Winter Cycle Friends 2009/2010 - Everyone Welcome!

[Franca]

PA were they BH? I don't think i'v had that but i'm only a week few days behind. My husband said real contractions is when you can't talk as it hurts so much. I told DH about your pooping he said you could have a little tummy bug as its going around this time of year. Have you had flu jab? i did in october thankgod..
xx

[Stephanieford78]

Hello all you beautiful baby mamas! Life has proven to be a bit busy. The twins are getting chunkier but of course Lina is still her dainty little self. She still has the baby chub, but put her next to her 2 minute older brother and you see wear the pound difference is. lol Lina is finally holding her head up without issues though I don't think I should trust her in the bumbo quite yet. She needs to work a little more on back support before I do that. I am sure it is just a couple weeks away though. Ethan is just having a hell of a time with his hands and figuring out how they work. It's so cute to watch. If I put something in front of him he tries to grab it, not always successful though so at times he gets mad until I put whatever it is in his mouth... of course that is where he wants it the little chunky monkey! He is drooling a lot and has started to complain when there isn't something in his mouth. It's like he is teething, but I know he isn't. He isn't hungry so I am not sure what's going on. Lina has just started looking like she wants to start grabbing at things. She is still at the... I'm going to start at this and see if I can move it with my brain first phase. LOL She will make the grabbing motion with her hands, but doesn't reach yet and that is how Ethan started. I think another reason Ethan has been more cranky though is because we all came down with a bug. I knew it was bound to happen this time of year. It's just a little cold bug but still annoying. Ethan has started to do what I call "the old man" face. He sucks in his bottom lip and of course without teeth, he looks like a little old man. It is the cutest thing ever! I have to take a picture and show you all! I laugh each time I see it. No luck with the GI spc calling back because of a cancellation, but we are still on for 3 Feb! The formula change I think has helped all that it can. I am sure that it is an internal issue. Maybe reflux is all that it is, but I would like to know that for sure. I would hate to think that she has a hole in her belly or something and we did nothing about it. She still spits up and sometimes vomits, but over all, she is a happy baby. They are even starting to laugh... both of them. Did I mention Ethan has caught up with the smiles? They haven't gone full out on laughing, but a few big breaths here and there. I can't wait till they just start rolling for no real reason. I still have yet to catch them both smiling at the same time. Last night was a record breaker... 10-11 hours of sleep! Ethan fell asleep after Lina so that's why it isn't just one time. This could be the start of a great night's rest! Other than babies, my friend and her baby are moving in so we are preparing for that. Moving stuff around yet again. At least it is temporary. She will get on her feet in a few months and I will have some company.

Thank you all for your kind words on what I am doing for Katie. She is also doing a great thing for me. She is giving me the peace of mind of knowing that those little frozen babies have a chance to live, knowing that they will be well cared for and loved and have a great life. I have witnessed first hand, so have most of you, that there are ways that someone unstable (Helene) can get a hold of little embies. Who wants that? After meeting Katie and hearing how she wanted more, but of course has to rely on another miracle... it just clicked. She is the mommy to those embies! So I offered them to her and Chris not knowing if she would even accept them, but of course they said yes. They deserve them! We all came here and met each other for a reason. Each one of us has served an important purpose in each other's lives. This just proves that even though we are all scattered all over the world, we hold a warm and cozy place in our hearts for each other. Now Katie will provide a warm and cozy place for those 5 little frosties who need a home!

Gi - Glad Kayla is doing well. I think the twins are about to move up to 6oz. but Kayla is up to 7 just about? As much as I want to go to the gym I haven't been able to make it. I am still stuck in the house without my driver's license. I wish they would hurry up and mail the darn thing! Anyway, if I don't get away from the twins to workout, I just won't get to do it. If I get the chance to do something while they sleep, it is normally sleep or a shower/bath. lol Otherwise it is cleaning, dinner and other things around the house. It's so hard to leave them though, even to take a shower and Andrew or Alex is there watching them. If they are awake, I feel the need to entertain them. lol I have always thought that the more you talk and play with a baby, the smarter they get. I have seen what not playing with a baby does to a kid... my nephew is a perfect example. Andrew's mom got him checked for autism. The kid is perfectly fine, he just doesn't get any attention the poor guy. Anyway, I don't need to get into the whole MIL thing again. lol It is great what you are doing talking about IVF. So many people don't know what it is here, even medical professionals. Myself and I know a few others here have had to explain to nurses and some OB's what is all involved. Until I found out about it, I thought my chances of having more babies was over. I cried when I found out my tubes couldn't be fixed. Then a website pointed me to IVF. Not only did it allow me to complete my family and bless me with two beautiful babies, but it allowed me to meet you wonderful people! It might be awkward to talk about, but you are a blessing to many!

Franca - Don't worry, it is all fine. Uncomfortable yes, but normal. I would go grocery shopping and be in so much pain because my belly was a big hard bowling ball that it hurt to walk. It's all a part of being pregnant. Being little doesn't help either. Us smaller moms tend to get more crampy just because there isn't as much room in there. I totally understand being depressed though. I went through that too. Just a couple more weeks mama... you can do it!

Hazel - YAY for making it back in here to catch up! So little George isn't so little anymore huh? lol Funny you mention the dvd's, I have been wondering when to get the twins something to watch. Ethan especially loves to watch tv. Sometimes he will complain if he isn't sitting up and facing the tv. lol What do you think about that Your Baby Can Read stuff? They have it at the store Walmart here for $60. I have been thinking about introducing that in a month or two. I think just like baby sign language, it is good to try to get our babies to communicate earlier. They make it sound like your kid will be a genius if you get it, but I doubt that. I just think the earlier your child can communicate, the happier your baby will be. I think just maybe a baby gets cranky a lot because they can't tell you what they want or need. I'm sorry Christmas was hard without your dad there. I know each first without him will be tough. I held on to my mom in all kinds of ways. I kept an empty bottle of baby shampoo just because she bought it for me. I kept a half eaten roll of antacids because they were hers. You know what though, going through her purse after she died, I found something that made me cry tears of joy. When I was in 4th grade I bought her a little mirror in the shape of a heart that said Mom on it. She kept it in her purse all those years. I kept it in mine after that. Well, until Alex got a hold of it one year and broke it. She threw it away without telling me. I would have kept it, even being broken. Congrats on the house! It sounds wonderful! Perfect place to raise little Georgie and create memories!

Ronda - I think most of us will now be stalking Katie in April or May. lol I can't wait! Can you just imagine if she gets twins? Wouldn't that be a coincidence? lol How are you doing? Any plans coming up for Spring? Andrew goes to NTC (national training center) in March and then deploys in July. Blah! So my plans are just trying to prepare for that. It's sad to think that the twins will have to learn who dad is again, I am hoping I can find a way to make that a smooth transition.

