Jo--How excited are you!!! You are getting SO close!

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Krissy

Krissy- I'm thinkin I need to sign up for stuff but theres a million classes at my hospital... I'm wondering if dh and I could go up there to register and have a little guidance? I dunno. It's alot!!!!

Jo-I'm loving your diagram. So are you really excited or anxious? I keep realizing how close you are and I get excited. Lol. It's so weird, once you go theres only one more person in line before me, Jen, and Heidi are all up in like the same week. It all seems so soon!

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Amber--I can't believe that you, Jen, and Heidi are all up at the same time! That will be one exciting week!!! When Snowie was next, it never really dawned on me that I was third in line, but now; I can't believe that I will be next up after Jo! We should take up bets on which one of you three girls goes first! LOL!
-Our hospital offers a S***load of classes, also. Here is what we signed up for; the birthing class that worked best in our schedule and is based on lamaze techniques (it is one night a week for a month), the "preadmissions" course to preregister (so that we don't have to do it while in labor), and then I signed up for the breastfeeding class (which is free, and only an hour), and DH signed up for "Daddy Boot Camp". It is at the same time as the breastfeeding class, and he said that he wanted to have some clue of what he was doing when the baby came home, since he was the baby in his family and never babysat. I think it is so cute that he wants to take that! All of the classes were free, with the exception of the birthing class which was $50. I wanted to take the breastfeeding class because I feel sort of stupid when it comes to the whole, "establishing your milk" and "pumping" conversations. I don't really get it, so I am hoping they will help.

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Krissy

I had to chime in on the talk about TVs in the room or not. First off I am VERY opposed to TVs in kids rooms. My kids only are allowed to watch TV on the weekends and then they are usually so excited to go out and play that we maybe watch 3 hour a week here, unless we rent a family movie to watch which we do every other Friday night. But I had to say that I watched a lot of Animal Planet while nursing Mia at night (the other two were more content babies so nursing went a lot faster) I would just go watch it in the front room (my Dh is such a cutie he would make sure the right channel was on before bed) so you dont need to have a TV in the babies room to watch TV

Also, you should do some research on brain development and TV watching before the age of 2. The TV is too fast for the babies brain so it hinders the brain development. Mia only watches a slide show I made of her and the big girls and she is only allowed to watch that for about 5 minutes at a time.

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Krissy - Maybe we should take bets on which one goes first. I think Heidi will go first, then me, then Amber....but I think we will all deliver by 11/15.

Lisa - Thanks for the guidance. Does that include the baby einstein stuff too?

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I don't even recall watching tv until maybe 7, besides the occasional disney movie. My little brother however did and he is ADHD. I on the other hand never had trouble in school, never had issues being quiet or still, and still don't do more than an hour or two of TV a week. I honestly think it does make an impact. I may put a tv in his room when he's older, like 12(i got one at 10 I think). That however is gonna depend on how he is though. I'm not planning to ride his back until he gives me a reason. I think that could be where my parents went wrong.

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Alright, Jen, I think it will be Amber, You, and then Heidi (because girls like to take their time!)

So, I called the woman from the American SIDS Institute today to ask a question about something silly they do at the daycare I am lookiing at (I wanted to make sure it was safe, and it is). She told me all of the SIDS prevention stuff (I have heard it all before. Nothing in the crib, sleep on back, blah blah) But then she told me something I never heard; did you all know that co-rooming (putting the baby's crib in your room) is STRONGLY encouraged until the child is 6 MONTHS OLD!? She even told me that it is one of the strongest things you can do to prevent SIDS. Now I feel really torn and guilty; I obviously want to do whatever I can to keep my child safe, but I really don't want to put his crib in our room. We won't ever get any sleep; I know that I will react to every move and coo, not to mention it will be a big hassle to make room for it when he has a nursery. Am I a terrible person for wanting to leave his crib in his room? I told her that I was going to put the bassinet in our room for the first couple of weeks, and she said that is not enough--6 whole months is what you are supposed to do! Are you guys doing this???

Edit: The woman emailed me a list of SIDS prevention stuff, I will post it in a new thread in case anyone wants to see it.

