'm totally going to be watching


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## SoulJourney (Sep 26, 2005)

to all you mamas...I know what it's like to have a rough go of things.

Spughy...The only reason I am fortunate enough to exercise at least five days a week is because I nanny. There are trails EVERYWHERE nearby so I can easily walk or ride the boys into town to play at the park, then head back while they nap. We make full days of it so that we all get our exercise. I couldn't imagine not having that as an option. I know me, I would seriously be psychotic.







: I'm sorry it's so hard for you to fit in "you" time.







You need that exercise just as much as Rowan does! I second (or third or fourth!) the idea for a Children's Museum pass or Gymboree classes or something for Rowan. Something that would be "easy" on MIL. It sucks when other people don't put forth the same effort as you do with your child, doesn't it? I would be afraid that daycare would create a whole new set of problems for you guys, though. I really hope that you guys can come up with some sort of solution that works for everyone!

Fern...Noah's growth has TREMENDOUSLY slowed in the last few months. I actually think that, after his stomach illness last month, he has lost quite a bit of weight. I wouldn't worry too much about Ngiao, 23 pounds is not tiny by any means! My nephew never even hit 20 pounds until 16 months. I'm sure Elwynn is just fine, too!

MelW...Which Chariot do you have? We use the Classic. I'll have to say, though...when the day comes that I'm no longer caring for D and I have to get my own trailer...the Cougar is THE. WAY. TO. GO. I absolutely DROOL over that thing. Noah enjoys wearing his "hat" (helmet) as a fashion statement but I have a hard time keeping it on him in the trailer. Any tips?







:

Barcelona...I will try to check out L&O. If I can figure out my sister's TV, that is! I'm so clueless with TVs.


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

I'll Tivo it. I can't wait to see you Barcelona!!!!


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## barcelona (May 1, 2006)

Oh my, there is so much to catch up! And I'm sorry I've been pretty MIA. Between rehearsals, my two mornings at work, and keeping up with Finley, it's been tough to find free typing time. I have been reading, reading along, though. Big Hugs to all of you mamas going through a rough time...

Unfortunately, I only have a few moments before I need to go get dinner ready and do our nightly thing.

But I did want to let y'all know that I will be on Law and Order: Criminal Intent tonight, if you happen to be near the telly! (Helen, I realize you won't be able to see it, but I'll post it on my website next week and anyone who misses it can watch it if you want). It starts at 9pm Eastern time, on NBC, and I'm toward the end of the episode. I'm both excited and nervous, and just hope I'm not mortified.

Sorry to come by with just "me" news, but will be on in the coming days to catch up more with everyone!

Love to everyone. Thinking of you all the time.


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## barcelona (May 1, 2006)

oops--sorry about the multiple posting!


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## barcelona (May 1, 2006)

how to know it's me:
i have short blonde hair and i'm on toward the end of the episode. i play the lead girl's boyfriend's cousin. (the lead girl is one of my closest friends, and it was between the two of us for that part...she got it, and they wrote this scene for me). i also have a baby in a baby bjorn for the scene. hopefully that'll be clue enough to know it's me!

guess it starts soon!

in the meantime, finley won't go to sleep!


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## SoulJourney (Sep 26, 2005)

Whooo hooo! I figured out the TV and I saaaaaaw you, Barcelona!







Way to rock L&O...I've never "known" anyone on TV before!







I'm so excited for you!


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## DreamsInDigital (Sep 18, 2003)

I have an awful double ear infection and sinus infection. Everyone else is crazy sick, except Winter, lucky kid.


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## MamaFern (Dec 13, 2003)

DID
get well soon, all of you..

barcelona, i tried to see it but im not sure i watched the right episode (it had twins in it and one had Gender reassignment surgery after birth..ect..?!).. ak.. im so sad i missed you! im sure you were rad though! i hope i can catch it some other time. do yuou know what the episode was called?


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

DiD, get well soon









Spughy, I posted a long post last night and it didn't go through. In your shoes, I'd hire a nanny for a week. I really feel that kids of this age are better off with the intensive attention of a solo caregiver with a strong emotional attachment (a nanny, a childminder with a limited number of charges, a parent, a grandparent) than they are with a larger number of kids. Rowan may well sleep better but possibly at the cost of her overall development. Your dh really needs to grow up and take responsibility for his lack of actions, because it's such a small thing but would come so much better from him than you.
Are your in-laws entirely on board with your refusal to CIO, btw? If their solution to the problem would be to just put ear plugs in and let her get on with it, they may not be so sympathetic.


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## Kavita (Dec 7, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *barcelona* 
how to know it's me:
i have short blonde hair and i'm on toward the end of the episode. i play the lead girl's boyfriend's cousin. (the lead girl is one of my closest friends, and it was between the two of us for that part...she got it, and they wrote this scene for me). i also have a baby in a baby bjorn for the scene. hopefully that'll be clue enough to know it's me!

guess it starts soon!

in the meantime, finley won't go to sleep!










WAAAH! I missed it! That's what I get for not obsessively checking our thread every five minutes today, lol! I want to see it now--is it online somewhere or something?


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## barcelona (May 1, 2006)

Fern, I'm sorry! I should have been clearer. The episode was called "The Silencer". Kavita and others who missed it, I'll be putting my scene on my website in the coming week or so, so I'll be sure and let you all know and give you the link. It was definitely crazy-weird seeing myself on tv, and I couldn't help but critique myself too much, but otherwise, it was lots of fun!

More soon!

Happy Wedding Day Kaspirant!!!!!!


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## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

HAPPY WEDDING DAY KASPIRANT!!!!! I hope everything goes smoothly and you post your beautiful pictures soon!!!

And I saw barcelona on TV!!!!! I stayed up past my bedtime to watch and I saw her and I was all giggly because wow I know someone on L&O!!! You were fabulous, by the way. I was really tired watching it though and I kind of missed the reason why the person who did it killed the dean too? I didn't get that part. It made me confusled. Anyway, you were awesome!

I slept on the couch for most of last night while DH slept with Rowan and he was able to get her back to sleep no problem so that was good. I feel more rested and chipper this morning.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. Yes, DH should do something about it but he is going to be more involved with Rowan's day-to-day life now that his thesis is submitted (as of today I think) and he'll be taking her swimming and stuff. My MIL won't drive Rowan anywhere which kind of rules out the museum and stuff and to be honest, I'm ok with that, because she is a right crappy driver - the whole family is, I've no idea how they manage to not get in accidents regularly.

This morning I indulged my appetite for cuteness and dressed Rowan up in a little jumper (sleeveless dress, not a sweater, Helen!) and the cutest stripy tights EVER that I bought a week or so ago and I've been dying to put on her. She is too cute for words today. It was hard to leave her and go to work. (She rarely wears dresses but I pulled a bunch out of storage that are 18 mo size last week and figured she might as well get some use out of them.)

So, tomorrow my diet & exercise plan - such as it is - starts. I'm ok with my milk supply tanking, if that happens, and it's time to get my healthy body back. Wish me luck!


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

Good luck Spughy!!!

*Kaspirant, HAPPY WEDDING DAY!!!!*


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## Miajean (May 16, 2005)

_








I'm new to this thread .

my only DD is a nov 05!

Hubby's away on work alot and my area is still new to me, we moved here in oct., and I'm so lonely.

Nice to meet ya'll
_


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

Spughy, I'm there with you. I'm on day 3 of the exercise plan and so far, aside from the gratuitous consumption of 360 Easter eggs today, I'm doing good.
Kaspirant, I hope your day is brilliant








Miajean, it's nice to meet you


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## Awaken (Oct 10, 2004)

Hi to Miajean, and I think there was another newcomer, also? Glad you found us!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MamaFern* 
oh momma.. im so sorry things are tough right now.

i know your older boy is really tiny like elwynn.. do you find yourself worrying about your baby too?
ngaio was big when she was born but she is only about 23 Lbs now.. i cant help worry about her growing slowly like elwynn. i actually made him a drs appt after trying to be okay with him Still being 20 something LBS at 4 years of age and having most 2 and 3 year old tower over him. im always sick with worry that something else is wrong







i just want to know i guess, but on the otherhand, i dont want him to be poked and prodded, which is why ive avoided it so long.
and ngaio..all she wants is boobie and i just dont feel like i have enough, or that my milk is nutritious enough..shes just not gaining quickly at all. *sigh* she nibbles food or chews it and spits it out. she wants Juice and raw carrots all the time, which i hesitate at and refuse to give her (carrots that is)
i try everything and its making me so sad.. not to mention the fact that im makingall of this food that i dont want to waste so i end up eating it and im getting fat . Ug.

Yes, Ethan is almost 4.5 and he is 26# and in 18 mo.-2T clothes! Ez is 22#, I just had them weighed. It's funny b/c we think Ezra is so huge and fat, but really he is probably 50th %ile or less! They are in the same size summer clothes now. We did have him get a lot of tests when he was younger, but it never revealed anything, and at this point I feel like what's the point of putting a name to it- let's just treat whatever symptoms he has, y/k? So if Elwynn is healthy in every other way and there is no evidence of anything being wrong it doesn't seem like doing a lot of tests would do anything, except maybe give you reassurance that you tried everything and this is just the way he is. I will be so curious to see what they are like when they're grown up!

I am right with you on eating all the food so it (and my time and effort) doesn't get wasted!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *barcelona* 
But I did want to let y'all know that I will be on Law and Order: Criminal Intent tonight, if you happen to be near the telly! (Helen, I realize you won't be able to see it, but I'll post it on my website next week and anyone who misses it can watch it if you want). It starts at 9pm Eastern time, on NBC, and I'm toward the end of the episode. I'm both excited and nervous, and just hope I'm not mortified.

Oh, WOW! I missed it. I will have to look for it on your website- how exciting!!

Congratulations, Kaspirant!


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## SoulJourney (Sep 26, 2005)

CONGRATS KASPIRANT!!!









Hope you have a magical day!

Welcome MiaJean!









Noah and I have today thru next Monday off work...I'm SOOO excited! I love being able to take JUST Noah to our Wednesday play group. We had a great day together and this unexpected time off was definitely a blessing. BTW...someone was missing at playgroup today...*SPIRITMOMMA!!!*







We have missed you lately!


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## spiritmomma (Aug 29, 2005)

DiD: Sorry everyone's feeling so crummy... Get well soon, all of you!

SoulJourney: I missed you guys too. But I'm trying not to drive my car too much due to expired plates. I kinda have to wait and get the title from my Grandma before I can renew them too.







But soon, I'll be back out and about. Miss you and Noah too!

MiaJean:







jump right in!

Hope everyone is having a lovely week. The weather took a turn for the colder here, but I hope we'll have some sun again soon. I'm ready to head back to the park.


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## MamaFern (Dec 13, 2003)

: Kaspirant!
i hope that it was everything that you ever dreamed of and more..


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## Kavita (Dec 7, 2004)

Kaspirant!!!! Hope you had the wedding of your dreams, and best wishes for a long and happy married life!

(p.s. the bananas are an oblique reference to the wedding night!




























: )


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## Miajean (May 16, 2005)

_























Nice to meet ya'll.

I'm in alabama, in hoover.

I'm currently trying to figure how much of my future to morgage for a Bacholors degree in culinary arts and if that is a pie in the sky how to get a contract job (sounds like a mercenary huh?) to go to Afganistan or elsewhere in the middle east and make lots and lots of money.

Both are definetely things I'm wanting to do. I do not want to be apart from my DD but hubby and I are sooo strapped and struggleing and we are both apart for 30 days at a time since he started trucking. Awful. so the job would be a paperwork position and helping build a country that has built up so much in the last four years. Afganistan is doing great...., incredible momentum, hospitals, allowing thier woman to become nurse midwives! schools, the intent about how to change the social chioces that thier culture has....I just think it would be a great experience.

But cooking full time, 4 years paid to cook, paid to learn how to do a great thing and then make a career out of food and having fun in the kitchen. I'd be so happy.

So, DD is so toally spoiled lately, she has direct tv kids channels and she watches for a few hours a day while I do all the phone calls. She is very participent oriented, talks to the t.v. wanders about, sings and dances, plays with her toys and tells them to watch the shows...
I only feel a little guilty. The programs are her age area, she loves them, and I get the preliminary work done to get her into a really great expensive nice daycare while I make living money and go to school._


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

Hey Kavita, guess what??


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## SoulJourney (Sep 26, 2005)

Eeeeks! Are you going to KY, Amy?????? YAYYYYY! Please say you're staying in the midwest!














Time to start planning a camping trip!


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SoulJourney* 
Eeeeks! Are you going to KY, Amy?????? YAYYYYY! Please say you're staying in the midwest!














Time to start planning a camping trip!


AWWWWWWW yeah!!!!









DH had the interview with the big company in Louisville today, and they called him not two hours later to let him know they are preparing an offer, and they will have it to him by Wednesday if not sooner!

*YAY!! THE JOB HUNT IS OVER!!* Which, in itself, is fabulous - but on top of that, DH loves the job and the people, and we are really really happy about L'ville! We are just so relieved and happy!

So Kavita, we are going to be moving right around the same time as y'all! We'll probably be there by mid-May.









Get your campin' gear out, girls! (And Noah!)


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## Awaken (Oct 10, 2004)

Kavita;7758631(p.s. the bananas are an oblique reference to the wedding night! [IMG alt="" said:
 

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


OMG snort, snort









Amy and Kavita, I am so jealous!! That is awesome!


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## SoulJourney (Sep 26, 2005)

CONGRATS AMY & FAMILY!!!!









I'm so flipping excited! L'ville is only 2-2 1/2 hours away from here, you guys! YAAAAAY! I'm jealous you two (Amy & Kavita) will be in the same city as each other!


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## spiritmomma (Aug 29, 2005)

Yay, AMY!~! That's so great. I'm glad that your family doesn't have the job search hanging over you anymore... and SO glad that you'll be close and in a place you WANT to be! WOO HOO!


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## irageo (Nov 4, 2006)

Quote:



Originally Posted by *barcelona*


Happy Wedding Day Kaspirant!!!!!!



Quote:



Originally Posted by *spughy*


HAPPY WEDDING DAY KASPIRANT!!!!! I hope everything goes smoothly and you post your beautiful pictures soon!!!



Quote:



Originally Posted by **Amy**


*Kaspirant, HAPPY WEDDING DAY!!!! *

































Quote:



Originally Posted by *flapjack*


Kaspirant, I hope your day is brilliant











Quote:



Originally Posted by *itsybitsy25*


Congratulations, Kaspirant!



Quote:



Originally Posted by *SoulJourney*









CONGRATS KASPIRANT!!!









Hope you have a magical day!



Quote:



Originally Posted by *MamaFern*









: Kaspirant! 
i hope that it was everything that you ever dreamed of and more..

























Quote:



Originally Posted by *Kavita*














































Kaspirant!!!! Hope you had the wedding of your dreams, and best wishes for a long and happy married life!

(p.s. the bananas are an oblique reference to the wedding night!




























: )


All your wishes came true!! The day was magical in every aspect. DS was such a trooper. I have no pictures *YET* because though I took my camera with me...I was chasing DS everywhere and was unable to even hand off the camera at any time. Between our photographer and her assistant...they took 4GB of pictures which they are estimating to be nearly 1500 shots. We get all of them on CD in 2 weeks. The waiting will seriously kill me.

Our families got along well enough together, and there were some friendships formed.

The rehearsal dinner *we didn't really have a rehearsal, it was just a BIG PARTY at Dave and Buster's was a HIT and everyone had a blast.

We had a *wishbook* where everyone tosse a penny in a fountain and made a wish for us. They wrote th wishes down and sealed them in tiny envelopes. We saved them and intend to open them on our 10th anniversary. That is gonna be fun!

So all in all...it was worth it all and I'm MARRIED!!! YAYA!!!