Angela - Glad Gabriella is growing and getting big! Sounds like her and Lina have a lot of the same issues. How is the new formula and the meds working for her? Lina still spits up and sometimes a lot. They first said that we would see an improvement after using .3ml 3x a day and we could go to .2 BUT she wasn't doing well so we had to increase to .5ml 3 x a day. The simulac sensitive seems to help make her a little happier, but doesn't stop the spitting up.

PA - I didn't get diarrhea but I had a ton of iron pills to take. lol So I had to take stool softener and boy did I need it! Though I have heard that diarrhea is normal. I wouldn't worry about it. It is just another one of the "OMG are you serious" symptoms of pregnancy. The good thing is that it is temporary. You will be surprised at how fast most of the symptoms of pregnancy go away immediately. Hope your belly feels better! Well, that's better than saying I hope your hole feels better, right?

Katie - Oh yes, busy busy busy. lol We are almost done taking down the spare room. We are putting Alex in it for a little while so that Amy and baby Mya have enough room. Alex is such a cool kid, she doesn't mind. She knows that it is temporay so she is all fine with it. Ethan doesn't normally see his feet, but when he does he tries to grab them along with everything else in his view. Ryan is still having the attacking hands issue huh? I am sure it will go away soon. lol I personally can't wait till they can pick up their own binky! That will be nice wouldn't it? They might have slept a long time last night but it did require 2 or 3 binky shoves in the mouth to keep them asleep for another hour or two in between. Does your book say when it is ok to let them cry to sleep? I am getting to the point where I just want to lie them in the crib and tell them... This is bedtime, NOT 2am! lol Then leave them there, binky or no binky until they have slept a good 8 hours at least. I just don't know if it's ok do to that yet or not. Dress an octopus is a good term. All the wiggling and kicking is almost like a game sometimes isn't it? I know that especially Ethan will kick his legs so hard the diaper comes down off his toosh when I am trying to put it on. Of course that means repositioning it each time he does it. Men... even when they are little they are ornery. lol Any new development with Ryan? Every time the babies whine and Ma or mom comes out I get a little tingly. I know that they are not saying it really, but it still melts my heart.

Sorry if I missed anyone, but it is feeding time!

[Stephanieford78]

So we decided to see how Ethan would do in the jumpy since he does well in the bumbo and has reached for a few things. Well, those of you who have seen my facebook already know that it worked out pretty well. lol I can't believe how well he did in it. He did get frustrated at the end it seemed because he couldn't reach anything. Either that or he was tired. Lina was sleeping, but I am curious how she will do in it. I haven't introduced her to the bumbo yet, but it seems to serve the same purpose as the bumbo but gives them the chance to develop their leg muscles and entertain them at the same time. I know you are suppose to wait a little longer to introduce them to the jumpy, but for those of you that use the bumbo, this will work too! No need to wait. I took pictures and video. I will give you the link to the video. He makes the old man face in it. Adorable!

Video of Ethan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFBMkg8hhwI


Ok so we put Lina in the jumpy and she is so little that it about swallows her. lol She liked it for just a few minutes. She was tired though. She just sat there looking at all the stuff on it. No jumping or anything, but she was intrigued by the noises and toys on it. The doctor's office measured them both at the same height, but I don't see how. Not only to they look to be different in height, you can see how much bigger Ethan is in the jumpy than Lina. At the 2 week check up when they measured them, they shrunk since birth according to them, so I guess I just can't trust them on how long they are. Oh well. Anyway... I got some cutie pics of Angelina and even though I posted the video, I will post a couple of Ethan too. Oh and I found a video of Lina... gonna post that too while I am at it. lol

Video of Lina
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj7w-1SXY-o

[katie99]

Whew! I finally have a few minutes to myself since Ryan is actually napping!

PA - Yes, I can hardly believe it myself! To have 1 miracle happen to me, but now to have 2?? I am overwhelmed emotionally, but in the good way of course. I've been looking into how to have them shipped to PA, but I have to say its a little confusing and can you imagine how much I'll be freaking out on the day of shipping? Does pacing count as exercise?? hee hee. Oh, so you have a little Rockette in there huh? Does she like the Rock Band game or was it the start of the all night dance parties that happen when you're pregnant? lol. How are you feeling mama? Guess you're with me getting ready for the next ridiculous amount of snow thats supposed to start tonight - ah, is it spring yet? - xoxo

Ronda - Thanks, honey, love you too! I cant wait for April or May either and of course I hope you'll stalk me ( isnt that the weirdest thing to say?) But I love when you do. And I'm with you on stalking Lou. How are your girls doing? Are they loving the snow still or have had enough of it like me? much love - xoxo

Angela - I know! I wasnt sure if it was the right thing to bring it up, but after thinking more about it, I decided that everyone should have an idea of how special Steph really is. I am truly blessed and know that you all bring a special joy to me each day when I check in to see how we're all doing. I really miss all of you when I cant check in often enough. Now how is Miss Gabriella feeling? Is her tummy doing better? How about mommy? has she been letting you get any more sleep lately? And, yeah, I hear you when you have the baby all by yourself all week long, it can really be alot at times. I swear it does get easier as they get a little bigger. Then they show you all those smiles and giggles and melt your heart so you end up forgetting how tired you are. How is the child care situation coming along? - xoxo

Hazel - Sir George would get along well with the Small Emperor I think, lol. It seems that they both like to decree how our days shall be spent, and we of course are their loyal servants - heeh hee. You put it beautifully, thats exactly how I feel, like my heart is bursting with happiness. She is a remarkable woman with a phenomenal soul, and I dont know what I did to deserve such a gift like this, and feel that this was meant to be. Ok, I must stop now before I end up in tears for millionth time,lol. Oh, Sir George sure is growing fast! 17lbs already? Wheee! Hows your back feeling these days from the big guy? Ooooh, Congratulations on your new house! How fab to get to choose everything to your color, taste, style! And it must be super exciting to be in town so you dont feel like you're so far away from everything (since Sir george is such a social butterfly, lol) Yes, Ryan's formula intake has leveled off a bit, but he's now taking more each feeding usually 5oz, but today he had 6oz, which was the most he's ever wanted at once. I'm trying really hard to get him to wait the 3hrs between feeding since patience isnt his best quality (hmmm, sounds like me, huh?) In a day we'll go through 32-35 oz of formula and thankfully he wants all of that during the days so he sort of knocks out about 10pm, and every night he sleeps through as long as he's swaddled - but if Houdini geta an arm out of the sleep sack its all over, his arms statle him and then we're all up. So no surprise as to why I'm still swaddling him, right? So, George isnt too interested in Joya & Flynn? Ryan is the same, Gracie loves to sniff, kiss, and ultimitely slime Ryan, but so far Ryan isnt jumping for joy. They're just too young yet to be dog lovers I guess, that will change as soon as we start on solids and you know how babies LOVE to throw food on the floors, lol. Does George like the baby Einstein videos? I've been wondering if I should pick them up? - much love and congrats again - xoxoxo

Franca - aw,honey, dont be "Sad Panda" You'll get through these last few weeks of being uncomfy and soo have your little girl in your arms and you wont even remember how the last weeks felt. Just hang on honey, everything thing you've feeling is normal pregnancy discomforts. How is your nursery? Are you totally finished? wheres the pics??

