I had a little scare yesterday and last night..
But how about I start from the beginning?
Ashlynn woke up at a normal time on Tuesday, feeling fine, acting fine, etc.
Her morning diaper had an odd poop though..
TMI, but it was an odd color and just didn't look right.
I asked my mom and she chalked it up to teething.
Then Ashlynn took an early nap, which is something I don't see anymore.
She napped for about 2 hours on my chest, then was up playing again.
At 5pm, she was tired again so she fell asleep on me. For the record, this is also rare..and NEVER happens when she has already napped that day. At 8, she woke up (sort of) and I put her in bed just to see what happens. She babbled a bit, but her eyes kept closing. Before I knew it, I dozed off and when I woke up at 11ish, she was still asleep. She slept pretty well until I went to bed (probably around 3am or so), then kept waking up screaming. She didn't want to nurse (and I was too tired to freak out..) but wanted snuggles and her binky..
So we slept some more and, oddly, she didn't wake me up in the morning like she usually does. I woke, on my own, at 12:30 in the afternoon (I was tired..) and had to wake her. She felt a bit feverish, so my mom checked her temp via armpit.
102.
I gave her some ibuprofen and she spent the day dozing off and on. My friend brought me to CVS to get tylenol (and I found out my master card gift card was online only..but that's another story) and by then, Ashlynn was acting perfectly fine. So we went to the mall (bad mama, I know..) and around 5 her fever was back.. So we grabbed tylenol from Target (generic) and gave it to her, then went home.
Once home, we checked her temp again. 103.
The tylenol did nothing and my mom snuck in a temp check (and didn't tell me this until 1am that night..) and got 103.7.
Then some tylenol before bed (around 9)
When she woke up fussing around 1am, she was BURNING hot..
Temp check again..
104.
She was lethargic, wanted nothing to do with any meds and just wanted to sleep..
I seriously considered bringing her to the ER, but my mom talked me out of it and told me I was overreacting.
More meds (ibuprofen) and her temp dropped fast, she started acting normal, then back to bed she went.
I stayed up until 6am to give her tylenol to prevent the fever from spiking more and when she nursed, she acted odd.. nursed VERY quickly (seriously, gulping super fast) and spit up a bit on me..but she went to sleep after.. but I slept through my alarm at 10am for her ibuprofen...
This morning she slept in until about 11 (unusual, but not as alarming as 12:30) and her fever was a mild 99.
She acted fine, ate fine, and was just a little sleepy. She napped at a normal time (about 2pm), but only napped for an hour or so..
I gave her ibuprofen at 4pm today because she was very very fussy, and she went to bed at 8:30pm, happy as can be and acting good as new.
Her fever didn't spike today (at all!) and she didn't seem sick, so I'm not sure what caused the fever to be so bad..
To add.. she fussed as I was writing this so I went to check on her.
Yup... Fever is back.
Not sure what it is.. I just gave her a bit of tylenol and settled her back down..
She was hot hot to the touch and a bit twitchy (she did that last night with her fever of 104), So I'm guessing it's at least 103..
I'm bringing her to the Dr. tomorrow to make sure it's nothing treatable (like an ear infection).
If it's treatable, I think I'll be happier than if it's a bug.. But either way, this mama needs answers!
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Christmas and Blizzard Insanity!!!
Christmas was..well..interesting, to say the least.
I spent Christmas eve finishing up the wrapping, then taped multiple lines of ribbon across our hallway with various things on it, including spoons and bells, to alert my parents if my sisters woke up early.
Then, of course, I had to tape cardboard on the cat door (goes from the basement to the main floor) to keep the cats from knocking it all down! NOT easy!
7 am and everyone was awake except myself and Miss Ashlynn, who wasn't too amused by the early wake up.
She didn't get the whole "open presents" concept, but did try.
She got a busy ball popper, books, snacks (up and up brand from target. I'm cheap! LOL), various outfits, more toys, etc. and was obsessed the most with a little electronic pig that walks and wiggles it's nose while snorting. She pressed her nose to the pig's snout and laughed over and over.
My sisters got a ton, too.. including squinkies. In case you don't know what they are, they're little plastic toys (http://www.dealwisemommy.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/SquinkiesProductCollection.jpg) that are a horrible choke hazard for babies. They were banned from the living room for that reason, and I've still picked many up off the floor and even fished one from my 11-month-old's mouth!
We went to my stepdad's brother's house, where Ashlynn got more clothes and even a toy!
Then to my aunt's, where she got MORE clothes and MORE toys!
She got to show off her walking skills and everyone was in awe that she was already walking.
She didn't talk much, but she did utter a few "This" and "That"s
I got her to bed in record time (around 9),too!
Then came the snow..
The day after Christmas, we got snow..and lots of it.
Then yesterday morning around 5:30 AM, our power went out..and so did our heat!
Turns out, a tree had fallen on a power line on our street and the whole street was powerless.
So off to my grandmother's house we went (Over the river and through the woods...) to warm up around 4pm. We had a warm dinner and were going to stay the night, but I got a call from my best friend, who lives on our street, saying the power was back on.
We got home around 10pm, I got Ashlynn to bed and now our house is up 10 degrees.. from 53 to 63! It's almost warm!
It was quite a scare though, since I have two small birds (an English Budgie and a Cockatiel) who wouldn't have done well overnight in the cold. They are, thankfully, perfectly fine though.
Two of our cats are pretty old as well (one is around 12ish, the other around 14ish) and one of them, the older one, is pretty antisocial and wouldn't snuggle with anything, including us, if she had to. I was worried we'd lose her in the night.
We now have about a foot or so of snow, icy roads, and I have a craving for, sadly, fast food!
I officially hate snow!
Hope everyone had a very merry Christmas!
I spent Christmas eve finishing up the wrapping, then taped multiple lines of ribbon across our hallway with various things on it, including spoons and bells, to alert my parents if my sisters woke up early.
Then, of course, I had to tape cardboard on the cat door (goes from the basement to the main floor) to keep the cats from knocking it all down! NOT easy!
7 am and everyone was awake except myself and Miss Ashlynn, who wasn't too amused by the early wake up.
She didn't get the whole "open presents" concept, but did try.
She got a busy ball popper, books, snacks (up and up brand from target. I'm cheap! LOL), various outfits, more toys, etc. and was obsessed the most with a little electronic pig that walks and wiggles it's nose while snorting. She pressed her nose to the pig's snout and laughed over and over.
My sisters got a ton, too.. including squinkies. In case you don't know what they are, they're little plastic toys (http://www.dealwisemommy.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/SquinkiesProductCollection.jpg) that are a horrible choke hazard for babies. They were banned from the living room for that reason, and I've still picked many up off the floor and even fished one from my 11-month-old's mouth!
We went to my stepdad's brother's house, where Ashlynn got more clothes and even a toy!
Then to my aunt's, where she got MORE clothes and MORE toys!
She got to show off her walking skills and everyone was in awe that she was already walking.
She didn't talk much, but she did utter a few "This" and "That"s
I got her to bed in record time (around 9),too!
Then came the snow..
The day after Christmas, we got snow..and lots of it.
Then yesterday morning around 5:30 AM, our power went out..and so did our heat!
Turns out, a tree had fallen on a power line on our street and the whole street was powerless.
So off to my grandmother's house we went (Over the river and through the woods...) to warm up around 4pm. We had a warm dinner and were going to stay the night, but I got a call from my best friend, who lives on our street, saying the power was back on.
We got home around 10pm, I got Ashlynn to bed and now our house is up 10 degrees.. from 53 to 63! It's almost warm!
It was quite a scare though, since I have two small birds (an English Budgie and a Cockatiel) who wouldn't have done well overnight in the cold. They are, thankfully, perfectly fine though.
Two of our cats are pretty old as well (one is around 12ish, the other around 14ish) and one of them, the older one, is pretty antisocial and wouldn't snuggle with anything, including us, if she had to. I was worried we'd lose her in the night.
We now have about a foot or so of snow, icy roads, and I have a craving for, sadly, fast food!
I officially hate snow!
Hope everyone had a very merry Christmas!
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Tooth Number THREE And A Rash Update
This morning I checked Ashlynn's little mouth while changing her diaper and we have tooth number THREE!
It came in overnight, and came in quite a bit (you can easily see and feel it), so I know why she was fussy and sleepy yesterday/last night, and it also explains the 3rd poop.
Now to get those other 3 teeth that are on their way in..
On to the rash..
It's almost GONE.
My mom put Ashlynn in a sposie last night after her poop made her poor bum bleed again, and coated her in A&D diaper rash cream.
Overnight, it looked 100x better.
Then I continued using sposies and A&D today and her rash is just about cleared up already!
