Parenting After LT TTC ~ January - April 2008

[marcellus]

Hi all,
Willow - That must be tough on you. I kinda understand from your DH's perspective that maybe it's just too hard to go through all that, but it's got to be just as hard to give up on something you want so much. I hope you guys can work through it in time.

Aric's doing really well. He's being doted on this week by my in-laws, who've flown over from NZ. Gives us a break too, which is great. My mother's group starts tomorrow - looking forward to it. Oh, and I'm starting work again next week... yay for me. not.

Glad to hear that sage is doing well Mako - spots and teeth notwithstanding (guess if it's not one thing it's another...)

Take it easy everyone

[mako]

Hi Not much going on here atm. Sage is teething so I really hope it doesn't take too long for the tooth to come through.
Still not alot of sleep happening here either but funnily enough I'm starting to get used to it

Marcellus I bet your Inlaws are having a great time with Aric.

Has anyone heard from Jo (aka DJTTC) and Jenna? Just wondering how they are going.

Hi to Willow,Sazz,Kimnastics,Sushee and everyone I've missed. Hope you are all ok.

[marcellus]

Hi - guess everyone's super busy at the moment. No great surprise, hey?
Aric is 10 weeks old today - already!
His sleeping routine has been a bit mucked up lately and we're trying very hard to get him to sleep at all during the day and his night sleeps are getting shorter and shorter. poor thing is just soooo overtired. Just got the no-cry sleep solution from the library, so hoping we can get some help in there. Don't really appreciate my mum telling me that he'll 'have' to cry it out at some point.... i don't really see why.
I'm back at work now - poor me. not much else to report, though our dear son did a big runny poo on the spare bed last night - DH was up with him and had to clean up . Anyone else feel like they've become poo obsessed? W'e're always checking to see what colour it is....

[Kimnastics]

Marcellus - They grow up so quick, don't they? My DS is 10mo and has never been left to cry it out - you are right that it is not something they 'have to do'. I hate getting advice like that from friends/family. I found it hard to give a tactful, educated rebuttal as I was tired and starting to doubt myself (I know my way is the best again now ). I hope the library resource helps and you sort out the sleeping issues soon - it is a diificult cycle to overcome when they are overtired. I was a bit poo-obsessed (more frequency than colour) but I'm more relaxed about it now.

Mako - I hope Sage's teeth came through quickly. You sound like me - I feel like I am constantly saying that Hayden is teething, and constantly wishing for them to come through quickly. How is Sage's sleeping going?

Hayden is still teething, but he now has 6 teeth with two more to come and they are just about to poke through. Fingers crossed we are nearing the end of the teething for a couple of months. He is growing up - waves goodbye, says dad now as well as mum, and is still cruising the furniture.

to everyone else.

[marcellus]

Hey - congratulations Kimnastics! Just noticed your signature

The book's been really useful - we havn't instituted our 'plan' yet, but after he's settled and rested better we will. I'm a bit loath to put him out in his cot - the master bedroom is right out the front of the house, and the other rooms are out the back. We're considering sleeping out the back as well to be closer. IF nothing else it's a practical consideration - I don't want to have to get up and walk that far to feed him each night. Co-sleeping doesn't really work too well for us - we all disturb each other and then DS just wants to eat, then suck for a while, snooze, then eat, then...
Actually, he's been eating heaps lately - maybe it's a growth spurt? We'll be weighing him again on Tuesday (mother's group) as we continue to fret about his slow weight gain. sigh.
Work has been horrid and stressful. The worst thing is when I have to make poor Aric wait for his feeds cause i'm just so flat out... that's not good (though it doesn't help that he wants to eat every 1.5-2 hours!).

Hope all you mums and bubs are doing well. Have a good weekend.

[marcellus]

Just wanted to pop in and say that Aric put on 205g in the past week - yay!

[Kimnastics]

Great news on the weight gain, marcellus!

[monnie]

Hey guys

Just wanted to say hi to everyone...I've been lurking after my self-imposed ban!

That's great news about Aric, Marcellus!

Kimnastics...congratulations! Wonderful news! How are you doing? What's it like being pregnant and having a 10 month old? Felix is the same age as Hayden (well...2 weeks younger!) and we are starting to think about trying again...though part of me is scared about how I'd cope...but I'm sure you just do!!!

Mako...how's Sage doing? How's his sleeping going? Felix still wakes at 10pm, 3am and 6am for feeds! And like you say...you just get used to it, hey?

We're off on holidays this weekend...can't wait! A little nervous as we are staying in a converted 'shed' (it looks great...belongs to my sister) but it's one big room...hope the sleeping issues don't deteriorate...

Anyway...hope everyone is doing well!!! Willow, you doing okay?

