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VorpalBunny posted:I told the wife today and she was pretty pissed. I think she always knew he was doing stuff like this, but to hear someone else call him out on it hopefully makes it a VERY REAL situation that she deals with tonight. I anticipate some kind of email or text from my friend about ratting him out, and we have another playdate scheduled for tomorrow that might be awkward. Oh well. You did the right thing. I trust my husband and even though he does things differently with Chris and I can accept that, I would be FURIOUS if I found out he was doing something so blatantly dangerous with our child and I would want to know. Hopefully this is the wake up call your friend needs, although I fear he'll just probably be all like "my wife's a nag and my friend's a backstabber" because some people have to be in the right no matter what. 
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Feb 14, 2013 15:15
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It was around that time that I had to finally kick Chris out of the bed because him waking up every two hours to nurse was becoming detrimental to the both of us (he was spending most of the day sleeping because he got so little night sleep, and I was wrecked). No Cry is great for establishing a bedtime routine and security items but I found the actual method didn't really work for Chris, and we had to do the crying and repeated soothing. You figure out pretty quick when they're just complaining and when they get really upset, and you just scrap everything when they get really upset.
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Feb 15, 2013 19:50
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VorpalBunny posted:On the flipside, I have a friend who did more carrying her upright than tummytime with his daughter and his kid ended up with some kind of kink in her neck that requires physical therapy. According to their pediatrician, if they had done more tummytime she would have worked out the issue naturally. Chris always preferred to be held like he was sitting up from a young age, to the point that anyone holding him on his back like a normal baby made him fuss, and he never had any neck problems. I would also sit with my feet up so that my lap was tilted up and place him between my legs, so he could chill there, look around and interact with me.
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Feb 18, 2013 15:08
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Yeah, you should keep solid and liquid feeds separate, so your child doesn't start thinking all food, any form comes from a bottle. 8 months is a good time to do some yogurt, and maybe some cheese. Chris loved sharp cheddar at that age (so much that he turns his nose up at mild cheddar now). Also, he loved crunching on saltines (just not too many, babies have a really low sodium requirement). But my kid was always a big eater, I think I had him on three meals a day by 8 months (or else he would just be super cranky until he got solid food).
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Feb 20, 2013 16:21
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ghost story posted:Naptime(s) are a complete struggle and everything that I've tried will work for a day or two and then it just ... stops and we're back at square one. So maybe the seahorse will help? I feel as though I may be fighting a uphill battle since she routinely gets at least 13 hours at night and I was very anti-nap according to my mom. She might just be an outlier. Music definitely helps send the "it's sleep time!" cue. I had some VTech bunny that played lullabies and I'd be sitting there pressing the buttons continually until Chris finally drifted off. Then it broke but he was definitely in the habit by then.
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Mar 1, 2013 23:06
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I wouldn't be brave enough to take a shower without a baby monitor so I could hear every peep- I always just waited for the first nap of the day. But yeah, don't feel guilty about giving them some alone play time, it's when they're playing by themselves that they work everything out that they've learned. Plus, it pays to set a schedule of playing on their own in the morning, I love that Chris bombs around the house after breakfast and gives me a chance to finish my tea and wake up.
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Mar 15, 2013 15:30
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OneSizeFitsAll posted:I've also discussed the electric toothbrush idea a bit more with my wife. Might be a good way to get her to do it herself more. She's a bit old for the finger brush thing now, though I'm surprised I never thought of it in the past, given I used to use one on the dog when he was younger. The finger brush went away when Chris started chomping down on my finger. Even with no teeth that kid had a strong jaw. Now that he has a full set of teeth I brush as long as he tolerates and then just hand him the brush to chew on, no way am I sticking my finger in there. Definitely brushing with them helps, especially now that he's at the age that he loves mimicking everything Mom and Dad does. And try different flavors of toothpaste, Chris likes the apple/banana so he tolerates it a lot longer than when I tried a berry one.
