Bouncing Back After Baby: 6/27 - 7/3

[MCmom]

Hi everyone!

I've become more relaxed about weaning these past few days. I figure when Leah turns 10 mths old, I can really get serious about it, and hopefully have her weaned by time she's 11 mths old. The time is going to go by so fast, and I know I'll miss it when it's over, so I'm going to enjoy it as much as I can.

Leah said, "Ma ma," for the first time this morning! I heard it clear as day. I'm not sure if she knew exactly what she was saying, but I'll take it any way I can get it.

Does anyone else subscribe to Lowcarbezine by Dana (the one who wrote the books)? It's sent via e-mail, and she gives some really good information. This week she talked about healthy foods for your kids (amongst other things).

Stephanie - It sounds like Roarke is a champion nurser! How did he do with the soy milk? I was thinking soy, but with all the controversy regarding it, I didn't know if I should bring it up. I still don't know what to think myself on the subject. Did you see all those lengthy threads about it on the main board?

[LisaBisa]

hi I've had a lot to do at home and out the past couple of days so I haven't been around much.

Mary, congrats on leah saying Mama Michael says dada so much and has yet to say mama. I'm getting jealous. not really

Michael has a little cold. Poor thing. Runny nose and a cough. Hope it passes quickly.

My weight was down to 197 yesterday...but back up to 198.5 today. Too bad. Oh well, At least I'm below 200!

Things are good here, Nick has a four day weekend which is nice.

Anyway, have a good weekend all!

Lisa

[curlyque]

Mary: Yay for Leah saying Mama! I can't wait to hear it from Roarke. Well, the soy formula didn't go over too well. I gave him mixed with his cereal to see if he would get a reaction. That was fine, no reaction. So I make him a bottle at bedtime, and after 1 1/2 oz. he totally refuses to drink more. So much for that. I ended up breastfeeding him. He also ended up having once of those nights where he is up every 1 1/2 - 2 hours wanting to feed. I just wanted to give him the formula at night in the hopes of getting him to sleep through. No luck. Oh well. My other idea is to pump a good 6 oz bottle and feed him at bedtime to see if that will keep him longer. Problem with that is that I only get 4 oz total in the morning when I'm at my fullest. And I use that to mix in with his cereal. I haven't read the controversy on soy milk on the main board. You've got me curious now. Although it is a mute point now since he hates the taste of it.

Lisa: Good for you for losing some weight. It's always great when we can get away from that 200 mark. A mini success right there! I hope Michael feels better soon.

It was a sweltering 98 degrees here yesterday. It wouldn't be so bad if it was so humid. The heat wave is supposed to break tonight with some showers. Thank goodness.

[MelissaM]

Hi, everyone!

Thanks everyone for the sweet compliments about Jared's picture. He is a doll, but I know I'm a little biased. Some people still mistake him for a girl depending on what he's wearing.

He is sleeping better, just going through a phase I guess. We had his 1-year checkup today. Three shots--yuck! He was 22 lbs and 30 3/4 inches long. Doc says he's doing perfect. I also bought my first bottle of whole milk so that I can start weaning him.

Mary, it's so sweet when they finally acknowledge you by name, isn't it? Jared is real big on saying da-da--all the time. He only says ma-ma when he's tired or needs comforting. I guess that's a good thing, but it's frustrating.

Stephanie, was it really 98 degrees in Vermont??? I guess I wouldn't think it would be so bad that far north. We're actually having a low 90s day here in Tx and the humidity is low so it's not so bad. I really can't complain since I'm inside with the A/C on....

Sorry my post is so short...little one will be waking soon and I've got a load of laundry waiting to be hung up.

[MCmom]

I'm SO tired of being stuck at the same weight, I'm going to try to reduce my carbs, and see if that will get things going again. I'm starting today.

Lisa - What are you currently doing, to try to lose the weight? I hope Michael is feeling better soon!

Stephanie - I can't blame Roarke for not wanting to drink that nasty tasting soy milk! I heard it's something of an acquired taste. I heard on the news, about a study that says babies raised on soy milk, run a higher risk of developing allergies. I can't remember exactly what they said, b/c it was awhile ago, but it made me grateful I never gave my children soy milk. I guess there are lots of problems that people can develop, from having soy in their diets. I know not everyone agrees, which is why there's controversy. What will you do now?

