Winter Cycle Friends 2009/2010 - Everyone Welcome!

[angelaezra]

Jamila – I think the NeoSure Similac is working for her. She seems to tolerate it a lot better now.

Babyluv – Thank you for the book recommendations. I will certainly purchase something very soon. It is funny because my DH used to roll his eyes and laugh at me for reading so much info about her but now he asks “what information did you find out about this “… lol. I told him; see I told you that all that reading would come in handy. He probably knew it would all of the time but he knew if he acted interested I would insist that he read the info too! Ha!

Sara – I am doing ok for just having a c-section I suppose. I have been diligent about taking my pain meds to prevent me from not wanting to move too much, which has helped out sooo much! I love the pictures! I especially like the one with their big sister behind them. I was told to make sure I take plenty of pictures because the time flies by, so everyone’s pictures are definitely inspiring me to make some appointments.

Stephanie – Yes, you are correct! I just can’t believe she is our daughter and that she is here. I just starred and smiled at my DH last night and said what is wrong; I told him that I just can’t believe she is ours. I feel so blessed.

Sorry Angelina is still spitting up so much and the Zantac is working. Maybe, you can talk with the pediatrician about switching formulas for her to something else. My sister in-law works for Ross (Abbott) same company that makes the formula and she helps new parents with formula questions. She said sometimes the excessive spit up means that they aren’t digesting the formula well and maybe they need a change. The video that I watched while I was in the hospital about breast feeding and formulas said the same thing. There is a 1-800 number that you can get from the website of Ross and you can speak with a customer service rep about her symptoms to get an idea what kind of formula would be best for her and then talk with your pediatric doc about their suggestion. Apparently, there are types of formula for all different situations and medical needs that are required for the baby.

Karen – I love the ticker!

PA_FA – Yes, I am finally home … thank god! Yes, I have a video baby monitor. It works well and I like it because not only can you see her, you can hear her too. I will tell the brand when I type personals the next time.

AFM – Well, I am finally home and I am so happy. I became so irritated the last day (after being there 5 days) because we were constantly interrupted from various hospital employees that I felt we couldn’t get any sleep. So I wanted to go home so bad. Her first night, we were up and down all night again. I will have to finish this later as she is crying once again! I have to admit, I love being a mommy!

Angela

[natasha10]

Angela- Congrats momma!! you had her a little early too. She's adorable, I hope you all get sleep real soon and figure out the right formula for her. congrats!!

[jamila20]

Angela I am glad that you are finally home, also Gabriella got the right formula again congrat. I am so happy for you and enjoy your little princess, take it easy.

[babyluv3]

Steph - Oh, I totally understand not wanting to turn off the monitor or take them out of your room with her spitting up! That would scare me too. But they are sleeping 6-8 hours?!! I am super jealous and can't wait for that to happen over here! The schedule thing is working really well. Juliette still has a harder time falling asleep in the crib than Amelia, but is doing much better. And I think the Santa picture is priceless! I think the desks in the background are hysterical...like The Office. Photoshop in a picture of Michael Scott and put that in their book

Sara - I LOVE LOVE LOVE the pics! My girls have the same Little Sister outfit. Everytime I take them out in public and they are wearing them, people ask if they are boys because they see a tiny bit of blue peeking out from behind the HUGE pink blankets that cover them! Whatever. Amelia and Juliette just started taking 4oz in the last day or two, some feedings still 3oz. Yes, still on a three hour schedule, but I'm hoping that will start increasing at night. How are yours doing?

Angela - Read up! It really does help, though most of it you'll just have to learn as you go.

PA - How is your mom doing? I just bought the Summer's Infant (I think that's the brand) flat screen, color monitor. I like it, the only problem is the sound. Even on the lowest setting it picks up EVERYTHING, so if I do have it on at night, I will hear every tiny grunt and burp. I wish I could turn it down a bit more, but overall I do like it.

Karen - u/s tomorrow!!! I can't wait to hear all about that little babe!

AFM - Things are good over here. The girls are adjusting pretty well to their new schedule and are now taking 3-4oz (mosty 4oz) at a time. They eat every 2 1/2 - 3 hours and I'm hoping they will start going longer at night. For some reason my milk supply has started to dry up, so I started drinking Mother's Milk tea and that seems to be helping. My supply can't keep up with the twins' growth spurts, so I'm supplementing more, but I should be able to get them to at least six weeks (which will be Wednesday). Not sure why that's my current goal, but it is. So funny because I went into nursing not caring if I couldn't do it, and now it's become so easy (I can nurse one baby and diaper another at the same time) that I don't want to stop! I'm hoping to make it until they cut out that 3:30am feeding so I don't have to make up bottles. Oh well if I do. I have no problem with formula, just balancing two bottles at the same time! At any rate, things are going well.