It's a huge bummer and sort of makes me want to give up on cloth..
But I'm hoping that her rash was just persistent because there was no barrier between her bum and the poops (like there is with A&D..which is NOT CD safe!!!), so it never got a chance to heal.
She already pooped today and it didn't even make her bum slightly PINK.
Once this rash is 100% gone, we're back to cloth.
Time to stock up on California Baby cream and start praying (I'm honestly not very religious. I'm not an atheist, but I haven't determined if I'm convinced in religion) that RnG makes this rash disappear for forever and ever and ever.
It came in overnight, and came in quite a bit (you can easily see and feel it), so I know why she was fussy and sleepy yesterday/last night, and it also explains the 3rd poop.
Now to get those other 3 teeth that are on their way in..
On to the rash..
It's almost GONE.
My mom put Ashlynn in a sposie last night after her poop made her poor bum bleed again, and coated her in A&D diaper rash cream.
Overnight, it looked 100x better.
Then I continued using sposies and A&D today and her rash is just about cleared up already!
It's a huge bummer and sort of makes me want to give up on cloth..
But I'm hoping that her rash was just persistent because there was no barrier between her bum and the poops (like there is with A&D..which is NOT CD safe!!!), so it never got a chance to heal.
She already pooped today and it didn't even make her bum slightly PINK.
Once this rash is 100% gone, we're back to cloth.
Time to stock up on California Baby cream and start praying (I'm honestly not very religious. I'm not an atheist, but I haven't determined if I'm convinced in religion) that RnG makes this rash disappear for forever and ever and ever.
And Here Comes The Stomach Bug!
The stomach bug has hit our house.. HARD.
It started with me..
I felt perfectly fine.. actually, better than fine, on Monday night.
I got home at 8:30 and made myself a sandwich (Ham and mayo on a sub roll).
I managed two bites and felt a bit odd, so I figured I just wasn't in the mood for it.
So I threw some whole-grain spaghetti on the stove and popped some french fries in the oven (can you say carb city? LOL)
When the spaghetti was done, I put butter on it and took..again..two bites.
Then I started feeling sick. I turned off the oven and curled up on the couch.
Ashlynn joined me and fell asleep on my chest, so we went to bed.
2 hours later I was up again, making best friends with the couch again.
Then running to the bathroom. Uh oh.
I didn't throw up. Oh no.. It came out the other end.
TMI, I know.
See, I have a problem where about once a month I get horrible cramps which then lead to a lovely trip or two to the bathroom...
So I figured that was what it was.
Until I got nauseous.
I got a pan from the cabinet (Couldn't find a bucket.. the bucket monster must have eaten them) and made friends with the couch again. 20 minutes later, the pan was also my friend.
I spent from 11pm-3am in the bathroom or on the couch.
At 3am, I figured it was over, so I tried to go to bed.
My mom commented that I hadn't thrown up in a few hours, so I must be feeling better.
Ashlynn decided I HAD to nurse her RIGHT. THEN.
I tried to feed her. I really did. But then I had to move her to the side and run to the bathroom.
Throwing up.
Again.
Woohoo my mom cursed me!
Thankfully, that is also when it ended and I managed to go to bed.
A small fever the next day, but nothing some Tylenol couldn't fix.
Well, before I left for class today my sister got up from the couch and went in my parent's room. I really thought nothing of it until my other sister, Kenzie, came out and said "You know Nikki isn't feeling good?"
I asked the obvious.. "Well did you tell Mom?" "No" "Did Nikki tell Mom?" "No" "Well then tell mom!"
So she did.
Kenzie fell asleep in the car on the way to school. A bit strange, but she's been sleeping poorly (She has an ear infection and the only indication was she woke up crying most of the night, but didn't remember crying when she woke up in the morning. She also has conjunctivitis...)
I got a text right before I left class from my mom.
"Can you pick up bread for toast for the girls?"
Uh oh..
I asked if they were throwing up..
"Nikki is"
Oops.
I spread the bug.
I got home to find that not only was Nikki throwing up, But Kenzie woke up on the ride home and promptly vomited all over her blanket.
My mom gave her toast when they got home and she was fine for a couple hours.
Once I got home, they both started throwing up (The girls, not my mom)
Ashlynn felt a bit warm, but I think it may have been the heat in the house and her long sleeve shirt.
She had pooped a third time while I was gone.. Usually she poops twice a day, maybe once.. but NEVER 3 times.
I gave her some tylenol and cuddled her to sleep, then put her to bed.
She's been up crying a couple times since then, but she has been asleep for the past hour and a half at least (I think she may have fussed a minute ago, but she didn't cry, so I assume it was just a binky search)
Poor Kenzie fell asleep in her bed, then woke up and didn't bother to roll over, but instead threw up while laying on her back. My mom told her to lay on her side from then on, since she didn't even wake up when she threw up.
Nikki, who hates vomit, ran to the bathroom every time Kenzie started to throw up. Mainly to get away..far away...from the sound. Poor girl takes after her Daddy with that one. He can't be around vomit or poop without gagging up a storm.
It's been about 2 hours since either girl has thrown up, so I think they are both FINALLY done with throwing up. Good news though! They didn't have the runs, so they didn't lose nearly as much water as I had (I had weighed myself, just because I was curious of my weight, right before I ate my dinner.. then again the next morning to see how much water weight I had lost. Four POUNDS of water!)
I sincerely hope that Ashlynn's third poop, sleepiness and fussiness is all we will see of the bug in her. Please, please breastmilk.. do me this one favor and spare my poor baby of this bug! (She's gotten every cold the household has had so far!)
On a side note, if you have a lip (or nose for that matter) piercing and get a stomach bug.. buy some sea salt and hydrogen peroxide ASAP!
My lip piercing is VERY irritated and swollen from the stomach acids, so I'm treating it like I just got it done by loving it with hydrogen peroxide until it goes back to normal.
Wish our poor household luck! We never do well with stomach bugs!
And so close to Christmas,too :(
It started with me..
I felt perfectly fine.. actually, better than fine, on Monday night.
I got home at 8:30 and made myself a sandwich (Ham and mayo on a sub roll).
I managed two bites and felt a bit odd, so I figured I just wasn't in the mood for it.
So I threw some whole-grain spaghetti on the stove and popped some french fries in the oven (can you say carb city? LOL)
When the spaghetti was done, I put butter on it and took..again..two bites.
Then I started feeling sick. I turned off the oven and curled up on the couch.
Ashlynn joined me and fell asleep on my chest, so we went to bed.
2 hours later I was up again, making best friends with the couch again.
Then running to the bathroom. Uh oh.
I didn't throw up. Oh no.. It came out the other end.
TMI, I know.
See, I have a problem where about once a month I get horrible cramps which then lead to a lovely trip or two to the bathroom...
So I figured that was what it was.
Until I got nauseous.
I got a pan from the cabinet (Couldn't find a bucket.. the bucket monster must have eaten them) and made friends with the couch again. 20 minutes later, the pan was also my friend.
I spent from 11pm-3am in the bathroom or on the couch.
At 3am, I figured it was over, so I tried to go to bed.
My mom commented that I hadn't thrown up in a few hours, so I must be feeling better.
Ashlynn decided I HAD to nurse her RIGHT. THEN.
I tried to feed her. I really did. But then I had to move her to the side and run to the bathroom.
Throwing up.
Again.
Woohoo my mom cursed me!
Thankfully, that is also when it ended and I managed to go to bed.
A small fever the next day, but nothing some Tylenol couldn't fix.
Well, before I left for class today my sister got up from the couch and went in my parent's room. I really thought nothing of it until my other sister, Kenzie, came out and said "You know Nikki isn't feeling good?"
I asked the obvious.. "Well did you tell Mom?" "No" "Did Nikki tell Mom?" "No" "Well then tell mom!"
So she did.
Kenzie fell asleep in the car on the way to school. A bit strange, but she's been sleeping poorly (She has an ear infection and the only indication was she woke up crying most of the night, but didn't remember crying when she woke up in the morning. She also has conjunctivitis...)
I got a text right before I left class from my mom.
"Can you pick up bread for toast for the girls?"
Uh oh..
I asked if they were throwing up..
"Nikki is"
Oops.
I spread the bug.
I got home to find that not only was Nikki throwing up, But Kenzie woke up on the ride home and promptly vomited all over her blanket.
My mom gave her toast when they got home and she was fine for a couple hours.
Once I got home, they both started throwing up (The girls, not my mom)
Ashlynn felt a bit warm, but I think it may have been the heat in the house and her long sleeve shirt.
She had pooped a third time while I was gone.. Usually she poops twice a day, maybe once.. but NEVER 3 times.