Melissa - I'm thinking Leah will be about 22 or 23 lbs, when she turns a year old. My older two kids were both 27 lbs, at their one yr. check-up.

Does Jared already take a bottle? Weaning will be much easier if he does. I'm working with Leah to get her take a bottle and a cup, but she's not cooperating with me.

Leah says dada all the time, while mama is a rare treat. At this point, I'd be happy to hear it once a day.

MaryC

[MelissaM]

My maternity leave was over when Jared was 7 weeks old so that's when he started staying with the sitter. We had started giving him breastmilk via the bottle at about 4 weeks so that he would be used to it. I went part time in February and at that point he was taking fewer bottles at the sitters anyway.

Once we started giving him juice (about 9 months) and he was getting three solid meals a day, he pretty much stopped getting the bottle since he was getting juice from the sippy cup and milk from me five times a day. It was funny though, about a week ago I worked a different shift at work and had to be in real early. I didn't wake him up one morning to nurse, and fortunately I still have some bags of frozen breastmilk. DH gave it to him in a bottle and he didn't complain. I guess it's just weird to think about giving him milk because I will be replacing a feeding. Should I give it in a cup or a bottle?? He never drinks all of his juice at one sitting, usually he does it in two meals.

DH and I totally blew our carbs today. We went to a 2-year-olds birthday party and then to my brother's to celebrate my nephew turning 14. Lots of cake and ice cream--need I say more?

[greenbean]

I am lurking- I was busy with garage sale and moving mom this weekend. Now Michaela calls.

Hope everyone is doing well.

[SusieQ12]

Hello all. I haven't been able to get on line in a couple of days due to modem problems. Gotta post now really quick before it stops working again.

Mary ~ I second Stephanie, YAY for Leah saying Mama. I can't wait to hear it, but I know I've got a long way to go still.

I am also sick of being stuck at the same weight. I have been lingering at 195 for about 2 weeks now. I haven't really been eating off plan, just too many "legal" treats, like the Russell Stover's SF candy, and nuts. So as of Friday, I am back on induction. I am also happy to report that I am now in ketosis. YAY!

I did take my measurements last night. I am too embarassed to even tell anyone what they are. I gained almost all of my pregnancy weight (besides baby) in my butt. It is HUGE! I took the measurements because the next time I think I'm in a stall, I will be able to tell if I am losing inches. I usually don't do that, but I have got to stay motivated this time. I am truly ashamed of myself for gaining all of this weight in the first place, and I am not happy at all being this big.

I also go back to work in five more weeks, and I've got to be able to fit into my work clothes because I can't afford to buy all new ones. I do have some bigger size pants, though, some that I bought before I needed maternity, so if I can just get back into them I should be fine until the rest comes off. Before I got pregnant last summer, I was wearing size 12 shorts, and Friday I went and bought shorts and had to buy an 18! As I said before, I am not happy about this. But, all I can do now is move forward and lose the weight. I swear I will if it kills me.

Gotta go for now. Bria will be waking up to eat any minute now. I'll check back in tomorrow evening. The cable guy is supposed to be coming to fix the modem tomorrow.

'Night ladies.

Susan

[MCmom]

I went to the store this morning, but I forgot to get some ketostix's. I need to know if I'm in ketosis or not. I've cut way down on my carbs, but I'm still allowing some nuts. I need to know if the nuts have to go for the time being. I plan on going shopping again tomorrow, so I'll try to pick up some then. I have to break my 1 mth stall!

Melissa - That's good about Jared taking a bottle. Weaning for you will be so much easier than it will be for me. If Jared will take a cup, it's best to switch straight to a cup, and forget the bottle. I'm working on Leah taking a cup, b/c I don't want to have to wean from the bottle in a few months. Weaning once is enough for me.

Speaking of blowing carbs, I don't want to do that this Friday (on the 4th). My mom is having a big family cookout at her house, and there will be tons of junkfood. I'm going grocery shopping tomorrow and I need to think of a side dish and a dessert, that I can bring along for me. I refuse to give in to those nasty carb demons.

Kerensa - Enough lurking you! Now get your butt over here and give us a proper post.