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Krissy

Krissy~ We had Aidan in our room til almost 1 year (in his crib not co-sleeping). And anytime when he wasn't (fell asleep in pack n play in livingroom) hearing him on the monitor freaked me out more then being in my room. It's just something you have to get used to. Just like someone (DH) breathing or snoring.

Honestly I may do 3 and see how it goes from there but I can't imagine 6 WHOLE months. We are buying a snugglenest to keep him in bed with is for the first few weeks, and then we'll do the pack'n'play. That and you should also bear in mind that while yes, SIDS is definitely a huge cause for concern, institutes, foundations, and all of those places do blow their causes to the extremes sometimes(and with good reason). In the end though I think it's personal preference. I don't think you wanting to put him in his own bed after a few weeks is bad at all. It's probably normal.

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I read the list, and I too hadn't heard the co-rooming thing was strongly reccommended. Personally, I didn't with CJ - she had NO problems, and I won't with this one. Sleep is so precious to moms. I had the monitor on, and her room is just around the corner from ours, I barely slept that way, cause I could still hear EVERY move she made. Also, I think (especially doing that for 6 months!) it sets up a habit of the baby being used to sleeping in the room with you which will be a whole other struggle to go through when they are "big enough" to go to their own room. Also, I loved the "don't fall asleep ina bed, couch or chair with your baby....obviously someone with a full time nanny, or a man wrote that list - someone who never followed all those reccommendations! I am sorry, but you can't help but fall asleep nursing so many times in those first months. Don't feel guilty, just do the best you can!

Jen, Amber and Krissy - thanks for the acne product ideas....Oh, and two or three people on the toddler side used Proactiv all through their pregnancies, and were told it was OK by their Dr. so don't worry too much about that one. My Dr. said no - they all have theri differing opinions I guess....I didn't wanna try the Burt's Bee's stick - I did look at it, because it has willow bark oil - which is a natural form of Salicylic acid - which I hear was a no-no. Bu the Pads and the Cetaphil Antibacterial sound promising. My acne with the first one didn't clear up till 4 months after she was born, in fact it got worse just after i gave birth for the first few weeks...UHG! I hope this time it stops mid-way through.

I am feeling pretty good, the nausea is pretty much gone, I just still have to pee all the time at night and my boobs are killling me. I can't wait till I am officially 2nd trimester. Luckily I have had no more spotting since the end of last month! YEAH!

Also, I swear I can occassionally feel this little one moving already - I didn't feel CJ till 16 weeks or so!

i am at work...gotta go , got a patron!

Jess

Edit: Since I had a c-section with CJ, and was restricted from doing stairs, we both stayed downstairs for the first whole week, and she slept in a bassinet next to my recliner. But right when we could go up the steps, she went into her bed, and I had a recliner in her room for nursing, nursed her in there in the dark, and then would put her back in bed and stumble back to my room.

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Ok, I feel like I need to stick up for myself on the whole TV issue. I'm not going to be one of those parents who lets the TV raise my child. I am a teacher and realize the concerns of the fast-paced shows and such. My son does have a TV in his room and it will be used minimally.
DH and I no longer have a TV in our room, after much prodding on my part, because I am not a big TV watcher. I would like to encourage my child to enjoy music and much of the programs that we have for him to "watch" are concerts and fly-over travel shows with music. I've also heard that babies enjoy watching the faces of other babies, so we are planning to see how he likes that.
I will not simply plop my son down in front of the TV. I realize that many people disagree with the whole TV watching issue, but I plan on keeping it from being just that...an issue. TV is a part of life and it can be an educational tool when used responsibly. In our house it will remain just a small aspect of the day. I want my son to be happy with many activities: outside playing, inside singing and dancing, playing with the dog, "helping" mom cook dinner, reading books and exploring his new world, to name a few.
Off the defense stand for now.

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Jo--I know that everyone on this site has put in their 2 cents on the tv issue, and I hope that nothing I said about the TV made you think I was in any way attacking you, or anyone else with a tv in the room. I was just trying to decide whether or not to put one in, and obviously decided not to, but that doesn't mean I would judge anyone for doing things differently. I don't think that any of the women on this board are the type to "plop" their child in front of a tv and let it raise them.

