Start of September thread

[shauni27]

morning all! I almost wrote "happy Monday!" and was pleasantly surprised to be wrong.

Had a good, though exhausting, long weekend alone with my boy. We did so much stuff and had a lot of fun. He is getting more and more vocal; he now says "doggie!" when he sees a dog, which is adorable. He is also becoming a total daredevil and will climb the ladder on the top of the slide and slide down on his own into the pool. He even did the big kid slide at the park the other day. No fear.

Still working on biting. Yesterday he got mad at me and came up to me, grabbed my arm and just angrily bit me. I was livid.

He also has some swollen lymph nodes that have been there for about a week and a half now that has me nervous. I know it is 99.5% totally fine, but my college BFF had lymphoma that was only diagnosed from a swollen lymph node in her neck so it freaks me out. I am trying to stay rational and calm, but if it is still there in another week I will just call and ask the pedi about it.

Today is our 8th wedding anniversary and I am looking forward to our date night out to celebrate. H asked for sneakers as an anniversary gift, not super romantic, lol.

[loira]

We're back from camping and had a blast! I can tell A is about to have another language explosion again because she's doing this thing where she hyperventilates before she can get the words out.

The only bad part about the camping was the realization that if we're going to do this more often we'll need a bigger vehicle. The sedan only barely held all our stuff.

Still no leads on childcare to replace out current place. And of course, preschool is already full. Might be able to get her enrolled in January though. Ugh, why is this so hard?

shauni27 my brother had swollen lymph nodes as a kid and they could never find a cause. He had all sorts of testing, but nada. Anecdote, but still...

[oneslybookworm]

Happy September ladies! I am so glad that the past two weeks are over. J and I had back to back trips that, while a TON of fun, is exhausting. Travel is always tiring, even without kids. We're on another trip next week too, so...guess I'll just have to suck it up!

G is doing really well...he learned another word "kitty cat" which now brings his repertoire to "Mama", "Dada" and "Kitty Cat". You know, the important things in life. He also eats like a freaking horse and his last molar is finally coming in. Hopefully, once that's finished cutting, he'll go back to sleeping through the night (the past week has been a wake-up once somewhere between 12:30-3:30am).

I've picked up another program at work, so now I'm working with both China and India, which means I'm working across three time zones. It's so freaking tiring, and it won't end until Q1/Q2 of next year. I'll adjust, but the beginning is just so tiring!

That's about it, I think!

[cactuscookie]

loira, H has been doing the hyperventilating while trying to talk too! I never connected it to pre-language explosion, so I'll have to pay attention.

We had a good weekend with my family at my parents' house in the mountains, even though H is still tantrum-mania. She also attached herself to her 4-year-old cousin, which eventually drove everyone crazy. Oh, and she got sick the last night and barfed all over her dad. Okay, so maybe this doesn't sound like it was fun, but she loved kayaking, she liked walking around the mountains, she loves my sister's dog, and she loves having her relatives around. And she took really long naps everyday, so DH and I got some good breaks.

[pandora89]

This last weekend was exhausting, I am relieved we are back to our norm. We did family photos on Friday and E made it through almost 2 hours before getting grumpy and then immediately fell asleep right after lol. We got a sneak peak back and I love them all, so happy he cooperated.

We then headed to Ottawa, which was. 5 hour drive to help my sister move into her apartment and didn’t get back till last night.

I signed us up for a baby baby music and puppet class lol, hopefully this goes well, it’s once a week for 8 weeks.

I am still exclusively pumping but have slowly been weaning off, I think my goal is to be done by 5 months but I say this every month and then keep going.

[shauni27]

oneslybookworm, I do not know how you do all of that. You are a super woman!

[oneslybookworm]

Sept 4, 2018 11:24:56 GMT -5 shauni27 said:

oneslybookworm , I do not know how you do all of that. You are a super woman!

HAHAHAHA...I'm really not, I promise.  J helps SO MUCH...I honest to God couldn't do it without him.  We're also both training for triathlons (he signed up for a half ironman next year!!) so that's also been tricky.  UGH!

[kellikans]

L went on his first flight (we are in Seattle for the weekend - we go home today) and he promptly had a meltdown as soon as we got on the plane. He was definitely *that* baby. Luckily he fell asleep right before takeoff and only had another 5 minute tantrum halfway through. Hoping today's flight back home is better.

L got to meet his cousin this trip who is 2.5 months younger. It was so freaking adorable when they met. L was so excited and chatty and even reached out to hold his hand! It was soooo cute. He's really such a social, happy little guy.

[shauni27]

kellikans, sorry about the meltdown! That sucks. On the 8 flights S has been on, so far he has had one minor meltdown that lasted about 2 minutes before he fell asleep in my arms. But now that he is a terrible sleeper and can only fall asleep in his crib, I fear the next flight! lol.