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Mar 18, 2013 01:12
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SassySally posted:I'm having a mental battle. My son is nearly 6 months old and breastfed. My intent has always been to breastfeed/ pumped bottle feed him for the entire first year. Ben has, however, developed a strong and almost aggressive interest in our food. If he's being fussy during dinner I'll hold him, which leads him to do everything in his power to get my food. I'm concerned that if I start any solids (which I know full well he doesn't NEED at all) that he'll stop breastfeeding. Any advice or insight? Dear lord, let the kid try some food and save yourself the headache. Chris reached a point where breastfeeding just wasn't enough and he was cranky and miserable because he just wasn't getting enough food. I couldn't even imagine trying to stick with no food for an entire year. Your kid will not stop breastfeeding, he'll probably gradually taper off as meals become more complex and he starts regularly eating three meals, but he won't wean until you're ready to. If it helps, start with a lunch to get him into the swing of things, then add supper if he gets miserable in the afternoons, breakfast when he can't make it to lunch anymore. That's how I did it with Chris, and I think I was on three meals a day by 8 or 9 months with him still nursing 4-5 times a day and a couple times at night. Eventually it becomes obvious when they're nursing more for comfort than sustenance because the food is enough and you can decide whether or not to wean.
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Mar 22, 2013 03:40
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I started at 4 months merely give Chris something to do so I could eat lunch with both hands for once. Honestly they're not going to consume any appreciable amount so it's basically getting them used to the idea of sitting in a high chair for meals, maybe putting some different flavors in their mouths and laughing at the reactions. I debated waiting till 6 months and only doing baby-led weaning like everybody recommends but the ped said go for it at 4 months so I started with spoon feeding. By 6 months Chris was familiar enough with the concept of food he was able to feed himself big chunks of fruit and now at 17 months he's a champion eater and not overweight so starting at 4 months clearly did not damage him for life. A friend on Facebook posted that she was starting her baby on rice cereal at 3 months... don't do this. -_-
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Mar 23, 2013 14:09
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So, I'm a bit at a loss as to what to do with my 17 month old. He's a drat clever kid, he'll go up to the fridge if it's open, grab something he likes and hand it to you to feed to him. The problem stems from our two weeks down in Florida with Grandma, who couldn't resist those pleading eyes and fed him cheese sticks, applesauces, yogurt tubes and fruit all throughout the day, and I kind of let it slide because hey, that's what grandmothers do and as long as it's all healthy stuff fine by me. The problem is now he's standing at the fridge all the time, like an hour after a good-sized breakfast he's staring at me and whining at the fridge handle. I'm really trying to manage it so that he actually has appetite for meals by not letting him constantly graze, but is he really old enough that he wants to eat just for the sake of eating or is he doing it because he's actually hungry? He's got a fair amount of chub despite being an active little guy, so I'm trying to find the balance between feeding a growing child and keeping him from developing overeating habits and I'm torn. (Also on the downside he's obsessed with blueberries, which I would be all like "yay a healthy snack eat as many as you like" but it seems to only make him constipated. Also it makes his poo disturbingly sweet smelling.)
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Mar 28, 2013 18:04
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So I know letting babies cry a bit to get them to sleep is highly discouraged, but what about 17 month olds? Chris' bedtime has gone to absolute poo poo - before we had a wonderful, tractable kid that you could do the whole routine with, put him in the crib, and he would go to sleep on his own between 7 and 7:30. Now, we're still fighting to get him down at 9pm. Is it normal for bedtimes to get pushed back like this as they need less sleep? He pretty consistently wakes up at 7am, takes a 1 to 1 and 1/2 hour nap 3-4 hours later (I have tried pushing this back but when he basically starts whining at everything I know it's sleep time), and that's really it for the day. Should I reintroduce a musical animal again? He definitely has his blankets as security objects, and I do still use a pacifier. The only theory I have that made his bedtimes go to crap was two weeks we spent in Florida, where he slept in his pack n play and because it was strange we laid with him on a bed and then transitioned him to it when he was almost asleep. But the first few days back home he switched back to his crib fine, and before then I would lay with him to get him to nap and he still never had a problem going to sleep on his own at night. So I'm not sure what to do - go back to laying with him just to get him back into the habit of falling asleep at a proper time, let him fuss because I know he's aware enough to know that bedtime means bedtime, or just suck it up as just another way that toddlers run you ragged.