PS Kavita..my DH is Jewish...so you know those bananas were well warranted









We had a baby sitter come to the hotel for the wedding night. It was neat to have alone time...but it was seriously hard for me to put DS down to sleep in bed and then go to a different hotel room. I got over it quick enough







It didn't last though, It would have been the first night of DS's life that the 2 of us didn't sleep together. At 2:55 in the am, the sitter calls us. I go down to their room and DS is crying *stilll sound asleep* and has his arm down her shirt.







He didn't want to let go of the death grip he had around her neck so that I could have him back. So apparently we do still nurse in the middle of the night quite a bit and DS still needs that









No problem here. DH understands and I had to wake up more to go get him than I ever do when he's asleep next to me. I'm so glad we co-sleep









I should be sleeping. However, when the powers that be have played a joke on us and when we pledged







: "in sicknes and in health", it was decided that we'd practice that one right away and DH has an insane high fever and chills and is insanely sick. So I'm playing nurse.

Thank you all for the well wishes!!! Sorry for the crazy disjointedness of this...It's the middle of the night and it's been CRAZY around here














:


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## kaspirant (Apr 28, 2006)

yeah oops.

That last post was me .....I didn't realize that DH was signed in. So that is my DH....hehe my husband







:

Yay for all the good news I read from all. Kentucky sounds like the happening place. We are still hoping for St Louis the summer of 2008, but if the party is going to be in Kentucky....

*hugs* to all the mama's who are hurting and struggling. i will get more personal now that things are going to settle down around here but I love you all and I'm sorry that there is so much struggling with sleep and food and emotional journies.

PS I'm a married woman


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

Awwww, Alicia! I'm so happy it went perfectly for y'all. HUSBAND! Isn't it fun to say?









Hi Miajean, welcome to our group! You've joined us at a time of lots of big changes, if you haven't determined that already!









So sometime this summer we have plan a get-together for our family, Kavita, SoulJourney, and Spiritmomma! Does anyone else live within a 2-hour radius? I think that will be all of us Midwesterners. Oh, and Alicia, you should come to L'ville too!!!


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## spiritmomma (Aug 29, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Amy*
So sometime this summer we have plan a get-together for our family, Kavita, SoulJourney, and Spiritmomma! Does anyone else live within a 2-hour radius? I think that will be all of us Midwesterners. Oh, and Alicia, you should come to L'ville too!!!

Yay! Now we get to be as cool as the Pacific Northwesters! I'm looking forward to meeting you guys IRL!


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## Kavita (Dec 7, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *spiritmomma* 
Yay! Now we get to be as cool as the Pacific Northwesters! I'm looking forward to meeting you guys IRL!

Hee hee, that's one consolation of moving! I thought I was going to have to move to either to BC or the east coast to have any chance of ever meeting up with anyone in our DDC! I think I'm the only one of us even remotely close to the southwest!

Amy, since you feel like you're not achieving anything productive toward your move since the military will pack/move/unpack you, I will graciously offer to help you with that feeling by letting you help me unpack!









Are you guys thinking of buying or renting?

Here things are going really well right now. We were up until 4:30 am the other night painting the hallway, but we got it done. We got the photos done of our house Monday, and yesterday morning we got the video tour done, so now we are all set with that and can relax a little and start planning our upcoming trip to Louisville. Obviously we still have to keep the house clean and presentable, but I think that a person dropping in or showing up to view a house without a lot of advance notice isn't going to freak out because there are some toys out or a few cheerios dropped on the floor, but I don't need those things immortalized in photos or a video tour available on the web! And most of the major items (landscaping, painting, repairs/upgrades, etc.) are done. (Although the sheet rock guy repairing the ceiling that the plumber fell through has been sick, so we're three days behind on getting the ceiling repaired. Ugh!) So far one buyer has come to look at the house with her agent, and two agents have come to preview the house, one is going to bring her clients by on Sunday. So there is some interest, and everyone has been really favorable about the house and how well it shows. Our realtor is awesome. She's really on top of things and aggressive about getting things done in a timely fashion, so that's great. And she is generally being very helpful and supportive--even though she doesn't have to be there for the video tour, she came over so she could help get things in place if needed. She's in her early 50's and her kids are grown, but she was an AP mama and she had three kids under three all at the same time (a boy then twin girls) so she understands how freaking difficult it is to do this stuff with a toddler around!

Also, yesterday I went to the dentist and got these permanent crowns put on. I'd had to go earlier this week, I was having continuing throbbing pain and my gums in that area were getting more and more inflamed and I was getting a nasty taste in that area and thinking I was maybe getting an infection--turns out that it was the cement on the temporary crowns leaching and irritating the gum tissue and teeth. I had started some warm saline rinses, and that helped, but now it's feeling even better now that the permanent crowns are on. I still need some adjustment to my bite, and I am really sore from the (about 10!) shots needed to numb me enough (I am strangely impervious to normal amounts of novacaine--you could numb an elephant with the amount I need to really make dentistry pain free!) and also just from the work, and from having bitten almost through a chunk of my cheek because I was still numb several hours later and we were invited to a dinner party at my friend's house and I went ahead and ate even though I probably shouldn't have.

So that's the news here!

Kaspirant, glad to hear the the wedding day (and night!) went great! We can't wait to see pics!


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## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

Congratulations, kaspirant!!! I'm so glad your wedding was wonderful. That's awful that your DH is sick now though. Oh well, at least he didn't get sick BEFORE the wedding!

Kavita -







silly teeth.

Now I want to move to Louisville too







. Amy, I'm so jealous you've got the job hunt thing all over and done with. DH and I had a preliminary discussion about that last night but - ugh - he is SO indecisive and he's thinking of taking a part-time research position for the summer while he contemplates what to do... I SO don't want to stay in this house, it's way too small, too cluttered, too falling apart, too noisy... ARGH!!!


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## Kavita (Dec 7, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *spughy* 
Now I want to move to Louisville too







.


Well, ya know what they say, Louisville is the new Vancouver!


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## flyingspaghettimama (Dec 18, 2001)

Except hotter! A lot hotter.

Congratulations to all of you with moves, pregnancies, tv appearances and weddings. Man, you're a busy bunch. Can I get your website again, barcelona? We might come out to NYC to visit this Fall, by the ways. Yay! I miss the city.

In response to the earlier question: our family eats a lot of soy. Emmett's favorite drink-dessert is soymilk. Of course, we're very comfortable with the gender-bending effects... Bwa ha ha. Actually, it's just not something I worry about. I've read the research first-hand and feel very comfortable with my children consuming soy - one study said that soy consumption in the teen years dramatically reduced future cancer risk. So I guess I'm golden in that category, 'cos that's all I ate as a teen. MAN, those Vancouver veggie hot-dog vendors can sure put a burn on my waistline.

Fern, regarding the picky eaters, have you read anything by Ellyn Satter? Put one of her books on hold at the library and see what you think. She explains the whole toddler-preschooler picky stuff and how to work with it. Basically, she says that a toddler typically needs to try a new vegetable about 20 times before really liking it. So they might put it in the mouth and spit it out, no biggie. By preschool years, there are some different strategies. We've put some of her ideas in place in our home and are totally wowed. Emmett's serving himself his own food and seems much more game to try everything.

Spughy, I don't know how much for sure exercise has to do with sleeping well. I mean, it helps, but there's only so much you can do at this age, really. I know it's frustrating. But even if she went to daycare, she might start sleeping poorly from a new childcare situation due to separation anxiety, or parents who are financially stressed to pay the childcare, or what have you. It's always somethin'. But I still say the ticket is nightweaning + cosleeping = ahhhhhhhhhhh, everyone sleeps. So nice. Can you do this now (nightwean), consistently, rather than some nights she sleeps with dad and sometimes with you? I wouldn't worry too much about her weaning completely, as long as you offer milk when you get home, on weekends, for a big morning nurse-a-thon.

I wanna move too, waa. I want a real house instead of a townhouse. Too bad all the houses in my desired area cost a half-mil. Too bad, indeed.


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## MamaFern (Dec 13, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *flyingspaghettimama* 
Congratulations to all of you with moves, pregnancies, tv appearances and weddings. Man, you're a busy bunch.

wait.. did i miss something? who is pregnant??????









thanks for the book suggestion and words on picky eaters..


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## MamaFern (Dec 13, 2003)

ngaio just brought me her potty and said "help!" and i helped her take off her diaper and shes pooping!
usually i have to watch her and see when she is going to go, but lately she has been going into the bathrom and trying to put the seat on the toilet. sometimes we gte it in time, sometimes no. this is another big step. woohoo!~ i cant wait till she is 100% potty using.


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## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

FSM - I'm not quite willing to nightwean Rowan completely, but we've instituted a new "no boobs after midnight" policy whereby I nurse her when she wakes up around midnight and then swap places with DH and he sleeps with her in the bed and I sleep on the couch. I would love to be able to cosleep with her and actually sleep, but I just can't do it. I don't sleep, I only doze, and I feel like total crap the next morning and my mental capacity is severely diminished. I just can't afford to do that. So DH is more or less cosleeping with her and she still wakes up 4 times a night. But, I think a lot of the time she's waking up because she has to pee - a bunch of times I've felt her go when I've picked her up at night and last night DH picked her up and was holding her and she leaked out of her diaper. I have no idea what to do with this information. Help? Anyone?

Fern - awesome on the pottying!!!

I am starting to feel aging happening in my body. It is just not bouncing back and feeling all happy about the workout yesterday. Uuuggghhh. Getting old sucks.


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## flyingspaghettimama (Dec 18, 2001)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MamaFern* 
wait.. did i miss something? who is pregnant??????









Ah, I was just covering my bases. I'm sure that by the end of April SOMEone will be pregnant! BTW, we're coming to Vancouver again next week.

Spughy, well, that's cosleeping in my book, if your husband is sleeping with her. How long has he been consistently doing that (none after midnight), on weekends and every night, without break? Maybe if you do the no milk after midnight mixed with the nightweaning strategy of telling her when she can have milk again (i.e. light, morning, 5 am, whatever), or maybe you already do that?

Yes, the curse of EC is the midnight pee. I usually don't take him unless he signs for it, which indicates that he just can't go back to sleep and is being kept awake by his bladder. Or he's trying to trick me into getting up. One of the two. He likes to do that. He also likes to sign that he has to potty when we're on the freeway. And then we'll find a place to go, and he goes only a teeeeeeny tiny bit. Hm. Does she have a sign for potty? A lot of non-ECd kids also get very interested in the potty between 15-18 months...


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## MamaFern (Dec 13, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *flyingspaghettimama* 
Ah, I was just covering my bases. I'm sure that by the end of April SOMEone will be pregnant! BTW, we're coming to Vancouver again next week.










lets see.. zjande, helen and me!!?? thats wishful thinking i know.. but it could happen! in a perfect world.

ooh.. cool! we should get the kiddos together again. too bad mel is gone now







sarah, come visit again so we can see the 3 babes together!!


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## Kavita (Dec 7, 2004)

Guess what??? We got an offer on our house and it's in escrow right now!!!!!














:





















:









I'm so excited. It's only been on the market for five days, and the second person who looked at it fell in love with it and made an offer four hours later!!! And she is an awesome lady! And she's been looking for a house here since September . . . I just felt when she was here that she was the right person for my house and I was sending vibes into the universe and it happenned!

Whoops, baby awake and crying, gotta go!!!


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

Kavita, HOORAY!!!!! That is wonderful! I know that must really take some of the strain off of you and your family!!

As for nightweaning, I had totally forgotten that was an option. I was thinking about fully weaning the other day, just because nights are so ridiculous. I was planning on waiting til 18 months though, which would be June 3rd. But nightweaning, now that's a good idea!!! I tried it (partially) last night; around 5:00am I told her that milk was sleeping, and she just cuddled with me and played with my hair until she fell asleep! Not even a protest! So that was encouraging. FSM, do you have any suggestions or tips? I think I might go over to night-time parenting or breastfeeding and see if there is any advice over there, too.

So Spughy, NCSSfT isn't working? I was also going to say, regarding job hunting....it was a really hard time for us. I'm just glad it was only ~3 months of our lives. Whenever your DH gets into that phase, I will totally be here to support and cheer you on, empathize when you need to vent, etc.

Fern, that is so awesome about the pottying!

We are going to church today, per DH's request (I'm not really big into the whole Christianity thing), but it's FREEEEEEZING here - literally. I think it's about 28 and snowing. So much for hunting easter eggs!


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## flyingspaghettimama (Dec 18, 2001)

I would just refer to the Jay Gordon website on nightweaning; and my friend had much success with telling her daughter that the milk was asleep and needed to get sleep to make milk in the morning/when it's light. The biggest thing is to be consistent and not go back and forth with sometimes nursing, sometimes not. Just - not. If that's what you want to do. And once again , even though SOME people insist that your child might wean altogether if you nightwean, that hasn't been my experience or of anyone else I know. They won't wean in the day unless you want them to.

My personal guideline is when he's got all his big teeth in (waiting for cuspids right now) and can understand "morning" or "light". Although, if we're having a one-hour nurseathon that's driving me insane, I will sometimes tell him now that the milk needs to go night-night. I will usually just hold him and rock him and he'll go back to sleep.


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## barcelona (May 1, 2006)

So many congrats are in order!!!!

Amy, Congrats!!! How wonderful that you all finally know where you are going, and that the stress of the job search is OVER!

Kavita, Congrats!!! Another sigh of relief for you, having your house sold. And what a nice feeling that the woman is so nice.

I'm jealous of you two, and the midwestern clan of mamas, getting to play together. I think I'm the lone-lorn NorthEastern gal of the group...
And Vancouver mamas, have fun! FSM, come visit me in NYC when you come!

Kaspirant, I'm so glad your wedding was so beautiful, smooth, and lovely. I hope your DH is feeling better! Cannot wait to see pictures. By the way, maybe your DH is relaxing after months of wedding plans and anticipation? My DH got very sick with a high fever one week after our wedding, on the last day of our honeymoon. We also joked about putting those vows straight to the test.









Fern, congrats on the potty-using!!! How's the move coming along?

Spughy and Amy, I'm sorry nights are still so hard.

What an eventful group we are. I love it.

Hope you are all having either a lovely Easter or lazy Sunday









Hugs to everyone.

ps--I'll post my website when it's ready. Still much work to do.


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## barcelona (May 1, 2006)

I forgot to mention, Michelle, that I looked at your blog recently, and laughed, because Finley does the EXACT same thing, calling me MOMMMM.








Our boys seem to have a lot in common.


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

Wow, Kavita! How exciting! I hope our house sells as quickly! It went on the market Thursday afternoon, was shown once on Friday, and twice on Saturday. I was pleased with that, especially since our agent told us not to expect much this weekend since its a big holiday weekend. She told us that she's been really busy lately and she seems to think it will sell pretty quickly, though.

Happy Easter, everyone! Ellie was the belle of the ball at church this morning in her Easter dress. She's so cute.


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

Someone please put me out of my misery!! I'm seriously considering drugging my child so that she will sleep at night.

OK, maybe not *seriously*, but I do kind of daydream about it. I started partial night-weaning last night, and it didn't go too badly. Well, the weaning part didn't go too badly; she still woke up 6 or 7 times.







: And we stuffed her like a Christmas goose (with food) right before we went to bed!! The first few times she woke up, she didn't even ask for milk, so that was reassuring. It was really easy to get her back to sleep by holding or rocking her for a minute or two. I finally nursed her around 3:00, and then again at 5:30. But I feel like dogfood this morning. I can't handle this anymore!!!!

I'm not sure how we are going to do it, but I think it is time to start thinking about moving her into a bed in her own room. We are moving in exactly a month, so I am on the fence about whether to start getting her adjusted to sleeping on her own here in this house, or to wait and just make all of the changes at once. I really wouldn't mind if she slept in the same room with us, but that would be contingent upon the night-weaning having some success...and we'll just have to wait and see about that.

FSM, I am totally not worried about her day weaning - I really doubt that is going to happen!

Barcelona, I finally got to watch your show. You were awesome! It was so fun to see you!!


