oct/nov babies

[Tracii]

How is everyone sleeping these days?? We are doing great..Isabella really sleeps through the night again very well (knock on wood) but is a little fireball during the day! Yesterday we went for shots - she had 2 and did not cry at all! Then I asked the doc to check her feet because they turn a little outside and she said 'well don't worry until she starts crawling'...well I said "she has been crawling for 1.5 months now'...so we went to the orthopedic doctor..and she said she has never seen such a well-coordinated (not from me!) and strong baby (must have been the alpine hiking while pregnant)...she believes Isabella will be walking by herself in 3 months. Anyway no probs with the feet - but need a checkup 3 months after she can start walking by herself. Needless to sayduring the day I am seriously exhausted by mid-afternoon...Isabella is into everything and anything I have she wants (and screams if she doesn't get it)...she is so physical and loves to crawl over me..I guess that is the closest we will get to a "cuddle" (sad part of having a VERY active child).

OK so I lost most of my pregnancy weight right after giving birth...but in the past 2 months I have really added on the pounds! And almost weigh as much as pre-birth! I have been eating really poorly and absolutely no exercise..to be honest I am pretty in the dumps about it..none of my clothes fit and I go to buy new ones but I can't bring myself to buy the right size. Although I am chasing Isabella around I am not getting my normal daily activities in and of course have to eat on the fly. The health clubs in Europe are too expensive and most don't have child facilities. We are looking into getting a baby jogger but of course they seemed to be sold-out everywhere! So I feel really fat and getting a little depressed about it

[kristiA]

Tracii, I know what you mean about the weight. I have put on more weight in the past few months too. And I am eating poorly and not exercising. The funny thing is that I too am really bothered by it, I've had to buy all new clothes, hate the way I look in my bathing suit at the pool EVERYDAY, but I just can't get myself to do anything about it. Why?? And I'm still breastfeeding which burns a bunch of calories...imagine when I stop that! One of these days I have to shape up and literally shape up.

I can't believe how active Isabella is! I loved that picture of her you just recently posted. So cute! Can you imagine what a little stinker she might be as she gets older. ha ha.

My newest accomplishment is that I'm taking both my babies to the pool everyday by myself! You should see all the people that tell me they can't believe I'm doing it on my own. Lots of stares...and lots of people asking if I need help. The boys love the water and we're having a ball swimming about 1.5 hours a day.

Oh, yes, we are sleeping great ever since the Ferber thing about 4 weeks ago. Sleeping 9 hours straight at night, 2 hour nap in the morning, and 1.5 hour nap in the afternoon.

[Tracii]

Seems like everyone is enjoying summer and time with their little ones.

KristiA - Good for you on bringing your guys to the pool. But how do you do it??? I was thinking of bringing Isabella but she is so hard to manage with all the movement. Glad to hear the boys are also sleeping better..it makes such a huge improvement to everyone's lives!

I am finally trying to tackle this weight issue. We bought a baby-jogger over the weekend and Isabella loves it! I have been going everynight around 6pm - after her dinner and not too hot. But geez I am a total wreck...out of shape and too much weight so jogging is tough but I have to do it. My middle area is a nightmare. I am also trying to eat healthier but I still find this difficult during the day...but I am cooking a healthy dinner after Isabella goes to sleep.

Isabella had her eyes checked yesterday..they seemed a bit cross-eyed...but doctor said she was 100% healthy..it is just that baby's have a wide bridge on their nose and it looks like it is not so white..but she sees parallel. No other news from us.

[Cla]

Hi all!

sorry - don't seem to have had much time to post recently! Great to hear everyone doing so well though!

I LOVE taking Charlie swimming - he adores it! But KristiA I cannot believe you take 2 of them on your own. I'm in awe!!!! I've just spoken to the lady that runs swimming lessons at a private pool near us. They don't have any places until the new term starts in September, so we've enrolled him for then. Can't wait!!!!

Charlie had his 8 month check on Friday and passed with flying colours! The only thing I said I was concerned about was that he doesn't like "textures" of food and he won't even entertain finger foods but they said I just need to persevere! So I let him play with some toast soldiers yesterday - he finally put one to his mouth and ate a bit but as soon as he realised he gagged until it fell out!??????? Funny - one minute he was 7 months and I wasn't really concerened about it and all of a sudden he's 8 months and I'm thinking that now he should really be eating more of this type of thing.

Right - I know I haven't been here for ages, but must dash!
Any newsfrom Sue E???????

Have a great Thursday!!!!!

Cla
xx

[kristiA]

Cla, I know what you mean about one month you feel this way, and the next you feel differently. About the pool...last week it was easy, this week it's difficult. My boys went from easy, to being a handful all day now. Tyler had a tooth cut through so I suppose that's probably why. And Brady must have sympathy pains. ha ha. Anyway, I am exhausted everyday with them this week.

Tracii, I also now understand what you meant when you said Isabella won't cuddle with you. My boys started this too. Even when they are tired they just climb all over me instead of calming down and cuddling or rocking.

