How are

[Marie]

all the new mommies and babies doing?

Please update,
Hugs and Love,
Marie

[emily]

Well Marie... you can't just ask for updates without giving one yourself!

LOVE your sig pic!

Anyhow, all is going well. I am kinda tired but not so much from the baby, mostly doing too much trying to get caught up. I have been getting everything put back together financially AND I almost there with my house being CLEAN. I have been DEEP cleaning, scrubbing floors, moldings, windows, cleaning out all of the closets, sprucing up, decorating.... AH it is starting to feel like home again!

I am still not back to my usual cooking self. Mostly because taking two kids to the grocery store is too much for me. I did make a quick trip today and I am making an Emeril recipe that is turning out so yummy! I am doing a menu for next week and ordering my groceries online for delivery!

I am recovering really well, I am almost there. Still a couple sore spots down there, but almost all healed up. We are going to two parties this weekend, one of which is a pool party, and I can't wait to go swimming!

I am still getting used to trying to juggle two kids. I really don't know how people do it!!! Just getting us all up, dressed, fed and ready to go and in the car is taking me like 2 hours!

[3kids]

Things are going great.

Katie is a doll. She is such a good baby and has even slept through the night a few times. The others...she's up once or twice max. Doesn't hardly cry and is generally just lovely!

Jack is adjusting. He doesn't cry every single time now, but still gets scared when she really hollers! Look at this, it is hilarious, I laugh every time I see this...







Me, I'm still sore a bit too (2nd degree tear), but getting better. My iron levels must be coming back up as I'm feeling a little stronger. I'm not entirely interested in food still, but I can eat and drink, just don't much feel like it. My biggest thing is trying to adjust to two young kiddos. Especially as Jack is still very dependant motor wise. He has learned to sit though . They seem to be on opposite schedules, which in one way is ok as it means I'm not torn between seeing to one and not the other, but on the flipside I'm constantly busy and don't know where the day goes. I cannot believe Katie is over 3 weeks old!

[rjdecker]

Emily,

Handling two will soon become second nature to you. I remember with each new baby feeling so overwhelmed and not knowing how to handle everyone, but after a month or two, sometimes three, it gets a lot easier. I now take four kids to the store! But I wouldn't recommend it when large and pg and a three year old runs away out of the bathroom with nothing on but panties and a pair of boots! Yes, it happened a while ago to me! I do try to avoid taking them all to the store unless the dh is with me. It is quite the circus.

Kelly,

Love the pics! They are so cute! It made me laugh!

Jenny

[shearn01]

Kelly- Those pics are SOO adorable. Katie and Jack are so precious.

I am doing well..finally slightly adjusted to going back to work. AJ is doing sooo good and being a complete angel!! He sleeps through the night, but has his first little viral illness. He is coughing and has alot of mucous in the morning but otherwise is great!!!!

[Marie]

(((Emily)))

I am so happy that life is getting back in order around your household. What an awesome accomplishment

You mentioned co-sleeping.....how are you doing this? Did you buy one of those arms reach bed things, or do you put him in between you and you husband? I want to co-sleep, but I am afraid of rolling over on him, and those arms reach beds are a bit to pricey for me to buy in addition to him already having a crib and bassinet. I am looking for an alternative to my nightly reinactment of the movie night of the living dead I am a zombie at this point.

Its only taking you two hours to get the kids ready to get out of the house? You must tell me your secret...its taking me most of the morning and part of the afternoon

We had a photographer come to the house to shoot pictures of the kids today (I have issues making it to appointments on time). Would'nt you know it he showed up 5 minutes early and I was holding Tyler trying to put some clothing on him. Thank goodness I did'nt have to do much with his hair. Sad when the appointment comes to you and you are still late

(((Kelly)))

The pictures of your little ones are so precious. I love the looks Jack gives according to what mood his lil sis is in.
That is wonderful news that Jack is sitting up
Katie is sleeping (for the most part) through the night...what a good baby. Maybe I should send Tyler your way for a week so Katie can show him how its done

(((Sabrina)))

What a great update on AJ....well not the virus part...I hope he gets feeling better soon. Going back to work is a big adjustment. Did you have to find a private sitter or daycare? My lil one is going to a private sitter. I looked into daycare here but the ratios are 4 infants to 1 adult. I know that is statewide, but seems insane to expect one person to handle 4 babies in a calm manner.


I am set to go back to work on August 17 Hoping that Tyler will get to a point where he sleeps through the night instead of just 3 hour stretchs. I don't think dh would deal really well with this schedule, and I work 12 hour midnights, so I won't be around to assist him on certain days. I wish I could stay home with my kids, but financially there is no other option but to go back to work full time.

Sorry sp errors or thoughts in general that are not making sense. My preggy brain left, and new mommy brain entered.....the new mommy brain is even slower than the preggy brain was....Yikes!!

Love and Hugs,
Marie

[HelenA]

We are all doing well, Kimi has just started teething so we are having a couple of whingy days, but in general she is still really good. She is sleeping on average from 9pm until around 7am so I'm really pleased about that. She just got weighed today and is now 13lb 5oz at just over 9 weeks old. She is already into 3-6 month clothes, I can't believe how quickly she is growing!

As for me, the scar is healing (from EMC) but I still have some back problems (from an accident I had 10 years ago) which aren't helped by the fact she is getting so heavy and wants to be held all the time when her gums are sore..lol We decided to make a wall in the living room just for pics of her and I went shopping at a discount frames shop and didn't realise how many frames I had bought...lol It looks like a Kimi gallery in there now..lol Here's a pic of her wall.