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## s_kristina (Aug 9, 2004)

It seems like lots of people have different opinions about sleep. I see sleeping through the night as a developmental milestone very much like crawling or walking. They will do it when they are ready and not a minute before. In my dd's case that wasn't until she was much older then many people would be comfortable. She still nursed every 2 hours around the clock until she was over 20 months. By the time she was 2 years old she was waking 1-2 a night. Rather then fighting with her and have a child up screaming for hours at a time I just went with it. I stopped discussing sleep aside with anyone other then a select few people. When she went to bed I would take maybe a half hour to an hour of me time to recharge some nights and other I just fell asleep with her. I also napped with her in bed for an hour or 2 most days. Until she was 2.5 years old my dh was gone for weeks or months at a time for work so I just made things work for us. It was a very rough time and until she was sleeping longer I could never have imagined why anyone would want more then 1 child, but it does get better with time. I also had a much better sleeper this time around. I put Joseph to sleep in our room laying down on our bed usually with the tv on. It frequently takes a half hour or more of nursing and wiggling and snuggling to get him to sleep. Then most nights there is a trip to dd's room to read and sing to her before she goes to sleep, but if things with Joseph are taking too long and she gets tired she will just lay down and go to sleep on her own. Either when I go to bed or shortly before I'll move Joseph across our room to his toddler bed. Most nights around midnight to 1 am Joseph wakes up walks across the room and crawls up the bed to eat and snuggle up between dh and I. There is usually at least 1 more wake up in there before we get up for the day and it's not unusual for there to be 2-3 . Of course there are also nights when he never wants to be moved to his toddler bed and just stays with us or wakes up every hour on the hour. I still think of his sleep as being normal for his age. I also frequently doze off with him for a half hour or so in the afternoon when I put him down for his nap. Prior to that I set dd up in her room with books or something else to do and some odd days she even rests on her bed while I'm getting him down.

On the fun side of things Joseph has discovered one of the joys of being a boy. He was standing next to the sink bare butt playing in the water. The running water made him need to go and he started going and was starting to get down off the edge of the shower to get to the toilet. As he was getting down he noticed and ant on the floor. Stopping what he was doing he had another leak which landed right near the ant. The ant didn't want to get wet so it scurried away. Joseph thinks chasing the ant around sounds like a good idea and proceeds to attempt to pee directly on the ant. I don't know or really care how good his aim was at getting the ant as I had a mess to clean up. I really thought I'd have a few more years before he got up to stunts like that! He's also having fun attempting to do some of the OT games I am working with dd on so it will be interesting what comes of that. He already appears to have more hand strength and dexterity then she does.


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## flyingspaghettimama (Dec 18, 2001)

Amy, if you really want to nightwean, I found these tips to be helpful (from different places, I didn't make them up)

1) If I was going to nightwean, I wouldn't nurse at 3 am but instead at a predefined time of day - i.e. when it's light out. You can't go back and forth, because it confuses them.

2) They're gonna freak out. They will cry. But you can hold them, love them, provide them with nonnursing comfort. It will really just take a few days. They aren't alone, you're right there, holding them. Like Gordon says - they're mad, but they're not scared. I would do it on a day your husband can help you catch up on sleep the next day and make sure you guys can take a nap together in the afternoon.

3) At the same time, don't get all spun up during the night, because I think it stresses them out. Like, trying 4 different things and getting anxious and panicky, and switching the babe back and forth all night. It's easy to get like this with lack of sleep. And angry. I found it helpful to have a mantra-type saying, I.e. "milk is asleep, we'll have milk when it's light" that helps calm you down and gives you a one-size fits all sentence. If I found myself getting all stressed out, t'd take some very deep breaths and remind myself that it's only for a little while.

4)I wouldn't personally mix nightweaning with moving to a new room at the same time, only because it could increase her anxiety about being away from you or sensing distance, which tends to make them waaaaay more clingy in response, setting up a bad cycle. I see the fact that you want her to be in another room that maybe you're feeling resentful and wanting space and trying to find a way to do that? Maybe? Or do you typically not like touch while sleeping - i.e. no snuggling? Some people don't.

Here is Dr Sears' page on nightweaning: http://www.askdrsears.com/html/7/T070800.asp

I think some people have a harder time of it. For me, the breaking point was when I just COULD NOT even conceive of nursing one more night without being very angry and resentful the next morning. I'm totally not there yet (he only woke up twice last night - yay! I think it's because he's getting sick - blah!), but I do dream of a sleep-filled night. I also take a short nap most afternoons, so that helps in the meantime - are you napping, Amy?

Kristina, I so wish I could hold on like that. I personally know some mamas with kids still nightnursing through the night at age 3 and 4. Dude, those mamas deserve like Gold Medals or something, I couldn't do it.


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## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

Amy -







I know how you feel. I'm sleeping on the couch now while DH sleeps with Rowan in the bed after midnight. It's working pretty well - she's completely stopped crying when she wakes up at night now, she just snuggles back into DH and goes back to sleep. She does still wake up though, but he is much better at sleeping with her than I am - he actually wakes up rested in the morning. So I think we will keep doing this. I start the night with her so she gets one more boobie session in around 11 pm -midnight though, because otherwise I don't think she gets enough milk.

Not that I like sleeping on the couch though. I think we are due for a king-sized bed and then I will probably be able to sleep with the rest of the family!

s_kristina -







peeing on ants.







. I know it probably wasn't fun to clean up, but you can tell that story to his friends when he's 15 and that'll be a good time.

FSM - when are you going to Vancouver? I might just pop over if it's on a weekend. It would be great to see you and Fern again.


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## flyingspaghettimama (Dec 18, 2001)

This weekend!


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

Easter Pictures!

Ellie has the worst snotty nose ever. I don't know if its a cold, teething (canines are still coming in), or allergies. Killy is very upset by it, everytime her nose is runny he yells, "Ellie has a booger! Mommy, please take care of Ellie!"


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## MelW (Jan 13, 2005)

Sorry I've been MIA, too. And another congrats on the moves, jobs, wedding, new houses, old houses, and for any Nov 05 mamas who are getting pregnant in April!

Some nights I fantasize sooo much about nightweaning, but I also fall into the it's normal or the I'm too lazy camp. We right now are trying to quell the urge to party at three or four am. That's the true reason I've been offline. Since Neela has recently started sleeping longer stretches, she quite often wakes up after six or eight hours sleep and thinks it's morning. Or something.

And in response to the long passed bike trailer conversation, I have the chariot cougar It looks like a space pod. I love it


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi, I'm back







Nice peaceful quiet weekend.
Kaspirant, I'm glad the wedding went down. Please, nobody tell me the bizarre things you Americans do with bananas on your wedding nights. Personally, I thought the whole point of being married was to do that with your husband, but maybe I got it wrong?
Amy, Kavita, woo-HOO for moves






















On night-weaning- I like the way FSM thinks. I am, however, going to pour cold water on the "wait until it's light" theory by pointing out that this is springtime and dawn will get earlier and earlier and earlier. Today's 6am dawn chorus will take place at 2.30 in 6 weeks time, and all of the arguments will cease to be worthwhile. This is what those bunny alarm clocks with the ears that pop up when it's time to wake up are there for...
Saying that, I'm totally on the nightweaning wagon if Skye doesn't sleep soon. The last two nights she's not only woken, but refused to go back to sleep, but I'm pretty sure that's just because her teeth are hurting her. And yes, I am drugging her. If it's a choice between calpol and hearing my daughter scream in pain, there is no choice at all.
I no longer believe in pregnancy. I am getting a cabbage patch kid for my 30th birthday instead, and will satisfy myself with that. I will carry her in a sling, breastfeed on demand and buy a huge, never-ending stash of newborn sized nappies that will never need washing because the dolly isn't real. Best of all, our new addition to the family will sleep through the night from the word go








Good weekend. We spent Saturday on the beach, Sunday hunting chocolate eggs with my aunt and uncle, Friday stuck in a traffic jam and Monday was spent throwing hard boiled eggs down a hill. Good times


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## MamaFern (Dec 13, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *flapjack* 
I no longer believe in pregnancy. I am getting a cabbage patch kid for my 30th birthday instead, and will satisfy myself with that. I will carry her in a sling, breastfeed on demand and buy a huge, never-ending stash of newborn sized nappies that will never need washing because the dolly isn't real. Best of all, our new addition to the family will sleep through the night from the word go








Good weekend. We spent Saturday on the beach, Sunday hunting chocolate eggs with my aunt and uncle, Friday stuck in a traffic jam and Monday was spent throwing hard boiled eggs down a hill. Good times










helen, i totally hear you! i came to this same realisation a few days ago and actually smiled for once when my moon came (yesterday) i mean, i hardly sleep as it is, im doing laundry and washing dishes all day it seems, my baby still breastfeeds on demand, like i have the mental or emotional mindspace to have onother child right now?.. why do i even want another one.







ill just keep on convincing myself of this until we are moved, painted and settled, then ill be in baby lust again.

im glad to hear you weekend was grand.

we went to antannies farm yesterday and snuggled lambs. im So in love








did i mention that we might get shetland sheep when we move? i so so want a few.. and a milking goat too.

check out my blog for lambie pics!


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## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

Helen, you're funny







I could do with a cabbage patch kid instead of another baby, I think. The only downside is they're kind of ugly and I'm sure I could produce a much cuter human child. But the idea of never needing to change - never mind wash - a diaper is certainly an attractive one.

Fern - waaaaahhhh I want a milking goat!!!!!!!!! Sort of. I'd rather have a cow though. I am pressuring DH to move somewhere where I can have either a cow or a supply of raw milk. He's all, "what about a goat?" I'm not hugely keen on goat milk - it's ok, but I like cow milk better. But if it was available, I'd drink it, for sure.

Rowan is definitely starting to sleep better with our new nighttime arrangements, and it seems that the less struggle bedtime is, the better she sleeps. Last night was very peaceful. I just had to realize that she doesn't want to nurse to sleep anymore.







She wants to go to sleep in the sling - probably because that's how Daddy puts her down for a nap every day. So, we nurse, we read stories, we nurse some more, then she snuggles into the sling and I gently rock her to sleep. It's actually quite lovely - I can rest my cheek on her warm little head and listen to her breathing slow down until she gives a little sigh and goes to sleep. Last night she only woke up twice - once for a boob at 11:30 and once to move from the crib into bed with Daddy at 3:30.

In answer to your question about NCSSfT, Amy - I don't think it really helped much. Mostly what helped was DH's idea to sleep with Rowan for most of the night instead of me. In the past it seems she's always slept better with him anyway - she used to sleep well on the couch with him, remember - but she got too big to do that. So we're basically just following her lead, more or less, and figuring things out as we go. We have a routine and we stick to that, but I tried moving her bedtime earlier as per NCSSfT and it totally backfired after about a week or so. She just wasn't tired enough for bed. Now she's going to sleep between 8:30 and 9 and that seems to work well. She gets up between 7 and 7:30, and it's totally dependent on when she went to bed. She seems to need exactly 10 1/2 hours of sleep a night and then she has a 1-2 hour nap around midday and that's it for her. She displays no signs of sleep deprivation so I guess it's working, she's just on the low end of sleep needs. (NCSSfT is largely about just getting ENOUGH sleep into your kid.)

Sorry for the long ramble. What was the question again?


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

It's interesting to get everyone's perspective on the sleep situation. I think the idea of night weaning was definitely something to consider, but after a couple of days of thinking about it, I realize that it was a reactive plan rather than a proactive plan. Dh and I talked about it and we think that rather than going for full-on night weaning, we are going to utilize the window of opportunity presented by moving to start transitioning Brynn into her own room. The plan is to start talking to her about it now, read books about it, etc., and then start having her sleep in HER OWN room as soon as we move into the new house. I know a lot of people will probably say that it will be too hard on her to have so much change at once, but knowing her temprement as I do, I can say that I think that the current situation is going to be really difficult to change because it's just become such an ingrained habit. In a new house, we can start entirely new routines, and we'll also have ~3 weeks before DH has to start his new job, so he will be able to participate in nighttime parenting, and no one will be upset if we have to be up a lot with her in the beginning. I'm not sure what the policy will be as far as letting her sleep with us sometimes, or who will go comfort her at different times during the night; we're going to figure all of that out in the next few weeks. But I think it will be good for all of us.

My hunch is that with a bigger bed of her own (we have a queen sized bed that we'll probably just put on the floor for her), and without Mama inches away, she will wake much less frequently, and night weaning will just happen naturally when we are both ready for it. I don't mind the idea of getting up to comfort her during the night, and nurse her if that's what she wants, if she is learning to sleep more peacefully in the process!

FSM, I totally hear you on the dark vs. light thing, and I totally agree. Consistency/predictability is SO key in making these kinds of changes. I think part of the reason I'm not totally sold on night weaning right now is that Brynnie is still really inconsistent in how much she eats during the day, so I know that there are times when she is truly hungry at night. As for the "it's natural" theory - yes, that is probably true to a certain extent. I don't think it's uncommom for babes this age to wake 2-3 times for nursing or comfort, but I do have to say that 5-7 times is just uncalled for!!!

SKristina, I hear what you are saying about just going with it, and thinking of it as a developmental milestone. There are days when I can reach that perspective, but a lot of days when I just feel like I am going to LOSE MY MIND. Ya know? I'm trying to find the balance between pushing her before she's ready vs. getting to the point like FSM said where I am just totally resentful and depressed about it. It's really hard. So your DD went from waking every two hours to only 1-2 times a night in the span of 4 months?

Helen, you are too hilarious! Can't wait to see pics of your new babe!









QoC, your pictures were beautiful, and you look gorgeous as always! I am so jealous of how healthy and youthful you look. I feel so old and tired these days, and it certainly shows on my face!

Speaking of farms and dairy cows and such, did I tell y'all that we are looking at buying some land in Louisville in the next year? We can get a few acres for practically nothing, so we are going to try to start growing our own food, maybe get a few animals and such, and DH will still be within a 30-minute drive to work! I am really excited about it. Louisville is just going to be so awesome for us!

Kavita, did everything go through on your house sale?

OK, didn't mean to ramble on.....


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## flyingspaghettimama (Dec 18, 2001)

Helen, what's this business about it being light at 2:30 AM?!?!

I forget what a different location the UK is - I know on trips it felt like daylight went on FORever there compared to here. It won't get light here before 5 am at the earliest. Yeah, waiting until light is not going to happen.

I love the cabbage patch baby idea. That's the kind of baby I want! And then you could just get a bratz doll for the transition to preteen-hood. She'll dress skanky but never talk back!

Amy, we totally have nights of 5-7 wakeups, sometimes more, sometimes less. Last night was a bad night for us. I do think it's normal, because we don't know what's going on. I wish they sold a babyometer. He usually wakes up more with the usual problems - teethings, I'm sick, he's sick, and the always-mysterious-waking issues.

Good luck on sleeping in another room idea. I know some people who have tried that. They also ended up nightweaning, but not until later (around age two). It's just harder on you to get up if she does indeed need to eat in the middle of the night or need attention/responsiveness. We did the transition to her own room (with books, bed-shopping together, etc) at age three. I don't know how much they really "get" emotionally vs mentally though at age 1.5 about nighttime separation from a parent after cosleeping, that's the only tricky thing. I guess you will know by her behavior the next day if she seems OK with it or not.

And I think my babe woke up a ton because I'm coming down with something. Maybe my milk tastes like Tylenol. Mmm.


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

Amy - we're looking for 2-4 acres to buy, too. Enough for me to have chickens and a garden. MAYBE a goat at some point. And, we'll be close to my parents who have a 30 acre horse farm (even though they don't have any horses at the moment, they've promised to buy a pony in the next few months for the kids). And thanks for saying I look youthful! I got my hair cut last week so its the shortest its ever been (!!!) and I really love it, its made me feel about 1000 times cuter and younger, I've been seriously bummed since I turned 27 last November.

We have someone who's planning to come back and take a second look at our house today! Everyone cross your fingers for us!