Cla, the swim lessons sound fun!! Congrats, Tracii on the jogging thing and eating healthy. Keep us posted on your progress. I'm proud of you! (I don't have it in my yet!)

My boys have started weaning from breastfeeding. They are rejecting me most of the time now. They do it 1-2 times a day and I'm pumping a couple times. I guess it will likely be all over soon. Sad.

Yeah, there's a lot of people missing on the board lately. I was also thinking about Charlie & Richard. Haven't seen anything from them in ages either.

[Tracii]

Sue e - Great photo of Jessica! please post and let us know how you guys are doing!

Same goes for Mel_P, Charlie, EYCI....

KristiA - The cuddling for me never started ..seriously Isabella has never been a cuddly baby...so I am very envious you have had cuddly times with your boys. I keep hoping Isabella will just give me a big hug and kiss one day..someday..as soon as she is done exploring the world! I now love when she puts her arms up to be picked up or when I say 'come see mommy' she crawls right into my lap..only to squeeze my nose...but hey I'll take it!

Cla and KristiA - When you go swimming - how do you prevent water from going in their ears? In Vienna you can take swimming starting at 3 months..but we are never there long enough to sign-up..my poor gypsy child.

Is anyone else experiencing stranger anxiety? I think I need to find a babysitter asap..otherwise I will have a 2 year-old hanging on my ankles! This week we have had lots of doctors appointments and the nurses have been kind enough to hold Isabella...but she screams as soon as she it out of my arms. What can you do? Does anyone know?

Also any success with sippy cups or normal cups? Isabella wants nothing to do with hers.

We are now eating food with little chunks...she is such a good eater and really filling up her diapers! She also attempts to ear cheerios - although over 80% go to the dogs. Just yesterday she started the pincer grip.

Please post more photos! I love seeing our little ones...geez where does the time go?? (ha - I say that now after 2 glasses of wine!)

[bella-s]

Hi everyone...hope you are all well. i have been reading the posts all the time, but rarely have the energy to type. also, i cannot write with capital letters atm the moment, as lucy broke the shift key on my laptop (and the number one key too)

tracii - i cannot believe how alike isabella and lucy are. she has never been a cuddly baby, and i have always joked that she doesn't seem to have a chill out button. she has been crawling for nearly a month now, but mainly just uses it as a way to crawl to me and climb up on me. she has just started pulling herself up to her feet, and nearly hurting herself all the time. i am also saying 'no lucy' all day long. she is a little sweetie, but some days i wish i had a koala bear that would just cuddle me.
with the sippy cup, lulu got a lot better over time. i just give it to her when she is in the pram etc. - she mainly just plays with it, but she has gotten better and now drinks nearly a whole cup full of water a day. i find it settles her well too.

kristy - what a super mum you are...taking both boys to the pool. i took lulu a couple of months ago, and that was an effort just getting in and out of the pool. we haven't been in a long while though, cos it's winter here and has been very cold. lucy has her second cold now, and also her first tooth came through last week, so a been very grumpy during the day.

she is sleeping well - often about 12 hours a night, so i can't complain. although i find the more sleep i get, the more i want. go figure...

i will post some pics up,and have a look at all the bubs too.

oh, and totally agree about the weight. i hadn't been slimmer since high school, then all of a sudden, the weight is piling back on. it is sodepressing, and really getting to me.

anyway, glad to have a chat (so to speak)....

bella.

[bella-s]

ph, one more thing. tracii - would love to know if isabella is the same. lucy is crawling, standing etc., but terrible at sitting. it's like she can't sit still long enough to practice sitting, so she doesn't sit for more than 30 seconds. don't know how to change that.

also, have decided i wont go back to work, and will do a graduate diploma in education next year and become a teacher. very excited, and so happy to have a job that will be family friendly.

[kristiA]

Bella, so good to hear from you! It sounds like Lucy is quite an active baby too! I can't believe she pulls herself up on her feet. She's doing great! Doesn't the weight thing stink? Everyday I hate it. It's funny that so many of us are actually putting more weight on since losing the original baby weight. I can't wait to see some pics of Lucy!!

I posted a new pic of my boys. I called it their 9 month pic because they turn 9 months this week! Oh my gosh! Where does time go?

Tracii...answering your questions. No stranger anxiety usually, but a couple of times Brady through a fit and wouldn't stop crying when we had the babysitters here. No luck here with sippy cups, but they like to drink directly out of a cup instead. I haven't dipped them under the water in the pool so I don't worry about their ears. I suppose they get splashed a bit, but not much.

What's with this fake cough that Tyler started doing? He does it non-stop. It's kind of funny how they discover different noises and then they do them over and over just to hear themselves.

[Tracii]

Bella - I think Lucy and Isabella are so much alike! Luckily with all of Isabella's activity she is actually a really happy baby. She does sit - but not for long because there is so much investigating to be done. Her favorite thing is to pull up on my legs. I am totally exhausted at the end of the day - which is 7pm when Isabella goes to bed. She also sleeps 12 hours at night. I really can't do a thing after 7pm but maybe watch some bad TV

KristiA - Your boys are adorable! How did you do the cup thing? Isabella hates water or juice..which worries me in this hot weather.