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Apr 7, 2013 02:04
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Amelia Song posted:I agree, that's a long stretch to be awake with no break. I would try starting the bedtime routine earlier. Sometimes he takes an afternoon nap if I'm driving him around, but I have tried to push his morning nap back and he either has meltdown after meltdown by hour 4, or he all but falls asleep on you. If you take him anywhere he'll be out in the car seat before you can blink. It's a weird sleep schedule but it always seemed to work for him before. But I agree, I guess I will try to keep him more stimulated and push the nap back. Unfortunately he goes to bed late, and then he wakes up late and it makes the nap late... it's a hard cycle to break. Edit: No late nap today, he's into meltdown mode three and a half hours after waking. We'll try an earlier bedtime today I guess, usually the husband holds out till 7:30ish, maybe 6:45 we'll start the process. Edit #2: Started the bedtime process at 7pm, he's still fighting it an hour later. What the hell happened to our lovely, tractable baby? Lyz fucked around with this message at 00:57 on Apr 8, 2013 |
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Apr 7, 2013 14:38
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Thanks, last night was hell but tonight was a bit better. We took the toys out of his nursery and let him wind down with lots of reading. Still went to bed kind of late for my taste (8:30) but a lot less stressful on everyone. Last night was just screaming and him fighting sleep no matter how we tried to put him down and ugh. Apparently there is such a thing as an 18 month sleep regression, and it happens because.... who knows. Fun fun.
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Apr 9, 2013 02:59
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Also if your washer has it, do the low agitation/high spin. Less drying needed! I do it for the high chair and car seat covers and they air-dry beautifully very quickly.
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Apr 13, 2013 01:24
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I asked my pediatrician the same question, because my Dad has had MRSA in the past, and he pretty much said the same thing - as long as they don't currently have any open sores they're fine to be around the baby.
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Apr 25, 2013 21:09
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Chris was quick. He'd been crawling and pulling himself up on stuff for months, but when he finally got the courage to let go and stand on his own he was taking off into other rooms about four days later. First it was a couple short steps between couch and coffee table for a couple nights, then he would do 3-4 steps from couch to people, then the next day I watched him pull up on the end of the couch and just walk into the next room. He was 14 months at this point. By that weekend he was strolling down the sidewalks, making it about 15 feet before plopping on his bum. That kid was so ready to be walking.
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May 3, 2013 02:54
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Chicken McNobody posted:Can you guys post your favorite toddler cough and cold remedies? My 15-month-old has been sick off and on for the last month, and at this point it could not be more transparent that the pediatricians give gently caress zero. To be fair, as they told me this morning, it probably is viral and they'd just be treating symptoms...but it's the symptoms that are making him miserable, and I'd like to maybe treat that a little so he doesn't feel so bad. They can still treat the symptoms. When Chris had bronchiolitis, a viral infection, they sent him home with a nebulizer and albuterol to help him breathe easier, and it definitely made him a lot less miserable. He wasn't a fan of having the mask on his face but he had tons of energy afterwards and slept way better. I kind of suspect he has a mild case of that right now, but the first time I brought him in it was after a weekend of nothing but fever and sleeping all day and barely eating, and the symptoms were way more mild this time around so I'm not panicking. So I guess if you're not happy with the current group, move on. I don't think there's anything wrong with going the extra mile for your kid's health.
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May 6, 2013 22:46
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AlistairCookie posted:Happy Mother's Day to all! May you spend at least some of it not actually mothering. The kiddo went on a bike ride with Daddy so I get the bonus of a couple hours of quiet time AND not getting guilted into going along. Double win!