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## flyingspaghettimama (Dec 18, 2001)

By the ways, I started a new travel with kids blog. PM me if you want the address, as it is under a different nom de plume.


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

I was exaggerating (slightly) with 2.30- but dawn will be 4.20 here at midsummer, which is only just over two months away. Add an hour before that when it's light but not really and you go back to having a toddler demanding numnums at 3am because it's light now.
Then again, my other November babe still argues that day is night and vice versa, just because he can.
Amy, another memory I had yesterday is that both boys slept much better when they took a sippy cup of water to bed with them so they could have a drink as and when they needed it.


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## Kavita (Dec 7, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by **Amy** 
Speaking of farms and dairy cows and such, did I tell y'all that we are looking at buying some land in Louisville in the next year? We can get a few acres for practically nothing, so we are going to try to start growing our own food, maybe get a few animals and such, and DH will still be within a 30-minute drive to work! I am really excited about it. Louisville is just going to be so awesome for us!

Kavita, did everything go through on your house sale?

Thanks for asking! The buyer is having inspections tomorrow. DH is currently busily lubricating the window hinges since they tend to stick and not open very easily and that was something that came up on MY home inspection when I bought the house--4 1/2 years ago! I know--procrastinate much??!!







I think things will be fine. I'm a little concerned b/c the room is old and she is specifically having a roofing guy come. Of course, if you ask a roofer if you need a new roof, they are going to say yes!!! But we have never had even one leak or any evidence of roof issues, and I told in the disclosures that the roof is like 16-17 years old, so I am hoping/anticipating that there will not be any suprises. If all proceeds well we are supposed to close June 1. Although depending on what we find in Louisville, we may move it up to mid-May.

I also have rural fantasies at times--we found the cutest little farm with some beautiful land, but realistically it is too far out, I don't like being isolated socially esp. with a toddler, and this particular place would be too far out for DH to commute. Also he has a very busy career situation right now, so it would be me and the dogs and the baby and I think I'd go a little (or a lot) nuts. Also I like to travel and have a lot of freedom/flexibility--I want to be able to go to MI to see my family on long weekends, etc., and we want to go to India at least every couple of years. It's hard enough to find someone to housesit our dogs now, I think it would be really hard to find someone who would take care of the dogs and goats/chickens/cows etc. Also as we know engorgement is no fun, and it's not fun for farm animals either--you have to get out and milk those suckers no matter what. Given that I have enough trouble just managing to remember to throw my dogs some food and refill their water every day, I don't think I'm a good candidate for small scale farming at this point. Maybe when I'm done with having babies and they are all a bit older and can help. sounds like a fun homeschooling lesson in nature and responsibility and all that!!! We're definitely looking for a place where we can have a good garden though--DH is really into gardening, and I've been into it too in the past but it's frustrating in the desert because everything gets dessicated and fried by the sun. So we're looking forward to Louisville too for that reason. We're going next week (Tues) to look for a house. Wish us luck!!!


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## s_kristina (Aug 9, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by **Amy** 
SKristina, So your DD went from waking every two hours to only 1-2 times a night in the span of 4 months?

It was around 4-6 months that she went from bfing every 2 hours around the clock to only waking 1-3 times a night. The once a night ones were pretty rare at first though! She was and still is a very high needs/spirited/intense child though. Even if dh had been there to help with night weaning it would not have worked. She would have screamed all night only passing out from exhaustion long enough to get her voice back then been back to screaming. I know this from road trips that had to be made to get dh to and from the places he was working at. She was still getting most of her daily calories from bf until she was 18 months and probably down to half by age 2. With her relying on bf that much not just for comfort, but also for food I could not see taking it away from her. I'm very glad I ran across Kelly, of kellymom.com, and other ladies that have the same POV as me about STTN being a milestone.


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## MelW (Jan 13, 2005)

kristina~ I appreciate your perspective on sleep. I also loved your story about Joseph peeing on the ant









I waver a LOT about night weaning these days, since I find the pressures of working out of the home make sleep challenges more difficult. If only I could still go to bed when Neela does! I think in general AP parenting, especially sleep-related issues would be SO much easier with more communal lifestyles. Other mamas, grandparents, etc. around to support, let us get naps, help cook meals, etc. I'm feeling the conflict between biological norms and social norms. Bleh. And on that note, I'm off to work for the evening







:


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## flyingspaghettimama (Dec 18, 2001)

Yeah, that, Mel. Where's MY helpful grandma who lives down the street? I forgot to get one in the mail when I had my children. Dang.


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

Word.


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## MamaFern (Dec 13, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by **Amy** 
Word.

helpful gramas who live next door are handy unless they have a newborn babyto take care of









our foster baby is almost 4 months old now. he's all smiles and says "goo" its so funny. i dont spend as much time with him as my mom does, but i do snuggle him a lot.
he has been battling infant exema in a major way..does anyone have any suggestions for it? i know its probably a result of him beng bottlefed, but i have no control over that *sigh* he has been seeing his mom 3 times a week and she just loves him. she has some major mental health issues, so she cant take care of him, but she is fighting it in court, so who knows what will happen.

hmm.
im spacey right now. sorry.


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## kaspirant (Apr 28, 2006)

I have started to type several times and life just keeps getting in the way.

I feel sad for all the mama's who are sleep struggling. I am too but I just refuse to dwell on it. My sleep issues is more my PITA mattress that isn't even good enough for the dump and the fact we can't afford to replace it right now. DS sleeps when he's tired and gets up when he's not. It's only a problem for me when he isn't tired at 3 am...







: Being that I WOTH I know sleep is important for me...but i'm surviving without it. I figure when I do start getting to sleep...I'll wish he still needed me the way he does now.

The biggest issue for us right now is seeming to be teeth. Today DS woke up near sobbing and cried for the first 30 minutes of his day. This is so not my bubbly ball of happy energy that it tore me up...and taking him to daycare today was seriously gut wrenching for me.

My sister and I are trying to figure out what we need to do to be SAHM's without over burdening our families. She already is staying home but money is tight for them. I'm the more than major breadwinner in our little family so it seems so impossible *I make over 4 times what DH is currently making* and even then we are FAR from well off. I have no clue how to make the money I need to survive...let alone live the organic lifestyle we are striving for. I pray for the day I can stop sending my kiddo to daycare.

On a happy note today is our one week anniversary!! yay. I love my DH







:

We won't have our professional pics for another week, but we did get a couple of candids from my dad...so seriously this is only a sneak peak..but you can see the start of the wedding pics here Sneak peak of the wedding

I'll let ya know when I've got the rest up...there are some stunning shots our professional gal did!! and of course some seriously amazing nursing shots!! Yay for having a photographer who was NOT boob shy









Okay well I'm going to pack up and go home. I'm gonna try to be a bigger part of this...at least as long as I'm working...

*hugs* to all the mamas...

PS how much do they pay teachers in Louisville....







I'm so jealous of those who are moving...i'm so ready for our move!!!


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

Fern, PM me if you want the ultimate guide to infant eczema. In a nutshell, though, I'd get the dairy out of his diet (hydrolysate formula, for choice), find an extremely gentle emollient like calendula oil, bathe as infrequently as possible - weekly at that- and try and see if there's some homoeopathic help available for him. You need to look at it another way though- the skin is the body's largest organ of elimination, and the breakdown in his skin condition that you see is the process of his body eliminating the toxins, physical and emotional, that he has already been exposed to in his short life Bottling it up and trying to control the flareups with steroid creams will cause far more problems in the long run- let the crap and nastiness go, but keep it clean and under control and do everything possible to keep his immune system strong to prevent infection. Most kids outgrow it- some, like Isaac, go on to have asthma.


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

My friends whose kids have bad eczema swear by shea butter, and bathe in cetaphil (sp?) soap. I second the dairy thing, too!

Alicia, you look beautiful and so happy! I can't wait to see the official pics.


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

Wow, sorry to make it all about eczema. I had a cool morning spent with a group of mamas and it felt like all of us had a battle of some issue with meals-celiacs, dairy allergies, difficulties swallowing. It's inspiring and depressing to realise just how many families have the same problem with one or more child.

Alicia, I think we cross-posted, but you look beautiful







I'm glad you had such a happy day!


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

Hey, do y'all want to help me reach back into the far recesses of my mind to what the first few weeks post-partum were like? My friend is due on May 31st and was asking me today what she needs to have at home and ready, such as heavy pads/depends, lansinoh, nursing pads, etc. Do y'all remember your must-haves for those few weeks? I'm sure it will depend on whether she is able to have a vaginal birth, but that's what she's trying for.


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## Phoenix_Rising (Jun 27, 2005)

hey mamas, it's been awhile since i checked in, just wanted to say hi


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## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

Hi Susannah!

Quote:


Originally Posted by **Amy** 
Hey, do y'all want to help me reach back into the far recesses of my mind to what the first few weeks post-partum were like? My friend is due on May 31st and was asking me today what she needs to have at home and ready, such as heavy pads/depends, lansinoh, nursing pads, etc. Do y'all remember your must-haves for those few weeks? I'm sure it will depend on whether she is able to have a vaginal birth, but that's what she's trying for.









Heavy pads soaked in witch hazel, stored in the freezer







Healthy snacks, frozen baked oatmeal (didn't have this but would have been good!), fenugreek, blessed thistle, mother's milk tea, breast pump, pillows, cable tv, "Help I have a Baby What Do I Do Now?" (aka "The Baby Book" by Dr. Sears), a helpful husband...


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## Kavita (Dec 7, 2004)

Postpartum checklist:

Pads
Bendy straws--make it easier for someone else to give you something to drink while you're nursing in the early days!
Lots of liquids to drink--juice, teas, whatever
Nursing pillow--I liked the "bosom baby" one best of all I've tried, the boppy or my breast friend ones aren't as suitable for those of us that are "fluffy"
Nursing stool--I bought one of these at a few weeks postpartum and it helped me a lot in holding her/positioning her for nursing. Puts your legs/arms/lap/baby at a good angle and reduces the fatigue of shoulders, arms, back, etc. comfy even just for sitting regularly and holding the baby, or even not. I lent mine to a friend and just got it back and I'm so happy to have it again!
ibuprofen--not bad to have around for various pains (perineum, nipples, cramping,etc.)
FOOD!!!!!!!!! I feel like I barely ate until Ella was about 5 1/2 months old! Easy to fix, easy to eat foods are a must. Next baby I'm stocking a freezer full!!! Menus from carryout places that deliver should also be close at hand for those times!
Something for the nipples isn't a bad idea--lanolin or other nipple cream (personally hated lanolin)
Entertainment--some movies or TV to watch or something to read or books on tape or music to listen to while nursing (not so much in the first week or two but a bit later)
Moby wrap or other stretchy wrap--I didn't get one of these till Ella was about 3-4 months and by then it was kind of too late. I think that this is the ideal baby carrying device for the immediate newborn period because it's so flexible and you can just put the baby skin to skin kangaroo-style.
Big, comfy and accessible tops of some kind to wear.
Maybe one nice-ish outfit in a size bigger than pre-pregnancy but not maternity clothes--I found a nursing dress at Goodwill while pregnant and after she was born I was so happy to have something to fit into that was not my maternity clothes, that I felt good in and could nurse in!!! Helpful when you are ready to start venturing out a bit and don't have much to wear.
Numbers for help--phone numbers of League, lactation consultant, pediatrician, midwife, postpartum depression support services, friends, anyone you may need to have your husband or yourself make a frantic phone call to if in distress!!!!! Post them by the phone. Hopefully won't need to use them but it's good to know where you can get help if you need it.
A little notebook, clipboard, whatever, and pen or pencil, for keeping track of feedings and diapers in the first few days.
A little garbage can in your room if you don't already have one--I spent a lot of time in bed and I taped a little paper bag to my nightstand for trash--for some reason I felt like was always having some little thing to throw away, like alcohol pad wrappers from cleaning her cord, etc.

This is not an exhaustive list nor is it definitive, but it's some things that were helpful for me personally in the first days.

sniff, sniff. Just writing this is making me think of when she was a little tiny newborn--she seems so grown up now! I miss her being a little tiny thing sometimes!


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

In case things go wrong, I'd also make sure you know where she can get:
a valley cushion
a breast pump (industrial, oh-crap-my-baby-is-tongue-tied strength, none of this namby pamby avent stuff.)

In addition, my must-haves for the immediate postnatal period are:
stretchy net knickers to keep those horrible maternity pads in place.
food. Lots and lots of it.
water jugs
Something you want to watch on DVD.
Nice bath stuff. I hate periods, and my overwhelming feeling those first few weeks after birth is of feeling unclean. (I know, so unfeminist. So shoot me.) I'm not convinced I'm the only person on the planet who feels that way either.


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## barcelona (May 1, 2006)

happy friday everyone! i've been reading along but unable to really write.
i'm at work now, so have a bit of calm time and free-finger time.

kaspirant, you look beautiful in the sneak peak photos! can't wait to see the official ones! you mentioned they are from your dad's camera...i hope that situation was calm and happy and loving, and that he got over his initial ugly response.

my contribution to the postpartum list: i had to soak thrice daily in epsom salt, due to horrific hemorroids. i was also in so much pain that i used some meds on me bum that helped a lot...not natural or homeopathic, but the pain was so bad that i gladly used it. i forget the name now, but if your friend needs that kind of help, let me know, and i'll find out. hopefully she won't. and if i wanted to sit, it had to be up on pillows, or sideways. so plentiful pillows are good, from my experience. i agree with the food, water, and dvd's and the witch's hazel.

we have a big weekend, with a dear friend of mine coming in for a visit. i'm very excited to see her and have some girlfriend time. she's a kindred spirit. i also have rehearsal, but it's during the day, so it won't be as hard on finley. he hasn't been able to sleep with his daddy since the first one, so it's been a bit rough. but, it has sort of worked itself out, as his entire schedule has shifted to much later, sleeping around 10:30 (ak) and waking up around 9:30 and napping much later, too. it's a bit of a pain, but i guess it's the sacrifice and adjustment we're making for me to do this play. and it'll be over mid-may and we can go back to a more sane schedule then.

hope everyone is feeling healthy and happy this weekend!


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## Phoenix_Rising (Jun 27, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *flapjack* 
Nice bath stuff. I hate periods, and my overwhelming feeling those first few weeks after birth is of feeling unclean. (I know, so unfeminist. So shoot me.) I'm not convinced I'm the only person on the planet who feels that way either.

showering is the VERY first thing i did after keagan was born.


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

It took seven hours for me to get in the bath after Skye was born, what with Isaac's asthma attack and nobody thinking about running one for me and whatnot. (and if you check back, you'll notice I was on MDC at LEAST twice during that time







) The first thing I did last time I found out I was pregnant was run round to the next door neighbour and sign her up for bath-running duties


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

Hey Mamas, thanks for all of your input on that. I made up a very comprehensive list for my friend, and she was so grateful and said she had no idea that she might need all of that stuff. So I'm glad I did it!

I think it was about 48 hours after Brynn's birth until I got to take a shower (because of the c-section) and man, that shower was as memorable to me as Brynn's birth!!!









Well we're off to Louisville today to (hopefully) find someplace to live. Wish us luck!


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## barcelona (May 1, 2006)

Amy, Good luck!!!! How very exciting!!!!

...My first shower at home was lovely, but the first shower I took after Finley was in the hospital and that was yuck.

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend.







:


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## kaspirant (Apr 28, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *barcelona* 
kaspirant, you look beautiful in the sneak peak photos! can't wait to see the official ones! you mentioned they are from your dad's camera...i hope that situation was calm and happy and loving, and that he got over his initial ugly response.

Thanks for asking...it was a little uncomfortable at times...My pastor asked him if he would walk me down the aisle...and he said "she never asked me" So pastor came to me and said "It sounded like he would do it if you ask him to. So minutes before we are supposed to start he has dad come over and I ask him. His answer was "I'm here because I love you but I want no part of this." and he turned and walked away.







:

So pastor kinda just stared at him ain disbelief and gave me a hug.