Friday Pm we are driving to Tuscany for a 2 week holiday. We are going with 2 other couples - each with 1 baby. We rented a villa and will be tons of fun! 3 kids, 2 dogs and 6 adults No news to report on our end...just trying to keep Isabella safe..we get lots of bumps on our head from falling...but I can't run behind her everywhere with a pillow. She is really babbling up a storm..no mamma or dadda..mostly 'gegege'.

I wish everyone a great week - and please let us know how you all are doing!!

[kristiA]

Tracii, have fun on your holiday to Tuscany. It sounds like so much fun with the other couples and babies, etc. I know what you mean about the bumps on the head. My boys are getting little bruises and bumps here and there now that they are getting around a bit. I stopped putting a pillow behind them too.

I didn't really intend to get them to drink out of a cup...it just happened. The sippy cup wasn't working so I took the lid off it and found out they liked it. Brady started drinking out of a straw too. I was surprised he could figure out how to suck through it, but he loves it.

I added a 3rd meal to their routine now. It sure doesn't leave much left for BFing...which is alitlte sad for me. I know...let them grow up, Kristi. ha ha.

Tyler threw up for the first time all over the floor. Of course since it consited of baby food it stained the carpet and we can't get it out. A very large section of the carpet too.

Well, not much to report. Just babbling. Take care!!!

[EYCI]

Hello All!!

It has been awhile! So much to catch up on. We too are taking Hendricks swimming. He doesn't like the colder pool, but LOVES the really warm one. He gets sooooo excited when we get there.

We started H using a regular cup at 6 months. He is always eager to drink out of it, but most still just runs out of his mouth and down the front. He is always reaching for our glasses of water (or beer or wine!) and our water bottles. I gave him a sippy cup the other day at the park and he just couldn't figure it out. Oh well. I guess the downside to the cup is that we have to hold it for him.

No crawling for us yet. H is perfectly content to sit it one spot. I am actually glad about this... after hearing how exhausting it is for Tracii and Bella-S He does pull himself up to standing but hasn't ventured any steps yet.

We are having issues with solid/chunky type food too. Anything that we try with just the slightest bit of texture and H just gags, and chokes, and pukes. Not sure what to do to get past this. Keep trying I guess! He has 4 teeth now, but just the front ones so no chewing yet.

I think H is starting to talk a little bit (real words that is). He clearly says "mum" when he wants me... like when I get home from work or he wants to be picked up. He puts out his arms and says mum mum mum. Doesn't do it with DH so I'd like to think he know what he's saying He also says baby when looking at pics of them and when he met the neighbor's 10 month old the other day. We're also pretty sure that he understands/says bird as both DH and I have heard him say it in the right context. It seems hard to believe, but I think we sometimes don't give enough credit to how much they truly understand at this age.

Hope you all are enjoying yourselves... it sure sounds like it!

--Julie

[Cla]

Hi all!

Great to hear all your news! Charlie has now started crawling properly! One minute he had no interest and then BAM - went from the kitchen through to the lounge no problems! There is now no stopping him!!!! The poor cat does not have a minute's peace! Everytime she tries to sit down and have a snooze he's over there! Still prefers to be on his feet though!!!

No other major news from us! My sister came to stay at the weekend as we had a wedding to go to and she looked after Charlie! She said he was an angel (mmmm - not always for us!!!) and looks like she had a ball! Took some fab piccies too so will download them onto computer and put them onto photo bucket (i know, I know - been saying that for ages!!).

Anyway! As always am in a rush! Tracii - have a fantastic time!

Love to all!

Cla
xx

[kristiA]

Cla, isn't it amazing how they BAM (as you put it) just all of sudden start doing something. Brady is crawling all over now. Tyler is still content to sit and play, like you said about Hendricks, Julie. I just can't get over how much they change and grow up. Brady shocked me when he pulled himself up on the couch and stood up.

Tyler has one tooth now and he started biting me when I BF. This morning he bit me so hard I started bleeding. So does that means BFing is over? I'm a bit upset about it, although I keep telling myself all the reasons why it's ok for me to stop. Anyone else have this or able to BF when they have a tooth/teeth?

[Cla]

Kristi - I know how you feel about giving up BFing. I did at 5 months as I was going back to work and just couldn't get on with expressing. Thing was I "weaned" him off over a period of several weeks (by giving mainly bottle with a top up of BF) and before I knew it it was all over. I don't remember my last time (i.e. I didn't sit there thinking "this will be my last time") - It just sort of happened. I really miss it - BUT I knew it was the right time for us which makes it easier.
Don't have any advise about teeth as Charlie cut his afterwards (actually about 1 week after - how lucky was that!) but can understand the disappointment of knowing it's all over. And boy do I miss those boobs too!!!!
I suppose like anything we know when the time is right and need to take comfort from that. Oh and a huge pat on the back for Bfing 2 for so long!!!

Cla
xx