I gave her some tylenol and cuddled her to sleep, then put her to bed.
She's been up crying a couple times since then, but she has been asleep for the past hour and a half at least (I think she may have fussed a minute ago, but she didn't cry, so I assume it was just a binky search)
Poor Kenzie fell asleep in her bed, then woke up and didn't bother to roll over, but instead threw up while laying on her back. My mom told her to lay on her side from then on, since she didn't even wake up when she threw up.
Nikki, who hates vomit, ran to the bathroom every time Kenzie started to throw up. Mainly to get away..far away...from the sound. Poor girl takes after her Daddy with that one. He can't be around vomit or poop without gagging up a storm.
It's been about 2 hours since either girl has thrown up, so I think they are both FINALLY done with throwing up. Good news though! They didn't have the runs, so they didn't lose nearly as much water as I had (I had weighed myself, just because I was curious of my weight, right before I ate my dinner.. then again the next morning to see how much water weight I had lost. Four POUNDS of water!)
I sincerely hope that Ashlynn's third poop, sleepiness and fussiness is all we will see of the bug in her. Please, please breastmilk.. do me this one favor and spare my poor baby of this bug! (She's gotten every cold the household has had so far!)
On a side note, if you have a lip (or nose for that matter) piercing and get a stomach bug.. buy some sea salt and hydrogen peroxide ASAP!
My lip piercing is VERY irritated and swollen from the stomach acids, so I'm treating it like I just got it done by loving it with hydrogen peroxide until it goes back to normal.
Wish our poor household luck! We never do well with stomach bugs!
And so close to Christmas,too :(
Monday, December 13, 2010
Battling the rash.. AGAIN!
The rash is back! Ahhh!!!!
This time, I'm pretty sure Mrs. Meyers Clean Day is to blame.
I ran out of Rockin' Green and bought this expensive "all natural" detergent.
Bad idea. The rash is back and again driving Ashlynn crazy. And Mommy,too!
Well, Black Friday gave me an opportunity to get some RnG, so I got 2 bags of the 45/90 classic rock, then some funk rock!
Right now Ashlynn is in a prefold and cover (we never use them, so they're safe) and the diapers are soaking in the funk rock. I did a 7 hour soak in Classic Rock, rinse, funk rock, then I plan on doing a wash in classic, rinse, rinse, hot soak (no detergent, possibly?), then rinse, rinse, dry.
Hopefully..HOPEFULLY..we see a light at the end of this rashy tunnel!
This time, I'm pretty sure Mrs. Meyers Clean Day is to blame.
I ran out of Rockin' Green and bought this expensive "all natural" detergent.
Bad idea. The rash is back and again driving Ashlynn crazy. And Mommy,too!
Well, Black Friday gave me an opportunity to get some RnG, so I got 2 bags of the 45/90 classic rock, then some funk rock!
Right now Ashlynn is in a prefold and cover (we never use them, so they're safe) and the diapers are soaking in the funk rock. I did a 7 hour soak in Classic Rock, rinse, funk rock, then I plan on doing a wash in classic, rinse, rinse, hot soak (no detergent, possibly?), then rinse, rinse, dry.
Hopefully..HOPEFULLY..we see a light at the end of this rashy tunnel!
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
How I Learned To Relax
Somehow, I supposedly avoided "First-Time-Mom-Itis"
If you don't know what that is, I can summarize it as this;
Hopefully I don't offend :) Many new mothers go through a period like that, simply because it's their baby and they have to protect it from everything! It's a good thing and means your mama hormones are working.
Now I'm not saying my mama hormones don't work..they do!
But I have five living sisters (and one stillborn) who I watched grow up.
Well.. I watched 4 of them.
My sister Mariah is 10, 11 in January. I met her when she was about a year, maybe a year and a half old. I watched her fall a million times a day, shove horribly disgusting things in her mouth, then hand them to me half-chewed. Like chocolate munchkins (I hate chocolate..)
My second oldest sister is Tayla. She is 9 I believe.. I saw her grow up from close to when she was born. She also horrified me with gross baby things.
Neither of those girls lived with me, since they were my dad and his girlfriend's girls.
But after a long battle with infertility, my mom's IVF baby, Nikki, was born when I was nearly 11 years old. Bring on 24/7 baby spit up, chewed up nasties, and smelly diapers..
Which, by the way, I never changed.
A little over 2 years later my mom had her miracle baby, McKenzie, who was NOT an IVF baby!
More spit up, more grossness, and a LOT of dropped binkies. Nikki was a thumb baby, but Kenzie was a pacifier lover like I was. So many of times I watched my mom pick up that dropped binky, wipe it off on her clothes or something, and hand it back. Typical 3rd-Time-Mom-Itis.
So when my daughter was born, I chased her binkies around, washed them with hot water every time they dropped, but never boiled them after that first time..
Slowly, I was just rinsing quickly.. or using a wipe..
then I began to just wipe it on my shirt or pick off whatever fuzzies I saw on it. A little dirt won't hurt her.
I let people hold her when I let them in the house.. which by that time she was probably about 3 weeks old.. Mama needed to recover first!
I let the dog, a 5lb pomeranian, lick her toes when we brought her home. He loved her and to this day, she adores him.
I can't begin to tell you the times this kid has shoved a penny or nickel in her mouth, or tried to eat a french fry when we can't even remember the last time we had fries..
I don't know where she finds them, but I try not to freak out too much.
I've let her eat cookies. Not irresponsibly handing her cookies, but if someone hands her one (my sisters really like to share) or she finds one that isn't old, I don't pry it from her hands. It won't hurt her, though I have no intentions of giving her a steady diet of cookies.
She is 10 months old and has sampled gold fish (crackers!), cheez its, chips ahoy cookies, french fries, chicken nuggets from McDonalds (In my defense, she was in the care of someone else and they let my sister give her one..without my consent), among other less than healthy snacks.
However, most of her snacks are things like canned fruit in pear juice, canned veggies, gerber puffs, mum mum crackers, toast, and other much healthier options.
I also let her have toast when she was ready.. which was around 6 or 7 months. Mama was not ready, but she was. Her diet is similar to that of a 1 year old. No purees since 7 months.. she would much rather prefer a grilled cheese (yes, I've also given her cheese) or some veggies.
If you don't know what that is, I can summarize it as this;
- You find yourself sterilizing the pacifier every time it drops to the floor,
- If you use a bottle, you sterilize that..and the nipple..and the pan..and the counter...
- Your baby is wearing 5 layers because it dropped below 40 degrees today..
- The dog must stay 10 feet from the baby at all times. He could LICK the baby, and who knows where that tongue has been!
- Your baby cannot touch anything that you suspect may be slightly dirty.
- Strangers, beware..you carry mace in the diaper bag to ward off curious baby-touchers!
Hopefully I don't offend :) Many new mothers go through a period like that, simply because it's their baby and they have to protect it from everything! It's a good thing and means your mama hormones are working.
Now I'm not saying my mama hormones don't work..they do!
But I have five living sisters (and one stillborn) who I watched grow up.
Well.. I watched 4 of them.
My sister Mariah is 10, 11 in January. I met her when she was about a year, maybe a year and a half old. I watched her fall a million times a day, shove horribly disgusting things in her mouth, then hand them to me half-chewed. Like chocolate munchkins (I hate chocolate..)
My second oldest sister is Tayla. She is 9 I believe.. I saw her grow up from close to when she was born. She also horrified me with gross baby things.
Neither of those girls lived with me, since they were my dad and his girlfriend's girls.
But after a long battle with infertility, my mom's IVF baby, Nikki, was born when I was nearly 11 years old. Bring on 24/7 baby spit up, chewed up nasties, and smelly diapers..
Which, by the way, I never changed.
A little over 2 years later my mom had her miracle baby, McKenzie, who was NOT an IVF baby!
More spit up, more grossness, and a LOT of dropped binkies. Nikki was a thumb baby, but Kenzie was a pacifier lover like I was. So many of times I watched my mom pick up that dropped binky, wipe it off on her clothes or something, and hand it back. Typical 3rd-Time-Mom-Itis.
So when my daughter was born, I chased her binkies around, washed them with hot water every time they dropped, but never boiled them after that first time..
Slowly, I was just rinsing quickly.. or using a wipe..
then I began to just wipe it on my shirt or pick off whatever fuzzies I saw on it. A little dirt won't hurt her.
I let people hold her when I let them in the house.. which by that time she was probably about 3 weeks old.. Mama needed to recover first!
I let the dog, a 5lb pomeranian, lick her toes when we brought her home. He loved her and to this day, she adores him.
I can't begin to tell you the times this kid has shoved a penny or nickel in her mouth, or tried to eat a french fry when we can't even remember the last time we had fries..