Susan - I know you weren't trying to be funny, but I had to LOL when I read about your butt being big. I remember once when I was cleaning, I was bending over, and my 3 yr. old DD said, "You have a big butt!" I just laughed, b/c she's only 3 afterall (and an honest one at that). My weight seems to be evenly distributed between my butt, thighs, and belly. I too am determined to lose it ASAP.

Now go get that modem fixed pronto!

[MelissaM]

Yay--I gave Jared his first sippy cup of milk last night for the 5:00 pm feeding and he drank almost all of it within 10 minutes!

What is it about the 190s? I was there before I got pregnant, gained 32 lbs while pregnant, and had lost it all in a month. However, my fat has "re-distributed" itself. A friend told me that you retain about 10 lbs while nursing, so when Jared's totally weaned, maybe I can look forward to that weight loss. I can fit into most of my pre-pregnancy clothes, but I don't look near as good. I am tall, but the disadvantage to that is that you can gain more before you realize nothing fits!

Hang in there, Susan! I remember having to buy a few larger pants just so I had something to wear several months after Jared was born. I felt like such a cow!

Oh well, I must go back to work, now.

Melissa

[LisaBisa]

sick CLINGY baby. I can't leave the room w/out him SCREAMING!
ARGH

how long does THIS phase last??



Hi everyone...hope you are all fine.

I've had a trying weekend.


Will post more later when Michael is sleeping

Lisa

[curlyque]

Hi! I had a busy weekend and didn't get a chance to stop by.

We were supposed to have guests for dinner here on Saturday night. We prep'd lots of things in advance and bought lots of food. On Saturday morning, they called to say that their daughter was sick and they couldn't make it. We called about 3 or 4 other families and they were either already busy or not home. So we had a wonderful meal for ourselves on Saturday and Sunday. At least the food didn't go to waste.

On Sunday, I went to the Vermont Quilt Festival. I usually go every year. I didn't go last year because it was when I was having difficulty with my pregnancy. I bought some beautiful fabric but don't know when I will use it since my hands are pretty full 24/7 these days.

I've been giving Roarke Similac Advance and he's had no reaction to it. So he doesn't have a milk allergy. I wonder what was in the Enfamil to cause his lips to swell and blister. I've been giving one bottle at bedtime to try and get him to sleep through the night. So far it hasn't been working, but last night he woke up at 2 am and I gave him his pacifier. We played the game of in and out with the paci for about 30 minutes before he went back to sleep without nursing. He didn't cry so I knew he wasn't hungry. He woke up due to habit. So I'm hoping that soon he won't wake up during the night at all. A girl can hope!

Marlee goes off to sleep away camp for a week on Sunday. She's very excited.

No time for individual messages, Roarke's patience has diminished. Hi to everyone.

[Lee A]

...sorry been busy here...
worked another 6 day week and was getting home after midnight,then Cody would get up and fuss(so much I couldn't even get on the PC)until 2am.The other 2 are up before 7am.I am totally wrung out.The days pass quick,sometimes I leave by 3pm,I barely have time to clean house plus do stuff with the kids...Cody is asleep on me now and gets upset every time I try to lay her down.

anyway it's a holiday here.So Happy Canada Day tomorrow to any Canadians on board and Happy Fourth to our American comrades

I'm taking the kids to town tomorrow to watch the bands play and later the fireworks.It'll be a long time but I'm packing a cooler of stuff and blanket etc...the kids are pretty excited about it.The display probably won't be until about 11pm so it'll be a long day.

well it's taken over an hour just to post this much...

Hi Mary-hearing Mama is bittersweet...Cody says Mommy now(over and over).Hope Leah doesn't have a hard time with weaning.It feels like forever now since I nursed Cody.Time is a funny thing.You'll break that stall you'll see

Hi Lisa-hopefully when Michael is feeling better it'll taper off.They do go through lots of phases though that is very trying.Hang in there

Hi Steph-I haven't gave Cody a nightime bottle since I quit BF her and she still gets up through the night.Good luck!

Hi Melissa-yay Jared with the sippy.Funny how important that milestone is for us mommies.

Hi Kerensa-yeah, miss your long posts too

Hi Susan-beautiful pic of baby Bria

Hi also to those I missed(Kim,Sarah....)