Other than that he was on his best behavior and was very cordial. It was nice having him there.

And as for the postpartem question...My goodness I hardly remember my post partem time! DS was in the NICU because he was born premature....and I had been on hospitalized bedrest for 5 weeks prior to that..so it's all kinda a blur.


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## MamaFern (Dec 13, 2003)

hi everyone..

i havn't read the updates in a while.. im sorry!









we are off to chill with spughy (sarah) & rowan and flyingspaghettimama (lora) and her flying spaghetti baby! im taking my camera, so there will be cute photos later on this evening. hope everyone enjoys this lovely spring day.


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## Kavita (Dec 7, 2004)

Ha ha, I can beat all of you on the prompt showering after birth thing--I got in the shower before I even finished delivering the placenta!







(In fairness though I should note that this was because the darn thing wouldn't come out, I was so exhausted that I didn't get any more contractions, and after about 45 minutes I asked my midwife to cut the cord so I could try pushing it out on the toilet, and when that and two shots of pit didn't work I thought maybe a nice warm shower would be relaxing and help me get the darn thing out. Didn't work, and that shower was entirely unsatisfactory because our showerhead in that shower was clogged with hard water deposits and didn't have enough water pressure and wasn't warm enough. So it wasn't that pleasant. Well, that and wondering whether I was going to end up having to ruin a perfectly nice homebirth with going to the hospital for 3rd stage! After the shower the midwives decided that the thing to do was to just tuck me in bed with the baby and give us some privacy for a little while and stop obsessing over the placenta, and within about two minutes after everyone had left the room Ella latched on like a little barracuda and I got a ginormous contraction and and incredible urge to push and the placenta just popped right out!







: )


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## iadoremybabe (Jul 8, 2006)

I just wanted to say hi and introduce myself. I am a long time voyeur of MDC and have just started posting more. My family recently moved so having MDC has been so helpful since I really don't have a network of other moms where I am. So, thank you all for the common wealth of wisdom you provide. I hope that I also contribute to that pot-o-knowledge as I participate more and more.

Flapjack, I would love to get some additional information on eczema. We use Auqafor on dd, but there are still flare-ups. I think our culprit is tomato, but it's not completely pinned down.


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## Phoenix_Rising (Jun 27, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *kaspirant* 
Thanks for asking...it was a little uncomfortable at times...My pastor asked him if he would walk me down the aisle...and he said "she never asked me" So pastor came to me and said "It sounded like he would do it if you ask him to. So minutes before we are supposed to start he has dad come over and I ask him. His answer was "I'm here because I love you but I want no part of this." and he turned and walked away.







:

So pastor kinda just stared at him ain disbelief and gave me a hug.

Other than that he was on his best behavior and was very cordial. It was nice having him there.

i was really hoping for you that he would change his tune - i'm sorry this was his response, he is the one who missed out on a great chance!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *iadoremybabe* 
I just wanted to say hi and introduce myself. I am a long time voyeur of MDC and have just started posting more. My family recently moved so having MDC has been so helpful since I really don't have a network of other moms where I am. So, thank you all for the common wealth of wisdom you provide. I hope that I also contribute to that pot-o-knowledge as I participate more and more.

Flapjack, I would love to get some additional information on eczema. We use Auqafor on dd, but there are still flare-ups. I think our culprit is tomato, but it's not completely pinned down.

welcome to our chatty group


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## spiritmomma (Aug 29, 2005)

quick hello....
I haven't disappeared completely. I've just been a bit introspective these last few weeks. I'm going through some kind of change where I feel less like Isa's mom and more like Jaymi. But don't feel bad, guys. Most of my friends IRL are still waiting for me to return their calls too. (This is why I've missed Mama's group, SoulJourney







)
Glad to hear things went well, Kavita.
Amy, good luck with your home hunting! FUN!
Welcome, Iadoremybabe!

As for showering after birth, I got a no-soap-quick-rinse shower at the birth center, before being whisked away to the NICU at the hospital where I didn't get a real soapy shower for 2 more days! I still had vernix on my belly just below my breasts where I had held Isa when she first came out! My belly stayed soft for a long time after that... that stuff is magic, man!


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## flyingspaghettimama (Dec 18, 2001)

Okey-dokey, I made a quick blog page about our Vancouver trip, where you will see photos of the loverly children gathered.

http://vancouvervisit.blogspot.com/

And it was always nice to see Fern and Sarah, _even if_ both of them are planning to move to the sticks and buy all sorts of livestock and have a peaceful coexistence with nature and make their own goat milk. The countryside, where I will not be visiting them, as I am deathly afraid of the countryside. I think I'm allergic to it. I break out in hives, start talking gibberish about my need for coffeeshops and indie music stores, organic groceries and public transportation, ethiopian restaurants and a large public library.

(I grew up in the country, deep rural WA. I'm obviously scarred. Or scared.)

The Internet is always so nice for that sort of thing! Maybe we can all make avatars on secondlife and have playdates with our umm...avatar-children. Or maybe not...

I like camping though. In public campgrounds. Maybe we can meet up there, gals.


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## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

Hi all! We had a good (if exhausting) time in Vancouver except I got food poisoning (I think) from a vietnamese restaurant we went to with my preggo friend - fortunately she didn't eat the same things as me, and Rowan wouldn't touch anything except noodles, so I was the only one lying awake at 2 am Saturday night wondering when a dash to the bathroom would be necessary. Yesterday I felt like crap all day and my tummy hurt after eating anything, but today I'm fine. Note to self: avoid appetizers that involve seafood and arrive at your table suspiciously quickly.

It was great seeing Fern & Lora and the kidlets. The little pile of toddlers was terribly cute but they don't seem to understand "photo-op" just yet. Also, what is WITH the stair obsession?!?! All the fun exhibits of Science World and all Rowan wanted to do was climb stairs.







: I will post my photos when DH can suck them out of the camera but I don't think I have any really good ones.

Oh, and FSM - when we do get the country living thing sorted out... we've tossed the idea of a B&B around... you'd come to stay at a country B&B, right? We'd offer "entertainment" for the kids (cleverly-disguised farm chores, heh)







but only relaxation and good food for you & your DH. We'll have a looping recording of buses and cars zipping past a window that we can play in your bedroom so you won't even KNOW you're in the country, k?

Kaspirant - I'm sorry your dad was still being all angsty on your wedding day. But it sounds like you're dealing with it well, and you DO look extravagantly happy in your photos









Spiritmomma - I hope you find a good equilibrium between being you and being Isa's mum. I know I struggle with that, but I'm still at the stage where the pendulum - most days - swings far into the "Rowan's mummy" range. That's just where I'm most comfortable, I think, but I can foresee a time when I'll have to make some mental adjustments, too.

Welcome, Iadoremybabe!!!

Oh, and on the showering after birth thing... I had such a horrible birth - I had ob's and nurses massaging my uterus for HOURS afterwards, and I was exhausted and just wanted to sleep - I didn't get cleaned up until the next day. I remember being shaky and unsure of myself in the shower and I didn't have any shampoo or nice soap so it was a strictly utilitarian experience. I lost a lot of blood so I felt very weak and I had DH stand at the door of the bathroom the whole time in case I keeled over. Not so fun. But it was nice to feel clean-ish.


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

actually, I wasn't just thinking those first few hours. I was thinking the whole first six weeks








For those of you who had c-sections, would you have participated/ would you now participate in a caesarean support group? My old "patch" of the NCT ran one and I'm trying to facilitate one here, because I'm fed up with hearing so many people struggling to come to terms with their section and feeling isolated because they don't know anyone else who feels like this.


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## flyingspaghettimama (Dec 18, 2001)

Spughy, Oh YES I do like staying in B and Bs, and any chores, um I mean "fun activities" would be great for the kids. And there are very few truly child-friendly b and bs...in England though there is a submarket for it, with little playgrounds, toys and kid equipment you can borrow, and so on.


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## kaspirant (Apr 28, 2006)

I really just wanted to let everyone here know how very much I love this group of ladies. I came in late...and missed the actual DDC of us...but I so appreciate listening and reading and being a part of a group of women who acknowledges the *human*ness of our offspring.

I found a very mainstream DDC that I still pop in and out of. We have over 200 women and most of us are still around..but the group is so mainstream and I never did fit in. Here though I can really share about me and how I feel about being Jacob's mama and people understand.

I feel so blessed and loved that you all not only hear what I have to say about what is going on in my life..but you care too. I posted the same post about what was going on with my wedding in both places...and you guys checked up on me.







: I feel so cared for.

I haven't been so much a part of the baby conversations about sleeping and such...because for me I'm not dealing with the same things...I am struggling with being at work...and him growing up too fast...I'm just amazed at how fast he is growing and watching his little personality blossoming out of him.

DH and I are in the talking about TTC stage and I'm looking forward to our little family growing.

I'm so jealous of the mama's who are close enough to get together...and living in places that are conducive to more natural lifestyles. We are working toward that but it seems so far away







:

I should get back to work now







: I hate that I'm not doing as well at my work as I could be doing and that I'm making other people suffer because of my desire to be home with my family. One thing I did decide and I'm hoping that it helps is that next year *if I can't figure out a way to just stay home and be mama to my kiddo* is to hire a nanny or au pair instead of doing the daycare. I'll get a live-in *we've got the space* and that way I won't have to drag DS out of bed in the mornings and I'll know he's eating what I want him to...and being cared for as close to what I would do if I were able. Any suggestions on how to find a great AP nanny would be awesome.









Quote:


Originally Posted by *spughy* 

Kaspirant - I'm sorry your dad was still being all angsty on your wedding day. But it sounds like you're dealing with it well, and you DO look extravagantly happy in your photos










Extravagantly happy...is quite frankly the most perfect description of how I feel. It doesn't matter what my dad or anyone else thinks...we are a family...we've been a family for a while now...now though we are family in name as well







The wedding celebration was perfect in many ways, but in reality it was just that a celebration...the marriage began a long time ago


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

Kaspirant, you need to change your sig now too!







That makes me really sad that your dad wouldn't walk you down the aisle. I mean it's good that he came and was cordial and all, but I am just kind of mortified that *any* parent of any child could feel so conditional in their acceptance and love.

I have lots more to say but Brynn just woke up, so I'll just say: we found a place to live in Louisville that we feel good about! We're either moving in 3 weeks or 4, depending on when DH decides to start his new job. It's exciting!


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## kaspirant (Apr 28, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by **Amy** 
Kaspirant, you need to change your sig now too!







That makes me really sad that your dad wouldn't walk you down the aisle. I mean it's good that he came and was cordial and all, but I am just kind of mortified that *any* parent of any child could feel so conditional in their acceptance and love.

I fixed it!! I've been meaning to for a while now...everytime I see my I've been frosted there...

I know what you mean. DH and I have discussed it in length and how our parents have treated us. I pray that we remember now what this feels like so when our kids are adults we can show them the same respect we desire so greatly from our parents.


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## MelW (Jan 13, 2005)

FSM, you're giving me Vancouver pangs. I miss Canada. I don't get enough vacation time to actually go home. On a less self-pitying note, the kids are seriously too cute and look like they're having so much fun at Science World. And I'll be back to BC in late August/early September for my sister's wedding, so would love to plan a meet-up then (I'll be through Vancouver, then over to the island for the wedding in Comox).

Welcome, Iadoremybabe! This is a great group of mamas!

I showered pretty soon after Neela was born. It felt good, but I admit to loving the loooong showers during labour more than the post-birth one, where I felt mostly tired and wanting to get back to bed. I did lots of baths in the early days to soak my aching back, bottom and boobs. My midwife "prescribed" three baths a day, but she admitted that she only suggested three because she thought that meant I might sometimes find enough time for two









Kaspirant~ I hear you on the being at work issue. I struggle with being a working mama, then coming home and sometimes acting like a stressed out sleep-deprived b*tch who isn't even *present* in the way I should be at home. Like frantically trying to get dishes washed and laundry done and not even noticing that my dd is trying to tell me a really cute and important story about "chickens. eating. bock, bock." I need to slow down and smell the chickens


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## MamaFern (Dec 13, 2003)

lora, great pictureS! will you email them to me? i would love to have a copy of them.

that was lotsa fun..thanks again!
and sorry to give you hives from talking aout countru living







i promise we will have a very cozy home though and if you should ever want to milk a goat you are more than welcome to visit anytime.. or even just to come watch next top model with me on our huge (if not second hand and with only 3 chanels) tv









sarah, thats so lame about getting sick. arg.







:
i hope you are all healed up now.
do you wnat m to go beat them up for you?

so i got another 6 hours of my tattoo done. its all prrdy now.. still unfinnished. its taking forever..
talk about me going for the gold. she (matta) laughed and said "this is a very ambitious 1st tattoo you know. you are hardcore" and i said "if i can birth a 10 lb baby at home with shoulder dystocia and not tear i can do frigging anything" this is a testament to that.
i mostly sat, popping arnica and chamomilla and read unconditional parenting, which by the way is going to save my kids lives. im such a spaz sometimes, despte my very good intentions... and i really needed this reminder why sending a kid to time out and saying to elwynn not so nice things about hurting his sister and offering things if he will only eat one bite of dinner and so on is so totally horrible.
i feel like the most horrible mother of all time now. so, it was fitting to be reading the book while being tortured with needles jabbing me nonstop for hours at a time. i friggin deserve the pain. if not the beautiful outcome, since i really truly do try to be unconditionally loving to them.

ok. enough about me.

kaspirant









melW: i would love to see you and neela if you come to the city.

amy :congrats on the finding a home! that rocks! and the new job for DH.. woohoo!









spitrit: nice to see you momma!









iadoremybabe: welcome! beware, its a hard group to keep up with, but totally worth it. everyone here is amazing and so knowledgeble..funny and supportive. if only we all were neighbours. it would be the best thing in the world. we could have our on tv show


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MamaFern* 
.
i mostly sat, popping arnica and chamomilla and read unconditional parenting, which by the way is going to save my kids lives. im such a spaz sometimes, despte my very good intentions... and i really needed this reminder why sending a kid to time out and saying to elwynn not so nice things about hurting his sister and offering things if he will only eat one bite of dinner and so on is so totally horrible.
i feel like the most horrible mother of all time now. so, it was fitting to be reading the book while being tortured with needles jabbing me nonstop for hours at a time. i friggin deserve the pain. if not the beautiful outcome, since i really truly do try to be unconditionally loving to them.


I don't know if you meant it to be, but I found that really hilarious.


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## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

Awww, Fern, don't beat yourself up. That unconditional parenting stuff is HARD. I've found myself thinking that I'm a horrible mama because I picked my squawking child up and carried her home rather than let her continue to walk in the OPPOSITE direction of home when it was dinner time. Of course, I paid for that one when she refused to eat dinner. But I felt bad doing it too. But sometimes, you just have no choice.

And sure, feel free to go beat up the cook at that restaurant who sent out an under-microwaved prawn-on-sugarcane appetizer. Or just don't eat there! It was at Oak and Broadway - I don't remember the name of it though.

I totally forgot to look at your awesome tattoo! I suck.

Oh, and Mel - if you're on the Island, come visit us in Victoria!!!


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

Fern, I haven't read Unconditional Parenting, but the only parenting books that suggest perfection in parents are the ones who also suggest being mean and horrible to your kids. By making mistakes, you show how to fix them, and how to be honest and how to be the change you wish to achieve in yourself. Good enough is good enough. The tattoo sounds gorgeous, btw








Kaspirant, move to England. Then we can get together all the time







(and there's golden handshakes for science teachers...)
Mel, I think you get quote of the day, although it's close. Go smell the chickens and give that gorgeous girl a hug








We do cars here. Cars go brrm, brrm, brrm all day long (specifically, her VW camper van). Thomas goes choo choo choo choo. Buses go BUS BUS BUS BUS BUS until the driver makes us get off because we're being too noisy







This is what comes of having two big brothers, I suppose.
So, is it too late to crack open the Barbies?