[scm1011]

DS screamed an entire 2.5 hour flight to Chicago when he was 11 months, no exaggeration. It was a nightmare and the people around us were way more gracious than I would have been lol. I think now that he loves TV flights will be easier, but I still have PTSD!

[Mushe]

kellikans, that still sounds like a win! Glad it was a good trip. scm1011, that’s how I felt after our flight to Barcelona at like 22 months, but I’d forgotten about it by the time we flew home. 😆

[Mushe]

Happy short week! Of course, every passing day just reminds me that I’m going back to work soon. 😥

We had a nice weekend, and I felt pretty relaxed heading into today. I’m working on nursing with B, and she latched (with shield) the past two days when I tried. The IBCLC I talked to and will see again on Friday seems pretty confident she can help us, which would be great. It’s so hard to pump and feed when we’re together. DS has been so sweet with B! I’ve been really laying it on thick so he feels secure in my love, and he’s not being jealous. He comes and coos to her before he leaves and as soon as he gets home. ❤️

[ivy]

Thinking about you Mushe! My DD had a really hard time latching at first because her face was partially (and very temporarily) paralyzed from being pressed against my pelvic bone during labor. We used a shield until she was 11 weeks, then with the help of an IBCLC, she was able to latch without it. I hope you have similar success, and I’m so glad everyone is adjusting well at home!

[Mushe]

That’s great, ivy! I’m so embarrassed that we’re having trouble, because she actually latched like a champ starting at 32w. When her little eating switch was turned on, though, she just got too used to bottles so quickly.

[shauni27]

Mushe, I do not envy you one bit with the BF stuff. It was SO tough and emotional and overwhelming. S did great with the shield for a bit and I was just like, ok, guess I am using this forever, lol.

G surprised me for our anniversary last night with a very romantic gift. He asked what I wanted and I said I did not want to tell him, there are a million things I have talked about wanting in order to feel appreciated and indulged and he could use his brain and be romantic. Hard line maybe, but I was sick of it.

He booked me an entire spa day at this super fancy spa!! I have a bunch of treatments and they bring you champagne and the best french macaroons in between your services. You get to lounge all day in the spa in your bougie cashmere robe and just relax. I AM SO EXCITED, lolol.

[scm1011]

That sounds amazing, shauni27!! I'm so glad G stepped up, you deserve it!!

Hugs, Mushe. I found BF struggles SO emotional, but there is zero reason to be embarrassed. You and B are doing awesome! I found the shield to be so so helpful in the beginning. We used it weeks 2-12ish, and then were able to wean off and continue nursing without it. I'm glad things are going well with DS and B <3

[shauni27]

scm1011, Mushe, one thing I never understood was why all of the LC I met with felt like using the shield was a bad thing. Like, if that is the only way he will nurse then fucking encourage it. I finally met with super duper special LC who basically was the most incredible and relaxed woman--"use the shield if it is what works. Use it for as long as you need. If you need to do bottles, use bottles. Your baby just needs eat."

I wish she was the first person I met with instead of the last :/

[loira]

Way to go, shauni27! If I remember correctly, your H's gift giving style is similar to my H... Did I tell you about the Christmas I got an entire gift basket of body wash? According to my H, he knew I liked bath products (uh, yeah, but as like 1 stocking stuffer), and he knew he wouldn't be wasting his money because "we'll use them, right?" This was already 4 years into our marriage...

[Mushe]

Holy cow, shauni27! That’s nuts. Everybody I’ve talked to has been supportive of using the shield. How annoying. I will say one comment that stuck with me and made me feel like shit, but was said with no ill intent, is our nurse saying in a dismissive tone that my milk is already 2 months old, and B is basically a newborn. Well, there’s nothing I can do about that! I’m killing myself to give it to her, and just need support in that.

[scm1011]

shauni27, my awesome LC encouraged me to do whatever works, but warned me that it can be hard to wean off it. I'm not going to lie, for me it WAS hard to wean off and I had my fair share of tears in the process. But at the time I wasn't worried about 3 months down the road, I was worried about getting my baby to nurse NOW. I definitely think it saved our nursing relationship in the beginning.

[loira]

Sept 4, 2018 10:02:57 GMT -5 cactuscookie said:

loira, H has been doing the hyperventilating while trying to talk too! I never connected it to pre-language explosion, so I'll have to pay attention.

Yeah, I noticed this last time she did it last winter. It was right before she started stringing together multiple sentences. Then it went away once her mouth was able to keep up with the thoughts in her head.

[scm1011]

Sept 5, 2018 9:31:37 GMT -5 Mushe said:

Holy cow, shauni27 ! That’s nuts. Everybody I’ve talked to has been supportive of using the shield. How annoying. I will say one comment that stuck with me and made me feel like shit, but was said with no ill intent, is our nurse saying in a dismissive tone that my milk is already 2 months old, and B is basically a newborn. Well, there’s nothing I can do about that! I’m killing myself to give it to her, and just need support in that.