I am STILL spotting some. Oh my, I thought the bleeding would stop by now! It's light, and old brown blood, but I'm ready for it to be done. I still have that last 18 pounds to go, but I don't think it's going to happen until I finish nursing once and for all. I should get the all clear on Wednesday from my OB, and am planning on hitting the gym shortly thereafter! Now if only I could do something about these stretch marks. There are sooooo many and they are just awful. Wish I had used the Bio Oil BEFORE they appeared! I am using it now as it's supposed to help, but I think they will just be a reminder of the two little miracles we were blessed with

Oh, and Juliette had her hip ultrasound on Thursday. I should get the results next week. Hopefully she's fine!

[karenthescorpio]

Hi everyone! So happy to share that the ultrasound today was awesome. We saw Baby Smith's heart beat! 120 bpm! Here are some pics! I feel so blessed and thankful! Big hug to all! Click on each pic to view in a larger window!

[katie99]

Hi everyone -

Sorry i've been MIA these past few days but its gotten really hard to keep up while having Ryan to myself pretty much 24/7. We're both doing good and actually getting a bit more sleep - he's been sleeping anywhere from 5-7 hrs each night so hooray for feeling semi functional again. I love the little sounds he's been making, sometimes they sound just like cooing, but sometimes it seems like a word - so far I've heard "ah" "oh" "ha" and once it sounded like 'hey' - too funny and yes I know its just coincidence, but it melts my heart each time he does this. Ryan has decided that he LOVES baths and gets so smiley when his behind hits the warm water, I can just imagine him in a few years loving the beach and splashing all over. His fuzz is totally falling out so he's completely bald except for the back of his head, I wonder how long it will be before some new fuzz or even hair comes in? He's gotten super alert and follows your voice and your face well at least until something else catches his interest, he is fixated on this giant plant we have thats some sort of thin leaf palm with this sharp shape, its like he never gets tired of looking at this thing. he is still playing the no pictures game (ugh) I tried this weekend to sneak up on him before he sees the camera and quits doing whatever it is that he's doing - but no way so far. I dont get how he knows I'm trying to take more pics of him, lol. Gracie keeps drooling on him and the face he makes when she licks or slimes him is priceless - now if he'd only let me get a pic of it! I'll have to keep this short since he just went to sleep and every minute that I stay up comes out of my sleeptime ( which is still not enough)
Much love to you all and I hope that we're all enjouying these little miracles every moment - xoxoxo

Angela - Whooo Hoo for being home and not having to eat that hospital food! It was pretty bad at my hospital also, but I was NPO for 24 hrs, then on clear liquids for 2 more days, so i really just had to deal with their gross food for 1 1/2 days, boy was I starving when i left too! How are you and little Gabriella adjusting so far? have you just been losing even more sleep to stand there and just watch her sleep / breathe / sigh/ move? its so amazing to think that we grew these little beings, isnt it? Hope you're getting some rest and healing nicely, c sections really are not fun - you'll be feeling more like yourself soon though - xoxo

Babyluv - Glad to hear that your girls are doing well on their schedules, have you been getting any more sleep? i'm still spotting too, the same as you that old brown blood, but its much less than it was in the past week. I'm sort of surprised to see that we're still passing this stuff though, I thought after a c section that there wouldnt be this much for so long? It kind of makes me wonder how long a vag birth goes through this for? Good luck with Juliette's results when you get them, even though I'm sure they will come back just fine - rest up busy mama - xoxo

Sara - HaHa - the dancing frog! I do remember that cartoon, I wish I could remember his name though. But yeah, thats exactly what Ryan acts like! Aw your pics are just gorgeous! Laneybug's dress is simply precious! and Jake's expression in picture #2? Love it! I really need to get some professional pics done - maybe for my own sanity too - it would be great to stop trying to sneak up on Ryan only to have him stop in his tracks as soon as he sees that camera! darn stubborn baby! How have you been feeling twin mama? You have alot on your plate too with the twins and your DD, hope you're all adjusting well and getting some more sleep too, yeah, I'm sort of obsessing about sleep, or the lack of enough of it - sigh - xoxo