[emily]

Marie, we co-slept with dd as well and we just put them between us on the bed. I was worried about rolling onto them as well, but then someone pointed out to me that you don't roll off your bed! You are still aware of where you are at. Another option is to push one side of the bed against a wall and put the baby between you and the wall and dh on the open side. Truman wakes up between 2-5 times a night to nurse, but I can get to him right away, and I usually let him latch on and just fall back to sleep. I keep a basket of diaper changing supplies in the room, and sometimes give him a quick change.

LOL And my morning strategy is to wake up, feed the baby. Get showered/dressed (usually I put the baby in the swing). Make my bed. Then I wake up dd and we eat. Then I get her dressed (well, she is 4 and pretty much dresses herself). Then her hair done. Make her bed. Then I feed the baby again, change him, get him dressed and into his seat. Then back the diaper bag and head out. And I usually do a bit of clean up though, I have this place pretty darned clean, and I am making DH help me get it recovered before we go to bed.

Ugh, I wanted to reply some more to people but my laptop battery is dyin and I am feeling too lazy to go get the plug.

The pool party we went to this weekend was soooo much fun!!!

Emily

[shearn01]

Marie,
AJ is at a private sitter. She used to work in a big day care center but decided to quit and come home to be with her little girl. He is her only other child right now which is awesome and he lights up when he sees her little girl.

As for the co-sleeping discussion, although I am not breastfeeding, AJ sleeps with us. My husband and I was totally against it but when he was like 3 or 4 days old it was the only way he would sleep at night for a while and then it made me more comfortable. He started out next to me but has now moved to the middle with his own pillow I have had many people tell me (including my DH) that it is time for him to sleep in his crib (which he will do now) but its me that cant let go now. At work we preach not to put the baby in the bed with you to new moms, but (no offense to anyone, please) but majority of hispanic moms (which we see alot of) put their babies in bed and are fine, but I have seen 2 incidences of suffication..one the dad rolled over on the baby and the other one the mom fell asleep with the baby on her chest and was large busted. I just feel more comfortable with it and he will sleep in the crib, but especially on days I work those few last minuites talking or reading to him in the bed as he falls asleep are priceless....any thoughts?

[emily]

While babies can and do die in co-sleeping situations, I am going to note that the rate of SIDS is LOWER in babies that co-sleep than babies who sleep in their cribs, and the american academy of pediatrics is recommending that babies at least sleep in the same room as the parents. At this age it could be a small bassinet. If you have a crib that converts to a toddler bed, I have seen people take off the side rail and scooch (lol is that a word?) the crib up next to hte bed.

As far as giving them the boot LOL with dd we moved her out at 6 months when she was solidly sleeping thru the night. She did cry for a few nights, but not much and we just kept trying it until she would sleep in her crib (took a couple of weeks). I am going to try and get Truman to start taking naps in his crib so he gets used to sleeping there.

[Janehh]

Hey gals,
Haven't checked in here for awhile--glad to hear everyone is doing so well!! We are MUCH improved from my last sad whiny post a couple of months ago. Baby Suzy is 11 wks old and over 15 pounds, sleeping 8 hours at night and a total sweetie. Her big brother is still adjusting, and daddy is travelling now so that's hard, but we're surviving. We just did our first long car trip down to my parents' house and back--just me and my two cherubs...a 5 hour drive took 9 hours! Whew! Plus my exhaust system fell off en route . But we made it and I'm feeling pretty proud of myself. I'm getting much stronger physically although it's hard to find time to exercise. Anyway, got to run but glad to read good news about folks.
take care,
Jane

[Marie]

Well I tried the co-sleep for a night in hopes of getting some sleep. Wow that was far worse for me. I was so afraid of rolling over on him that I did'nt get any sleep. I took a nap with him later in the day on the couch (tummy to tummy-hes colicky) and would'nt you know it he rolled off my chest onto the floor. He was fine...just a bit frightened. Me on the other hand was flipping out thinking that I seriously hurt him. Tyler quit crying immediately, and mommy cried for quite some time.

I have to go back to work soon. Brianna starts Kindergarden, and Tyler will be going to a private sitter. I am so overwhelmed right now. I have to get organized this week or the transition won't go very smoothly.

Helen- Kimis wall of cuteness is so precious....I love looking at her sweet happy pictures. Is she ever fussy?

Jane- I am so happy that all is going so well with your family. I hope you husband can come home from his travels soon. Great to hear from you please keep us updated.

Love and Hugs to all,
Marie

[HelenA]

Marie - No Kimi is hardly ever fussy, she's such a happy and contented baby, She recently started teething which made her a little clingy on the days when her gums hurt but even then she never really screamed the place down or anything. She now has a set of keys that are soft gel and go in the fridge, and she gnaws on them when her gums get sore now. She is sleeping an absolute dream now, for the last two weeks or so she has been going down at 9pm and not waking again until anywhere from 7-9am!!! Last night she went down at 8.30pm and woke me this morning at 7.30am. She always wake with a smile.

I have added a new video to her website now if anyone wants to see it, and there are also some new photo albums (I think there are about 17 albums on there now!!!) I'm not camera happy or anything...LOL

http://www.babababies.com/view/view.cfm?siteID=18287