sometimes i don't know what DHS can help with. my little girl is 3 months and 13 days old and her dad and i are going back to school this coming Tuesday and i work part-time at night. we have a couple classes that conflict on Tuesdays and Thursdays and don't have family to help out with watching Lorelei so i went to apply for daycare assistance. lo and behold, my caseworker informs me that they will not approve assistance when both parents are in school as they expect them to space their classes so that one is able to watch the baby. if one was working and one in school, they would. so we had to do some quick rearranging of classes and my boyfriend had to drop one that he needs. in a way i feel better that she will not be in daycare while she is so little, i was fretting a bit about that, but it also really irks me that DHS doesn't consider being able to take the required coursework for college a good enough reason for help with daycare. meh. just had to vent about that. other than that situation things are pretty great with the little one. she has taken wonderfully to breast-feeding and really doesn't like the bottle which we unfortunately have to supplement with when i work, although i express milk for her so she likes that better. she has over doubled in weight from the time she was born and is fat and very smiley. she likes it when i read her poems and rhymes and kiss her belly and if i let her hold my fingers for support she will pull herself up from a sitting position to standing mostly on her own. she is very fond of her daddy and i think she may become a daddy's girl. heh. there are times she will get upset if i am holding her in a way that she can't see him. it's cute. so i am very happy being a momma. it is stressful sometimes but worth it. definitely.

Current Mood: good

Hello. I'm Dave, and I have a monkey.

1. How old are you? about to turn thirty. Comforted by the fact that when I tell people my age they often don't believe me.
2. How old is/are your child/children? I have three year old monkeymonster named Coire (prn. kaw-ree)
3. Boy/Girl? Girlmonkey. Ook.
4. Did you always want children, and were your children planned? Coire was very much wanted and planned for.
5. Do you ever wish your experiences of parenthood were different? Why? Nope. My girl rocks.
6. What do you think your children will be like as adults/older children? Confident and at ease in her own skin in a way most folk don't get until they're a good deal older, if ever. Cheeky, strange and wonderful. Loved, happy and healthy (thus saving me from putting that in Q7.)
7. Name three things you wish for your children. Lifelong unquenchable curiosity, more opportunities than she could ever possibly use and mad adventures on a regular basis.
8. Which attributes have your children taken from each parent/family member? Her stubbornness come from both Morrigan and I, her cheekiness I think is mostly me. Her overall good nature must be from Morrigan, because by all reports I was a shit of a child. Her random acts of housecleaning (we're not worthy! we're not worthy!), fuckknows where. Must be an atavism.
9. Did your experience differ from what you expected? How so? On one point. Coire suffered from glue ear for about a year and a half, starting just as she was about to start speaking. The loss of conduction impaired her hearing, and thus her language development. Recently, the problem cleared itself up, after many months of trying to get her to specialists, and now her speech is behind that of her peers, but catching up, and will probably be normal or better by the time we can actually get an appointment with a speech therapist.
10. Do you want more children? No, I honestly don't thik I could love a child who was different from Coire as much as I love her. Plus, between symphysis pubis dysfunction (very nasty, and tends to recur with subsequent pregnancies), 33 hours of labour and a 10lb 8oz baby, Morrigan says if we have another I have to carry it!

Current Mood: working
Current Music: None, Uni computer lab

sorry about not filling out the form, but the questions do not apply to me yet. however, i do have a question for anyone that has or has thought about it.....
when the time comes for me to feed my child solids, i don't want to used canned/bottled foods (i.e gerber ect.)
i'm planning on making my own baby food. only problem, i don't have the resources on it.
what are good web sites that you have used or know of (recipes)? yes, i will be consulting a doctor prior, but i wanted to know what your experiences where.

t.i.a
/n

Hey all. I'm wondering if anyone here has had experience nursing twins? Mine aren't due until May, so I have some time here, but I thought I'd start preparing early. I know a few moms of twins, but none of them were able to breastfeed exclusively. I'd really like to. Formula is so expensive, and I worry about their health (I know most babies can thrive on it, but still...) I'm considering getting a pump too, so that my husband can feed them sometimes, but I'm wondering if that would just be too hard since there will already be 'double demand'. I've read about it, and I'm in WIC, so I'll have lactation consultants, but I still think this is going to be a huge challenge.