I don't know where she finds them, but I try not to freak out too much.
I've let her eat cookies. Not irresponsibly handing her cookies, but if someone hands her one (my sisters really like to share) or she finds one that isn't old, I don't pry it from her hands. It won't hurt her, though I have no intentions of giving her a steady diet of cookies.
She is 10 months old and has sampled gold fish (crackers!), cheez its, chips ahoy cookies, french fries, chicken nuggets from McDonalds (In my defense, she was in the care of someone else and they let my sister give her one..without my consent), among other less than healthy snacks.
However, most of her snacks are things like canned fruit in pear juice, canned veggies, gerber puffs, mum mum crackers, toast, and other much healthier options.
I also let her have toast when she was ready.. which was around 6 or 7 months. Mama was not ready, but she was. Her diet is similar to that of a 1 year old. No purees since 7 months.. she would much rather prefer a grilled cheese (yes, I've also given her cheese) or some veggies.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
I Think My Baby Is Gifted..
and I'm not kidding!
At ten months old, she is walking..
not only is she walking (which can happen this early) but she is also TALKING!
Her vocabulary includes (but is far from limited to); This, That, Yes, No, Mine, Mama, Nana, Up, Trista (my friend's name), Kenzie (her auntie's name), Hi, Sit..
Then she has begun to speak sentences. Yes, you read that right..
She told my mom "I did it" when she asked why something was on the floor.. then again for another thing.. and another..
We assumed it was a coincidence..
until she started telling me " I did it" over and over when she did things..
Then when my sister asked my mom if she did something, Ashlynn spent 10 minutes at least shrieking "I did it".
Then bath time. I always tell her to sit down, sit on her butt, etc..
so one day she looked at herself sitting in the tub and said "Sit"
So I replied "You're sitting?"
She grinned..and said "I sit!"
YIKES!
Last night she ran around the room with a pen she had found, informing me "I have it!"
This, to be clear, is not typical of a ten month old..
or a one year old..
Most one year olds should know a couple words at most.
A few minutes ago, she shocked me by taking my phone and moving it like you would a toy plane in the air..
followed by little raspberry sounds, like a plane would make..
Honestly, I don't know where THAT came from.
It's quite possible she did it to mimic the sound my phone makes when it vibrates, since I had made the sound at her and explained it 10 minutes before in response to her "That?" question when my phone vibrated.
But I'm almost positive she shouldn't have that type of memory.. LOL
I'll continue this later!
... Okay I'm back!
Sorry about that.. had to run out and grab some dinner.
Anyway..
When she was younger (as in 3-7 months old or so) she was somewhat behind.. Around 6 or 7 months she learned "This", followed by "That", but she didn't roll until 3 months (when she didn though, it was both ways. Her first roll was back to belly), didn't sit up until 5 months (I believe), didn't crawl until 7 months.
She did smile at 4 weeks though..and cruised around 6 or 7 months.
I had a feeling she was a little..special? When I'd ask "Does your baby do this?" on my board, Justmommies, and a majority said No, their baby doesn't do that yet and neither should mine.
It all started when she was a month or a month and a half old and started to get excited about baby einstein videos for 8+ minutes at a time. She watched it, kicking and flailing excitedly, almost every morning. A 8 minute long clip on youtube, just so I had those 8 minutes to slowly wake up from my grumpy mommy sleep.
Now to figure out what to do!!
At ten months old, she is walking..
not only is she walking (which can happen this early) but she is also TALKING!
Her vocabulary includes (but is far from limited to); This, That, Yes, No, Mine, Mama, Nana, Up, Trista (my friend's name), Kenzie (her auntie's name), Hi, Sit..
Then she has begun to speak sentences. Yes, you read that right..
She told my mom "I did it" when she asked why something was on the floor.. then again for another thing.. and another..
We assumed it was a coincidence..
until she started telling me " I did it" over and over when she did things..
Then when my sister asked my mom if she did something, Ashlynn spent 10 minutes at least shrieking "I did it".
Then bath time. I always tell her to sit down, sit on her butt, etc..
so one day she looked at herself sitting in the tub and said "Sit"
So I replied "You're sitting?"
She grinned..and said "I sit!"
YIKES!
Last night she ran around the room with a pen she had found, informing me "I have it!"
This, to be clear, is not typical of a ten month old..
or a one year old..
Most one year olds should know a couple words at most.
A few minutes ago, she shocked me by taking my phone and moving it like you would a toy plane in the air..
followed by little raspberry sounds, like a plane would make..
Honestly, I don't know where THAT came from.
It's quite possible she did it to mimic the sound my phone makes when it vibrates, since I had made the sound at her and explained it 10 minutes before in response to her "That?" question when my phone vibrated.
But I'm almost positive she shouldn't have that type of memory.. LOL
I'll continue this later!
... Okay I'm back!
Sorry about that.. had to run out and grab some dinner.
Anyway..
When she was younger (as in 3-7 months old or so) she was somewhat behind.. Around 6 or 7 months she learned "This", followed by "That", but she didn't roll until 3 months (when she didn though, it was both ways. Her first roll was back to belly), didn't sit up until 5 months (I believe), didn't crawl until 7 months.
She did smile at 4 weeks though..and cruised around 6 or 7 months.
I had a feeling she was a little..special? When I'd ask "Does your baby do this?" on my board, Justmommies, and a majority said No, their baby doesn't do that yet and neither should mine.
It all started when she was a month or a month and a half old and started to get excited about baby einstein videos for 8+ minutes at a time. She watched it, kicking and flailing excitedly, almost every morning. A 8 minute long clip on youtube, just so I had those 8 minutes to slowly wake up from my grumpy mommy sleep.
Now to figure out what to do!!
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Christmas is not a fun holiday when you don't know..
What to get your baby!
It's my daughter's first Christmas this year and so far I've gotten at least 5 toys.. two of which she ended up getting way before Christmas.
I can't seem to say "No"
I also got her clothes... that she wore already..
Oops. =)
I bought 2 fuzzibunz, 2 packages of Rockin' Green detergent, a scoop, some ammonia-killing RnG, a wetbag from the Black Friday sales.
But I can guarantee she'll use it all before Christmas.
I got her a car seat,too.. But she's 22lbs now, and that's the weight limit for the infant seat...
So that seat will be used before Christmas,too!
Anyone else finding it hard to keep the Christmas gifts from their baby or child? I can't seem to say no!
What did you get or what are you getting your baby for their first Christmas?
It's my daughter's first Christmas this year and so far I've gotten at least 5 toys.. two of which she ended up getting way before Christmas.
I can't seem to say "No"
I also got her clothes... that she wore already..
Oops. =)
I bought 2 fuzzibunz, 2 packages of Rockin' Green detergent, a scoop, some ammonia-killing RnG, a wetbag from the Black Friday sales.
But I can guarantee she'll use it all before Christmas.
I got her a car seat,too.. But she's 22lbs now, and that's the weight limit for the infant seat...
So that seat will be used before Christmas,too!
Anyone else finding it hard to keep the Christmas gifts from their baby or child? I can't seem to say no!
What did you get or what are you getting your baby for their first Christmas?
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Living and Parenting With Mental Disorders
At the young age of 18 months, my mom new something was wrong.
My tantrums were unusually long and angry, and I was prone to meltdowns.
By age 12, I had reached a severe level. My parents had been threatened by my elementary school when I was 8 that if they didn't remove me from the school system, I would be expelled.
When I was 12, I had a severe panic attack that presented itself as refusing to leave the 'safe' location of under a table in the school library. The police were called and I was finally diagnosed.
My old school had refused to test me for anything.
I was diagnosed with "Dysthymic Disorder", which is a fancy way of saying mild depression.
The medication they placed me on had me go from a healthy weight of 85lbs to a severely thin 67lbs. I knew it was not the right medication. Yes, my grades were very good, but I was unable to eat much and felt very sick.
I stopped the medication.
For a while, I was okay.
Sort of.
Around 14, I went to see a therapist. She made everything make a lot of sense.
First of all, I could not touch clay or dirt..peeling potatoes made me have to wash my hands over and over with hot water and tons of soap. The sound of the vacuum cleaner made me flee the room because it was too loud.
She diagnosed it as Sensory Processing Disorder. I have both tactile and auditory sensitivities.
Since they do not interfere with my everyday life (I still peel potatoes..but I also still wash my hands a lot after) she said I did not require occupational therapy.
Second, I could NOT make a speech/oral report in class. I couldn't even answer a question. I would literally freeze up and be unable to speak. I always thought my look was pleading.. begging the teacher to stop asking me because I couldn't do it. The told my mom I was "glaring at them" or giving them the "deer in the headlights" look.