[DarkSiren]

Hello Ladies!!!!
Just a quick pop in to say hi and let you know that we're back home safe and sound with our new little one. William Daniel weighed in at 8lbs 7oz and 20.5 inches by c-section Friday June 27th. I'll give the birth story later when I'm a little more up to it. Just wanted to let you know that we made it and he's just absolutely perfect.
Big Sister is adjusting well so far. Keep your fingers crossed for me. LOL
Gotta run and grab a shower before DH has to hurry out to do some errands for me. Talk Later!!!

Dawn

[greenbean]

Good morning mammas!

I apologize for the time I have been away. Just to let you all know I am not supermom- I had my version of a breakdown. As you all know you can’t do it all and I just couldn’t handle doing so much anymore. I don’t even know where I left off and I am still too drained to go back and look but I am back to low carbing as of today. I felt horrible eating carbs all this weekend. My mom got her house sold and we had her garage sale. We still have some big things to move out of there so we will move some of it this weekend. Other than that DH is sick and finally going to the doctor and I think he gave me what he has so I am going too.

Just a few things I remember from reading posts- I am sorry if I miss someone!

Melissa- are you not wanting to wean? Curiosity has me wondering since your post didn’t seem really positive about the whole milk.

Mary- oh I cannot wait to hear those sweet words- Mama! Yea for Leah saying Mama!

Susan- Bria is such a cutie!

Lee- Happy Canada Day to you and the rest of the Canucks! J

Oh one last thing- Michaela just turned 4 months old last Friday and she took a sippy cup this weekend! She isn’t great with it but she does like it. I tried it with EBM last night and she didn’t do as well with that as she did with water. I know she isn’t getting enough water to hurt her but I was hoping she would take the EBM.

Congratulations on the new arrival Dawn.

I will be back to post later- the air is off here today and it is going to be around 100 degrees so I better get my work done early because I don't do well working in the stuffy office with logarithims.

[curlyque]

Lee: You must be exhausted. Have fun with the Canada Day celebration.

Dawn: Congrats on the birth of William Daniel! A nice big boy!

Kerensa: I've also been Roarke water from a sippy cup since he was about 3 1/2 to 4 months old. He drinks water from it real well. I haven't put anything else in the cup since he will drink from it for about 5 minutes, then doesn't want anymore.

My experiment failed big time last night. He drank 6 1/2 oz of formula and slept until about 3:30am. I tried not breastfeeding him for about 30 minutes. He wasn't crying, just very fidgety. After that he was wide awake and started whining, which woke DH up. He said "What aren't you giving him that he wants?" I fibbed and said that I had already fed him 20 minutes ago. So I ended up breastfeeding him so that he would be quiet. After he fed, he was still wide awake. He kept rolling onto his belly and lifting his head up to talk. So 2 hours and 15 minutes later he fell asleep. I had a very grumpy DH in the wee hours of the morning.

[hedy67]

Hi all! I am a 36 yr.old working mom to 2 boys- ages 3 yrs, and 3 almost 4 months. I started Atkins on 6/16, and am currently nursing my little one, as well as pumping.
I look forward to getting to know you all. I am happy to see that there are other nursing moms doing this too!

[SusieQ12]

Hi everyone. Hope everyone is doing well today.

Kerensa ~ Good to have you back. I, too, like to think I can do everything, so I know just how you feel. It aggravates me when I can't, but I have got to learn that NOBODY can do EVERYTHING. I am doing better with it now, though. I think that was half my problem, well that and hormones. I am trying to learn that if the house is a little messy, that's okay. I just don't like to think that I haven't tried my best. Does that make sense?

Dawn ~ Congrats on your healthy baby boy! Can't wait to hear your birth story.

Lee ~ Sorry you have been working so hard, hon. Try to get some rest. I know, easier said than done.

Well, Bria had a great night last night. She ate at about 11:30, DH put her to down in her crib at about 12:15, and she slept until 11:15 this morning! She has never went that long without eating. Maybe she got too much sleep, though, because she is grumpy today.

