Questions - 10/31

[pinotgrig]

1. We keep G's door closed at night because our cat likes to barf on everything. But, it gets pretty chilly in his room with the door closed. Can we put a space heater in there or is that a bad idea?

2. Does anyone have a playmat they recommend? The tile kind looks interesting. Just need a place where G can roll around in the floor and that cleans up easily.

[karinothing]

1. I think a space heater is fine. They have come a long way. I would keep it on low though so it doesn't get too hot in the room (for SIDS purposes a cooler room is better). Or make sure he isn't dressed too warmly (I guess I am saying pick one or the other).

2. We had teh foam tiles. They were okay, but DS quickly learned how to pull them up. Also, they smelled like chemicals at first (I had the dinosaur ones off amazon). I handwashed them all because I couldn't stand the smell.

[Deleted]

What are some good foods I can eat to improve my energy level and reduce my brain fog?

[aqualuv]

I think L is starting to teeth. He keeps sucking on his hand. Is there anything I need to do at this point? He doesn't appear to be in any pain. I didn't realize he would start teething this early.

[pinotgrig]

Oct 31, 2014 8:40:14 GMT -5 @notquiteblushing said:

What are some good foods I can eat to improve my energy level and reduce my brain fog?

Nuts
Cheese
Peanut butter
Yogurt

[aqualuv]

I feel like we should have a solid bedtime routine right now but we do not. L has to wake up at 5 am, what time should I try putting him down by? We are home between 5:30 pm and 6 pm. He gets a bath every other night in the 7 pm hour and we start trying to put him down no later than 8 pm. He usually nurses to sleep and will wake up, the past few nights, between 3 and 4 to nurse.

[kermit]

pinotgrig I have a space heater in K's room for when it gets really cold. I turn it on low and point it away from the crib, into the closet. Since I'm in there twice MOTN I can always turn it off if I think it's getting too warm.

[hopecounts]

Oct 31, 2014 8:52:57 GMT -5 aqualuv said:

I feel like we should have a solid bedtime routine right now but we do not. L has to wake up at 5 am, what time should I try putting him down by? We are home between 5:30 pm and 6 pm. He gets a bath every other night in the 7 pm hour and we start trying to put him down no later than 8 pm. He usually nurses to sleep and will wake up, the past few nights, between 3 and 4 to nurse.

he's 3/4 months?
I think you are fine with what you have going. 
How is he doing with naps? How many does he take?
It sounds like his sleep is good (1 wake up at his age is normal NBD) and IME sleep begets sleep so if he is sleeping well at night and not showing signs of being tired I would KOKO since it seems to be working for him.
If you want a more formal 'routine' add in a song or board book as part of the routine before he goes down.

[hopecounts]

Oct 31, 2014 8:59:37 GMT -5 @vicmo said:

Any tips for easing toddler transitions? We get lots of tears / tantrums when we start bath time or get ready to leave or whatever.

He's too little to understand things like "5 more minutes until bath!" and asking him to help us (eg asking him to put his clothes in the laundry) is only marginally successful.

One of my friends does do 1 last thing! as a prep for her 2 yr old and it seems to work well for him.
He gets to pick his last activity but he knows it is the last thing so he is able to understand that after that it's time to move on.  

[sjh722]

It makes me nervous to run a space heater overnight when everyone's sleeping. I used one to warm E's room up before bed last year, but I turned it off when we put her down for the night, or when we went to bed later. (And I ended up pitching it in February, when I was running it and it started smelling hot, like electrical/plastic overheating.) H was a FF for years and it freaks him out to have stuff like that running overnight.

[aqualuv]

Oct 31, 2014 9:01:32 GMT -5 hopecounts said:

Oct 31, 2014 8:52:57 GMT -5 aqualuv said:

I feel like we should have a solid bedtime routine right now but we do not. L has to wake up at 5 am, what time should I try putting him down by? We are home between 5:30 pm and 6 pm. He gets a bath every other night in the 7 pm hour and we start trying to put him down no later than 8 pm. He usually nurses to sleep and will wake up, the past few nights, between 3 and 4 to nurse.

he's 3/4 months?
I think you are fine with what you have going. 
How is he doing with naps? How many does he take?
It sounds like his sleep is good (1 wake up at his age is normal NBD) and IME sleep begets sleep so if he is sleeping well at night and not showing signs of being tired I would KOKO since it seems to be working for him.
If you want a more formal 'routine' add in a song or board book as part of the routine before he goes down.

Thank you!

He is just 3 months old (as of Monday).

Naps well he takes a few during the day. We have a family member watching him so he isn't on a strict schedule. I think he naps at least 3 times while he is there.

Ok, thanks for the suggestion. I think I will add a song to try to normalize the routine a little bit.