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## MamaFern (Dec 13, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *flapjack* 
Fern, I haven't read Unconditional Parenting, but the only parenting books that suggest perfection in parents are the ones who also suggest being mean and horrible to your kids. By making mistakes, you show how to fix them, and how to be honest and how to be the change you wish to achieve in yourself. Good enough is good enough. The tattoo sounds gorgeous, btw










it doesn't suggest being a perfect parent, infact it talks a lot about how when we make mistakes the best thing to do is to talk about it so that kids know that we aren't perfect, that we are human, with feelings and emotions and everything and that no one is expected to be perfect, because you are still a woonderful person worth unconditional love despote doing not so nice things all the time...just like them. so many books give this idea that the parent should be eternally strong and never show weekness around kids, which of course is impossible too.. im always showing my kids my emotions, but it also says that its good to apologise to them if we do yell or get frustrated or whatever.. because it shows by example how important it is to be loving and respectful.
i guess the part that struck me is really the need to be doing WITH rather than doing TO.. punishing or telling or rewarding and praising are all things that people do to their kids without much interaction or thought and without letting them have a say or part in the process. i
fall into this with elwynn, not so much with ngaio.. i forget sometimes that he is only 4.. my expectations get a bit ahead of what he is actually capable of.
but even in a day of asking lots of questions and being more into letting him do things his way in his time our house is a LOT more peaceful.
i think that it really is more challenging once they get older. no excuse either, but i have 4 kids in the house most days and it takes a lot of effort to be constantly interacting with them without telling them to do things.. but im trying!

i suggest reading it. its really really good. i _was_ being a bit over dramatic









and tattoo.. yes.. i added a picture to my blog







:


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## kaspirant (Apr 28, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MelW* 
Kaspirant~ I hear you on the being at work issue. I struggle with being a working mama, then coming home and sometimes acting like a stressed out sleep-deprived b*tch who isn't even *present* in the way I should be at home. Like frantically trying to get dishes washed and laundry done and not even noticing that my dd is trying to tell me a really cute and important story about "chickens. eating. bock, bock." I need to slow down and smell the chickens

















: my house looks like a train wreck. I just can't put it before Jacob. I know there is some sense of balance I need to find...I always convince myself I'll do the chores after he's in bed...but all too often we go to sleep at the same time...ooor DH becomes more important than the housework after DS is sleeping. I know there must be a happy medium...but I haven't found it yet.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MamaFern* 
kaspirant



















Quote:


Originally Posted by *flapjack* 
Kaspirant, move to England. Then we can get together all the time







(and there's golden handshakes for science teachers...)

That is very tempting









UP is on my summer reading list. I'm very interested in reading Alfie..I just haven't found the time *see previous response to Mel* I've heard such great things about it both from non-internet friends and here.


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## MelW (Jan 13, 2005)

I'm not a very girly mama, either, Helen. My barbies all had mohawks. Fortunately I have a drag queen friend who promises to teach Neela how to apply eye make-up should she ever need instruction. In the meantime I can teach the skills I know- how to tuck a dress into tights to make tree-climbing easier.

Fern, your tattoo is beautiful! And I was just explaining felting to my DH this morning, so I've sent him the link to your lovely felted veggies.

Kaspirant, could the "happy medium" be to hire a housekeeper?

It's pouring rain and hailing today. I hope my lovely vegetable garden seeds are safe in the earth and not being destroyed by the hail.


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## kaspirant (Apr 28, 2006)

The thought has seriously crossed my mind...


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

Virginia Tech families









I am feeling a lot of sadness.


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## kaspirant (Apr 28, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by **Amy** 








Virginia Tech families









I am feeling a lot of sadness.

A lot of sadness and fear here. I teach in a gang-ridden inner-city middle school. I've been threatened and attacked by students. I had security in my class yesterday threatening to pepper spray a parent who was out of line and harrassing me.

I don't want to come to work anymore. Here, something like that wouldn't surprise anyone...that scares me.


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## savvybabygrace (Feb 15, 2007)

Just wanted to say hello - didn't realize there was a thread for Nov 05 mommies! I'm always fascinated to read about other parents journeys and daily lives with children who are my dd's age!

Kier


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## kaspirant (Apr 28, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *savvybabygrace* 
Just wanted to say hello - didn't realize there was a thread for Nov 05 mommies! I'm always fascinated to read about other parents journeys and daily lives with children who are my dd's age!

Kier











welcome. we are normally a chatty bunch. guess everyone is busy out doing stuff!

:jealous:


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

Hee,hee. I just read something on MDC that pleased me greatly


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## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *flapjack* 
Hee,hee. I just read something on MDC that pleased me greatly 

What? What???

I feel sad about the Virginia Tech tragedy too. And slightly worried, because for some reason the shooter reminded me a lot of my BIL, only more extreme. But same intentional self-isolation and judgement of people around him.







It is a biochemical brain imbalance, I am sure... but there is no way to help people who do not want to be helped. If only he hadn't been able to get guns. It makes me feel sick to my stomach (and more and more sure that we do NOT want to live in the USA... although somehow there are a few crazies here too that get their hands on guns







) I wish guns didn't exist. I would forego their convenience in hunting to save all the lives that have been taken by guns.

Not much new here. Just trudging along.


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## MelW (Jan 13, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *savvybabygrace* 
Just wanted to say hello - didn't realize there was a thread for Nov 05 mommies! I'm always fascinated to read about other parents journeys and daily lives with children who are my dd's age!

Kier

Welcome, Kier! And congrats on the pregnancy. Our DDC has been looking for another virtual pregnant belly to get excited about!


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## MamaFern (Dec 13, 2003)

i know what you are talking about!







:







:
it is very good news indeed.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *flapjack* 
Hee,hee. I just read something on MDC that pleased me greatly


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

spughy, click the linkie







Fern, are you stalking the one thread too?

Welcome, Kier


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## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

WOOOT! Congratulations, Zjande!!! (when you get back and read this of course)

(sneaky way to hide a link, Helen!







)


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## kaspirant (Apr 28, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *spughy* 
WOOOT! Congratulations, Zjande!!! (when you get back and read this of course)

OMG yay!!!







:







:

I'm a teensy bit jealous though


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

Yay Aubrey!!!!
Glad it's you and not me!!


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## MamaFern (Dec 13, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *flapjack* 
spughy, click the linkie







Fern, are you stalking the one thread too?


yes!!







secretly i wish i could post in the TTC threads but im not allowed..so i live vicariously through you and aubrey and my friends in the december DDC


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## Phoenix_Rising (Jun 27, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *flapjack* 
Hee,hee. I just read something on MDC that pleased me greatly 


woo hoo! congrats, aubrey!


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## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

My girl's got all her teeth now except her 2-year molars. WHEW!!!!

Tomorrow I'm going to start weaning off domperidone. Think happy, keep-nursing thoughts for me.

And last night was the first time ever that Rowan finished everything in her bowl for dinner. Eggs in curry sauce on brown rice... The dog was VERY disappointed. Rowan still smelled like curry this morning


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## DreamsInDigital (Sep 18, 2003)

Winter has all four molars in and all other teeth except the four canines. He's cutting 2 of them, one on the bottom left and one on the top right. After we're done with these 4 he'll have a nice scary mouth full of teeth.
He's having a tough time with these two. He's been pretty wakeful at night, and getting up exceptionally early in the morning, crying a lot, not wanting to eat and such. Poor baby.


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

Wow, I can't believe all the teeth those kiddos have! Brynn still has only *8* teeth (4 front on top, 4 front on bottom). She's been working on her first set of bottom molars for like 6 weeks now, it seems. Gosh Spughy, that is awesome that you don't have to deal with teething anymore. Well, for now!


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

Actually, Skye's only got two more left to go. And I didn't even notice.

My adorable, sweet, angelic daughter just dropped my diary down the toilet, bless her little cotton socks. I'm going to make her dry it with a hairdryer tomorrow.
And yes, there was a floating poo in the toilet







:


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## spiritmomma (Aug 29, 2005)

Isa has 11 teeth, with 2 more cutting. She has her molars already (whew! that was a doozy for sure...) and she's just getting her teeth on the bottom. For the longest time now it's just been her two front bottom teeth with her bottom molars! Now she's starting to fill the gap there.









Speaking of teeth, does anyone else's kid LOVE to







? Isa took her time warming up to brushing, but now she loves it. She even requests it in the middle of the day! We've got a strong bed time brushing habit going and most mornings we brush after breakfast.


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## flyingspaghettimama (Dec 18, 2001)

We've got 12 teeth, waiting for those last canines. Also, love brushing. "Bross? bross?"

Amy, maybe that's why Brynn wakes up so much? Teething is much harder for some kids than others. I have a friend, her daughter teethed awful - blood coming out of her mouth and everything. Ouch. And she was a horrible sleeper until almost age two.


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## Awaken (Oct 10, 2004)

Hey all, just thought I'd pop in to let you all know that I changed my username....It's me, itsybitsy25, Mary, not some stranger invading your DDC!

I didn't see the news about aubrey- bun in the oven?

re: teeth- Ez only has 6 and has not gotten any new ones in months! It's so strange. I hope he has some in there somewhere!


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## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

Hi Mary!!! Just want to say I love your siggie.







I know tons of people who kept their placentas and EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM is still in the freezer. Which is why I didn't keep mine, because I knew that would happen. I donated it to science, so it's probably in some scientist's freezer









We just had an awesome fire alarm at work. Awesome because there was no fire, it took them 1/2 hour to reset everything, and it's a beautiful sunny day so we went and got coffee and sat outside chatting for 1/2 hour!

I'm surprised Rowan seems to be ahead on the teeth popping out. I hope this doesn't mean she'll get her two year old molars early... I was looking forward to 6 months of no teething. Bah. Stupid teeth.


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## s_kristina (Aug 9, 2004)

Joseph is working on his last canine. He also has bumps behind his 1 year molars already. I doubt they will pop out in the next month so he will not have all his baby teeth by 18 months like Annette did. I'm guessing he will have them all before age 2 though. He's a grouchy little snot machine at the moment and the secretary at the school was kind enough to point out he is pulling on his ear while I was filling out endless piles of papers. He always pulls on his ear on the side a tooth is coming in, but I'm sure it didn't look good to her. I'm currently praying that the Zyrtec sample we got for Annette while getting her stitches out clears up her allergy face. We are supposed to be going to a children's fair tomorrow and she is not going to be happy if we can't go because of how she sounds. I'm hoping Joseph enjoys it too. Last year he just hung out in the sling all day refusing to eat because there was too much going on around him. This year I plan to see if he is old enough for a pony ride if the thing doesn't freak him out. I refuse to be one of those moms forcing their kid to do something just to a get a picture while they scream in terror. We have enough frustrated screaming going on with him anyway. I am so ready for a language explosion so we can leave the squeals and grunts behind! I better go clean while one of the kids is out of the way and possible place and order with dh for take out to come home with him.


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

Wow, Kristina, it sounds like a fun day, and a bad week.
Only one more sleep until I'm 30







I don't want to grow up.

(oh, and I have PND as well, and hay fever, and I can't stop throwing up. Not great







)


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## MelW (Jan 13, 2005)

Congrats Aubrey! I hope you guys are having a terrific honeymoon









We're finally getting somewhere with teething again- Neela got her first two at five months and was a pretty consistent teether through the first eight teeth, then stalled for almost six months. We have both top molars most of the way through, and corners poking out for both bottom molars. We'll call it 10 and some fractions teeth right now. I'm also looking forward to a break. The teething pain is on and off again, as is the occasional biting day









Kristina, I hope you can go (and enjoy) the fair tomorrow.

I also threw out my placenta. It lived in our fridge for about a week until I tossed in unceremoniously in the dumpster. I wonder what would have happened if we had tried to bring it with us on our move- I can only imagine the border guards' delight at the legalities of taking human tissue across! "Any fruits or vegetables? Any meat products?" "Only placenta







"


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## Phoenix_Rising (Jun 27, 2005)

i have to go to an all-day training for work today. . . yuck!

i just dropped by really quickly to say. . .








:







:














:
happy birthday, helen







- and remember you can grow older, but you never have to grow up!


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## MamaFern (Dec 13, 2003)

Happy birthday helen!


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## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HELEN!!!!







:







:
















I'm afraid I've no sympathy at all for your "i'm old" moaning since I'm nearly 5 years older than you







!!! I hope you enjoy your day immensely and your wonderful husband spoils you rotten and your children behave for the entire day and bring you treats.


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## MelW (Jan 13, 2005)

Happy, happy birthday Helen! I hope you have a lovely day.


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## s_kristina (Aug 9, 2004)

: Happy Birthday Helen I hope it's a great day!


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## MelW (Jan 13, 2005)

I was just lurking in Aubrey's December DDC, and noticed that Belleweather is pregnant, too!







:







:







:

I know she hasn't posted here much since the babies were born, and I totally don't know the etiquette of letting out this secret, but was so excited that I had to share!

I am really going to enjoy lurking, you guys


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## zjande (Nov 4, 2002)

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!







:







:























And yes, Belleweather has joined me in the Dec DDC!























It is so very bizarre to me to have nearly no pregnancy symptoms! I keep forgetting I'm pregnant, then suddenly remembering & being all "OMG! I'm pregnant!!!"







I assume my lack of symptoms are because I'm breastfeeding.

What a crazy cool journey we are embarking on!







My kids are all 7-8 years apart so far. This having kids close in age thing will be a new experience for me. One that I am looking very forward to though.









Xeowyn is having a screechy attack. Must go.


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

I have a friend who swears that breastfeeding made her have no pregnancy sypmtoms - she didn't even realize she was pregnant till she was 4 months along! My second pregnancy was way harder, though, and I was still breastfeeding - so I think it just depends. I think, honestly, that I spaced my pregnancies too close together and it was just really tough on my body (I got pregnant when Killy was 9 months old!). Anyway, CONGRATS!!!!! I'm so happy for you!

Ellie's adding new words every day now, and has none of the articulation issues that Killy has. Her little voice is so sweet!


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

I'm jealous. I remember with Isaac, I spent half my life signed off work sick because they wouldn't let me go near food, vomiting as much as I was- and half of the job was supporting other people to eat, cook, wash up, etc.

Thanks for the birthday congratulations! It was a weird day, but a nice one. Lots of deep emotional stuff going on.


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

Happy birthday yesterday, Helen!!!

I wasn't online all weekend til just now, so I kind of missed the party.







We had a really nice relaxing enjoyable weekend. The weather was perfect, we went to a *really* fun potluck last night...but it was bittersweet because we said goodbye to a lot of our friends here.







Today we hung out, went for a long walk, laid in the grass, went to the toddler park. Ahhhhh. So nice!

The next two weeks should be kind of crazy, getting ready for the move, but I'm excited. I wonder how Kavita did house hunting this week in Louisville? I can't wait to be her neighbor!


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## spiritmomma (Aug 29, 2005)

Happy Belated, Helen!

So much to catch up on here... Isa is speaking several new words each day. So many, that I forget what they are most of the time...







: I know she's saying kitty ("kee kee") and thank you ("tattoo") and she said necklace today too. I was wearing some beads that she liked. She kept playing with them, so I took them off and put them around her neck instead. She wore them, complaint-free, all day.

Hope everyone had a really nice weekend. The weather in Indy was so nice, we spent a lot of time outside. We are all a little pink







from being out so much.









Love to all!


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## SoulJourney (Sep 26, 2005)

Hey all! I feel like it's been ages since I've dropped in but things have been CRAZY. We are finally settled into our new place and things are going beautifully. I finally feel at peace with my living situation and Noah apparantly does, too. He is falling into a wonderful schedule, for the most part. Overall, life is just groovy for us.







We have amazing roommates...another MDC mama, Sunshinesister, and her 15mo daughter, Sky. I







our new family!

Anyway...I only have a moment to post because I want to finish reading everyone elses post! I do want to say, though:

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY, HELEN!!!! I was 30 when I found out I was pregnant with Noah, so it was a good year for me! I hope it proves to be an equally grand year for you!