I was also reading the main board the other day and was reading about that CLA stuff. It seems that it has worked for a lot of people. It's supposed to burn fat, help build muscle, and boost your immune system. I read the CLA challenge thread for Friday, and so many people say they have had great results. I went out and bought some yesterday. I figured it couldn't hurt. I've got to get this weight off!

Well, we're gonna go to the mall. I'll check back in later.

Bye bye.

Susan

[MelissaM]

Hi, everyone!

Kerensa, I guess weaning is bittersweet to me. I'm such a sentimental schmuck--I didn't realize how much I'll miss that bonding time. I do believe he is ready to wean out most feedings though. The only one he has a real interest in is the just-before-bedtime feeding.

I missed an acronym meaning--what is CLA?

Dawn, congrats on your new baby boy!

Melissa

[MCmom]

Leah's been having trouble sleeping lately, and now I know why. She's getting in two teeth on the bottom! I can feel one already coming through. That explains why she's been extra fussy the past week or two. She hasn't been "too" difficult, just more fussy than usual.

I went to two stores recently to try and get some ketostix, but both places said they were having difficulty getting them from the manufacturer. I hope this isn't true for every store in town. I need to know if I'm in ketosis, or if I need to lower my carbs some more. I'm going to call a couple stores tomorrow.

Melissa - I wish Leah would take a sipper cup as well as Jared does! I've been working with her since she was 5 mths old. Now it's 4 mths later, and she "still" doesn't want to drink out of one. Help!

Lisa - The "phase" lasts as long as your little boy is sick. I hope he's feeling better now. Was it a cold or something else?

Stephanie - My two older children "still" wake up regularly at night, so I'm resigned to not getting much sleep for the next few years. Leah basically wants to sleep in our bed at night, so after a few attempts to get her to stay in her crib, I give up.

I wish we lived closer to you, b/c we would have been happy to come over for dinner!

How nice that you know how to make a quilt! I always wanted to learn how to sew, or crochet, or knit. It's too bad I didn't have any relatives to teach me.

Lee - It's SO good to hear from you! I've been wondering and wondering about you. I should have known you were just being your normal super busy self. Please try to post once a week, to let us know how busy you still are.

Leah's not going to give up BF'ing without a fight. I know there's nothing to be done about it, b/c I've tried everything I could think of, and most of the suggestions other people have given me. I'm "so" not looking forward to it.

Either I'm going to break this stall, or else I'll be "maintaining" for the rest of my life. My mom just sent me an e-mail, to let me know how much she's lost recently. I wish I could give progress reports too. <sigh>

Kerensa - It's okay, I've had many mini-breakdowns since my first child was born. There's nothing easy about raising children I tell ya. All we can do is try our best, and when we occasionally fail, get right back up and keep trying. It helps to get the occasional break too. After 3 kids, I'm still waiting for mine.

Yeah for Michaela taking a cup! You make it sound so easy! Can you bring Michaela over to show Leah how to do it? Actually, Leah knows how to drink out of a cup, she just stubbornly refuses to do so.

Dawn - Congratulations on the birth of your baby boy Daniel! Please post more when you feel up to it.

Hedy - Welcome to our little group! I hope you find the support and encouragment you need here!

Susan - Is CLA okay to take while BF'ing? I'd make sure to find out about that first, before taking it. If it's safe, I hope it works for you! Let us know, okay?

[SusieQ12]

Melissa ~ CLA stands for Conjugated linoeic acid. It's a dietary supplement that's supposed to help burn fat, build muscle and boost your immune system. If you look at the top left of the page, there is an ad for it. You can click on that link to find out more about it. I bought the gel caps instead of the liquid. I read about it on the main board the other night, and there is a thread on the challenge board for people who are taking it. Someone suggested reading the CLA challenge thread for Friday, so I did. This stuff seems to be working for a lot of people. I figured it wouldn't hurt anything to try it.

Mary ~ I don't know if you can take it while breastfeeding or not. But since Bria's on formula now, it's okay for me. But if you are interested in it, maybe you can research it now and maybe try it after you stop breastfeeding.

Well, gotta go for now. Have a great night everyone!

Susan

[greenbean]

DH and I went to the doctor yesterday and thank goodness I am not sick- just allergies she said. DH has a sinus infection and it has to be the worst infection I have ever seen. He is off work until Monday which is good because he needs to get well but bad because he doesn’t get paid when he misses work. He has lost 29 pounds low carbing in about 4 months though! I think that is AWESOME! We both have a lot to get rid of and it is nice to have someone committed to this WOL living in the same house.