WTAF? What a shitty thing to say to a struggling mom who is moving mountains to make shit work. I'm so sorry  

[cactuscookie]

Sept 5, 2018 9:31:37 GMT -5 Mushe said:

Holy cow, shauni27 ! That’s nuts. Everybody I’ve talked to has been supportive of using the shield. How annoying. I will say one comment that stuck with me and made me feel like shit, but was said with no ill intent, is our nurse saying in a dismissive tone that my milk is already 2 months old, and B is basically a newborn. Well, there’s nothing I can do about that! I’m killing myself to give it to her, and just need support in that.

Weird. It seems like most medical people claim that breast milk is magical and will just conform to exactly what the baby needs. I even had a nurse tell me that if I were to nurse a newborn and a toddler at the same time, each kid would get different milk formulated to their needs. (Which sounds like hooey to me, but it doesn't matter anyway because I ended up weaning my toddler before having a newborn.)

[shauni27]

Mushe, what an incredibly insensitive thing to say. I am so sorry.
yup loira--our husbands are the same. It was a very nice surprise and completely out of the ordinary for him!

[oneslybookworm]

shauni27, sounds like a great gift! Glad G stepped it up!

Mushe, give me a name and I will burn that shit down for you. that is ridiculous! you are doing amazing, lady...don't listen to that nurse for a second.

[Mushe]

Ugh you guys. My mother is being exhausting and self-absorbed about the au pair being here. She wants to come visit for like 2 hours, and wants it to be ‘family time.’ Well, SHE LIVES HERE NOW, and cannot be banished to her room. WTAF. She kept insisting that she’d come once a week so the au pair would have some time off, saving the hours for us. I know not to trust her. Literally the first week, she basically got a better offer and wanted to do something else, which was us coming home from the hospital, but didn’t tell me that she wasn’t going to take DS to soccer. Explaining all this to someone who’s learning English was really fun.

Also, just took B to her re-screen, and has failed in her right ear again. Argh! I hope it’s okay, but sad she’ll have to do what sounds like a sedated ABR.

[cactuscookie]

Sept 5, 2018 9:31:37 GMT -5 Mushe said:

Holy cow, shauni27 ! That’s nuts. Everybody I’ve talked to has been supportive of using the shield. How annoying. I will say one comment that stuck with me and made me feel like shit, but was said with no ill intent, is our nurse saying in a dismissive tone that my milk is already 2 months old, and B is basically a newborn. Well, there’s nothing I can do about that! I’m killing myself to give it to her, and just need support in that.

The more I think about it, the dumber this comment seems. Maybe it's not popular in our culture right now, but surely over human history, many many women have nursed their older children throughout their pregnancies. Is their milk then years old and therefore not appropriate for a newborn?

[Mushe]

Sept 5, 2018 16:32:15 GMT -5 cactuscookie said:

Sept 5, 2018 9:31:37 GMT -5 Mushe said:

Holy cow, shauni27 ! That’s nuts. Everybody I’ve talked to has been supportive of using the shield. How annoying. I will say one comment that stuck with me and made me feel like shit, but was said with no ill intent, is our nurse saying in a dismissive tone that my milk is already 2 months old, and B is basically a newborn. Well, there’s nothing I can do about that! I’m killing myself to give it to her, and just need support in that.

The more I think about it, the dumber this comment seems. Maybe it's not popular in our culture right now, but surely over human history, many many women have nursed their older children throughout their pregnancies. Is their milk then years old and therefore not appropriate for a newborn?

It was super annoying for many reasons! The doctors keep saying that she’s going to be basically in between her actual and adjusted age, so it’s not even accurate.

Anyway, it’s a good excuse to give her some of the frozen milk I have. I only started freezing in bags once we got home, so I have a lot frozen in these little 2oz tubes they gave me at the hospital. They take up a lot of room in the freezer!

[thoseareradishes]

Yeah that comment makes zero sense Mushe. I'm glad you have a good LC to work with though! I"m sorry about the hearing test. E had to be asleep for her hearing test and I was so nervous about it, I didn't know if she would actually sleep. Will B have to be sedated or just asleep?

[thoseareradishes]

E is 18 months old! She's so big, I can't believe it. We have been loving the new house because we can play outside. Only problem is she still puts everything in her month (according to the dental hygienist her molars are still pushing up) so I have to watch her like a hawk. She's become very helpful lately and will put things away, help me with the laundry, and put her bottle in the sink. Speech is going well, she's learning some signs and mimicking us more. I need to start thinking about dropping a nap; I think she can do it but I'm nervous! She's such a good sleeper, I hate to mess it up.