[hopecounts]

Oct 31, 2014 9:04:44 GMT -5 aqualuv said:

Oct 31, 2014 9:01:32 GMT -5 hopecounts said:

he's 3/4 months?
I think you are fine with what you have going. 
How is he doing with naps? How many does he take?
It sounds like his sleep is good (1 wake up at his age is normal NBD) and IME sleep begets sleep so if he is sleeping well at night and not showing signs of being tired I would KOKO since it seems to be working for him.
If you want a more formal 'routine' add in a song or board book as part of the routine before he goes down.

Thank you!

He is just 3 months old (as of Monday).

Naps well he takes a few during the day. We have a family member watching him so he isn't on a strict schedule. I think he naps at least 3 times while he is there.

Ok, thanks for the suggestion. I think I will add a song to try to normalize the routine a little bit.

Then I would KOKO it sounds like he is sleeping a typical amount for his age so I think you are good with what you have going in terms of timing. 

[pinotgrig]

Oct 31, 2014 8:52:57 GMT -5 aqualuv said:

I feel like we should have a solid bedtime routine right now but we do not. L has to wake up at 5 am, what time should I try putting him down by? We are home between 5:30 pm and 6 pm. He gets a bath every other night in the 7 pm hour and we start trying to put him down no later than 8 pm. He usually nurses to sleep and will wake up, the past few nights, between 3 and 4 to nurse.

Our guys are about the same age and we get home around the same time you do. He also gets a bath every other night.

When we get home, he usually nurses immediately. We play for a little bit on the floor (on bath nights we bathe right after nursing) and when he starts to rub his eyes or yawn, I'll nurse him again. This usually put him to sleep and by then it's about 7 or 7:30.

G sometimes sttn, but more frequently has been waking around 2 or 3 to nurse. He's also been really congested the past week or so which I think is disrupting his sleep.

I also do a dream feed, diaper change, and put him in his sleep sack around 10/10:30. I'm thinking about dropping this, though.

[rbp]

Can I give away formula checks? I randomly got $16 worth in the mail. I have no use for them but don't want to throw away $16! But they have my name on them. (How does Enfamil even know I have a baby? Did the hospital sell my information??) Are formula checks transferable?

[rbp]

Oct 31, 2014 9:08:51 GMT -5 pinotgrig said:

Oct 31, 2014 8:52:57 GMT -5 aqualuv said:

I feel like we should have a solid bedtime routine right now but we do not. L has to wake up at 5 am, what time should I try putting him down by? We are home between 5:30 pm and 6 pm. He gets a bath every other night in the 7 pm hour and we start trying to put him down no later than 8 pm. He usually nurses to sleep and will wake up, the past few nights, between 3 and 4 to nurse.

Our guys are about the same age and we get home around the same time you do. He also gets a bath every other night.

When we get home, he usually nurses immediately. We play for a little bit on the floor (on bath nights we bathe right after nursing) and when he starts to rub his eyes or yawn, I'll nurse him again. This usually put him to sleep and by then it's about 7 or 7:30.

G sometimes sttn, but more frequently has been waking around 2 or 3 to nurse. He's also been really congested the past week or so which I think is disrupting his sleep.

I also do a dream feed, diaper change, and put him in his sleep sack around 10/10:30. I'm thinking about dropping this, though.

Is he not fussy at night? M would lose his mind if I put him on the floor to play at 6 pm. Are you saying they outgrow the witching hour?? ::hopeful::

[pinotgrig]

Oct 31, 2014 9:14:46 GMT -5 rbp said:

Can I give away formula checks? I randomly got $16 worth in the mail. I have no use for them but don't want to throw away $16! But they have my name on them. (How does Enfamil even know I have a baby? Did the hospital sell my information??) Are formula checks transferable?

I gave several to a neighbor and she had no issues using them.

[jene]

Oct 31, 2014 9:14:46 GMT -5 rbp said:

Can I give away formula checks? I randomly got $16 worth in the mail. I have no use for them but don't want to throw away $16! But they have my name on them. (How does Enfamil even know I have a baby? Did the hospital sell my information??) Are formula checks transferable?

Yep

[pinotgrig]

rbp - he really has outgrown most of his witching hour antics (*knock on wood*), so there is hope!

Since he's learned to roll, has found his feet, and can actually grab and hold toys he's much more interested in hanging out on the floor.

[cmarie11]

Oct 31, 2014 9:14:46 GMT -5 rbp said:

Can I give away formula checks? I randomly got $16 worth in the mail. I have no use for them but don't want to throw away $16! But they have my name on them. (How does Enfamil even know I have a baby? Did the hospital sell my information??) Are formula checks transferable?

Yeah I get them in the mail all the time and pass them on to my cousin. I'm pretty sure its from motherhood maternity, because my MIL bought me clothes there for Christmas last year, and randomly got formula sent to her house. 