I had trouble making friends, and could not start a conversation with anyone I did not know.
I was diagnosed with Social Anxiety, Anxiety, and Panic Disorder.
In tough or "scary" situations, I freeze up or panic. During labor with my daughter, I hyperventilated so badly I required ativan for the epidural. I couldn't calm down.
I also required it the one and only time I asked the nurses to take my daughter for 3 hours so I could sleep. Instead of sleeping, I had been crying hysterically.
Then came the grade problem..
I had good and bad times. I saw my grades, at one point, stay at a 105 (meaning I did everything perfectly and did the extra credit work) then shoot down to 60s in a matter of weeks.
I had times where I couldn't find the energy to shower often enough, or brush my hair daily (gross, I know)
I did not have Dysthymic Disorder. I had full blown Depression.
Later on, I also added OCD to my diagnoses list.
I was a compulsive collector. I had groups of rocks, and at one point collected over 5000 safety pins..and counted them often. I counted the steps as I went up them, made sure I had them right. I folded and refolded clothing, panicked when our living room was reorganized, and had terrible, terrible thoughts of harming someone, or something horrible happening to them. I thought I was crazy.
But no, it was Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
So here I was, 14 years old with a list longer than most on what was "wrong" with my brain.
I decided then that I would not have a child because of the fear that I'd pass on my chemical imbalances and wrong wiring to whatever child I brought into the world.
Fate had other plans for me, obviously.
When I found out I was pregnant, I was on Prozac, which is a wonderful medication for OCD, Anxiety, and Depression. I hadn't quite reached the proper dosage to help my OCD (it takes a slightly high dosage to help), but my Depression and Anxiety were under control and I was feeling great!
Imagine my horror when I was informed that I had to stop my medication.
But I did it, and I did wonderfully throughout my pregnancy medication-free.
I fully hoped to be able to live life without medication, and assumed it would work out great.
When my daughter came, the baby blues hit hard. I would spend hours crying along with her, crying for no reason, etc. I didn't want to do anything but watch my baby sleep.
My obsessive thoughts, which had been there only slightly during my pregnancy, were there fully.
I had thoughts of her not breathing while she slept, so I would watch her as she slept and would panic when she was not beside me. Another reason we bed share.
I had worse thoughts, however.. thoughts I'd never act upon no matter what..
Thoughts of harming her.. dropping, suffocating..
I never told a soul about them for months.
This was not Postpartum Depression. This was the face of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
That was the main problem for a while. I could cope. I was okay. I just had to remind myself that I'd never hurt her, and those thoughts don't make it true.
It did hurt to have thoughts like that about the one thing I loved more than anything in the world, but I tried to ignore them.
As she got older, I began to dip every so often. Having a couple weeks where all I wanted to do was sleep. I was so tired, even though I slept enough. All I wanted to do was eat. Everything in sight.
I gained weight steadily.
But I fought on.
I wasn't letting my problems get a hold of me. I was going to be a good mom.
After a while, those problems would fade and I'd have enough energy to play more, go places, and do well in generally.
Quite recently, I've noticed a deeper dip. My grades are dropping steadily, I'm much more tired, irritable, and losing interest in most things.
Thankfully, I have not become irritable with my daughter, nor have I "lost interest" in her.
We still play, I still have our daily snuggles, tickles, kisses and loves.
But I know that my problems are not gone, and in order to be a "better mommy" I need to seek out the medication that balances the chemicals.
Therefore, I'm seeking them out in order to better my ability to be that good mommy she deserves.
Mental disorders are not being "Crazy" but are chemical imbalances in the brain that prevent normal functioning. Sometimes one can learn to cope without medication, but with some people, coping is not possible. The chemicals in the brain are going haywire and cannot fix themselves.
It does not make us less of a good parent, nor does it make us unable to care for our children.
With the proper medication, help, and attitude, the problems can be fixed as long as the treatment is ongoing, and the parent can be as good as any other.
I know my daughter will be proud, one day, that I do my best to BE the best.
I hope she never knows the face of Mental Disorders, but if she does, I'm ready to help her fight the battle and make everything OK again.
I'll be ready and there for her every step of the way.
My tantrums were unusually long and angry, and I was prone to meltdowns.
By age 12, I had reached a severe level. My parents had been threatened by my elementary school when I was 8 that if they didn't remove me from the school system, I would be expelled.
When I was 12, I had a severe panic attack that presented itself as refusing to leave the 'safe' location of under a table in the school library. The police were called and I was finally diagnosed.
My old school had refused to test me for anything.
I was diagnosed with "Dysthymic Disorder", which is a fancy way of saying mild depression.
The medication they placed me on had me go from a healthy weight of 85lbs to a severely thin 67lbs. I knew it was not the right medication. Yes, my grades were very good, but I was unable to eat much and felt very sick.
I stopped the medication.
For a while, I was okay.
Sort of.
Around 14, I went to see a therapist. She made everything make a lot of sense.
First of all, I could not touch clay or dirt..peeling potatoes made me have to wash my hands over and over with hot water and tons of soap. The sound of the vacuum cleaner made me flee the room because it was too loud.
She diagnosed it as Sensory Processing Disorder. I have both tactile and auditory sensitivities.
Since they do not interfere with my everyday life (I still peel potatoes..but I also still wash my hands a lot after) she said I did not require occupational therapy.
Second, I could NOT make a speech/oral report in class. I couldn't even answer a question. I would literally freeze up and be unable to speak. I always thought my look was pleading.. begging the teacher to stop asking me because I couldn't do it. The told my mom I was "glaring at them" or giving them the "deer in the headlights" look.
I had trouble making friends, and could not start a conversation with anyone I did not know.
I was diagnosed with Social Anxiety, Anxiety, and Panic Disorder.
In tough or "scary" situations, I freeze up or panic. During labor with my daughter, I hyperventilated so badly I required ativan for the epidural. I couldn't calm down.
I also required it the one and only time I asked the nurses to take my daughter for 3 hours so I could sleep. Instead of sleeping, I had been crying hysterically.
Then came the grade problem..
I had good and bad times. I saw my grades, at one point, stay at a 105 (meaning I did everything perfectly and did the extra credit work) then shoot down to 60s in a matter of weeks.
I had times where I couldn't find the energy to shower often enough, or brush my hair daily (gross, I know)
I did not have Dysthymic Disorder. I had full blown Depression.
Later on, I also added OCD to my diagnoses list.
I was a compulsive collector. I had groups of rocks, and at one point collected over 5000 safety pins..and counted them often. I counted the steps as I went up them, made sure I had them right. I folded and refolded clothing, panicked when our living room was reorganized, and had terrible, terrible thoughts of harming someone, or something horrible happening to them. I thought I was crazy.
But no, it was Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
So here I was, 14 years old with a list longer than most on what was "wrong" with my brain.
I decided then that I would not have a child because of the fear that I'd pass on my chemical imbalances and wrong wiring to whatever child I brought into the world.
Fate had other plans for me, obviously.
When I found out I was pregnant, I was on Prozac, which is a wonderful medication for OCD, Anxiety, and Depression. I hadn't quite reached the proper dosage to help my OCD (it takes a slightly high dosage to help), but my Depression and Anxiety were under control and I was feeling great!
Imagine my horror when I was informed that I had to stop my medication.
But I did it, and I did wonderfully throughout my pregnancy medication-free.
I fully hoped to be able to live life without medication, and assumed it would work out great.
When my daughter came, the baby blues hit hard. I would spend hours crying along with her, crying for no reason, etc. I didn't want to do anything but watch my baby sleep.
My obsessive thoughts, which had been there only slightly during my pregnancy, were there fully.
I had thoughts of her not breathing while she slept, so I would watch her as she slept and would panic when she was not beside me. Another reason we bed share.
I had worse thoughts, however.. thoughts I'd never act upon no matter what..
Thoughts of harming her.. dropping, suffocating..
I never told a soul about them for months.
This was not Postpartum Depression. This was the face of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
That was the main problem for a while. I could cope. I was okay. I just had to remind myself that I'd never hurt her, and those thoughts don't make it true.
It did hurt to have thoughts like that about the one thing I loved more than anything in the world, but I tried to ignore them.
As she got older, I began to dip every so often. Having a couple weeks where all I wanted to do was sleep. I was so tired, even though I slept enough. All I wanted to do was eat. Everything in sight.
I gained weight steadily.
But I fought on.
I wasn't letting my problems get a hold of me. I was going to be a good mom.
After a while, those problems would fade and I'd have enough energy to play more, go places, and do well in generally.
Quite recently, I've noticed a deeper dip. My grades are dropping steadily, I'm much more tired, irritable, and losing interest in most things.