Gi - Whoo Hoo! for a free weekend away! Go Jason for winning it and a shopping voucher too? Have fun with that! Glad to hear that Kayla is feeling better now. You're so lucky for her to take all those naps - she sounds like a real doll! Aw, Gina, I would feel funny having to talk on the radio too, but its a wonderful thing you're doing, especially in a country where ivf isnt very out in the open, just think of all the girls your story helps. Tis a grand gesture from a lovely woman to bring some hope to women who probably feel like they're the only ones going through this, remember how we all felt before finding this forum?
I'm sure you'll do just as great as you did the first time - big hug honey! And say hi to your Mam for me - xoxoxo

Steph - OMG, the Super Cuties are just too much! I've watched their videos 3x each now. They are soooooo sweet! I'm loving the old man face that Ethan makes, he seems like he's all over that jumperoo, was that just him moving it? he's a pretty strong guy, it was bouncing all over - you may have an athlete on your hands.. And Miss Lina, her smiles are too cute for words! what a cutie patootie! She is a dainty little lady and I'm sure that her big brother (by 2 mins) will take care of her and protect her. Ryan hasnt done the old man face, but he has a range of expressions that he does one after another and its a riot to watch ( I have to start using the Flip to record this stuff!) he'll go from eyebrows all scrunched up (confused) right to huge smile right to frownie to surprised. This cracks me up, its like watching an actor practice. I'm glad that your friend and her baby will be coming to stay with you all, you'll have some company and maybe an extra set of hands sometimes, and she gets to have peace and quiet with an awesome family and gets to see how you handle babies, so its works out great it sounds like. Alex must have inherited her mom's sweet nature, she's pretty great to give up her room without complaint at her age. But you already knew that. And, yeah, it will be fantastic to not have to pick up the binky like 50x per day! I cant wait for that actually, the bimky game is growing old. Ryan will grasp anything that you put in his hands, but he hasnt reached out his arm to try to grab anything yet, not even when I try to entice him to, guess he's just not ready yet. Ok, so the book says ( this is Baby 411 & What to Expect the first year) that until they are 4 minths old, to not let them cry it out that they become more secure if they know that when they cry, you will come, and that in the long run, they will cry less because they feel more secure.
have you tried then sleeping in their cribs yet? I swear Ryan sleeps better in there than in the swing, even though most times I only put him in his crib at bedtime. After seeing how much Ethan loved the jumpy chair, I've been looking at them today, once again, I'm learning from you. I assumed they were for older babies, so I never even researched them, and you dont need to be able to sit up by yourself! Wheee! I want to get one for Ryan, I think he'll like it too.
And honestly, anything that keeps him happy between feedings other than being on my lap ( where he wants to spend the day) is a good thing. I feel the same way about babies being smarter with loads of interaction, even if the Your Baby Can Read series just teaches them to communicate their needs, I've been wanting that since I first got pregnant. Do you know how much more they used to charge for that series? I read a review on it today that said the woman paid 80 more for it getting it through the company instead ( of course that was 2 yrs ago, but still ) Eeeeeek, I didnt think it was so late, I have to start dinner...
much love to you - xoxoxo

[angelaezra]

Katie – I know these day care prices are outrageous aren’t they? I am checking into finding a nanny also but I am very leery of that because there is not anyone there to make sure that she is being cared for properly! In someone’s home, it is hard to know what goes on there. I will make a list tomorrow and we will visit them this Friday or next week when my DH is off from work.

I have to tell you that you and Claudia are just amazing … wanting to try again so quickly is just amazing. I can’t even think about being pregnant again anytime soon. The panic attacks that I had making sure that she was safe was just too overwhelming and I’m not looking forward to it again at all. Maybe, I will feel different next year. We decided to take off 2011 and think about siblings in 2012 … maybe!

PA_FA – I hope that you are doing well.

Ronda – I hope that you are well too!

Hazel – Wow, you have a waiting list for year … that is amazing. Yeah, for moving into your new house … my DH and I went through building a new house eight years ago and it was very stressful to say the least. It is a little overwhelming having to pick everything for the house and making sure the building is on schedule. One word of advice is to make sure they do not cut any corners because most builders will try to cut cost by not doing something that they are supposed to do and if you don’t catch it, you are stuck with their job. Please post some pictures of the house and George if you get chance.

Franca – Yes, I certainly feel for you, that is for sure. It does get so uncomfortable towards the end of the pregnancy. But, hang in there because you will soon meet your beautiful daughter!

Gi – Yeah for feeling better for you, Kayla, and Jason! I was worried for sure. Congratulations on the interviews. I think that is so great and so necessary for all of the people out there who are having trouble conceiving! Keep up the good work …

Stephanie – Wow, 10-11 hours of sleep is such a dream! I can’t wait until that happens to me!

Well, I did try the new formula but it made her constipated. She did not have a BM since Friday, so I had to switch her back on Sunday. The gassy feeling was good for the first night and the spitting up was still there but unfortunately it didn’t work out. I guess I will have to wait until her 2 month check up to permanently change her. I can’t wait for you to find out what is wrong with Angelina … that has to be so hard to watch her suffer!

I love the pictures of Angelina and Ethan!

AFM – Well, I had to take Gabriella to her pediatrician in the middle of this snow storm! Like I was telling Steph, she hasn’t had a BM since Friday after I changed her formula, so I had to switch her back to the high calorie formula. They did a rectal temperature and the doc was right, the small stimulation worked and by the time we got home she finally had a BM … thank god! I wanted to tell you ladies that I know a lot of you are talking about the Bumbo chairs and I went to Target yesterday to buy one but unfortunately, they didn’t have one. So I ended up buying a Newborn Lounger (it is like a big pillow that she can relax in) … she loves it! She will actually sit in it for a period of time. So for those of you who your babies are too big to fit in the Bumbo chair, you might want to Google The Boppy – Newborn Lounger.

Here are some updated pictures of Gabriella!

http://pictures.sprintpcs.com/share.do? ... =RETRIEVED

Angela

[Arabsrcool]

Franca,

I understand how you are feeling. the last month is really hard. My best advice is take time to pamper yourself (sit down with some tea, blanket and a good book) Try and enjoy the quiet time, because very shortly your world is going to change dramatically. Honestly, there is nothing anyone can say to prepare you for what it is going to be like. Lets just say, its a good day when you get a shower after the baby is born! Just keep looking forward to the great gift you will get and it will all be worth it!