[chickadee77]

1. When did you go to a 2-3-4 schedule? I think L may be trying to drop a nap, but am not sure. She shows signs of sleepiness (yawning, eye-rubbing, ear-pulling), but takes a long time to go down. Or is this how her 4MW is manifesting?

2. She has a little cough. Anything I need to do other than keep the humidity up? No fever and smiley as usual.

[spanikopita]

Oct 31, 2014 9:03:56 GMT -5 sjh722 said:

It makes me nervous to run a space heater overnight when everyone's sleeping. I used one to warm E's room up before bed last year, but I turned it off when we put her down for the night, or when we went to bed later. (And I ended up pitching it in February, when I was running it and it started smelling hot, like electrical/plastic overheating.) H was a FF for years and it freaks him out to have stuff like that running overnight.

Does that same logic apply to humidifiers? I've been running DD's at night and it makes me nervous.

[rbp]

Oh, also: what do you do about nasal congestion in a baby? M's breathing sounds like a freight train. I've been putting a few drops of saline in each nostril and suctioning. Is this all I should be doing? Poor baby acts like he's being waterboarded when I put the drops in his nose.

[Deleted]

Oct 31, 2014 8:59:37 GMT -5 @vicmo said:

Any tips for easing toddler transitions? We get lots of tears / tantrums when we start bath time or get ready to leave or whatever.

He's too little to understand things like "5 more minutes until bath!" and asking him to help us (eg asking him to put his clothes in the laundry) is only marginally successful.

Use the timer function on your smartphone. I don't know why it works, but it does.

[pinotgrig]

Oct 31, 2014 9:44:20 GMT -5 rbp said:

Oh, also: what do you do about nasal congestion in a baby? M's breathing sounds like a freight train. I've been putting a few drops of saline in each nostril and suctioning. Is this all I should be doing? Poor baby acts like he's being waterboarded when I put the drops in his nose.

We just suction. G kind of likes it actually, if you catch him the right mood. I blow the air on his cheek before sticking it up his nose, which he thinks is funny.

I also let him sleep in the rnp after a motn feeding if he's stuffy. The incline seems to help.

[Myrrhine]

1. Miro will be 4 months in a couple days and last night and the night before instead of waking up once after 3-5 hours and then sleeping more, he sleeps for 3-4 hours and then wakes up every 1.5 hours thereafter. I suppose this could be his 4 month sleep regression? Obviously it could be worse but what does one generally do with these wake ups? Anything to get him down? Read up on Ferber? Try to calm him without getting him up?

2. We have a fleecy snow suit type thing for cold weather which I assume he can't wear in his car seat, but is a little fleece jacket fine?

[niq]

Oct 31, 2014 9:32:38 GMT -5 chickadee77 said:

1. When did you go to a 2-3-4 schedule? I think L may be trying to drop a nap, but am not sure. She shows signs of sleepiness (yawning, eye-rubbing, ear-pulling), but takes a long time to go down. Or is this how her 4MW is manifesting?

2. She has a little cough. Anything I need to do other than keep the humidity up? No fever and smiley as usual.

1. around seven months. Even then he would sometimes take a third nap. It's really more like "guidelines" than an actual schedule. Around 4 months nap time started taking a verrry long time to start. I remember rocking him to sleep for 25 minutes, just to get a 20 minute nap :S

2. cough is pretty normal

[niq]

Oct 31, 2014 8:59:37 GMT -5 @vicmo said:

Any tips for easing toddler transitions? We get lots of tears / tantrums when we start bath time or get ready to leave or whatever.

He's too little to understand things like "5 more minutes until bath!" and asking him to help us (eg asking him to put his clothes in the laundry) is only marginally successful.

Let me know what works, I'll try anything! In addition to PPs, someone suggested special toys for problematic places.

[timorousbeastie]

How do you teach a baby to climb down steps? DD suddenly mastered climbing up them this week, but has no idea about how to go down. Obviously, we will keep the stairs gated and not let her on them unless someone is with her, but it seems like for safety reasons it might be helpful if she learns how to safely go down steps. Or is this just one of those things we'll have to wait until she's older for her to figure out?

[karinothing]

Oct 31, 2014 8:59:37 GMT -5 @vicmo said:

Any tips for easing toddler transitions? We get lots of tears / tantrums when we start bath time or get ready to leave or whatever.

He's too little to understand things like "5 more minutes until bath!" and asking him to help us (eg asking him to put his clothes in the laundry) is only marginally successful.

DS is three and still doesn't really help all that much when I ask. It takes a lot of asking lol. As far as transitions (these can still be tough). What I found helps DS is for me to count. So I will say "we only have 10 seconds left" and then count to ten. He seems to get it then.

[mannah]

Does anyone else's baby's head get sweaty when they're sleeping? She's not hot other places and no fevers. Her hair is literally wet with sweat on the side she's laying on sometimes.