Steph - Oh, I love the pics of Ethan & Angelina! I would have cut out Chris too if he was being a sourpuss. How has it been going at home? has Andrew been helping out more? please say yes to that. Your tree sounds beautiful, I'ce always loved the classy look of the Victorian tree decorations, but somehow over the years mine has gotten to be overdone and and with too many lights, ornaments, and glass balls - it really doesnt help that each year Chris just adds to the ornaments either, well this year we got to add baby's first christmas (ok 3 of them!) so I see its going to get worse each year - its ok, kids like a busy tree dont they? We seem to keep running on simialr schedules - the snacking here has slowed down too, burt the book says that they are growth spurts at 3 wks, and again at 6 wks, so maybe he's a few days early? I wish the book said when the next one is after 6wks, if it did, I was too tired to see it. What else is new though? I feel like each day blends into the next and I'm continously thinking that I'll catch up tomorrow (yeah right like thats gonna happen) How are you getting along? Are the twins on close schedules? Or as soon as you're done with one, here comes the the next set of feeding / changes? If you're getting 8 hrs sleep sometimes thats great! We're getting close, but not that close, you know? And the same here, its like he has to eat so much more at night before going to bed for the night, but I feel like I'm ahead of the game, so I'm not complaining at all! Mostly he takes 4oz, but sometimes 5 -5.5 and still he looks like he's gained nothing, still no tushie to speak of and he just looks long and lean, but he is definitely heavier - I know because he's killing my upper back, shoulders and knees! Well I think the sore knees are becuase of the battle of the binky - yeah, that fun game hasnt stopped yet How is Andrew doing at work? have they given up trying to sent him all over for nonsense testing? I hope so, that would make me act like a grouchy ass too! Ok, its time to sleep, finally I could fall asleep right here I think. Hang in there twin mama - much love- xoxoxo

Karen - Hooray for a great u/s and for hearing the baby's heartbeat!! Now you can relax and start to enjoy your pregnancy, you deserve every bit of happiness it will bring you. And thanks to your TAC you can breathe easier on that subject too - I'm so happy for you honey - xoxo

[angelaezra]

Natasha – Thank you so much! Yes, I had her early because she barely passed her NST and her growth scan last Monday. The scan showed that her growth had slowed down even more from the previous scan. Her stomach was in the 5th percentile, which was down from the 8th percentile just two weeks ago. So they didn’t even let me go home after my appointment; I went straight for the induction, which was a complete disaster.

Jamila – We made it home just in time because we are having a huge snow storm hit the mid-west and I would have serious problems getting to the hospital.

Babyluv – I am glad things are going well for the six of you. I have been having problems with getting her to breast feed. She wants the bottle instead because its less work so I’ve been pumping but my milk hasn’t begun to flow enough to fill up the bottles but it is coming out though. So I will keep trying I suppose.

I certainly hope her u/s is fine also.

Karen – I am so very happy for you! Everything seems to be going so well for you and you so deserve it!

Katie – Oh, I definitely understand not having a lot of time to post as it seems like every time I start to do things around the house, I am interrupted to change her diaper, feed her, or just hold her! I am trying my best to sleep when she does but the first night at home she woke up every 30 minutes so that was impossible!

AFM – Gabriella has her first pediatrician appointment tomorrow and I am looking forward to it. But, I am not sure we will make it because of the snow storm that just arrived. My DH went out last night to get more formula and they only had the powder version but I think it is making her constipated. So I am going to put just a little less powder in the mixture in the bottle. Also, we noticed that her umbilical cord fell off but somehow it was irritated from a reclining chair seat belt and it started bleeding a little. I am keeping a close eye on it but I will certainly have the doctor take a look at it tomorrow. Well ladies, I am going to try to get some more sleep now.

Angela

[gi]

Hey ladies,

Sorry i have been mia but jason needed the computer for work most evenings plus Kayla suffers from acid reflux for few hrs each evening and is so upset she has been keeping us busy! It usually starts around 6pm till 9pm and she seems in lot of pain the poor divil (she is crying with jason right now) the pharmacist gave us gaviscon for babies and it is helping but she didnt drink enough of her last bottle so it isnt very effective tonight. Thankfully she is fine during the day and sleeps well at night waking up every 3-4 hrs for feeds and is now drinking 5 ozs.

Angela so glad to hear ye are home and all is well, she is so cute and tiny!! Can you believe you are a mom after everything ye have been thro?????? I am sure she was worth the wait xxx

PA thanks for explaining craigs list your poor friend her dh really is an ass and to think she has no children to help her thro. this. Hope your head cold is gone!!

Karen ah girl i am so thrilled to hear your wonderful news, its great to see you with a ticker again xxx

Sara your pics are just adoreable!!!

Babyluv sounds like you are getting in a great routine, Kayla does tend to like to nod off in your arms before going to her crib i really should try cut that habit!!!