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May 12, 2013 22:14
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frenchnewwave posted:I think you're all probably right and last night was an experiment to see if she could/would sleep on her own. I never let it get to crying, just endless fussing. I am getting so much pressure from friends, family, dr, that if she doesn't learn to self soothe now, I'll be dealing with this for years to come. I'm a first time mom, sometimes I don't know wtf to believe. All kids are different, but if you hit upon the right combination of stuff it can happen super fast. Chris went from bedsharing and waking up every two hours to nurse through sleeping through the night in his own room within like three weeks, turns out all we had to do was put a foam pad in the bassinet - he'd spent his entire life sleeping on a pillow top mattress so the bassinet pad was too hard for him. The No Cry didn't work for him, so we ended up letting him cry a little and soothing him really often, and starting over if he REALLY got upset. He also never got really attached to nay stuffed animal, but he did choose a blankie - a knit blanket that is nice and thin and can be used in any weather. I'm probably hosed if that thing comes apart but it seems to have held up pretty well so far.
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May 24, 2013 19:43
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Axiem posted:We love them because they make for a quick snack and are easy to transport, and easy for other people to use to feed her. We don't like giving them to her all the time, but we keep one or two in the diaper bag just in case. And it's really useful when she's going to be in the nursery at church, say, because the people there can feed her without much fuss or mess. Chris went through a phase where he didn't want to be spoon fed applesauce or yogurt anymore so those squeeze pouches bridged the gap pretty well until he had the coordination to spoon feed himself. The only down side is if you're trying to keep their sugar intake down those pouches are the enemy. Definitely great for throwing in the diaper bag for a snack break though. (I liked the GoSqeez ones but ultimately switched to Motts because it had 5g less sugar per pouch, same serving size. Less flavors though.)
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Jun 2, 2013 01:14
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Chris has started kicking out really hard when I go to put a fresh diaper on, not so great when you're sitting at his feet due to the fact you're heavily pregnant and can't really change him on the couch in any other way thanks to your huge belly. He was 33" and 27lbs at his 18 month checkup a month ago. Hefty boy.
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Jun 7, 2013 19:37
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Check JetBlue first. They're usually non stop, let you bring a ton of freebie baggage for lap infants (diaper bag, car seat and stroller), and let you board first with kids. Mid day is definitely best, so you're not messing them up by waking them up early or messing with bedtime. Bonus points if you can keep them awake till the flight... for some reason Chris got so cowed by takeoff he'd be asleep before we reached cruising altitude no matter how long it had been since his nap.
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Jun 8, 2013 18:12
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Sounds like he sees his older sister and youngest brother get extra treats all the time and he doesn't, so he figures he has to steal stuff all the time to get anything good at all. You are basically going to have to level the playing field if you want the behavior to stop, because he is just going to keep competing with his siblings to get what he thinks is his due. Everyone gets the same thing (see if there's a high and low fat version of one treat that you could feed your CP son) and maybe once he feels that things are "fair" he'll stop acting out so much. Also maybe cut back on "your" treats too to show him you're willing to play by the same rules that you enforce on him. My husband and I consider everything we eat to have a "baby tax" attached to it, as in at least 5% of whatever we sit down to consume gets shared with our son. It helps us keep junk food out of the house at any rate.
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Jun 9, 2013 17:48
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Sockmuppet posted:The way you micromanage your entire familys food intake sounds really weird. The diet of a sick child is of course a special case, but there is a healthy middle ground between raising your children on fast food and planning their daily fiber intake down to the gram. Seconding the worry about creating some serious food issues here. I agree. I mean, I can understand being careful with meals, but snacks should be a free for all, no asking "permission" for certain things or measuring their fiber intake down to the gram. Man, if I had four kids I'd be going out of my way to make everything as self serve as possible because to hell with that. My toddler is already a handful the second the fridge door opens, I can't even imagine if he could open it himself - times four. And yes, if you don't want your kids consuming it regularly, keep it out of the house. Soda, chips, cookies, sweet drinks - just don't buy them. Also keep in mind that no matter how stealthy you think you're being when giving out special snacks, kids will brag about it to their siblings to get the upper hand in a heartbeat. And yes, keep your special work snacks at work. (It reminds me of a "weekly treat" my family got as kids, a box of eclairs from Hannaford's. Problem was, they came in a box of five and there was four people in the family. Who was the lucky person who got to eat two that week? It was always a point of contention. XD)
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Jun 9, 2013 19:37
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Seconding the "just do it" advice, having a husband that asks permission for every little thing to do with the baby can be just as frustrating as a husband that has to be told what to do all the time. It's your kid too! I'm really guessing your wife just wants that away from the baby time... I know in those first few months of the baby wanting to be attached to me constantly I was super stir crazy by the time my husband came home. That's why my advice to new Dads is the second they come home and put their stuff down is TAKE THE BABY.