Thankfully, I have not become irritable with my daughter, nor have I "lost interest" in her.
We still play, I still have our daily snuggles, tickles, kisses and loves.
But I know that my problems are not gone, and in order to be a "better mommy" I need to seek out the medication that balances the chemicals.
Therefore, I'm seeking them out in order to better my ability to be that good mommy she deserves.
Mental disorders are not being "Crazy" but are chemical imbalances in the brain that prevent normal functioning. Sometimes one can learn to cope without medication, but with some people, coping is not possible. The chemicals in the brain are going haywire and cannot fix themselves.
It does not make us less of a good parent, nor does it make us unable to care for our children.
With the proper medication, help, and attitude, the problems can be fixed as long as the treatment is ongoing, and the parent can be as good as any other.
I know my daughter will be proud, one day, that I do my best to BE the best.
I hope she never knows the face of Mental Disorders, but if she does, I'm ready to help her fight the battle and make everything OK again.
I'll be ready and there for her every step of the way.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Your Baby is So Happy!
I hear "Aww you have such a happy baby" whenever I go out.
I always wonder WHY strangers feel the need to tell me my baby is happy.
Of course she is! She's fed, her diaper is clean, and she naps..
Then I wonder..
Are they in awe that my baby doesn't scream whenever I'm out?
Why do other babies scream and shriek? Have I really been given a "Good" baby?
Now don't get me wrong, she does fuss sometimes when we are out of the house, but generally she's the worst at home. Either her aunties aren't giving her enough attention, or she's bored, or she wants to eat the dog food and I said no.
No is a terrible word in her world.
When we are out, she's the picture of "perfect".
She smiles at everyone, flirts with the stranger sitting 2 tables away who keeps waving at her..she even blew a kiss to an elderly woman today when we were out to breakfast! I don't think I've ever seen her blow kisses, but this lovely lady was blowing her kisses, so she gave one back.
She does harass nearby people with happy screams, and what I like to call "Baby Profanity" (That "Ahhhhhnananobada..DA! DAAAAAHH!!!" screech she does in an angry tone) but she doesn't cry. Doesn't wail like a wounded puppy at the drop of a pin.. If she's tired, she falls asleep in her stroller. She tosses toys out of her stroller for instant entertainment. Mommy will, for sure, pick it up and hand it back.
But I wonder..
Why do other babies cry? Are they generally good, but the second the stranger hears them cry, they are labeled "Fussy Baby"?
Do they not like going out?
I'm sure I'll figure it out with the next baby. In ten years.
I have no plans on having another until I'm financially stable.
Husband or not, In 10 years I want another. Marriage isn't too important to me, to be honest (does that make me a bad mama?)
Now don't get me wrong, I won't sleep around or find a "Donor" by myself to have my child.
If I decide to have another without a husband, I'll find a REAL Donor, through an agency.
After all, If I can balance being a single, teen, student mama so well, I have confidence that I can do it as a late-20's single working mama. :)
I always wonder WHY strangers feel the need to tell me my baby is happy.
Of course she is! She's fed, her diaper is clean, and she naps..
Then I wonder..
Are they in awe that my baby doesn't scream whenever I'm out?
Why do other babies scream and shriek? Have I really been given a "Good" baby?
Now don't get me wrong, she does fuss sometimes when we are out of the house, but generally she's the worst at home. Either her aunties aren't giving her enough attention, or she's bored, or she wants to eat the dog food and I said no.
No is a terrible word in her world.
When we are out, she's the picture of "perfect".
She smiles at everyone, flirts with the stranger sitting 2 tables away who keeps waving at her..she even blew a kiss to an elderly woman today when we were out to breakfast! I don't think I've ever seen her blow kisses, but this lovely lady was blowing her kisses, so she gave one back.
She does harass nearby people with happy screams, and what I like to call "Baby Profanity" (That "Ahhhhhnananobada..DA! DAAAAAHH!!!" screech she does in an angry tone) but she doesn't cry. Doesn't wail like a wounded puppy at the drop of a pin.. If she's tired, she falls asleep in her stroller. She tosses toys out of her stroller for instant entertainment. Mommy will, for sure, pick it up and hand it back.
But I wonder..
Why do other babies cry? Are they generally good, but the second the stranger hears them cry, they are labeled "Fussy Baby"?
Do they not like going out?
I'm sure I'll figure it out with the next baby. In ten years.
I have no plans on having another until I'm financially stable.
Husband or not, In 10 years I want another. Marriage isn't too important to me, to be honest (does that make me a bad mama?)
Now don't get me wrong, I won't sleep around or find a "Donor" by myself to have my child.
If I decide to have another without a husband, I'll find a REAL Donor, through an agency.
After all, If I can balance being a single, teen, student mama so well, I have confidence that I can do it as a late-20's single working mama. :)
Sunday, October 31, 2010
The Joy Of Halloween
As a child, I loved Halloween..Sort of.
I liked dressing up and LOVED eating candy, but I was terrified to ring the doorbell or say "Trick or Treat"
Tonight I brought my daughter out for her very first Halloween!
Last year, I was only 26 ish weeks pregnant!!! Time FLIES!
I had originally planned on staying home and handing out candy, but my grandmother suggested I go trick or treating with my sisters and Ashlynn, So I did.
I had a tutu and long sleeved shirt for her for a costume, but it was very cold out, so I looked around the house for an old one.
I found a Tigger costume. Guess what? It had been used for my sister Nikki, who is 8 now, when she was around 1 or 2. And my sister Kenzie, who is now 5 1/2, when she was 1 1/2! It fit my 9 month old PERFECTLY. Chubby girl.
I admit, I did bring her around with a basket for candy. She got quite a bit, but the only edible items were two lollipops. She had one (part anyways. She dropped it 1/3 of the way through and I tossed it) and the other one I may not give her (mini tootsie pop)
She did get Teddy Grahams, but they're HONEY Teddy Grahams! Booooo...
She loved the lollipop. It was, and will be for quite some time, her only piece of candy and she refused to let it go. We now have tons of photos of her.. eating a lollipop. Every time I took it away, she started crying. I'd much rather a happy, pop-eating baby in photos than a crying, upset baby.
She was tired as it was. She took ONE nap today, then woke up at 1pm from that (about 2hrs of napping with Mommy) and wasn't asleep again until 9:30pm. I tried sneaking a nap in at 5:30, but her Poppy (Grandfather)'s brother came over with his two little girls..and the noise kept her WIDE awake, as did all the excitement from getting candy and walking around.
All in all, it was a GREAT Halloween! She had fun, was happy as can be, and boy did she look cute!
I'll share the photos at some point :)
I liked dressing up and LOVED eating candy, but I was terrified to ring the doorbell or say "Trick or Treat"
Tonight I brought my daughter out for her very first Halloween!
Last year, I was only 26 ish weeks pregnant!!! Time FLIES!
I had originally planned on staying home and handing out candy, but my grandmother suggested I go trick or treating with my sisters and Ashlynn, So I did.
I had a tutu and long sleeved shirt for her for a costume, but it was very cold out, so I looked around the house for an old one.
I found a Tigger costume. Guess what? It had been used for my sister Nikki, who is 8 now, when she was around 1 or 2. And my sister Kenzie, who is now 5 1/2, when she was 1 1/2! It fit my 9 month old PERFECTLY. Chubby girl.
I admit, I did bring her around with a basket for candy. She got quite a bit, but the only edible items were two lollipops. She had one (part anyways. She dropped it 1/3 of the way through and I tossed it) and the other one I may not give her (mini tootsie pop)
She did get Teddy Grahams, but they're HONEY Teddy Grahams! Booooo...
She loved the lollipop. It was, and will be for quite some time, her only piece of candy and she refused to let it go. We now have tons of photos of her.. eating a lollipop. Every time I took it away, she started crying. I'd much rather a happy, pop-eating baby in photos than a crying, upset baby.
She was tired as it was. She took ONE nap today, then woke up at 1pm from that (about 2hrs of napping with Mommy) and wasn't asleep again until 9:30pm. I tried sneaking a nap in at 5:30, but her Poppy (Grandfather)'s brother came over with his two little girls..and the noise kept her WIDE awake, as did all the excitement from getting candy and walking around.
All in all, it was a GREAT Halloween! She had fun, was happy as can be, and boy did she look cute!
I'll share the photos at some point :)
How Being a Mama Desensitized Me
Before I got pregnant, the thought of boogers, poop, vomit, and soggy, half-chewed food grossed me out.
My sister, when she was maybe 4 or 5, handed me a half chewed donut once..I proceeded to gag and try to get it off my hand.
Now I pull chunks of soggy bread out of my daughter's mouth every day!