Katie,

I am just so so so excited for you. I cannot wait for you to get started!. Yes, it does seem funny saying stalking, but it has a totally different meaning here! So there are 5 embies? That gives you a really good chance of having a sib or two for Ryan! My girls and I went out and played in the snow last night. I am tired of it already, but they think its great!

Angela,
Glad to here a BM finally arrived. That is awful when you know they need to poo and they are hurting. Love the pics!

Steph,

I watched the jumpy videos, how adorable! Sorry to hear Andrew has to go to training and then deploy in July. That really sucks for the whole family. I know you are a strong woman and you will make the best of it!. As for my plans for Spring, I am going to take one of my horses to a friends barn (who has an indoor arena) and board him there starting in March. I am hoping that will give me a good jump on the show season (plus this horse as alot of issues, he was abused by his prior owner). Callie, my oldest, is trying to decide if she wants to be in 4-H next year. I told her its her decision, but if she decides to do it, she must practice. Cara, my little sweet bug, is doing gymnastics at the YMCA one time a week (her dad takes her and she is very serious about it (for a 2 year old anyway)!

Love ya girls!

Ronda

[Stephanieford78]

So I got a new phone, a droid and I love it, certified preowned of course, I am a bit cheap these days. lol I have become addicted to taking pictures and video and posting it on FB because it allows me to so easily. Anyone who has a facebook that isn't already friends with me, the best updates are there! Andrew doing all this hooah hooah training shit. He said with his PTSD that he can easily become non deployable but his 1st Sgt will try to chapter him out of the Army. I am beginning to think that this is not a bad idea. I don't think with all the training and change of command that is going on, that they will be successful at kicking him out. He sees the deployment as a good thing financially. We will be able to save some money. Yes, that is great... but what or who will my husband be when he returns? Will I recognize him at all? I am not looking forward to that possibility. So we have to weigh these things and talk seriously about them. We started to yesterday but babies happened and our thoughts went towards them instead of the issues. I have made him start the process of getting into therapy again, not just single therapy but family therapy, group therapy and anger management. Basically every available resource for PTSD. I am so scared we will come back from this worse. We have already been informed that he is going to a very bad place in Afghanistan that has nothing. That makes me think that my chances of Andrew healing is not good. I think if getting out is a consequence of not going to a horrible place where his mind my never return, well... I choose getting out. We aren't ready for him to do anything else other than Army, but we can start the process of setting up a resume and job interviews if he isn't so busy with getting ready to deploy. His VA disability alone will be 100% so that income will help too. We still have to talk about it, but these are just my thoughts on it.

So some of you know, Lina was at the ER yesterday. I finally got fed up after she vomited everything all over the place. It had to have been everything she ate. I called the appt line and they have no openings so I just called Andrew crying and he was able to leave and take us to the ER. (I really need my license to come in the mail!) There is just nothing they can do for her unless she loses weight or gets a fever. They checked to make sure that she didn't aspirate by taking an xray. I am glad I stayed with Ethan for that. Andrew said I would have hated it. The room was ice cold, she had to be naked and she was squished inside a tube, he had to hold her hands above her head. She came back with marks all over her little body from being squished and of course she screamed the whole time inside that thing. My poor baby. Her lungs were clear, thankfully. She had an u/s today, that was just another thing to prove that the Army is just stupid! They said they made her an appt at 10:45, nope! We get there and it was just a recommended procedure, no appt. They gave us a random time to be there then?? Anyway... It says to come up after 15 minutes if you haven't been seen. Went up and they said, Yes, you are in the system, you will be called shortly. Another 15 minutes, same thing... another 15 minutes... ok lets research this. They had been calling her name in the ER for the past 45 minutes. What? They told us yesterday that they can't do u/s from the ER so they had to make an appt, which we know now they never did. UGH! I hate stupid people, especially when I have to rely on them to find out why my baby hurts so much. Well, other than all that, they upped her Zantac to .6 and that's about it. They recommended things that we already do. Other than seeing the GI dr, who it seems will also give us no answer.... we just have to do the best we can to make her comfortable. Supposedly, she will grow out of this. SIGH!

On a lighter note, we fed the babies an hour early last night, hoping to get to sleep at a decent hour... not 2am! They were asleep by 10 and with some binky assistance here and there, slept till 8am! 10 whole hours! We are hoping to get the monitor this weekend so that will be awesome!! I wonder how they will do without the binky assistance right next to them at their every little whimper. They have to get use to being without it though. I noticed that they both sleep better with their arms free. The only problem with that is when they knock the binky out. lol So I tuck them in, just not with their arms. Ethan believe it or not is about to roll over. Even in his sleep positioner, he is on his side every morning. I am sure if I let him be, he will roll over so I am going to put him on the tummy time mat on his back and see if he does it.

Ronda - Wow, you have some smart little girls. One wants to be in 4-H and the other gymnastics? Those are both things that require commitment. I think that is great to show that this young. Normally kids are not willing to commit to anything. Even Alex quit cheer leading and gymnastics before. She is regretting that now though since she is older. She wants back in both. I am willing to do that for her, but she is a little too lazy. lol She can hardly do her homework and two small chores every day. I wish she was more motivated, but unless she has someone else going with her, I don't think she will. She is socially motivated. She is a straight A student, but she doesn't apply herself so she just does what she needs to get by. A few A's B's and a C or two. I told her that if she gets honor roll, A's and B's, that she will get a birthday party at the end of the year. Her birthday is June 3rd which is the last week of school here. She can invite anyone she wants, as many as she wants, even boys and the girls can all spend the night. Boy is she motivated now. lol

Angela - I wonder if the sensitive formula has more iron?? I haven't looked and maybe I should. Lina has harder poops since she switched to it, but they aren't too hard so I am not worried about it. You don't have to wait till the 2 month check up to change her. You can make a dr appt earlier than that. I did it with the twins. I didn't want to wait, that's when we got Lina on some meds. I saw the pics of your little itty bitty and oh my is she gorgeous. You must be so proud. She still looks like not much more than a handful.