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Jun 13, 2013 14:57
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Gounads posted:All this talk has me thinking about my situation. If you really think you're going to be productive with a small child in the house you're laughably mistaken. And if you're around, your wife WILL use you because breaks from the baby are precious, precious things. My husband avoids working from home like the plague because he knows I'll "accidentally" leave the office door open and will take my time retrieving the kiddo if he starts bugging him. I also know I'll be lucky if I can keep him away from the office for three weeks after this baby is born because he's a programmer like you and pretty devoted to his job. So yeah, if you're expected to be working full time you're better off just going to the office. Just don't be late coming home.
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Jun 13, 2013 22:44
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Melliemel posted:Sam was on straw cups by then and I stuck a series of non-spill straw cops in there. Now I use a camelbak in there and I wish I'd found it sooner. Short version -- get her on straw cups, and the world opens right up. Yeah, pretty much this. Chris has had a no spill straw cup by his crib since about a year old. Gotta love the self serve babies.
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Jun 15, 2013 04:17
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The last time I let my mother take care of Chris alone she put his diaper on backwards. I don't even know how you screw that up even on purpose. Oh and the last time we visited and I was like "I am going to leave at 10 to take advantage of his nap" it was basically me packing the car while Chris played on the floor by himself and my mother, father and brother were all absorbed in their own entertainment. Coincidentally, it was then I decided it would be the very last time we visited.
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Jun 22, 2013 15:16
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Mr Darcy posted:What's the consensus on trying to stop a 12 month old from doing something he shouldn't be doing? Alex is getting pretty mobile and has been helpfully pulling himself up on the curtains, which came off the wall, and hitting a single pane glass door with his toys - which despite us having put a layer of safety plastic on the glass he managed to crack it. As he's also fascinated by the TV and although we've put a protective screen in front of it we'd rather try and start teaching him right from wrong. My go to has always been just saying his name in a warning tone, it gets his attention and he'll read the tone so much better than understanding actual words. My husband jokes that he'll grow up thinking Christopher means "no, don't do that." But I agree at 12 months it's a pretty futile effort, you're better off just blocking off everything you don't want him to have access to. And yes, if there's something they get into and want bad enough nothing shy of physically removing them will get them to stop, like Chris when he gets playing in the "indoor sandbox (a.k.a. the litterbox when someone forgets to shut the gate to the mudroom)."
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Jun 24, 2013 17:21
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Bed sharing and crib sleeping both have their dangers, it's pointless to argue one way or another especially based on your own personal experience. I could easily say bedsharing is totally safe because I did it with Chris for 9 months with no incidents. On the actual subject, if they're becoming intolerable to sleep with, time to start the eviction process in my opinion. I kicked Chris out when we were both getting such lousy night sleep bedsharing it was no longer a benefit.
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Jul 13, 2013 22:59
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I almost wish I was bottle feeding instead, because now I have so much supply Emily constantly overeats right before bed and I'm getting reeeeeeally tired of cleaning the puke off of the mattress. I also try to pump during long naps but it never fails, she could be sleeping soundly but the second I get everything hooked up she starts waking up.