Prior to having Ashlynn, I had never changed a diaper. Ever. I flat out refused to!
Once she was born..get this.. I was EXCITED to change her diaper!
I wasn't allowed to for a few days, due to birth complications. They wouldn't let me out of bed, even to pee (Thank goodness for catheters, eh?)
Now, even getting poop on my hand (Word of advice, checking your child's diaper status by opening it by the leg can end up getting poop on your hand) doesn't phase me a bit. I just grab a wipe and clean it off.
Boogers..Ugh.. I used to gag at that one too. Never did like getting my sisters' snot on my clothes/hand/face/hair/wherever they wiped it jokingly.
Now, if I have no wipe/cloth available, I don't think twice about using my shirt to wipe Ashlynn's boogers off her face.
Now on to vomit..
I used to hate cleaning my own puke, nevermind my sisters' (Can you tell I learned everything from my sisters? I have FIVE! My dad has three, my mom has two. Not counting me.)
When Ashlynn was a newborn, she would spit up at least 6oz, if not more, all over my bed on a daily basis spread out over the course of a few feedings. Oddly enough, she never spit up at night.
When she spit up, I thought nothing of wiping it up, then putting a towel over the damp spot.
Not sure how I'll react to REAL throw up, but I guess we will see!
Has having a child desensitized you?
How? :)
I'm interested in your input!
My sister, when she was maybe 4 or 5, handed me a half chewed donut once..I proceeded to gag and try to get it off my hand.
Now I pull chunks of soggy bread out of my daughter's mouth every day!
Prior to having Ashlynn, I had never changed a diaper. Ever. I flat out refused to!
Once she was born..get this.. I was EXCITED to change her diaper!
I wasn't allowed to for a few days, due to birth complications. They wouldn't let me out of bed, even to pee (Thank goodness for catheters, eh?)
Now, even getting poop on my hand (Word of advice, checking your child's diaper status by opening it by the leg can end up getting poop on your hand) doesn't phase me a bit. I just grab a wipe and clean it off.
Boogers..Ugh.. I used to gag at that one too. Never did like getting my sisters' snot on my clothes/hand/face/hair/wherever they wiped it jokingly.
Now, if I have no wipe/cloth available, I don't think twice about using my shirt to wipe Ashlynn's boogers off her face.
Now on to vomit..
I used to hate cleaning my own puke, nevermind my sisters' (Can you tell I learned everything from my sisters? I have FIVE! My dad has three, my mom has two. Not counting me.)
When Ashlynn was a newborn, she would spit up at least 6oz, if not more, all over my bed on a daily basis spread out over the course of a few feedings. Oddly enough, she never spit up at night.
When she spit up, I thought nothing of wiping it up, then putting a towel over the damp spot.
Not sure how I'll react to REAL throw up, but I guess we will see!
Has having a child desensitized you?
How? :)
I'm interested in your input!
Friday, October 29, 2010
Can Do/Can't Do
I've decided to compile a small list of Can Do and Can't Do's in my home for my daughter!
Enjoy!!
Can Do;
Yes, You can have some of Mommy's dinner/lunch/breakfast.
Yes, You can type for a second on Mommy's laptop. Be gentle!
Yes, You can chew on your shoe. It's not like you walk with them on anyways.
Yes, You can pet the doggy. NICELY, Please!!!
Yes, You can snuggle with Mommy. She loves to snuggle.
Yes, You can nurse every 3 hours round the clock. Mommy doesn't mind.
Yes, You can come out to play. Just don't touch the dog food.
Yes, You can have your binky.
Yes, You can take a nap with Mommy. She's tired,too!
Can't Do;
No, You cannot eat the dog food!!!
No, You cannot step on Mommy's head to wake her up. That hurts.
No, You cannot bite Mommy's leg. Please don't hit her either.+
\
256396++++++++++++++++++++w9+*
Which Brings me to my next one..
No, You cannot slam your hand on0 my0 key00000000board as I'm trying to write a blog post!
No, You cannot hit the dog. That hurts him!
No, You cannot throw a tantrum because Mommy said the "N-Word" ("No")
No, You cannot play with the DVDs..they belong to your aunties!!
I'm sure I'm missing many from both (The blog post was put on 'hold' for a bit, as my daughter fell asleep, sitting up, in her pack n play and needed to be transferred to bed. Mommy napped too!)
Enjoy!!
Can Do;
Yes, You can have some of Mommy's dinner/lunch/breakfast.
Yes, You can type for a second on Mommy's laptop. Be gentle!
Yes, You can chew on your shoe. It's not like you walk with them on anyways.
Yes, You can pet the doggy. NICELY, Please!!!
Yes, You can snuggle with Mommy. She loves to snuggle.
Yes, You can nurse every 3 hours round the clock. Mommy doesn't mind.
Yes, You can come out to play. Just don't touch the dog food.
Yes, You can have your binky.
Yes, You can take a nap with Mommy. She's tired,too!
Can't Do;
No, You cannot eat the dog food!!!
No, You cannot step on Mommy's head to wake her up. That hurts.
No, You cannot bite Mommy's leg. Please don't hit her either.+
\
256396++++++++++++++++++++w9+*
Which Brings me to my next one..
No, You cannot slam your hand on0 my0 key00000000board as I'm trying to write a blog post!
No, You cannot hit the dog. That hurts him!
No, You cannot throw a tantrum because Mommy said the "N-Word" ("No")
No, You cannot play with the DVDs..they belong to your aunties!!
I'm sure I'm missing many from both (The blog post was put on 'hold' for a bit, as my daughter fell asleep, sitting up, in her pack n play and needed to be transferred to bed. Mommy napped too!)
The Rash is Healing!!!
So after two days of disposable diapers (*gag*) the rash has been deemed "Healing" and she's back in her cloth!
Her cloth has also undergone a HUGE wash/strip.
What did I do to them?
Here's roughly what was done (I may have forgotten a few washes.. oops!)
The inserts are still dingy, but I'm not concerned because I washed everything to death, so they're clean.
The rash stopped bleeding, so I ventured to put on a cloth diaper. Then another. And now we're going on diaper number 3!
She even pooped! No irritation :)
Hopefully we can put this behind us and the RnG keeps the diapers from getting build up.
I may do some soaking every couple weeks, just to be sure.
So we're finally in the clear and the sposies are done!
YAY cloth!
Her cloth has also undergone a HUGE wash/strip.
What did I do to them?
Here's roughly what was done (I may have forgotten a few washes.. oops!)
- First, I got ALL the clean inserts for her dipes and boiled them with a generous amount of baking soda. The water turned YELLOW and bubbled.
- I also washed all the dirty diapers, then boiled all THOSE inserts.
- I ran a hot wash with all the inserts, diapers, etc. with a little detergent.
- I ran a cold wash without detergent
- I then let them soak overnight.
- Then another cold wash (a little detergent)
- THEN my RnG (Rockin' Green) arrived and I did a huge soak for 10 or so hours in warm water.
- Then a cold wash, no detergent.
The inserts are still dingy, but I'm not concerned because I washed everything to death, so they're clean.
The rash stopped bleeding, so I ventured to put on a cloth diaper. Then another. And now we're going on diaper number 3!
She even pooped! No irritation :)
Hopefully we can put this behind us and the RnG keeps the diapers from getting build up.
I may do some soaking every couple weeks, just to be sure.
So we're finally in the clear and the sposies are done!
YAY cloth!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Diaper Stripping and Rashes!
My daughter has had a nasty little rash for a week or so..
It started as a puffy red bum, but quickly progressed to little sores.
There's two on her "Girly parts" and two or three small circles on her inner thigh, right on the diaper area. They have even bled when she poops.
So tomorrow is a sposie day :(
Have I ever mentioned how much I hate sposies? The chemical stink, the trash, the icky soggy feeling of a wet disposable..
Yuck!
I'm so used to cloth, which doesn't stink of chemicals, is light even when peed in, and no trash to throw out!
But I don't have any cloth-safe creams (Made a note to but some asap,though)
So tomorrow is a day full of naked baby time, heaps of diaper rash cream (A&D), and sposies to kill this rash.
What about the cloth diapers? Well, those are about to be cleaned to death!
I plan on boiling all the inserts (I use pocket diapers. Kawaii's and fuzzibunz, mainly), doing at least 3-4 cold washes, 1-2 hot washes, and using some vinegar for the slight stinkies.
I'm excited, though, because I ordered 5 samples (2 washes per sample) of Rockin' Green detergent, so the second it arrives, I'm going to be doing some overnight soaks!
By the way, I do NOT recommend All Free and Clear OR Tide Free and Clear for cloth.
That may be what started all this mess (Though I can't be sure!)
