Comments on: Cute Overload.

By: Corinne

Corinne — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 18:36:54 +0000

Should that have been “wracked my brain”? Like nerve-wracking? Both nervous system components, hm. Never made that connection before.

By: Corinne

Corinne — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:20:10 +0000

I second this vote:
“1. The upcoming RSV quarantine, and ways you will keep yourself entertained during it.”
Also, because you are my main “parenting a preemie” resource, please give us a brain dump (or several) about what specialists you’ve needed to see, which were unnecessary, how you think Simone has done (what’s been most delayed? most not?), basically anything to enlighten me on the preemie mothering. My guy was 34 weeks, so some of it likely won’t apply, but I can’t tell you how many times I racked my brain for Alexa quotes when he was in the NICU. I keep meaning to send you a thank-you email, but, well, I mentioned that new baby, right?
And if your OT says anything disparaging about the swaddling, find yourself a new OT (preferably one with kids).
Take care.

By: Eileen

Eileen — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 20:55:05 +0000

I just wanted to hug this post.

The hubs and I tagged teamed the boy baby and both had to leave the room rediculous-many times. And I’d already done this once. Sometimes I wish I could do the same w/ my now-12 year old daughter…

By: D

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 04:30:11 +0000

I am a swaddler. My first daughter I swaddled until she was 8 months old. My 5 month old is swaddled for every nap and every overnight. My current child has been sleeping 8 or 9 hours a night since she was 2 months old. She started out at a healthy 5 or 6 hours at 2 weeks and it’s only gotten better. I’ll take swaddle blankets (mine are custom made by a friend) everywhere and as soon as she looks tired I take her, swaddle her and put her back in her stroller and she promptly falls asleep. I am in love with my swaddle blankets.

I have to ask, why would your OT be angry??

By: Natalie

Natalie — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:05:22 +0000

Better to walk away- I did actually scream at my daughter once and it’s terrible.
It is good that you have so many “experts” to help you, but don’t let them get totally in the way of your instincts- swaddle the baby! YOU are the mom and YOU are right!

By: Deborah

Deborah — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 05:38:40 +0000

have you offered Simone something called Comfort Silkie? It’s not a full-body blanket, but a lovely little “lovey” that’s silky on one side, flannely on the other. With both my kids I did the rather gross thing of carrying their silkies on my person, so it got a nice mommy smell – helped, I think, with that “why am I NOT IN MOMMY’S ARMS” two-hour crying thing. The four-year old still sleeps with his, despite the fact that it’s in tatters… just a thought

By: Hairy Farmer Family

Hairy Farmer Family — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 23:55:16 +0000

Yep, another Mummy that gets horribly cross with her exceedingly trying offspring here! Babies are infuriating beyond belief. Toddlers, I have recently decided, are even worse. When he was tiny, it was a case of plonking his roaring little form back in the moses basket and collapsing in a sobbing heap. Now, it’s more about keeping my cool on the frequent occasions when the little blighter feels that nappies, clothing, baths and carseats are all a diabolical infringement of his civil liberties, and resists with every trick and wriggle he can muster. He has barely learnt to walk and already I am chasing his bare little twinkling bottom around the room with a nappy clenched in my teeth to muffle my torrent of furious invective. When I eventually pin him down and apply the hated Pampers, as soon as I let him go and reach for his trousers he immediately scrabbles away from me and pulls the wretched thing off. Argh! Ummm… I digress.

Blogging material. I have delved about in your archives, but it was a fair while ago, so forgive me if I’m missing something obvious. Have you always lived around St Paul? Your mother and brother have obviously stayed abroad – have you travelled? Or where would you dream of travelling to if money were absolutely no object (and Simone rather older!) and why? And because I’m feeling very British today in the face of all your election hoo-ha – I shall put in a request on behalf of your readers on this particular side of the pond: tell us about some UK influences in your American life. What author’s works would you choose to be marooned on the fabled desert island with? I’ll let you have a UK CD, person-from-history and a monarch for company as well if you like?!

By: tash

tash — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 20:04:49 +0000

Nov. 1, 12:00 p.m.: Favorite bloggers announce they’re participating in NaBlahMoFo

Nov. 1, 12:10: Reader increases by a magnitude of 100

Nov. 1, 12:12: I break down in tears and start massively marking things as “All read”

When is comment catchup month, I want to know?!

My child never slept. I’m of no help whatsoever. I read all the books, and promptly threw them against the wall.

By: Penny

Penny — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 16:14:59 +0000

On the swaddling: We, too, swaddled our baby longer than just a few weeks – actually, until she was nearly a year old. Whatever works! She’s a great sleeper now. A really big piece of cloth you can buy at a cloth store works really well – or cut up an old bedsheet.

Topic request –

Is it too soon to talk about the possibility of another child? Or deciding that another child is definitely NOT in the equation? It’s probably too soon though.

Or whether you like working from home? because I hated it. It SEEMS like the ideal situation, but the isolation was overwhelming. And I am not an extrovert by any means.

By: Heather

Heather — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 03:17:19 +0000

F*** the OT. Gently, nicely, but all the same.

They can be quite rigid, and they don’t live with your child. After several months of as much “Alphabet-T” as I can stand, I came to the conclusion that there are some things my kid was just going to come to later in life than the norm. Mine still has the binky, which I’m threatening to take away, especially during 5am “binky!” calls. But I’m too tired with his new sister to make an issue of it now.