Katie - Yes that was all Ethan making the jumpy go all over. He is pretty strong. I have video of him making the bouncy bounce too. He doesn't do it all the time, he definitely likes it better when I do it. lol I would love to see some pics of those amusing Ryan faces. Get on top of that mama! lol Lina does those happy laughing faces and then go straight to whiny or crying face. It's like she is my little bipolar baby. lol I would love to catch that on video. As for Alex, I think one reason why she is fine with the room switch is because the smaller room has a working flat screen tv. lol So one more month before I can try the self soothing technique at night huh? I can see that they want nothing to do with it now. When Lina wants to be a turd at night, holding her is the only thing that helps. Getting her to lay down without screaming is not easy. Though the last two nights she did very well. I laid her down and she was awake, but tired and I talked to her, she smiled and laughed and I gave her her binky. I realized that she likes the fleece blanket against her face. So I make sure that is touching her face and she starts to go to sleep. Ethan like to hold on to a blanket so I think they will both need their own little blanky that they will carry around. lol My 2nd oldest, she needed a pillow that she carried around. It was so cute. Funny how you find out things by just trying them out. I was sure that Ethan was too small for the jumpy, but sure enough he did so well in it. He is still a bit small, but he likes it. I am glad that I can help Ryan try out toys and things based on Ethan and Angelina's experiments. lol Those car seat cozies came today. Lina has been in her carseat since coming back from the dr appt that lasted forever, so I put hers on and she looks so darn cute in it. It does get cold here by the way. It has been in the 20's and 30's lately. We could have had snow the past few days, but instead Fort Worth got it. lol It doesn't last too long and some days can be warmer than others, but it does get chilly. I can't wait till it gets warmer again... about another month, not long of a wait. We got snow twice last year, not a lot but enough for Alex to make a little 6 inch snowman. lol

As for all you other beautiful ladies, love and miss all of you and hope the Winter is treating you well. I personally can't wait till Spring!

[natasha10]

katie & steph- wow words cant explain how thrilled i am that you are giving katie our eggs thats so great. you are such a great momma!! Miracles do happen huh

Afm- my ob appt yesterday was ok. i cant take the pain from the darn exam it hurts me so bad. but no change from last week still closed cervix but RE did say she's head down so thats good. a start. But we definitely made the plan for 6 am frb 1st to be induced unless my cervix doesnt open and soften then i have to go in on the 31st over night to soften up so we'll see ladies Im getting so uncomfortable. im not sleeping well at night and i have so many pains now. all you ladies did well i dont recall you complaining like i am. the days are going so slow now too it seems like forever away. so another appt next wednesday

[Franca]

when did you girls engage?

[katie99]

Angela - OMG, she is just precious! That little face was just made for kisses.Between her little shoes and her headband I cant decide which one is cuter! Glad the hi cal formula is working out for her, I cant believe that you had to take her out in a snowstorm, how nerve wracking that must have been. So has your DH's family decided that a healthy gorgeous baby girl is just as much cause for celebration and it doesnt matter which gender you get? I remembered that awhile back they were so set on a boy, and I was frustrated with them for you. Bet they are all head over heels for your beautiful daughter now, huh? How did you make out with the nanny dilemma? Hope that you're getting some mose sleep lately - xoxo

Ronda - Aw honey, Callie & Cara sound like such sweet little girls! How fun it must be to watch a 2yo take gymnastics? I'll bet thats just too cute to watch, plus you get the added bonus of wearing her out a little too while she has a ball! 4H is a wonderful choice, what a learning experince she will get form that, if she chooses to do it, I bet she will. Grrr! Who abused yuor poor horse before you had him/her? I cannot stand for anyone to be mean/ cruel or neglectful towards a helpless animal, its heartbreaking. Thank god that you have that horse now and hopefully boarding at your friend's place will help him over the emotional recovery and you can dive in to show jumping - How fun must that be?? - xoxo

Steph - Wow, those are alot of tough life changing decisions that you & Andrew need to talk over. Its a huge change for the whole family, if he were to decide to get out now, I do worry about the economy, but I worry more for well being both physically and mentally if he has no choice but to deploy. UGH, I dont envy you trying to figure all of this out, its pretty hard to find any quiet time with 1 baby, so I imagine that its even harder over at your house with 2. I know that hazardous duty/ combat pay is tempting, but jeez, honey to think of where they are sending him.. it makes my stomach drop, to even think about it. You know you all are my prayers each night, so take your time and weigh all options - like I already said, I sure dont envy this choices in front of your family right now. And, no I didnt know that Miss Lina had to go to the ER, aw honey, to see your baby girl all scared, crying and squished into a tube??? Ugh, that must have been just awful! Thankfully her lungs were clear, but for the love of! I almost forgot how flipping frustrating the post medical centers can be! I mean to aggravate us is one thing, but to have a 13 week old baby wait so long??? To sit and deal with idiots while you're baby is hurting is cause to explode, you have the patience of a saint, you know. And I cannot believe all the answers you're getting right now is that she'll grow out of it! Well, thats great, but she shouldnt have to wait so long to be seen by a specialist when the poor thing is vomiting at every feeding! it sucks to have to count the days until she is seen by a DR with a clue as to whats going on in her little belly. SIGH. I cant believe that Ethan is ready to roll over! He's a strong guy! What a sweet picture I have in my head of the both of the Super Cuties carrying around their blankies, Ryan is still not getting anywhere as far as figuring out that his arms & hands are his so he's sleeping in the sleep sack and wont be seeing a blanket until later on when I'm sure that it cant end up on his head. This is a small house, and I can hear him fussing from his room right next to ours anyway, but thoughts like that make me wish I chose the video monitor instead of just audio. Oooh, girl your idea on the jumpy chair was a raging success!!! He absolutely loved it, and even though I had to put a box covered in a soft mat underneath it so he could reach the floor, as soon as he had traction, he was jumping all over, I did catch it on the Flip camera ( even 1 big smile too!) so tomorrow when I'm awake( I just put Ryan to bed and mommy's tired too) I'll figure out how to post it. Good Luck with your decision and dont either one of you rush to make anything definite unless you really talk it through, ok? Much love to you all - xoxoxo

Natasha - Yeah, the internal exams towards the end of pregnancy do hurt, and you cant wait for them to be over, even the exams while I was in labor, I was like hurry up, that really hurts. whew, girl, you've only got 2.5 more weeks!!!!! and she will be here!! You must be so excited and ready to hold her already!! hang in there, you're so close now - xoxo

Franca - Ryan never did engage, he dropped but wasnt in the pelvis, he was too far forward. Are you feeling alright lately? - xoxo

Gi, Hazel & Claudia - Hope that you all doing alright, and just lost in the wonders of babyland - what a great place to get lost, right? thinking of you...