*and*

EEEEKS! CONGRATULATIONS AUBREY!!! That is so amazing that you found out on your honeymoon...YAAAAAY!

Oh...Noah has cut four molars, two bottom teeth and is working on his top canines. All in the past month. That's EIGHT teeth! He only had six FOREVER! Wowza.

Okie dokie...tired eyes wanna read a bit more then go to sleep!

Peace & Love, y'all!

M & NS

***Oh...check out the link in my siggi for some Oh-so-cute pics I took of Noah this weekend!!!


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## Kavita (Dec 7, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MelW* 
I was just lurking in Aubrey's December DDC, and noticed that Belleweather is pregnant, too!







:







:







:

I know she hasn't posted here much since the babies were born, and I totally don't know the etiquette of letting out this secret, but was so excited that I had to share!


Um, I don't know if it can really be considered a secret if it's published on the internet!!!







So I think you're safe!!!


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## Kavita (Dec 7, 2004)

Happy Birthday Helen!

And congratulations Aubrey (and Belleweather if you're lurking us!  ) I hope you have a fabulous and happy and healthy nine months!!!

Thanks for thinking about us, Amy!

We are in Louisville right now--we're leaving in the morning to go back home. House hunting was crazy. We found a couple of houses that we liked but weren't totally right for one reason or another, and one that we liked but right after we saw it and before we could make an offer someone else did and the seller accepted. We were considering making an offer on one other house but went for a second showing on Saturday morning, and just had a bad feeling about it and decided against it. We had a few more houses scheduled to look at after that, and we walked into one and looked around a little bit and realized that it was "the one". It's kind of hilarious because we had decided that we wanted to get a place that was very different than our current 1952 brick ranch house which I bought from some people in their 70's who were downsizing--so we looked at a ton of Cape Cods, Traditional, and Colonial style houses, and in the end the house we found is a 1953 brick ranch house that is owned by some people in their 70's (who I am presuming are downsizing!)!!! So we made an offer and now we're on the way to having our house as long as nothing too crazy comes up in the inspection period!! And the inspection period negotiations on our current house are all done now, so it's just a matter of finishing up the last repairs that we agreed to get done, and getting the process rolling on the new house and we'll be moving the first week of June! I'm excited--I wasn't really too enthused about moving here at first but I am actually really starting to like it here, and there are a lot of things to do and we're already meeting some really nice people.


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Kavita* 
I'm excited--I wasn't really too enthused about moving here at first but I am actually really starting to like it here, and there are a lot of things to do and we're already meeting some really nice people.

Well, plus, WE'LL be there!!!














No seriously, I am so excited too. Everyone I have talked to just *loves* it there, and it seems like there are a million things to do. We're moving on May 8th, so just over 2 weeks. I can't wait!!


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## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

Hi everyone! We had a really nice, productive weekend. The garden got planted (a little late, but better than never!), the house stayed tidy, laundry got done, I did some work, finished my book, etc... the weather was lovely yesterday too. And I got my legs waxed, which made me feel all ready for summer. Or spring, at any rate!

Rowan seems to have gotten older with a big jump. All of a sudden she's trying to say a LOT more words, and she's actually playing with the kids next door (who are a lot older than her, but they have fun pushing Rowan around in their toy car!) She's become aware of the dog downstairs and talks about her all the time. ("Go-ga!!! Go-ga!!!" - the dog's name is Coda.) And she is obsessed with buses. So I took her on a bus to go downtown on Saturday and she made people on the bus laugh because she kept yelling "BUS!! BUS!!! BUS!!!". DH is trying to find her a toy bus - she stole one of the little toy cars from next door and pushes it around on the floor calling it a bus, but really it's a Porsche. I'm sure she'd like a "real" bus.

SoulJourney - I read your blog about Noah and the ducks and kitties. Too cute! Rowan says "duck" and "dog" but most other animals are referred to by their sounds. Eagles especially, because they are a fun sound to make







. AAAIIIEEEEEE!!!!! Oh, and cats are now "MOOOOOOHHHHG" because one of her favourite books is Mog the Forgetful Cat. (There are more Mog books but I am going to hold off on those for a while. There's only so much Mog I can take.) But she did say "horse" on Saturday too.

It's fun to see all our little ones turning into *people*, isn't it?

Cute picture time! Here is one from this morning: http://gallery.fishbc.com/gallery/vi...701&id=pic_003

Don't you love her t-shirt? That's our dog









Cool new headgear: http://gallery.fishbc.com/gallery/vi...ic_057_cropped

And finally, pics from our visit to Vancouver start here: http://gallery.fishbc.com/gallery/vi...700&id=pic_022


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## MelW (Jan 13, 2005)

Kavita~ congrats on the househunting success! Maybe you have a secret inner leave-it-to-beaver housewife who needs a 1950s brick ranch house







Good luck to both you and Amy with your upcoming moves.

Spughy~ Sounds like a productive weekend! And Rowan is sooo cute!

Michelle~ I'm glad your living situation is working out. I'm off to check out your pics









We had a rainy weekend and my FIL and his girlfriend were in town. So spent a little too much time being housebound and with me acting way too crankiy. I really, really need a sunny productive weekend that I don't work. I would love to do some more gardening and spend some quality park time, but feel like I'm cramming to much into too little time.


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

Spughy, Skye loves buses too







We're planning on taking her into London soon so she can ride on the top of a double-decker.


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## Kavita (Dec 7, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MelW* 
Kavita~ congrats on the househunting success! Maybe you have a secret inner leave-it-to-beaver housewife who needs a 1950s brick ranch house









Well, that could be! I think that the commonality though is more that both are "old people houses"--I have a theory about this based on my experience, that the best house to buy is a house that has been owned by older people (like in their 70's) who has been there for many years, and has maintained it well. I think people from that generation don't go for the frills like updating the kitchen with fancy countertops or putting skylights in the bathroom, but take really good care of their houses and put their money toward structural and mechanical issues. So the house appears to have the basics taken care of and be really clean and well maintained and in good condition! This is the way my current house was when I bought it. And the only things we don't really like about our current house is that the kitchen doesn't have a dishwasher and you can't put one in b/c the cabinets are metal and the sink is outdated so the faucet can't be replaced, etc., and there isn't enough storage for stuff like yard care equipment, outgrown baby clothes, etc. The new house has a 2 car garage and a basement that is partly finished but partly unfinished with a workshop area, so it's really perfect!

But I did actually buy (and enjoy!) a copy of Martha Stewart Living on the trip, so you may be right there!







Even when I was a lot younger and didn't have a husband and family and had a much wilder life, I was sort of a bit of a homebody and always wanted to have my living space be nice. In college I lived in a student co-op house, and in my tiny little room I had an electric hotplate and a tea kettle and several china tea cups and had one drawer of my dresser that was tea and cookies, and had people over to my room for afternoon tea!


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## Awaken (Oct 10, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *spughy* 
Hi Mary!!! Just want to say I love your siggie.







I know tons of people who kept their placentas and EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM is still in the freezer. Which is why I didn't keep mine, because I knew that would happen. I donated it to science, so it's probably in some scientist's freezer

















I am the worst at thinking up signatures, and usernames! But my friend and I (another mdc mama) keep talking about what we should do with our placentas and it's been almost 18 months now. I have narrowed it down to planting some sort of hardy herb bush. I am just so afraid I'm gong to lant something and it'll die and I'll feel like the placenta was wasted! So she said we'd better hurry up b/c our placentas have freezer burn!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *flapjack* 
Only one more sleep until I'm 30







I don't want to grow up.

Happy birthday, helen!!! Sorry I am late! I sure hope you felt better on your actual birthday- why were you throwing up? I hope you had a great day! I have loved my 30's so I hope they are great for you also.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MelW* 
I was just lurking in Aubrey's December DDC, and noticed that Belleweather is pregnant, too!







:







:







:

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Congrats Aubrey and Belleweather! I will have to start stalking, too!









Quote:


Originally Posted by **Amy** 
Well, plus, WE'LL be there!!!














No seriously, I am so excited too. Everyone I have talked to just *loves* it there, and it seems like there are a million things to do. We're moving on May 8th, so just over 2 weeks. I can't wait!!

I am so excited for both of you- how cool that you are both moving to the same area around the same time! I hope to see lots of pictures of meet-ups in the future! I hope all the house hunting and packing goes smoothly.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *flapjack* 
Spughy, Skye loves buses too







We're planning on taking her into London soon so she can ride on the top of a double-decker.

Hee hee, that is so cute! Ez loves buses, too- because Ethan comes home on the school bus every day- he gets so excited whenever he sees a bus and says 'brother! brother!' (except he says bubba, bubba) It's just been the past 2 days that he's saying 'bus!' (but!)


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## Kavita (Dec 7, 2004)

My placenta is also in the freezer. It's a dilemna now, because I'm not sure what to do with it when moving cross-country--I sort of wanted to save it until she was old enough to thaw it out and see it, then plant something over it. I feel weird just dumping it, also weird planting it here now that we're leaving. (Although we did put our dog's ashes under the rose bushes we planted!) I am actually considering paying good money to have it shipped on dry ice or something--is that crazy or what?!


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## Awaken (Oct 10, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Kavita* 
My placenta is also in the freezer. It's a dilemna now, because I'm not sure what to do with it when moving cross-country--I sort of wanted to save it until she was old enough to thaw it out and see it, then plant something over it. I feel weird just dumping it, also weird planting it here now that we're leaving. (Although we did put our dog's ashes under the rose bushes we planted!) I am actually considering paying good money to have it shipped on dry ice or something--is that crazy or what?!

Wait a minute- I feel terrible, but did I miss something? Did you lose one of your dogs? If so, I am really sorry









What a wonderful idea to wait until she's old enough to look at the placenta. I had no idea they could last so long! I would definitely ship it rather than dump it! Then you could plant something lasting at your new house and watch it grow year after year.


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## Kavita (Dec 7, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Awaken* 
Wait a minute- I feel terrible, but did I miss something? Did you lose one of your dogs? If so, I am really sorry










Oh, thanks for asking, but no, you didn't miss anything--that was our third dog who we had to put to sleep at the ripe old age of something like 18, back in the end of 2004. We had his mortal remains in a closet all this time because we couldn't figure out what to do with them until just recently! (Sounds terrible, I know!) We just felt that he was a desert dog and didn't want to bring his remains to Kentucky!


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## zjande (Nov 4, 2002)

It's coincidental you all are discussing your frozen placentas because just 2 days ago my husband decided finally to DO something with our frozen placenta! He said he was going to make pizza or lasagna with it but I reminded him that our oven is temporarily broken. So he chopped it up & fried it with a bunch of herbs & spices!!!







It tasted pretty good, but was just so chewy & MEATY... I haven't eaten meat in a good 14 years so it was too much for me. I don't know why, I just couldn't stomach much of it. DH ate most of it over the past 2 days.
























He's kind of weird. Good think I'm into that sort of thing.


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## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

zjande, sounds like you have an awesome open-minded man there!!! (or he's secretly rebelling against your vegetarianism and really wanted a steak, but took what he could get







)

Rowan is turning into a total little chatterbox. She's started listening to our conversations and picking up one or two words and repeating them. This morning it was "POO!". Yes, DH and I were discussing poo.







: But this means we're going to have to start being REALLY careful about our language. DH isn't bad, but I swear when I bash my knee on something or drop stuff on the floor.

Oh and she says "please" and "thank you" now... when prompted.


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

Aubrey, that brings out my inner WI member. (Do you have the Womens Institute over there? You know, like in Calendar Girls?) I just hope you have a nice efficient freezer to keep your placenta toasty-fresh.
Mary, I was extremely sick (as in poorly) with a cold this weekend, but I've been pretty nauseous recently. I'm 25 days pregnant. I might not make it to 26 days, or 288 days, but right now I'm in the twelve days of christmas DDC with Anne and Aubrey.


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## zjande (Nov 4, 2002)

Are you really 25 days since conception? I'm 23! You are totally technically in the Dec DDC then????







:




























:


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## MamaFern (Dec 13, 2003)

helen! thats amazing! if only i was in there with you







actually no. m glad im not now.. we are moving soon and i have so much to do and i want to get in better shape before i have another little one. i gained so much weight with ngaio and im still having a hard time shaking it.
so have happy healthy pregnancies you 3 and ill be stalking you. my IRL friend weliveintheforest (sheila) is on your ddc too. she is one of my favorite people and her baby cora (20 [email protected]) and ngaio just Love eachother. *sigh*

spent the morning dying playsilks and trying to pease a cranlky toddler. ngaio is a mad spazzy crying mess these days. i dunno whats up with her. its hard to deal with but i try my best..


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

No, Zjande, I'm on CD25. 11DPO, 7 DPimplantation dip/ spotting, 4 days of panicking before my period is due. Babe is due on twelfth night, which is also our wedding anniversary, and will therefore probably make an appearance somewhere around Valentines Day, knowing me. Or, of course, much much sooner


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## MelW (Jan 13, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MamaFern* 
spent the morning dying playsilks and trying to pease a cranlky toddler. ngaio is a mad spazzy crying mess these days. i dunno whats up with her. its hard to deal with but i try my best..

This is Neela the past couple of days, too. After being miss cheerful for weeks, she is suddenly freaking out if I don't hold her or nurse her non-stop. We had a complete meltdwon this morning after I refused to hold her while I was pooping. I must be the meanest mother in the universe







:

Helen~


























































Kavita~ If you do ship the placenta, I want to hear the story! I can only imagine the reaction you'll get when you tell them what you're shipping









Zjande~ So how did you ship your placenta? No freezer burn? And have you decided where you're birthing this baby? I hear there are lots of choices in portland.


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## MamaFern (Dec 13, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MelW* 
This is Neela the past couple of days, too. After being miss cheerful for weeks, she is suddenly freaking out if I don't hold her or nurse her non-stop. We had a complete meltdwon this morning after I refused to hold her while I was pooping. I must be the meanest mother in the universe







:


yeah thats me. i seriously cant go to the bathroom without her freaking out. she makes me hold her whilst on the toilet.
weird.... im sorry you are having to go through this too. its not easy. have a spazzy 4 year old who taunts her makes it even moere fun. and its naptime i i have to get her up to go get the daycare kids from the school. fuck. somedays i wonder why i do it..


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MamaFern* 
yeah thats me. i seriously cant go to the bathroom without her freaking out. she makes me hold her whilst on the toilet.
weird.... im sorry you are having to go through this too. its not easy...


Same here, too. I was wondering if anyone else is going through this. She flips out if I get out of bed in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, even if Daddy is holding her (among other such things). I wonder what this is all about.

Helen!!!!!














:









I'm not having baby lust or anything, but lately I have been whether Brynn's life wouldn't be more complete if she had a sibling. :sigh: But then my rational mind takes over!!


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## DreamsInDigital (Sep 18, 2003)

I am returning to my job on Monday, much to my dismay. My neighbor will be coming to my house to watch the little ones but this just plain sucks. I'm starting back at college in September, so I only have to make it until then and then I can quit.
Today Winter found my old cell phone and was walking around with it up to his ear and he was talking into it. When I asked who he was talking to he said "dada" and it was so darn cute.


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## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

DiD:







. Work sucks.

Helen:









I forgot to tell you guys yesterday - I went to an Il Divo concert Tuesday night. It was fun, but super-cheesy







And only one of those guys can really sing, oddly enough. I mean, the rest of them have nice voices, but no power or anything behind them. I can only see one of them actually singing opera. Weird, I thought they were all opera dudes. Someone had a *baby* at the concert though - in the front row - that seems so wrong to me. The music was SO loud, it had to have been both frightening and damaging to the poor little thing. Who takes babies to concerts?!?!

Anyway, I have no other news. Work is bleh and the weather is bleh and I stayed up too late last night watching TV. Lost was awesome though!