[Kimnastics]

Great to hear from you again, Monnie. I'm not finding it hard being pg while looking after Hayden although I was getting a bit cranky at night a couple of weeks ago when he was fighting sleep every night and I was exhausted. He's going to sleep at night without the drama now and he keeps my mind off the m/s during the day. I sometimes worry how I'll cope when I get really big and then with a newborn and toddler but I know I just will. Ppl do it all the time and I really want this so I'm sure it will all be fine.

I'm sure you'll love your holidays.

[mako]

Kimnastics Congrats on your pregnancy hun.

Marcellus WOOHOO on the great weight gain.

Monnie I hope you enjoy your weekend away. I hope Felix is a good boy re the sleeping.

Well we are doing ok.Sage was 8 months on Monday.Where has that time gone. I kept thinking that that was how long I was preg with him and it seemed to drag a little sometimes but since he's here it has just flown.
He now says bub,boo,mum,mumma and mummy. He's also eating solids now. He decided that he didn't want to eat vegies after one day i caved and gave him banana custard lol. Well he's back to eating vegies so long as its in my pumpkin soup lol. He loves to eat fruit except avacado but it took me a long time to aquire a taste for it too and now i can't get enough of them
I have to say that I'm sick of the little comments when I'm asked if he's doing this and that when he's not. I just remind them(my mum) to take 4 weeks off his age and I'll tell them when he IS doing something new.

As far as sleep goes. Hmmmmm not so great. He won't sleep in his cot so he is in our bed. I am going to really try and get him sleeping in his cot during the school hols while I'm off so it won't really matter if my eyes are hanging out of my head.He is waking around 12:30am, 2-3ish and again around 6.He will feed when he wakes these time aswell although the past couple of night he's woken up screaming and not wanted a feed so I'll give him some bonjella or teething tablets and he goes back to sleep within seconds literally.He is teething even though I've been saying this for months and months We get up at 6:30 the days that I work as we need to be out the door at 7:30.Otherwise I try and stay atleast til 7:30 8am.

to everyone else.

[Lenny]

Just lurking, but struggling with time.
Wanted to say how cool to see Monnie back, and I can't believe you are thinking about number 2!! Yay, how cool!!

Hope to be a full time participant here one day, but with DH's work, I am basically doing it on my own these days.

Hi to all,
Jo

[lismith25]

Hi everyone

Just wanted to say hello and that it is fantastic that I can graduate to this forum now. I know some of you and hope to get to know everyone else. 5 weeks under my belt already with bubby Emma and im exhausted, I thought I was doing ok but im slowly being eroded away. I feel completely unprepared for what has happened to my life, all that planning and waiting and I dont think I really considered the end result. But every day is a little better and I think we are reaching an understanding, I forget she is only 5 weeks old sometimes.

Lenny - I hear ya time no longer exists
Kimnastics - congrats on your impending arrival, your a brave lady
Monnie - you crazy girl thinking about no.2 already. DH has told me the moment i say vasectomy he will book himself in but not ready to close that door just yet Dont know how easy it will be to fall again, but im keeping all the options open... Glad your still around
Mako -wow Sage is coming along in leaps and bounds, seems soo far off yet till Emma will be at that stage.

Big hello to everyone else, i made it hehehe

[Kimnastics]

Mako - It is really hard when they are waking a few times a night. Hayden seemed to stop waking once we fed him solids not long before bed (we gave him vegies and farex). Hopefully Sage will stop needing the overnight top-ups soon. It is annoying when ppl ask if they can do things yet. Normally they ask so early too. Hayden has been on schedule with all his milestones and I still had ppl asking at 4-5mths whether he could crawl and sit. Ummm, no. It really takes away the excitement of telling people when they do get something new.

Lenny - The first few months are really hectic, getting to know your baby. Looking forward to hearing from you again.

Lis - Well done getting on here in the first 6wks. It is a busy time adjusting to having a new demanding person in your life. It does become less exhausting and the rewards of a big smile will make it all worthwhile in the next couple of weeks.

Monnie - How was the weekend away? Felix sleep okay?

Hayden had a feeding frenzy last week including midnight solids but has gone back to normal now. I've been expecting a growth spurt but so far he just has a huge tummy. He has 8 teeth now so I'm hoping he'll give me a few months before teething again. So far so good.

[marcellus]

The reality really hits you, doesn't it Lismith! We honestly questioned ourselves - Why did we want this so much? What were we thinking? And, once, Maybe I can just take him back to the hospital...
It's weird though, looking back from now, I can hardly remember how hard it was in those first few weeks, I just have a very hazy recolection that it was tough. Not that it's really easy now, mind. Aric has been a bit sick - taking him to the doctor tomorrow - and waking 3-hourly through the night to feed again. sigh. If it's not one thing it's another - growth spurt, sick, unsettled in a different place... next it'll be teething!