AFM - I'm havent been up to much lately, Ryan has a way of keeping me so busy that the days have been flying by. He is starting to give me a "enough already" face at all the kisses I give him, funny because its the same face he makes when Gracie comes up and slimes him. Guess he's giving me a hint, huh? He has finally figured out how to suck his thumb without his index finger poking him in his eye, so now it thumb in mouth all the time, that works for me since the battle of the binky was getting really old. Now if only he would try to use his arms for fun things like reaching out for toys instead of trying to gouge his eye out. sigh. So the jumpy chair came today and its a little bigger than I thought it would be, but wow is that thing great! he has a time limit for everything it seems like the bouncy chair is 10 min, and the bumbo, he likes, but only if you are right on top of entertaining him, but the jumpy chair?? He was in for almost an hour and smiling and jumping like crazy in it. I took him out of it after the first try of maybe 30 minutes, and he started crying until I put him back in it - I couldnt believe it. I really hope this will help him reach out with his hands for things that interest him. I put him back in it after dinner (which we got to eat together for a change since the Emperor insists that one of us holds him all the time, lol.) anyway, he was so happy just boucing around in this thing so i firgured now, finally I can get some smiling pics, but, nope, the very second he sees the camera, all smile are off, so I tried the Flip instead since I dont have to have it right in front of me and that worked. Also, and I hate to admit this, but in a desperate attempt to take a shower I put the swing turned to the tv and put on Dora and that bought me enough time to now only shower and wash my hair AND blow dry too! It was bliss! Yeah, I know, my life is sort of quiet these days but I wouldnt change it for anything in the world. Ok, isnt it great that the only time I can post in peace is at midnight??? Off to bed- love you guys - xoxoxo

[PA_FA]

Hazel- WOW little Georgie not so little any more. Let me know how you like the Baby Einstein DVDs. I was looking at them too. I'm so excited about your house. I know it's time consuming picking out everything but at least you get to have it all EXACTLY the way you want. We were the 2nd owners on our house. It was less than a year old when we got it in a foreclosure. I would have LOVED to redo it the way we want. They did some CRAZY "upgrades" and then left other things really crappy. So now we are trying to fix it all to the way we want it that will also be a bonus for resale value. Anyhow, I can't wait to see pics of the new place and yes I'm sure it will be better to be closer to town.

Gi- Your breakaway sounds lovely! I just found a bag of stuff from Lush on Grafton street so I indulged in a wonderful bubble bath tonight. All that was missing was a glass of wine. I'm sure your radio time was wonderful. I think what you are doing, giving others hope, is a wonderful thing. I don't think IVF is talked about in many countries. I talk about it any time people want to here. I have found so many co workers that open up to me about their struggles when they hear that we did IVM. It really does give them hope to hear that it worked for even one person they know.

Franca- I had my flu jab in early December. I procrastinated and then got a cold so I had to wait even longer. How are you feeling today? I hope you've found a way to find comfort. I took a bath tonight with a French Kiss bubble bar from Lush...divine!!!!!!!! My back pain is gone for now. Oh and I am not engaged either yet. :/

Steph- Thanks for positive vibes on my tummy (and hole) LOL. My tummy problems are coming and going. How is little Lina doing today? I haven't checked FB that much. Sorry the ER docs couldn't tell you anything useful. Do a google search on the Your Baby Can Read stuff. It got some really bad reviews. I was contemplating getting it too until I read them. Your babies can and will get just as much out of you reading to them if not more.
Have you talked to Andrew more about getting out? I know it's a big decision and I'm glad you two are talking about it. I would be scared of how he comes home as well. There were things my ex could never talk about. He used to call me from Afghanastan crying and telling me about things he had seen that day or friends who had died. I was already dating DH at the time but I always took the call. I still do. I just can't imagine what they go through over there. It's so scary and so brave. I pray for each and every one of them...the spouses who are left at home too, like you. It takes a special person to be able to hold the family together during a deployment. We are all here for you and I know you will figure out what is best. XOXO

Katie- You mentioned WTE first year and Baby 411. I got both of those at Christmas. I've already started reading them a bit at night. Really I just like scaring DH with the chapters on poop. LOL
The wall decal is working a bit better now. I am going to work on the leaves tomorrow. I have the tree and owls up. I can't wait for spring. I think the snow is beautiful but I am so paranoid that there will be a blizzard when I decide to go into labor. UGH.

Angela- Love the pics of little Gabriella. She's just so tiny! I'm glad she finally had a BM. That must be so uncomfortable for a baby. For the bumbo...if you ever decide to get one...I got mine at Buy Buy Baby. I know they carry them at Babies R Us too. You can wait for a 20% off coupon to make it less expensive.

Natasha- You said that you may have to go in to have your cervix softened? How do they do that???? I hope you get some relief soon. This last month is quite different from the others huh???

AFM- well,I went to the OB today for my weekly check up. Had the strep test done. not as bad as I expected. Because of the diarrhea I had in the past week she wanted to check to see if I was dilating. Nope! But she said my cervix was starting to soften. UM....not really sure what that means. I guess I need to read that chapter in WTE tonight. Let's just hope she does not make an appearance this weekend. DH leaves for Greece tomorrow and won't be back until Monday afternoon. Yeah...he sucks.
We did have some workers out this week and had a ceiling fan installed in the nursery. I am still waiting on my glider and dresser. They should both be in this week. The dresser is being delivered. YEA for using a good furniture store. The glider...ah the bane of my existence. When I called Buy Buy Baby to check on it, after being on hold 10 mins they tell me that the person in charge of special orders would be out of the office for 2 days. OK fine. When she called back 2 days later she informed me that the glider company did not have my order and had no clue what they were talking about. WTF!!!!!!!!!!! I ordered it on Oct 25! Are you freaking kidding me??? She claims that she fixed everything and it will be in the store Jan 19...only 1 day late. Well, it had a 8-12w delivery time and now they can magically make it appear in 2 weeks? OK well, I hope so. SOOOOOOOOO as soon as I get the dresser I will take some pics of the nursery and post them.
I hope everyone is having a great week. xoxo

[natasha10]

katie- yes im very excited and anxious to see her already.


pafa- they would have to bring me in the night before and give me medicine is what i took it as when she told me the other day. well yay for you your at least softening so your once step closer. how r u feeling? the store i ordered from messed my order up too its irritating and they never called and told me until i callled them because it was late after my delivery date and i call they say the warehouse was out of stock ok well i bought it already and they never told me that. they are all just crazy and bad service.

afm- dreading that im back to school in a week already. that just wasnt enough time. =) nataliah is kicking me so much still i thought she'd be rammed by now and it seems she can still get around. so i have a question for those of you who have a dog. how do i get my pup to stop biting? i had him now 2 months and its only getting worse, im afraid i may have to get rid of him down the road if he doesnt stop i dont want him to bite the baby in a few weeks. i know he teeths too but he's even snapping at our face at times. i have no idea what to do but yell at him and spank him in his butt but that seems not to be working. any ideas?

[Stephanieford78]

Natasha - I hate to hear that you are thinking about getting rid of your puppy later because of biting. It is just their nature, it's how they play and yes, they teeth too and need good chew toys for that. First, never try to get rid of one bad habit by using another bad habit. Smacking a dog doesn't do anything but make them fear us. If you play with your hands with the puppy then this is likely why he bites. You should always use a toy not skin if you want to teach your puppy not to bite skin. I found a site that might help you. http://www.lucythewonderdog.com/biting.htm See if this helps! Good luck! Oh by the way... you must not have been on much during all my moaning and groaning huh? lol I complained all the time! There was always some new pain or irritation happening the last month. It's just our bodies saying it is time! It lets us know that we are ready and makes us look even more forward to seeing our babies. Don't worry mama, getting close!