Darn people bringing cookies to work- iced cookies too. I cannot get my head on straight about low carbing again. Somebody kick me in the tush! I don’t want to eat nasty sugary stuff because I know how it will make me feel but I do it anyway for the last 2 weeks it seems. Who stole my willpower and low carbing desire?! ARGH!! What really gets me is a friend at work was saying how much I look like I had lost and how great I looked and THEN I grab a cookie…WTH is wrong with me? Now I feel like I have ruined the whole day and might as well eat nasty stuff all daya nd just start over tomorrow. LOL I know better than to do that but I am battling my inner child I guess. DUH!

Stephanie- are you trying to wean too? Grumpy DH must be in the air or something because mine is the King of Grumps. He is sick though and Michaela throwing a fit doesn’t help.

Hedy- Welcome! Our babies are about the same age. Michaela turned 4 months last Friday.

Susan- OH MY GOODNESS! The hormone issue has me bonkers! Can I blame that for my poor eating choices? I have had to really work with my OCD tendancies and stop with the house cleaning. I even asked my MIL to change her plans about coming to stay with us in 3 weeks because in 4 weeks I go out of town on a business trip and I was stressing over all of the “plans”.

YEA YEA YEA for Bria sleeping all night!

Melissa- Oh I think weaning will be a heartbreak for me. I know I cannot see me BF Michaela for 4-5 years but I cannot see myself stopping either. I really would like her to self wean but then I see other kids 2-3 years old and they seem so big! One of my closest friends BF her 3yr old and that seems totally normal to me though. You aren’t a schmuck! It has to be an emotional time for you. *hugs*

Does anyone know if your hormones go through changes again when you wean? I would think yes.

Lisa- How is Michael doing?

Mary- Epp! New teeth! Next thing you know you will be leaving money for the tooth fairy! Babies grow up too fast!

I am not sure Michaela would be a great sippy cup teacher at the moment. I have to pretend to drink it and then she really wants it. On the same note she is all over my dinner plate! I feel so bad about not giving her food when clearly she is interested. She watches every movement of food from the plate to my mouth and even opens her mouth when I take a bite. I did get a suggestion to let her eat EBM out of a spoon and I may start trying that because I really wanted to hit that 6 month mark before we did any solids.

I suppose I should do some work today. Yesterday the A/C was off here at work and it was too hot to do anything. It got up to a stuffy 90 degrees before they sent us home.

I hope everyone is having a terrific Wednesday!

[LisaBisa]

Hey guys.

Nick is back at work today after a long holiday weekend. THat was nice. Unfornately, mr. sick boy crankypants didn't make it that FUN of a weekend. But, at least w/ him being home, I was able to get OUT of the house and away from the crying for a bit.

THANKFULLY Michael is starting to feel better! YAY. He still has a runny nose. But, he's started eating again *he doesn't eat when he's sick, and I Think he had a sore throat, so anything he ate had to be cool and very runny* He mostly had formula all weekend.

Greenbean, allergies, yuck! I'm sorry to hear that. Good for you Dh for losing so much. I'm sure you'll get back on track. Its very hard after pregnancy. And, w/ you breastfeeding it makes it that much harder. I definitely think you go through another hormone surge after weaning. My hormones are still out if whack and I weaned almost 3 months ago. *still haven't had a period yet either*

Susie, I'm taking CLA, I've havent' noticed anything yet, but its only been about a week. Hoping to see a difference soon.

Mary, YAY for leah! Her teeth are just gonna be popping through like crazy now. On top of Michael being sick his fifth tooth broke through the skin this week...and I think I see buds for more. ARGH! When will this STOP?? Oh, and he just had a cold. *and a sore throat I think*

MelissaM, HI

Hedy67, welcome!

Stephanie, sorry your experiment didnt' work. And sorry about the grumpy dh.

Greenbean, hope you are feelign better. you dont' HAVE to be supermom! Just do the best you can! You haev permission to let some things 'slide' you CANNOT do everything!

Dark Siren! COngrats! Cant' wait to hear your birth story.