I had no problems using Crunchy Clean detergent, and I hope Rockin' Green is just as good.
Wish me luck!
Ps. I hate disposables.
It started as a puffy red bum, but quickly progressed to little sores.
There's two on her "Girly parts" and two or three small circles on her inner thigh, right on the diaper area. They have even bled when she poops.
So tomorrow is a sposie day :(
Have I ever mentioned how much I hate sposies? The chemical stink, the trash, the icky soggy feeling of a wet disposable..
Yuck!
I'm so used to cloth, which doesn't stink of chemicals, is light even when peed in, and no trash to throw out!
But I don't have any cloth-safe creams (Made a note to but some asap,though)
So tomorrow is a day full of naked baby time, heaps of diaper rash cream (A&D), and sposies to kill this rash.
What about the cloth diapers? Well, those are about to be cleaned to death!
I plan on boiling all the inserts (I use pocket diapers. Kawaii's and fuzzibunz, mainly), doing at least 3-4 cold washes, 1-2 hot washes, and using some vinegar for the slight stinkies.
I'm excited, though, because I ordered 5 samples (2 washes per sample) of Rockin' Green detergent, so the second it arrives, I'm going to be doing some overnight soaks!
By the way, I do NOT recommend All Free and Clear OR Tide Free and Clear for cloth.
That may be what started all this mess (Though I can't be sure!)
I had no problems using Crunchy Clean detergent, and I hope Rockin' Green is just as good.
Wish me luck!
Ps. I hate disposables.
Who I Am
Maybe I should introduce myself, Hm?
My name is Kailey, and believe it or not, I'm not your typical parent.
First of all, I'm a single mama. A single teen mama. I'm 18 (as of 2/22) and don't worry, my child is well cared for..and no, my mom does not raise her!
My daughter is spoiled rotten. Not only is her little bum covered in cloth as opposed to disposables, but she's breastfed and will be self-weaning when she is ready to do so!
She also sleeps in my bed. Bad Mama, I know. But when you've just given birth (and not an easy birth!!!) and you're exhausted and the newborn you aren't sure what to do with will not sleep for more than 20 minutes in the contraption they call a bassinet, you'll do anything to get some shut eye.
Why didn't I move her to a crib when she got older? I wasn't up to fighting with her over something that won't hurt her.
Yes, you heard me, bed sharing will NOT hurt her.
Personally, I think that the warnings and threats that your child WILL die if they sleep beside you is way over exaggerated.. but that's me.
I let her play with paper, I let her cruise and crawl on our hardwood floor, I let her eat a sandwich for lunch..because they won't hurt her!
I should explain that sandwich thing though, shouldn't I?
My daughter (By the way, her name is Ashlynn) is a child who knows the realm of Baby Led Solids (http://www.tribalbaby.org/babyLedEating.html) and by 7 months was eating avocado chunks, toast, etc.
Now, at nearly 9 months, she eats whatever I am eating, provided it doesn't have honey or peanut products in it. Yes, she has things with milk in them, but I do not give her milk alone.
I think she's doing pretty well at 22lbs, cruising, crawling, talking (7 or so words!), and pretty darn smart! (It's a mama thing. Of course my baby is smart! She's Mine!)
But anywho..
I'm also a student and make the best of everything I have. I am more than thankful for the amazing gift I was given. My daughter.
And no, I don't date. Or leave my child with my mom so I can go do teen things.
Teen mom isn't true to all teen mamas. :)
My name is Kailey, and believe it or not, I'm not your typical parent.
First of all, I'm a single mama. A single teen mama. I'm 18 (as of 2/22) and don't worry, my child is well cared for..and no, my mom does not raise her!
My daughter is spoiled rotten. Not only is her little bum covered in cloth as opposed to disposables, but she's breastfed and will be self-weaning when she is ready to do so!
She also sleeps in my bed. Bad Mama, I know. But when you've just given birth (and not an easy birth!!!) and you're exhausted and the newborn you aren't sure what to do with will not sleep for more than 20 minutes in the contraption they call a bassinet, you'll do anything to get some shut eye.
Why didn't I move her to a crib when she got older? I wasn't up to fighting with her over something that won't hurt her.
Yes, you heard me, bed sharing will NOT hurt her.
Personally, I think that the warnings and threats that your child WILL die if they sleep beside you is way over exaggerated.. but that's me.
I let her play with paper, I let her cruise and crawl on our hardwood floor, I let her eat a sandwich for lunch..because they won't hurt her!
I should explain that sandwich thing though, shouldn't I?
My daughter (By the way, her name is Ashlynn) is a child who knows the realm of Baby Led Solids (http://www.tribalbaby.org/babyLedEating.html) and by 7 months was eating avocado chunks, toast, etc.
Now, at nearly 9 months, she eats whatever I am eating, provided it doesn't have honey or peanut products in it. Yes, she has things with milk in them, but I do not give her milk alone.
I think she's doing pretty well at 22lbs, cruising, crawling, talking (7 or so words!), and pretty darn smart! (It's a mama thing. Of course my baby is smart! She's Mine!)
But anywho..
I'm also a student and make the best of everything I have. I am more than thankful for the amazing gift I was given. My daughter.
And no, I don't date. Or leave my child with my mom so I can go do teen things.
Teen mom isn't true to all teen mamas. :)
Why I Am Not Getting My Daughter's Ears Pierced
My daughter is nearly nine months old, and her ears are untouched.
I have five piercings myself.. Two in each ear, and (*gasp*) my lip...
so why would I be opposed to piercing my child's ears?
Some, however few, women do NOT want their ears pierced!
I've seen crazier things happen, so who says my daughter won't be one of those women? I don't want her to be upset that I put earrings in her ears when she doesn't want them there. The scar from the piercing lasts FOREVER, so why do it now?
Possible Complications
Again, this is also rare, but it is possible.
Infections from piercings can potentially reach the blood, causing MANY problems. I knew quite well what I was doing when I got my ears pierced, and even my lip. I made sure I knew.
Non-consensual
She can't say "No, Mama, I don't want them done.." so I chose not to get it done. She can't consent to having it done, so I don't feel the need to modify her body (Piercing is a form of body modification)
I'm Too Lazy To Clean Them!
I admitted it! I'm way too lazy to clean her earrings. As it is, I wipe her butt, wipe her face, wipe her nose, brush her teeth, wash her up, dress her, change her diaper, feed her, cuddle her, play with her, talk to her, tickle her.. the list goes on! I definitely don't want to add "Clean her earrings" to that list!
I have no problems with people who choose to pierce their infant's ears, though. I think that earrings are adorable on baby girls, and would LOVE to have my daughter have earrings, but I can't bring myself to do it.
However, when she's older (the youngest I'll do it is 4 years old), if she wants her ears pierced, I will explain that it does hurt, and she will have to clean them herself (with mommy's help), but I will get them done. I'll even go as far as letting her get 2 earrings in each ear! (The 2nd piercing would have to be when she's 8 or older). I have nothing against piercings (I actually love them!), but I'm not ready to let my daughter get it done just yet :)
I have five piercings myself.. Two in each ear, and (*gasp*) my lip...
so why would I be opposed to piercing my child's ears?
Some, however few, women do NOT want their ears pierced!
I've seen crazier things happen, so who says my daughter won't be one of those women? I don't want her to be upset that I put earrings in her ears when she doesn't want them there. The scar from the piercing lasts FOREVER, so why do it now?
Possible Complications
Again, this is also rare, but it is possible.
Infections from piercings can potentially reach the blood, causing MANY problems. I knew quite well what I was doing when I got my ears pierced, and even my lip. I made sure I knew.
Non-consensual
She can't say "No, Mama, I don't want them done.." so I chose not to get it done. She can't consent to having it done, so I don't feel the need to modify her body (Piercing is a form of body modification)
I'm Too Lazy To Clean Them!
I admitted it! I'm way too lazy to clean her earrings. As it is, I wipe her butt, wipe her face, wipe her nose, brush her teeth, wash her up, dress her, change her diaper, feed her, cuddle her, play with her, talk to her, tickle her.. the list goes on! I definitely don't want to add "Clean her earrings" to that list!
I have no problems with people who choose to pierce their infant's ears, though. I think that earrings are adorable on baby girls, and would LOVE to have my daughter have earrings, but I can't bring myself to do it.
However, when she's older (the youngest I'll do it is 4 years old), if she wants her ears pierced, I will explain that it does hurt, and she will have to clean them herself (with mommy's help), but I will get them done. I'll even go as far as letting her get 2 earrings in each ear! (The 2nd piercing would have to be when she's 8 or older). I have nothing against piercings (I actually love them!), but I'm not ready to let my daughter get it done just yet :)
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