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Krissy

I just went to see The Dark Night with DH and Graham went berserk the whole time. I swear I don't see how there aren't foot prints on my belly!!!!

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Jo ~ Ashlyn LOVES baby einstein! That is the only TV she watches, but man it can be a life saver for me to get some laundry/cooking/studying whatever needs done, done. They are only ~25 minutes long, so perfect to get something done...however mainly they are GREAT for the car. That's the only way we get anywhere without her constantly screaming her head off. I put those suckers on repeat play in the car. You are right, they LOVE other babies! It is so cute when she sees other babies on BE, the mirror , or at restaurants etc. We do only have one TV, in the living room..but I don't think it matters as much WHERE you put the TV, as opposed to when/how it is used. In the end, it is so nice to have a plan while pg...but each child is different and the baby rules the roost! Dominic will let you know what he does/doesn't like. Can't wait to see you on the baby side!!!

I know I've already stated...but co-sleeping has saved my sanity! We have a MIL floor plan and I can't stand the idea of not being near Ashlyn. She and I always touch while we sleep. DH stays way over on his side but she and I take up the whole bed. Its great when they can find the boobie on their own too!

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Well our room is WAY too small to even think about putting anything in there for the baby to sleep in. I understand the whole SIDS thing but I'm really against starting the habit of a child sleeping in your room. I'm with Jess that it opens up other issues down the road. I have a cousin right now struggling with her 9 month old. They never really put him in his crib so guess what? Now he doesn't want to sleep there and he's always in their room. Also I think you and DH need privacy to do your own thing. We are lucky too that all of our bedrooms are right next to each other. So I know with a monitor and just being use to listening for things with our dogs that we'll be fine.

Jess-Good to see you over here. Hope all is going good and can't wait to see the belly picture.

Krissy-I don't know which one of us will go first. I will hold off until we get a little closer to see how things are progressing! It will definitely be a busy week though with all 3 of us so close!

And as for the birthing classes-our hospital offers a 6 week course. I think it covers the different birthing techniques and medications etc. Then we'll be able to decide what we want to do. So I kind of like that option of hearing about everything. I just paid for ours. They start next month already!

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Krissy- that's the beauty of this site, you are able to have an opinion and stand by it or learn from others. No big deal. I'm sure my estrogen level is beginning to take over b/c I have been very sensitive lately.

However, I did take offense in being told to "do some research on brain development and TV watching before the age of 2". As an 11 year educator I have not only taken classes on child development, I also have a working knowledge of how boys and girls learn differently. Boys are naturally wired to have an overactive mind, which is why they struggle with school. School is much too structured for a young boys mind. Hopefully over time they learn to deal with the routine involved and begin to strive, but many boys struggle with the lack of flexibility. This is an innate wiring issue. Sure, TV and video games can make it worse, but responsible parents know when to set limits.

Ironically, I agree that TV is ultimately a bad thing. I just don't believe that is always the case.

Kayla- thanks for the words of encouragement. It won't be too much longer until I get to join you mommies.

Amber- as the ticker gets closer to my due date, I find myself fantasizing more and more about having Dominic home. I'm excited, anxious, nervous, ready, apprehensive all in one. I'm also ready to lose this tummy and be able to sleep on my back without having to do 6-point turns from side to side. I'm ready to hug my husband and not feel discomfort in my belly and I want to wear my old clothes! All selfish, I know.

So, get this: my mom is going to be out of town from this Saturday until the 26th? She is going for her uncle's 100th birthday party. My sister is SURE mom will miss this one coming. My mom is hoping he doesn't come early and if he does, she is going to get a flight home asap. Since she is going to Providence, though, they don't run flights out of there regularly. Hmmm...
AND- my SIL just told my MIL that she and her husband are going to Hawaii for a week, leaving on the 23rd! MIL is ticked!!!! Oh, well, at least my DH will be there and that's all that matters. I just thought it was kind of weird to plan trips when your grandson and 1st nephew are going to be born anyday.

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