I just joined so I wanted to say hello to everyone. :)

1. How old are you?  26
2. How old is/are your child/children? An almost 5 years old and an 8 month old
3. Boy/Girl?  2 boys
4. Did you always want children, and were your children planned?  yes
5. Do you ever wish your experiences of parenthood were different? Why?  no
6. What do you think your children will be like as adults/older children?   Hopfully loving and strong  men commited to whatever they decide to achieve in life.
7. Name three things you wish for your children.  Happiness, health and love
8. Which attributes have your children taken from each parent/family member?  They are both just as stuborn as daddy and I are.  Very strong willed and michievious. :)
9. Did your experience differ from what you expected? How so?  not at all
10. Do you want more children? No we only wanted 2 :)

( *Photos* )

Hi everyone. My name is Brandi and I just joined.

( Read more... )

1. How old are you? 21
2. How old is/are your child/children? (for the pregnant, use the number of months/weeks left to go) 2 months old (born November 13th)
3. Boy/Girl? girl
( click to continue )

So yeah...hi.

Any suggestions on books about growing up for a younger girl? My daughter who just turned 8 is apparently starting to develop. The books I saw in the library had a bit more than I want her to know right now (like about sex and how boys grow).

Should I be concerned about her developing so early? Right now, she's just starting breast development.

She'll be thrilled that she will finally get a bra though (I'd said no bras until she had something to put in them). Other kids in her class had them (despite not needing them).

Anyone have advice on how to help a 16 mos old baby, not be so clingy? It seems if I leave the room or attempt to do something he is crawling my leg. This just started recently. (though he's done it in the past)

Current Mood: mellow

I haven't posted in a while but my son Hunter got a haircut last week so I want to share.

( behind the cut to spare those that don't want to see )

He was pretty pissed off about it for the first couple hours. He kept saying he wants it long and curly but ohh it's hard to keep those curly things under control.

Current Music: Rammstein ~ Ohne Dich

I dug up my old recipie box that had recipies that either were my mom's or
copied from her at one time (long ago when I handwrote things).
I found one called "Noodle Pudding" similar to a kugle with noodles and
fruit cocktail (and eggs) that I faintly remember making/eating.
So that's what I'm going to do :)

If that fails, I found a very old copy of Jennie Grossinger's cookbook (her family owned the grossinger's resort in the Catskills) - something in there ought to work :)

1. How old are you? 26
2. How old is/are your child/children? step-son Almost 7 & son almost 1
4. Did you always want children, and were your children planned? Never wanted them until after I got them, and it wasn't at all planed (so much for the pill)
5. Do you ever wish your experiences of parenthood were different? Nope, I love my kids just the way they are.
6. What do you think your children will be like as adults/older children? no idea
7. Name three things you wish for your children? Good health, the ability to think for themselves, the strength to be their own people
8. Which attributes have your children taken from each parent/family member? He has my eyes, and his moms face
9. Did your experience differ from what you expected? Not really
10. Do you want more children? Is my fiancé going to read this???

hi, im kassy

1. How old are you? 18
2. How old is/are your child/children? (for the pregnant, use the number of months/weeks left to go) i have 4 more months of my pregnancy
3. Boy/Girl? girl
4. Did you always want children, and were your children planned? ive always wanted children, but this wasnt planned. not this early
5. Do you ever wish your experiences of parenthood were different? Why? n/a
6. What do you think your children will be like as adults/older children? n/a
7. Name three things you wish for your children. good home, lots of love, and great health. theres alot more, but you said 3. ; )
8. Which attributes have your children taken from each parent/family member? n/a
9. Did your experience differ from what you expected? How so? n/a
10. Do you want more children? of course!

Current Mood: annoyed

1. How old are you? 30

2. How old is/are your child/children? Alex 8, Keelin 6, and Liam 2.5

3. Boy/Girl? Boy, Girl, Boy

4. Did you always want children, and were your children planned? surprise, plan, BIG BIG surprise. but very happy with all of those gifts. :)

5. Do you ever wish your experiences of parenthood were different? Why? no, not really. i love my life and my kids. i am glad we are who we are and i learn from what we go through.