So finally got my xmas tree up it looks great, still to buy Kaylas santa present but other than that i think bar wrapping everything i am organised!!! Just love this time of year and its just so much more special now our little girl is here.

gi xx

[babyluv3]

Gi - Oh, poor baby with the reflux! Nighttime tends to be fussy time for most babies (I know it is for mine), so that's normal...but I do hope the reflux clears up soon!

Katie - Ooooh, I am SO jealous of Ryan sleeping so long! One of the nice perks of having a bigger baby! One of mine always wants to sleep longer and I hate that I have to wake them both up to eat at the same time at night. Ah well, they are growing well, so I guess it will be soon enough. Is Chris gone or working late? Why is it just you and Ryan most of the time?

Angela - I had to do the same thing with the breast feeding because Amelia didn't latch right away. Keep pumping and you'll see your milk increase more and more. Also, that Mother's Milk tea really has helped (and eating oatmeal). You can get the tea at GNC or maybe another vitamin store. My lactation lady taught me a trick to get Amelia to latch. Since she was used to the formula, I would dip my finger in it and put it on my nipple. Amelia would taste it and start to suck. I would have to do it a few times at first, but then she just kept sucking and voila! She latched! You may have to do it for a few days, but it's worth a shot. Little babies sometimes have a hard time latching.

Karen - Oh, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the pictures!!! So very excited for you!

AFM - Darren and I went to an event at Disney last night and left all the kids with my parents. The twins cried almost the whole time! Amelia was super fussy all day yesterday, and they were both screaming when we got home at 10:15. I walked in the nursery and Juliette fell asleep 2 min later. I never even touched her, I think she just heard my voice and that was what she needed. Amelia was so worked up Darren had to rock her to sleep (which we have been trying to avoid but sometimes you need to do what you need to do!). She woke up an hour later so he fed her earlier than usual, which meant everything was moved up an hour (2am feed rather than 3am, etc). Thankfully I've been able to get them back on schedule now and after a fussy morning they are my good girls again. Not sure if yesterday was just an off day or if they are so used to Darren and I putting them down that they needed us, but I'm glad they have napped well today!

Amelia has been smiling so much the last two days, especially when she is front of the mirror on her play mat! It's so cute! Juliette still isn't giving me those smiles, but I'm guessing they'll be coming soon. I held each girl on the scale with me and they seem to be right around 7 pounds each. Can you believe that they are almost 6 weeks and just NOW hitting that mark! lol...this is why I think it will be awhile before they are sleeping more.

I took some of THE CUTEST pics of the girls actually IN their stockings that I will have to post. Soon!

[angelaezra]

Gi – I am sorry that Kayla suffers from acid reflux also. Hopefully, the medicine will continue to help her. I agree with you … this time of year is just beautiful and it is so very special this year because of our babies!

Babyluv – I hope you guys enjoyed yourself at Disney! I definitely think couples need that time away every once in awhile. Sorry the babies were so fussy while you were gone but it seems like you had the under control once you got home.

Yes, the lactation consultant tried the same trick with the breast feeding and all she did was lick the formula off … lol. Now, when it is time to attempt breast feeding, she pretends to act like she is sleepy or asleep. But, when I give her the bottle, she wakes up.

AFM - Gabriella’s first doctor’s appointment went well today. Her pediatrician said that sometimes when the cord falls off it will bleed a little. She still has a little spotting here and there but it doesn’t look infected or anything. On a good note, Gabriella is back up to her birth weight. He said generally he likes to see that occur by the time the child is two weeks old and she has done it within 6 days! So, we have another appointment scheduled for next Monday to see how she is progressing. After the appointment, we went out for lunch for the first time as a family and she did well!

Angela

[claud662]

HI LADIES!! I actually have a few minutes to post since Mady is taking a quick snooze!!! I read the boards a few times a day while I'm pumping but don't have the time to write!! When she takes naps I am either doing laundry, cleaning up, or sanitizing bottles!!!!! I miss you all and think about you every day!!

Angela-sooo glad that Gabriella is finally home where she belongs and I'm so sorry to hear about your labor! It seems we all had a little drama during our labors!!! Glad that you found the right formula that seems to be working with her belly and I can't wait to see an updated picture!

Katie-Yeah for Ryan getting some more sleep!!! Mady also loves to be held and will only sleep in her bouncy seat once I have rocked her into a snooze. She sleeps well in her bassinet at nighttime which is good since I don't want to bring her into our bed and have her get used to that!! Christmas time will be so much fun for the three of you and I'm sure you will spoil your little one with tons of gifts!! Hanukkah for me fell only a few days after Mady's birth so it was a little hectic this year so my family celebrated last weekend and we are having another Hanukkah party with my in-laws this weekend!!