Pa - I read the reviews on the YBCR DVD's and sure enough. most are negative. Seems as though they didn't make it very exciting for kids so many lose interest. I think the set up they have for it can be useful, like the flash cards, but if your kid isn't a couch potato, this might not work. lol You're right, reading to your kids is the best way to get them interested in reading. The way I see it, I will buy a few educational things, but I don't want to push. I am sure the twins will each grow and learn at their own pace. Like now, Ethan is doing more than Lina but she is still where she is suppose to be. No need to rush it. As for the deployment, he doesn't seem to want to take the risk of being chaptered out. It isn't a guarantee, but his 1st Sgt might push for it if he gets undeployable status. We have a lot more to talk about. We still can't seem to keep the conversation going. We always get interrupted or the subject changes somehow. Sorry to hear about the issues with the glider. Too bad they couldn't have made it magically appear in 2 weeks when you ordered it. It would be there by now. lol At least the dresser is coming and that will be there in time. Oh gosh, don't go into labor before DH comes home! lol Don't want him to miss all the fun!

Katie - I am so glad that Ryan loves his jumpy! It is definitely a busy toy isn't it? I was thinking of getting them walkers here soon. Maybe today since we will be at Walmart anyway to get a monitor. Well, I might have to order that one or go to TRU since BRU is just too far away! Online might be cheaper. Anyway... I can't wait to see this video of Ryan in the jumpy!! I bet that big smile is beyond adorable! Ethan is acting like he is ready to roll over. He gets so close and I would say he has already but I think unless it is a hard flat surface that it might be cheating. lol In the bed he flops all over the place, but it's cushioned so I don't think I should count it. I hardly ever put them on the floor, even on the tummy time mat just because of clumsy Alex and her friends... the dog also. Rizzo gets so jealous of the twins. She has already jumped on them when she has gotten excited. She just doesn't always realize they are there. Thankfully she is smaller than the babies so it hasn't done any harm. The cat is just annoying and I wish Andrew would let me get rid of it. His litter box stinks up the house and he sheds worse than a golden retriever. I have never been a cat person. lol They are cute, but that's about it.

Franca - No engaging here... but Alex did, I'd say about week 38. It's been a while but I remember she was all kinds of ready. I was efaced and dilated a few cm that the OB agreed to induce me early. I didn't need much to bring her on. She was in such a hurry that my ex had to interrupt the OB having a sandwich and by the time she came in, Alex's head was halfway out. No water breaking or anything, she was coming so fast that the bag broke behind her, not before her. lol

AFM - The review of the u/s was today... normal of course. All the doctors can say is switch her formula. UGH! Of course we have done that. So it looks like one of those things... we just have to deal with it. There is always the GI spc on the 3rd. Maybe they will have more answers?? That's all they do is deal with these types of issues so maybe? It's ok that we have to deal with it, but poor Lina? I don't want her to have to deal with the pain. Sometimes the spit up/vomit will just spill out of her and she will still be all smiles while it is happening, I think the zantac helps a little as far as not feeling the pain from throwing up all the time. However, soon enough she is crying and screaming. I have heard that constant acid reflux, when bad enough can cause esophageal cancer. Most famously, it is what led to the Kardashion dad's death. He was taking so many antacids to feel better, it masked the issues going on inside him until it was too late. I know that this doesn't really happen to babies, but it still scares me. It scares me to think that a hole will form or cancer will form or other things like that. If the NP was right, we have 6 more months of this. SIGH!

So while at the doctor's today, Alex went in for her 3rd gardasil shot. Any opinions on that? It is an optional vaccine of course, but I think a good one to get! If I was young enough, I would get it even though I am married and shouldn't have any issues, but well... you never know. I explained to Alex that it doesn't just help prevent her from getting certain types of cancer, but explained what HPV really is. I know a lot of parents think that just because their kids aren't having sex, they don't need it. I say, why wait till they are?? If you haven't done so already, it is a good excuse to bring up the conversation of sex. Alex and I have a very good, open and honest relationship. I am so proud of that and can only hope that it continues. She comes to me now with her issues and I feel so lucky that she does. I am giving her advice on boys already and watching her take some of it and not take some of it. She is still choosing to make her own path and that is perfectly fine. Of course I am there with open arms even though she sees an "I told you so" look in my eyes. lol She promises that she will come to me and talk when she is thinking about having sex, not after she does. She tells me up and down now that she won't do it till she is married. lol I tell her, I am glad to hear that but I still want her to talk to me first. She agrees. I am sure she is getting her period any month now. She is getting moody and cries for no reason. I made her pack pads in her book bag in case it happens at school. She told me that they don't allow them to take their bags in the restrooms. They have to leave them in the class or in the hallway. Umm.. yeah, I am going to have to give the school a piece of my mind about that one. A tampon like ob can be easily hidden, but a pad? This school has enough crazy rules, this one I am putting my foot down though. Ok, I rambled on enough. Have a great weekend all you beautiful ladies!

[angelaezra]

Ronda – Yes, I was so happy that she finally had a BM but guess what? Three days later she is having the same problem again. I just don’t understand why she is having this problem now because she has been on the same formula for 5 ½ weeks! So, I had to give her a suppository and she finally had a BM this afternoon but that was after an awful night. She cried and whined the entire night but I am sure it was because she was sooo uncomfortable. I might have to call her pediatrician again so he can change the formula.

Stephanie – Thank you so much for the advice about the formula but when I took her to her doctor’s office on Tuesday, I asked her physician about changing the formula and she said that she didn’t want to change the formula any time soon because of her bowel problems. She said that she still wants to keep her on the high calorie formula because she is still so tiny at 6 pounds 18 ounces.

I read where you took Lina to the ER to be checked out and I thought you said that the scans turned out fine, which is great but I know frustrating at the same time because they said to change the formula and you already did that. I hope you get more answers after you talk with the gastroenterologist in Feb.

Natasha – I am sorry the exams are so painful for you. I am happy that you have an induction date already. I just hope your induction goes better than mine did, which I am sure that it will. Oh yes, I complained sooo much during my last few weeks of pregnancy because I was so uncomfortable too. I’m sorry but I can’t help with your problem with your dog as I have never had one before.

Franca – I engaged after she dropped so probably about week 36 or so. I hope you are feeling well!

Katie – yes, you ladies were right about Gabriella. As soon as my in-laws (father-in-law) and step mother-in-law) saw and held her, they fell in love with her.

PA_FA – Thanks for letting me know where I can buy the bumbo chair. Yeah, for your cervix softening … it needs to soften so it can start to thin and then dilate.