Hey Lenny - it's hard doing it all alone. Do you have someone else to help out ocasionally to get a break?

DH is home with Aric now while I'm working and he keeps marvelling (after 5 weeks now...) that it's hard work and a full-time job. No duh! I really believe it's not something that's meant to be done alone, though that's the way it often ends up these days.

Mako, it sounds like Sage is doing really great!

Nice to see you round Monnie - hope the sleeping went well.

Hope you're getting a break from the teethign for a while Kim.

Ha! Aric just peed on his daddy.. again!

[nic]

Hi girls Thought I should come over and join in, especially now that DS is 5 weeks old! We aren't sleeping all that well, so hoping it will improve some time soon. Feeding isn't all that great, every couple of hours if we are lucky, followed by a spew if it is a breastfeed. We are starting to get some gorgeous smiles though, which just melt your heart.

Will try to keep up with everyone in here, will be so much easier when we get some sleep, which I am off to try to get a little nap now lol

Nic

[mako]

Wow Nic 5 weeks already. I hope the sleeping and feeding settles for you soon. In saying that though the sleeping here still isn't great. Oh well its all worth it no matter what these bubbas throw at us lol.

We are ok. Sage is just gorgeous. Its amazing how much joy we have around here.
Sage has 1 tooth and the 2nd is almost through too. He is sitting up by himself and he loves to stand on the lounge and watch the cars,trucks and buses go past lol. He is rolling everywhere and almost crawling. He gets his legs up under his tummy and up on his hands and does the caterpillar slide. Just too cute to watch.

I've been starting to think about having another bub and I suprised at how petrified I am.It doesn't really make sense as such but I'm worrying about how long will it take to fall preg again,how will I cope if we m/c again, how early will the next bub arrive(its inevitable that the next bub will be prem too) how will dh and I cope with another baby,how will Sage cope with a new baby in the house and the list goes on and on
I'd love to have my kids close together but all these things are really worrying me.

Anyone else thinking about another bub?

Its been quite in here. I hope you are all ok.

[marcellus]

Hi all,
It has been very quiet, yes.

Sleep! what I wouldn't give for some sleep..! (well, no, there's one thing I wouldn't do...) Aric was doing quite well for a while there, only one feed a night, but now he's back to 2-4 a night - argh! guess it's just something we have to deal with. It is generally a bit better now that he'll go to sleep in his cot - we're not walking around rocking him for 1hr+ to get him to sleep. Think he's just too distracted to want to do more than snack during the day. I'm sure it'll get better (can you hear my confidence?)

Are you getting help from ABA or someone for feeding, Nic? Or under control now? Anyway, enjoy those smiles!

MAko - I've been thinking about having another. Actually starting to feel quite nostalgic for those first few weeks (so hard, yet so precious). Physically not ready to go through pg and birth again, mind you. IT is daunting though, understandably. I feel like we got so lucky getting pg after just a couple of years - it could take so much longer the next time. That's scary. I know I'd be crushed if we couldnt' have any more though. Mind you, still havn't DTD yet - tried recently but it hurt. Still having some residual issues from episiotomy. damn thing. Worrying about m/c or being a premmie must really add to your concerns, though. And, with infertility it's hard to know just how soon you should start trying, hey?

Sage is developing in leaps and bounds! He'll be running around all over the place in no time. Aric likes 'standing', with a lot of support obviously, so he can have a better look around.

Well, best get back to work. Man, if only I could win lotto... they just keep drawing the wrong numbers!

[Kimnastics]

Nic - Wow, smiles already. The feeding is hard - DS was 2hrly or more frequently in the early days. The spewing after must be disconcerting - I worried so much about whether DS was getting enough milk or not. I'm hoping it is easier with #2.

Mako - I decided to return to IVF when Hayden was about Sage's age after trying "naturally" for a few months. Fortunately (and surprisingly) it worked first go for me this time, but it is always an unknown with IF if it will work straight away or be trying again for ages and the worry of m/c etc never goes away. It is a hard decision and hopefully you will know when you are ready. I think everyone worries about how they'll cope with 2 kids. I've certainly started worrying about the semantics (sp?) of having 2 esp seen Hayden is still co-sleeping but we'll get it all sorted before #2 arrives.

Marcellus - Great to hear that Aric is sleeping in his cot without the rocking etc. I found cluster feeding at night (before bed) helped Hayden to sleep longer overnight. But he didn't really start sleeping through until we started solids after 6mths old. I found I got used to not sleeping a full night, but now I'm not looking forward to going back to that.

ETA: My little boy turns 1 tomorrow! We got him a sandpit (that he's been using for a couple of weeks already and loves), and some little pressies to open on the day - books and blocks etc. He's been teething again - molars this time. I think one might be poking through but he won't let me see today.