6. What do you think your children will be like as adults/older children? i really dont know. i want them all to be happy with who they are and i hope that they choose a path in life that gives them as much happiness as possible.

7. Name three things you wish for your children. health, happiness and love

8. Which attributes have your children taken from each parent/family member? wow, i guess they are a good mix of both me and their dad. i am very creative/sensitive/artistic and my husband is a natural leader and business man.

9. Did your experience differ from what you expected? How so? yes, its way more fun than i thought it would be.

10. Do you want more children? no i dont think so. i have pondered the thought of adoption or foster parenting in the future.

question...i've been having a ton of braxton-hicks contractions lately (i'm 29w3d). my midwife said yesterday that i need to start tracking them because the more you have them the more at risk you are for preterm labor, and that if i have more than 5 in an hour i need to go in and see her. did anyone (or does anyone) else have this issue? also, last night taking a warm bath stopped the contractions, but i can't always climb into a tub! any advice for making them stop?

x-posted

My son's daycare is having an international food festival. They haven't put up the sign up yet, but I'm trying to figure out what I can do. I would saw we are "Jewish" if anything but don't have a clue what to bring? What can I make for appx 15 2 year olds that they might eat and isn't fussy about being heated up and I can make the night before (or earlier?)

1. How old are you?
24
2. How old is/are your child/children? (for the pregnant, use the number of months/weeks left to go)
2 1/2
3. Boy/Girl?
Little Girl
4. Did you always want children, and were your children planned?
I always planned on having children someday, but my Sarah just came a few years earlier then we planned.
5. Do you ever wish your experiences of parenthood were different? Why?
Yes. Long story short, my ex's parents were not thrilled when they found out that they were going to be grandparents, and shut me out of the family.
6. What do you think your children will be like as adults/older children?
We joke that my daughter is satan incarnate because she is sooooo wild and crazy. She has a sweet personality but is unlike any child I have ever met before. I think she will probably be a bit of a wild teen, maybe into sports because of all the energy that she has, and definitely into music. She loves everything that I play, especially Rush, Nirvana and Rage Against the Machine.
7. Name three things you wish for your children.
Happiness, friends, and love. Luckily for me she already has all three, I just hope she can hold on to them.
8. Which attributes have your children taken from each parent/family member?
She unfortunately has my personality and energy level from when I was a child. She also has her father's picky taste for food, and his chin. :)
9. Did your experience differ from what you expected? How so?
Yes. I just always expected to be a happy conventional family, husband, house, dog, career and a college education. I never though I would be a single mother at 21. I just wanted "normal", but for the life of me I don't know why. I have never been what one would consider "normal" before...why would I start now. :)
10. Do you want more children?
I hope to have maybe 2 more someday, that is if my daughter doesn't kill me first. I really hope she grows out of the "terrible two's" stage! LOL!

1. How old are you?

24 again :)


2. How old is/are your child/children? (for the pregnant, use the number of months/weeks left to go)           

none atm, my GF and I are planning to have a kid sometime. both of us have some experience with childcare (baby brothers for her, my housemate's kid for me), but many other things still need to be worked out.  just observing and getting ideas for now.  if that's ok.


( and the rest of it )

( not really new, but returning under a new journal after an extended absence.... new member survey under cut )

Zoë is nearly 14 months and today exhibited what I'd describe as her first real tantrum. She's cried before but never really had tantrums. She had decided she wanted to go into the kitchen and I took her hand and made her go back into the living room. She threw a block and utterly bellowed with annoyance but she has discovered the knobs on the cooker and I have no wish to have the house burnt to the ground. I let her bellow for a bit and then calmly explained why I didn't want her in the kitchen. She has been told numerous times and knows 'hot' as she never touches the radiators or the fire but the cooker seems to be too much of a pull. She's the same with the dials on the washing machine which we have also tried to curtail.
I will say she was very tired. What ages did everyone else kids start this lovely development milestone. She seems ahead on some and not on others (she doesn't say one word yet). Curious more than concerned. I knew it was coming.