Steph-your pics are too freaking cute! I can't believe how big they are already!!! I hope you are getting some more help from Andrew and aren't so stressed but you are a lucky mom to have your Alex lending a helping hand!!

Babyluv-you seem like Supermom!!! I am one of those mom's that can't let their kids cry it out!!! I tried but I'm a sucker and need to pick up Mady and soothe her back to sleep It's so nice you are getting help from your parents but they must have been fretting when the girls were crying all night!!!! Keep giving us tips though cause I am interested in what your book has to say about feeding and sleeping!

Gi-glad to hear all is well with you, J, and Kayla!! I really hope one of these days you figure out how to upload pics since we want to see the little munchkin!!

ok-gotta run the little one is waking up hungry!!

xoxo

[angelaezra]

Hello Ladies - For those of you who have already delivered via c-section, how long did your incision pain last? And how long did you bleed? I feel pretty good in the mornings but around 7pm I feel horrible. I feel anemic, headaches, really tired, the chills, etc. The incision doesn’t appear infected but I feel just awful and I wondered how long this will last.

My DH went back to work today, so it is all on me now and I am exhausted. I might have to go stay with my parents for awhile during the day until I start to feel a little better to take care of her.

Thanks!

Angela

[gi]

Hi girls,

Angela i had incision pain for about 2 wks after section though it did get much better after day 10, its 3 wks today and i am only slightly tender as for bleeding i am still spotting though sometimes its heavier. I am still on iron tablets so i wont get anaemic. Hope you feel better soon and take all the help you can get. Thats great news Gabriella is back to her birth weight my little pudding never lost any and is about 10.5 lbs now!!

Claudia i swear i will never figure out how to post a pic, last wk both jason and i tried for one hour and zilch happened my copy and paste button just doesnt seem to work. Glad to hear all is well and little Mady is keeping you busy!!! Its amazing how such a tiny little thing can keep you so busy isnt it

Babyluv i tried your tip and let her cry for a little in her crib last night and today, i knew there was nothing wrong as i had just fed, burped cuddled and changed her and within 5 mins she was asleep....for 3.5 hrs happy days!!!! I swear though the little fecker knows that there is a camera monitor on her cause she stares right into it with her teary eyes jason feels really sorry for her and asks can he go pick her up and i am like No wait a min and see if she settles, she already has him wrapped around her little finger cant wait for the day when he has her all alone. Great to hear your little ones are growing big and strong and where did the last 6 wks go!!

AFM last 2 days Kayla has really settled down think the 2 doses of gaviscon in her 2pm and 5pm feeds are working (touch wood) she was such a great napper today only woke for feeds and straight back to the land of nod, i was able to do all the washing, ironing, clean floors etc!!! Also down 3 lbs this wk so thats a total loss of about 20lbs about another 12lbs to go, i barely have a belly now though i still miss been pregnant!!

[angelaezra]

Hello ladies – It has been really quiet here for the last few days. How is everyone doing? I have been slowly but surely trying to adapt to being a new mom. Some days I feel so confident and other days I wonder what I could do better. Like last night, I probably got a total of 30 mins of sleep, which was a huge difference from the previous night of 3 hours of straight sleep twice! I thought maybe she wasn’t feeling well because she seemed to have a little diarrhea and was really fussy but no temperature. I can’t wait until the weekend is here because my DH can help me out ... doing this all alone is so very hard! Have a great Thursday everyone!

Angela

[PA_FA]

Hello friends! I have nothing too exciting to report. My crib finally arrived. I finally found the crib skirt at Pottery Barn Kids and it wasn't sold out. Now I just have to iron it. The room is soooooooo far from being finished. Still waiting on the rocker/glider to come in from special order. UGH. Still have to order the dresser/changing table and buy the curtains to hang up. SIGH...
Did I let you know I am on every 2weeks at the OB now? My next appt is Monday 12/20. I have an OB appt that day and a perinatal appt that day. The next day we head to Georgia for Christmas with DH family. I'm looking forward to flying, but not to being with my in-laws for 5 days. I'll be trapped in hell without a cell phone. They really live in the boonies. You can get reception in town at Wal-Mart but not at the house. By the way, Wal-Mart IS the exciting thing to do there. Last time I was down there in July they gave me crap about being tired and taking naps. Not looking forward to the torture this time.
UM....I guess that's it for now. I feel like I'm one of the last pregnant ones left. I miss you guys but I know you are all busy with your beautiful babies to love and hold. Have a wonderful holiday! XOXO