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Jul 18, 2013 18:39
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Chicken Biscuits posted:Does anyone have any tips on traveling with a 4-5 month old? My daughter's not due to be here until October, but my husband's grandma turns 90 in March and is having a big party in Florida, 16 hours away. My husband is a huge planner and wants to get all the details figured out now. I've found after several 5 hour trips to visit the in-laws that any trip that takes more than 2-3 hours is going to be stressful because the baby will nap for maybe two hours and then wake up and be fussy and you'll have to stop frequently. Save yourself the headache and just fly. If you're super determined to drive though, plan on starting your trip at around the baby's bedtime, and if they're a good car sleeper you'll get maybe 12 hours of minimal interruptions.
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Jul 19, 2013 20:10
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We plan on traveling by car because it's cheaper. It'll probably be easier for us to figure out once she's here and we know her temperament. Do babies that old still sleep pretty well and for long periods of time?
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Chicken Biscuits posted:Okay, I appreciate your answers! I'll talk to my husband tonight and discuss trying to fly instead. Definitely hold the baby, why pay for a seat when you don't have to? The only time the baby would be in danger unsecured is basically when the rest of you are screwed. Expect to do a lot of walking up and down the aisle, though. On the plus side as long as the attendants aren't pushing the snack and drink carts up and down the aisle they don't seem to care if you stand around the bathrooms. (At least that's been my experience with JetBlue, others may differ.)
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Jul 19, 2013 21:22
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FishBulb posted:Which one of you has experience with making your own baby food? I have an immersion blender and a food processor, would I be able to do it with that set up or should I get a food mill? Buying one of the baby food specific mills seems like a sucker deal, but I could justify a mill for other uses. I made all of Chris' purees and baby foods with just a plain ol' food processor. I did have one of those old fashioned colanders though, that were shaped like a cone with the wooden pestle. That was pretty sweet for the fruit purees, but I got by just fine with a metal mesh pasta strainer and rubber spatula before I dug that up.
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Jul 22, 2013 16:34
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I turn it on when Emily is nursing to sleep and she gets this wide eyed, freaked out look. Hopefully she'll get used to it.
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Aug 3, 2013 14:23
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Alterian posted:I'm looking for Convertible Car Seat recommendations that don't break the bank, but are still safe. We're going to have to buy one now, and then another one in a couple months. (One for each car) I feel kinda bad not wanting to spend $300 on a car seat, but we don't really have the money for that right now, but we need at least one new one. Why do you need two? My husband and I move Chris' car seat between cars all the time, takes like 5 minutes. I have the Graco My Size 70, at $180 it's not too bad. Not impressed with how hard it is to tighten the straps but at least adjusting it is easy.
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Aug 9, 2013 20:17
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Chris got obsessed with a doll in a pink flower-y stroller from our town dump's swap shack, so I said "screw it" and let him bring it home. When my husband saw him pushing it around with the wheel constantly falling off, he just fixed it so the wheel would stay on.  (Yeah, the kid's dad has issues.)
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Aug 24, 2013 23:48
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DwemerCog posted:I don't fancy the kind of carrier that requires you to tie things or wrap things (such as the mei tai) because I am all thumbs. I like my Munchkin Jelly Bean sling, all one piece so you just toss it over your head. It's a bit thicker material but I find it works pretty good whether you stick their head into it or let them keep it out.  Emily quite liked it as a newborn.
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Aug 28, 2013 20:35
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iwik posted:As a side question, what did you do for your child's first birthday? A proper party or just a family BBQ or something with a cake? I have 3 weeks and have to decide what to plan. I invited all the family, bought a couple platters from the grocery store, and made a cake so everyone could watch him make a mess eating it. It was a pretty nice party and I had a pretty good turnout despite most people living two+ hours away. I'm a little torn on what to do for his second birthday, I figure it's probably time to shift more towards inviting kids his age but I haven't met that many moms yet. Plus growing up my birthdays were always all the aunts and uncles and cousins getting together so that's what normal is for me, family instead of friends. I guess he's still kind of too young to care anyways.
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Aug 31, 2013 01:40
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I always pureed the meat but mixed it in with some mashed veggies. So basically he was eating it for the veggies but getting the meat. It's not so gross when you put cooked meat through the food processor.
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Sep 6, 2013 14:11
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