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

Seeing as you don't get







when you're pregnant, I'm assuming I'm not pregnant.
On the bright side, at least I feel better because for the last year I have been in constant purgatory with the daughter who lives with her right hand twisted in my hair and her left hand down my top sat securely on my hip screaming if I put her down- until two or three weeks ago, that is. Now I too can know the joys of toddler-free pee-pee








And I had a charming conversation with a soon-to-be mum today who coped remarkably well with wandering into a mother/ toddler group and meeting a small girl who was desperate to carry a potty around the church and show everyone







She listened, she talked , she admired the potty and then distracted her so I could put it down. That's a lucky kid in there







We've reached a whole new stage in potty learning- Skye is now at the point where when you need a wee, you run to the laundry pile and bring mummy a nappy so you don't have to go on the floor. Isn't she clever?


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## Phoenix_Rising (Jun 27, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MamaFern* 
yeah thats me. i seriously cant go to the bathroom without her freaking out. she makes me hold her whilst on the toilet.

keagan does this too - i keep joking saying that someday i'll go a full day of being able to pee and be the only one in the bathroom at the time









Quote:


Originally Posted by *DreamsInDigital* 
I am returning to my job on Monday, much to my dismay. My neighbor will be coming to my house to watch the little ones but this just plain sucks. I'm starting back at college in September, so I only have to make it until then and then I can quit.

DiD- i'm sorry, it is really hard to go back, isn't it? What program will you be doing when you go back to school?

Helen - I'm sorry. I had my fingers crossed for you that this would be the month


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## MamaFern (Dec 13, 2003)

helen.. some woman bleed but still have sticky pregnancies.. maybe this is like that? you will have another baby when the time is right,. maybe in 9 months, maybe not... but you will. things happen for a reason.









DID: i cant believe ou are going back to work so soon. im so sorry









we should be the can't pee freely club







im such a dork.
nite yall.


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## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

I make DH take Rowan outside with him when he takes the dog for a pee in the morning just so I can have some alone-time in the loo.







Of course I'm not as bad off as the rest of you since I WOH but the public toilets at work are just not the same as your own bathroom with a shut locked door and NOBODY else in there with you (ahh, luxury!)

Helen -







I'm sorry. It sounds like your body is just not ready for pregnancy yet. Take care of yourself, and don't worry, it'll happen


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

To be honest, I hadn't even bothered getting excited this time because I wasn't expecting it to stick, so I'm pretty cool. If you could send un-sticky vibes to my poor throat before tomorrow though, that would be good because I can barely croak above a whisper. I started a course at college last night though- contemporary textiles for beginner- which was awesome. I got to spend the whole evening up to my elbows in lanolin and fleece and soap and other good stuff and nobody told me I was odd for enjoying it








DiD, what are you going to be studying? Is this your midwifery qualification, or did you decide not to do that???
Fern, you're nuts but I love you. I was about to suggest you drink some cranberry juice to flush everything through, but then I realised why you can't pee freely







Big squishy hugs to her.


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## MamaFern (Dec 13, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *flapjack* 
To be honest, I hadn't even bothered getting excited this time because I wasn't expecting it to stick, so I'm pretty cool. If you could send un-sticky vibes to my poor throat before tomorrow though, that would be good because I can barely croak above a whisper. I started a course at college last night though- contemporary textiles for beginner- which was awesome. I got to spend the whole evening up to my elbows in lanolin and fleece and soap and other good stuff and nobody told me I was odd for enjoying it









Fern, you're nuts but I love you. I was about to suggest you drink some cranberry juice to flush everything through, but then I realised why you can't pee freely







Big squishy hugs to her.

yeah, sorry..it was late. sorry for the stupid pun







but yeah..









congrats on the class! it sounds like fun. i really want to do more sewing once we get moved and settled.
sending you "get better" vibes..
zink lozenges & slippery elm.. both work good for sore throat as does hot lemon, honey and cayene..

and im still sorry bout your loss. its never easy, no matter or excited or not you are. there is always that.. "what it could have been"


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## Phoenix_Rising (Jun 27, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MamaFern* 
we should be the can't pee freely club









it was this thought that made me







at 2:45 this morning when keagan SCREAMED when i had to get out of bed to pee. kind of hysterical laughing, but laughing all the same


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## spiritmomma (Aug 29, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *zjande* 
DH ate most of it over the past 2 days.

He's kind of weird. Good think I'm into that sort of thing.









That's hilarious. Isn't it great when your weirdness is just the kind of weirdness someone else was looking for? Or you find that weirdness you need in someone else? Ahhh....Love.









Quote:


Originally Posted by *spughy* 
zjande, sounds like you have an awesome open-minded man there!!! (or he's secretly rebelling against your vegetarianism and really wanted a steak, but took what he could get







)

Hee hee! Gotta bend the rules somehow!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *DreamsInDigital* 
Today Winter found my old cell phone and was walking around with it up to his ear and he was talking into it. When I asked who he was talking to he said "dada" and it was so darn cute.

This is one of my favorite things Isa does. She finds people's phones and signs Papa while she babbles into it. Adorable.







:

Things are pretty good here. I am actually thinking about getting a part time job. Maybe just a coffee slinger at a local coffee shop? Starbucks would give our famiy some much needed health insurance, though... Yeah. So Joshua and I are trying to do a think tank type of thing to see if that could even work for us. But we really need the cash. He had to drop out of massage school last month, mostly for financial reasons...







He seems resolved about it though. I'm also toying with the idea of becoming a yoga instructor. I don't know. I just need something in my life that's mine alone. I'm not convinced that a job will be that for me. We'll see.
Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! We'll be gone for most of it, so I'll check in beginning of next week.

p.s. Congrats to all the prego mamas. I know you've been congratulated already, but congrats again. You rule!


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## MelW (Jan 13, 2005)

I started a long reply earlier, but Neela woke up from her nap and I lost it before posting. We're having a better day- more purgatory than hell. I feel so bad for her poor cranky teething self, but have moments of extreme frustration.

We spent a long time at the park this afternoon, and Neela hung out in the water park in her new swim diaper. She was much happier to be outside and with lots of other kids. One meltdown about strawberries, but otherwise a fine afternoon.








Helen. Enjoy your textiles course!


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## barcelona (May 1, 2006)

I have so so so much to catch up, though I have been reading along almost daily. It has been so nice to check in with you all, though I have not been posting. This has been an extraordinarly hectic and stressful time, and I will write all about it, but for now, I just wanted to share my new website, where you can see my clip from TV from a few weeks ago:

hillarybaack.com (and then go to video).

Also, congrats to the two pregnant mamas!!!! How very exciting.

And Helen, hugs to you...

And Amy and Kavita and Fern, happy moving!!! We are moving, too...part of our news.

So that is all from me right now, but more will come soon.

Oh, and we're also part of the mamas who can't pee alone club


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## flyingspaghettimama (Dec 18, 2001)

Wow, barcelona, you were great in that clip! Totally natural, believable, you looked great! I sincerely mean it, not just blowing smoke up your ass. Because 1) that would be uncomfortable and 2) what would the neighbors think?

Your birth story video also looks very interesting, from what I saw of it.


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## Kavita (Dec 7, 2004)

That was great! I wish I'd gotten to see the whole episode! DH also thought it was awesome. You struck a good balance between nice, maternal, communicative with the police, with just a twinge of creepy thrown in there too! (Like that a hearing baby is a ticking time bomb, but that this baby is never going to leave you b/c she's deaf . . . yikes!)


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## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Kavita* 
That was great! I wish I'd gotten to see the whole episode! DH also thought it was awesome. You struck a good balance between nice, maternal, communicative with the police, with just a twinge of creepy thrown in there too! (Like that a hearing baby is a ticking time bomb, but that this baby is never going to leave you b/c she's deaf . . . yikes!)

I didn't think that was creepy, just sad. (The whole episode was about Deaf culture and how some Deaf people view other Deaf people who *want* to be hearing as sort of traitors... pretty complex issue, I think TV always dumbs it down a bit for the ignorant masses and probably exaggerated some parts of it (barcelona am I right about that?!?!))

Anyway, we had a really nice weekend. Yesterday the weather was beautiful and we got out for a family hike at Mackenzie Bight. It was SO nice to get out in the woods and just meander around, and show Rowan things like bees and butterflies and streams and little crabs... and let Daisy, our dog, splash and play in the water and chase ducks (no fear of her catching them, and they didn't seem unduly traumatized). It's been so long since we've had a family outing like that, like probably close to 6 months, since I went back to work and DH started the final push to get his thesis done.

And it looks like we've managed to nightwean with no effort. It just sort of happened. Saturday night I was so tired when I went to bed that when Rowan woke up in her crib 10 minutes after I nodded off, rather than cuddling her until she fell back asleep and then putting her back in her crib after 5 minutes like I usually do, I tucked her into bed with me and went back to sleep. 5 hours later, she was still asleep, but starting to get wiggly, so I traded places with DH. Rowan slept the rest of the night through. Last night I didn't even bother sleeping in the bed. DH slept in there, Rowan woke up from her crib at 1, cuddled in with DH and went back to sleep until 7. So I'd say she's pretty much ok with not nursing at night now! It's a few weeks earlier than I'd intended, but she definitely seems ready for it so that's all good with me.

Hope everyone else had a good weekend!


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## MelW (Jan 13, 2005)

I have just spent a while running in e-circles and tele-circles trying to get my canadian taxes done before the deadline tonight. But since my printer is broken and I can't get the confirmation code to change my address to enable telephone access and am trying to speak to a "real" person like all of the other million procrastinators, I am for the first time ever going to be late filing my taxes. My inner perfectionist is having a conniption right now. Oh well, at least they owe ME money, not the other way around







: This has very little to do with toddlerhood, other than the amount of time that being a mama consumes that would otherwise be spent obsessively meeting deadlines. Bless my daughter and her learning to be chill teachings









Sarah, tell me you aren't planning a 50-week pregnancy and that your new siggie means something wonderful! And congrats on the night weaning/sleeping through success.


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## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MelW* 
Sarah, tell me you aren't planning a 50-week pregnancy and that your new siggie means something wonderful! And congrats on the night weaning/sleeping through success.











No, it means I'm trying to lose 50 lbs, and have so far managed 3. It is very hard to lose weight SLOWLY. I'm great at losing weight quickly but that's a big no-no when you're nursing. I put the ticker in my siggie so I would see it every day and not be tempted to do things that would make me have to update it the wrong way.

Where is everyone today??? It's all quiet in here.


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## barcelona (May 1, 2006)

I'm here! I'm trying to get a million things done for our upcoming move to LA (which I haven't even shared or explained here yet).

But I wanted to pop on and say hi, and thanks for the kind words re: law and order. I definitely did not agree with my character (about the hearing baby is a time bomb waiting to go off), nor the writer...definitely dumbed it down, and I felt tried to cram into too many deaf issues into one episode. You are right, spughy, on your observations. And it is sad, both the existence of the resistence in the deaf community to deaf people living different ways with different abilities and skills...and also sad how the entertainment industry tends to portray the community in this light. I felt the episode kind of made it out to be this underground angry world. Very silly. But ah, what can you do? The one thing they did do right was to cast all deaf actors in the deaf roles. (Unlike Babel and The Good Shepherd, the latter of which I almost got).

Sigh..
So much to do, so much to say, so much to share.

spughy, good luck with losing weight. It can be so hard. And congrats on the nightweaning! Finley has significantly cut down on his night nursing on his own, so that is nice. It's nice to see the milestones come naturally.

good luck wrapping up the taxes, MelW!

And, fsm, if you know of a theatre in your area that might be interested in Birth Story, let me know. I'm always trying to get it up and out...and love to travel.

K, that's all from me for now, but more soon!


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## Kavita (Dec 7, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *spughy* 
I didn't think that was creepy, just sad. (The whole episode was about Deaf culture and how some Deaf people view other Deaf people who *want* to be hearing as sort of traitors... pretty complex issue, I think TV always dumbs it down a bit for the ignorant masses and probably exaggerated some parts of it (barcelona am I right about that?!?!))


I just thought the way she looked at the baby and said, "She'll NEVER leave me!" with that little happy smile was kind of creepy--not so much from a Deaf culture perspective (I know just a smidgen enough about Deaf culture to know that there is such as thing, and that there are a lot of things I don't know about it!) but just from a mother/parenting perspective. As a parent you are supposed to want your kids to leave you someday. Even though as someday you don't want them to ever grow up, that's your job as a parent, to work yourself out of a job and to raise kids who grow up to be competent and independent adults who can take care of themselves and will go off and live their own lives. Of course I'm sure just as we now look at our little independent toddlers running all over the place and we wonder where our tiny Nov 05 newborns have gone, we'll cry our heads off when we take our babies to college, attend their weddings, see them have their own babies, etc. But that doesn't mean that we shouldn't want that for them, and that we should raise them in a way that fosters their dependence and keeps them from with us at the expense of their own lives. And that she (the character) seemed to see the baby's deafness as something that could keep the baby ever dependent on her and closed off from those other experiences in life (at least in that scene that's how I interpreted it, I didn't see the rest of the show) and that she was so happy about it, I felt was kind of creepy and sad, both. But then again, I have codependent mother issues, so maybe I'm reading into it too!









barcelona, I had to laugh too, because one of my first reactions was, "Hey--Finley is a ticking time bomb!"







Yeah, shows like that always give a very superficial and dumbed down treatment to whatever serious and complex issue they put in as a subplot. I don't remember if you've mentioned it, but is your DH deaf too or is he hearing? One of the craziest births I've done as a midwife was for a deaf couple having their sixth or seventh baby. Let's just say, it is from them that I formed a loose policy/philosophy that could be described as, "Don't encourage a grand multipara to stand up at 8 cm or above!" She got the first urge to push while standing next to the bed, and I could see from her face that the baby was there, and before me saying "Let's get her onto the bed" was interpreted to the dad, her water broke and out came the entire baby!


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## spiritmomma (Aug 29, 2005)

barcelona: Wow! You were great! You seemed so natural... also, your inflection was superb. You speak beautifully... and you are beautiful too!

So many things are going on right now for me. I have been seriously considering getting a part time gig slinging coffee at the 'bucks. My girlfriend and her husband are both store managers and just moved to Indianapolis from L.A. I know I could work for one of them. It could provide my whole family with health insurance benefits as well as giving me a much needed opportunity to miss Isa.







: I feel like if I missed her, I would be more present with her when we're together. Maybe getting a job isn't the best answer to that, but I have other options too. My MIL watched Isa on Saturday night so that Joshua and I could go see a movie. Isa had a blast. We dropped her off asleep







: and I was nervous she would wake up pissed that we weren't there. But I guess after a few minutes of minor confusion, she realized she was at Gigi's house and got busy getting spoiled! She even ate a popsicle!!!







I think MIL has the same policy as my mom: What happens at Nana's, stays at Nana's.







Either way, all I know is that she had a great time, Joshua and I had a great time, and now I feel comfortable leaving her with someone else, knowing that she's fine. It's nice to feel that sense of freedom, even if I don't use it often.
I hope everyone's week is getting off to a great start. See you all soon!


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

It's funny, I'm running myself in circles trying to find support for a mummy of a deaf baby. Isn't synchronicity funny sometimes?
My week has been spent chasing after other people's toddlers, and trying to deal with mamas of toddlers who insist on acting like toddlers (ok, preschoolers) themselves. No excitement, apart from dealing with Skye's approach to potty training. (poopy nappy? go get potty. Naked bum, need a wee-wee? Go get nappy...) I know that if we keep going the way we are now, the next big growth spurt will probably bring us nappy-free living, but still... I'm not ready for my baby to grow up.


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## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

Happy Beltane, everyone!

Spiritmomma, I think outside-the-home work is highly overrated. But I didn't have a whole lot of choice, I had to go back to work, and I am envious of all of you who get to stay home with your lovely babies. But, if you want to work, you totally should.

It is a dull, grey day here and I am bored at work already and it is only 10:15. Sigh.

Everyone think encouraging thoughts to my DH so he finds a job FAST. I SO want to quit.

ETA: We need a new thread!


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