It is a good thing that you checked on your glider because the date that it is supposed to be in would have come and gone and you still wouldn’t have your chair. But, I will tell you that the glider is so very helpful. Sometimes I think it is my bed because I spend so much time in it … lol.

AFM – Well, I made an appointment today so that my DH and I could visit the same day care that my nephew currently goes to. Their price is $195 per week and we found one for $145 per week. My DH has an early morning meeting on Saturday so we will meet the owner tomorrow afternoon. Oh, I hope we like the facility and the day care providers because that could mean the difference between paying $6,000 per year versus $13,000 per year … I know that it is crazy!

Remember ladies that I told you about my brother-in-law and his wife being pregnant while I was pregnant with Gabriella last year and saying that they will just have an abortion and try later … well guess what ladies? She is pregnant again. It seems to me that they are trying to get pregnant on purpose. She ended up having a miscarriage last year after making the stupid statement. Now, everyone thinks that they are trying to have another kid because we just had one. WTF??? Can you believe that? I could go on and on how they drive me nuts but I will take the high road on this one! Have a great night ladies!

Angela

[katie99]

PA - Oh, no - thanks for letting us know that about the YBCR series - but crap! I've planned on getting that since before I even was lucky enough to get pregnant, oh well. I was wondering if it encouraged them to watch tv anyway, I was a book worm as a child and I hope that Ryan will be along the same lines, no matter that Chris is a tv addict, Ryan wont be, hee hee I'd cancel the cable before that happened and suffer myself. I suppose I could live without The Real Housewives of whatever city is running now, but live without Top Chef??? I'm not too sure about that.. Aw, tell your DH that the poopy diapers arent so bad, remind him that I get peed on by The Fountain of Ryan at least twice a week, so at least you wont have that kind of fun first thing in the morning -sigh. yeah, you guessed it, we have the peepee teepees, but do I ever remember to use them? nope. You'd figure I would have learned by now but...
I'll stay crossed that you go into labor only on a day when DH is home and there is NO snow in sight, ok?

Natasha - Aw honey I did lots of complaining also - lots! Its ok, you're very pregnant and its very uncomfy, you talk about whatever you feel like mama. Ditto to everything that Steph said regarding the dog situation ( she's a smart chick! ) You should never smack or hit your dog, he'll quickly fear human hands and then he will become a biter, you'll lose his trust too. Reward correct behavior with positive reinforcement ( praise, petting, dog cookie) but when he nips at your hand tell him in a firm tone ( not yelling) NO! and since he's so young, as long as you take the time to train him he'll pick up whats ok and whats not ok pretty fast. Its well worth it and then you have a well behaved member of your family. Good Luck

Steph - UGH, This is getting beyond frustrating to never get an answer about Lina's tummy pain! You should definitely get a proper diagnosis from the GI spc. I think of it as the same as comparing an OB to an RE, a specialist is always the way to go in my opinion. Remember how upsetting it was to get released from our specialists REs and get such basic answers as we all did fron the OBs? Never mind what the NP said - 6 more months of having your little baby girl in pain??? Unacceptable! Ah, poor Lina, this make me so sad for her, and you to have to watch her like this.. Walkers already?? How can that be? Wasnt it just yesterday that all these little miracles arrived? it sure seems that way to me. Ryan keeps trying to hold his own bottle and I hate to admit it but i look at him and think "dont grow up too fast, ok"? sigh, it seems to be happening anyway, lol. And how is Mister Ethan doing? Are you still swaddling him at night? I'm afraid that Ryan will roll over one of these nights and swaddled, he's sort of stuck without the use of his arms, but since I've been too lax about enough tummy time I think its my fault that he's not getting used to his arms If I dont swaddle him no one gets any sleep, he'll keep waking himself up and scaring himself with those arms attacking him, so now I'm afraid to swaddle or not to swaddle - if only he would get the hang of those things already..
I think its awesome that you have such a strong and close bond with Alex, thats the way its supposed to be but so rarely is with teen / tween girls these days. You're doing everything right to raise a level headed, self suficient girl - Good job mama! Guide her but let her decide things for herself (within reason of course) although it must be difficult to stay quiet on the I told you so's on the topic of boys, huh? She has the best mom to encourage her to think / do/ choose for herself instead of being told what to do or what not to do. See, I told you you were Supermom - much love xoxoxo

Angela - Of course thay all fell in love with that little face, how could you not? Whew, it will be a rough day the first day that you have to take her to day care, and not have her in your arms all day. Be storng mama, time out of the house and to have adults to talk to while at work? Oooh, I think I'm jealous of that! WTF?? Your BIL - Grrrrrr! I cannot deal with anyone who could make such a stupid, wrong, cruel, insensitive ( I could go on you know) comments about the ability or inability to conceive. Hopefully you dont have to spend too much time with that one - I couldnt do it. - xoxo

AFM - Holy Crap! And I do mean that literally. So I thought that last month I saw a blowout diaper, umm after what happened today, I see I didnt. Ryan was in the jumpy chair (bonus for me that he loves it, I get to eat occasionally now!) and was fussing, but not too bad, so I figured it would be ok to actually finish dinner, well silly me, that was a bad move on my part. I go to change him and when I say there was poop everywhere, I mean everywhere!!! on the onesie, pants, socks, changing table cover, cover saver, and of course trying to get the onesie off ( I refused to cut it off to save me from the poop monster) so now its in his hair (fuzz really) and on his legs, and I'm still not sure how it got on his arm? eek! What a mess! So a bath and a load of laundry later its ok now, right? Umm, yeah until I put him back in the jumpy chair without realizing that there was poop on the seat too - gross. So another outfit later he's clean and I'm wiped out. Fun, yes? I notice that the jumpy chair wears him out too (yay!) and he took TWO big naps today! The boy who never wants to nap, this was the best purchase so far, other than the swing which he still loves. So I'm feeling guilty that I've let him escape tummy time a little, I figured it was ok since his head, neck and back control is really good, this kid is pretty strong, well now I'm watching him and feel like an idiot because he really isnt even trying to grab at things. My new rule is tummy time every single day and I just have to learn to get through the screaming that he does after a minute or two since he HATES tummy time, but he needs it, so wish me luck, we did manage to get like 10 minutes in today, so thats a start, but boy does it suck to hear him wail like that! So I hope that posting these little video clips work, I am embarrassed to say that i've let this Flip camera sit untouched since Chris got it for me not this last Christmas, but the one before that! OK, so gadgets arent my thing, you all would hate to know how long I let my first ipod sit untouched, lol.

OMG - I. AM. SO. AGGRAVATED!!!!!! - Why does this flip thing insist on screwing with me??? Now its 1:30 in the morning, it wont let me put these dopey clips up Grrrrr! i'm way too tired to keep trying this - ugh