Yes I've been negligent. I can't make it up to you all but know that taking care of a baby while trying to run a business while working part-time doesn't leave a lot of personal time. What time I do have I end up reading or knitting, just to have a little break.

Jonah is a year old now and super cute as always. He's close to walking, trying to talk, and is getting into mischief more and more. He tries to fake us out and do things he's not supposed to such as playing with the stereo receiver.

My partner and I are starting preparations for trying to conceive another baby starting with taking our vitamins diligently. That really helped with his morphology issues last time. We're shooting for a big effort come May -- it is when we always/only get pregnant.

I also need to visit my OB/Gyn and check out that existing fibroid. It hasn't really bothered me except for the few times I've ovulated since Jonah was born.

We're still nursing, cloth diapering, co-sleeping, doing elimination communication part-time, and some sign language. Sounds like a lot of work but it isn't. Pottying the baby is a really good thing though and I definately recommend trying it out.

Talk to you soon.

-A

What's this about? Anxiety around #2 all of the sudden

Here's my big EC challenge. My little guy, almost 11months old will wake up from naps or in the morning and occasionally will have to have a BM. He hasn't been signalling as well for BMs -- though it was the place we started with for EC and he was most consistant about since we started pottying at 2 months old.

Lately it seems I can get half of it in the potty, usually the second half, but just now and one other time it was the first half. I got him to pee and poop and then he started to freak and wanted off the toilet. It seemed like he had to go more but he wanted to have nothing to do with it and then just went in his diaper while playing but didn't say anything about it.

He seemed freaked out by having to go so much or perhaps because we've been feeding him solids more it feels overwelming to him now that things are starting to firm up more. I'm still nursing him quite a lot so things are still on the softer side.

Happy pottying at 10 months old

I just wanted to give another update. Our little one is now 10 1/2 months old now and we're still pottying part-time.

His recent thing to not want to go potty, even if it looks like he has to go (little boy's penises stick out a little when they are full); he arches his back and doesn't want to do it. One thing that helped was to change how I set him down on the seat (toilet seat insert), instead of draping him backward into the seat to sit him down by holding him under the thighs and setting him down more exactly.

The other thing he introduced over the past week which seems to be working better as well is to bring him into the bathroom and then asking him if he has to go. I'll let him crawl over to the toilet and then he tries to help set his little seat on (either I help lift the seat up with him if if it is on the floor or else he wiggles it if it is already on the toilet). I then undress him while he stands and he will go pretty agreeably. Yeah!

The problem with this was putting him back together again with the
prefold diaper and Snappi -- you can't really Snappi well while they are standing, at least in my experience. After reading something in the Sears Baby Book I decided to try out using diaper pins. I can unpin one leg and get him undone and then just have to slide that leg back through and repin when he's done. The cover I can do okay while he is standing. Pants of course are a different story --stretchy or snapped are better than ones that need a lot of pulling to get up.

The other exciting thing was that my parents are visiting and my dad pottied the baby while I was out the other day. That's the first time anyone other than my partner or I have tried to do it.

Hoping you are having happy potty experiences as well.

Happy Halloween

Sorry for the no posting. I have some stuff I can repost here to catch up -- when I have time. Perhaps you can read about how Jonah's first year went after its over (sigh).

Enough about that. I wanted to share his Halloween costume and some other spooky photos.

This year Jonah is going as the infant Harry Potter, from the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. He's got his little cowlick and toy broom from his godfather Sirius Black.



Here are also some very sca-ary pictures --- oooh! are you scared yet?

Using a Potty Seat

Jonah grew really fast and was getting a bit heavy to hold, particularly as I've got tendonitis in one wrist from lifting him (since last April, sigh). I decided to try out the Baby Bjorn Little Potty. He liked using that potty for a while (4-6 months), though I noticed that he really did need to have the ability to sit upright with some support to use it -- so I don't think it would work that well before then.

Now that he's gotten even bigger (wearing 18 month sizes at 7.5 months!) he has decided that he doesn't want to use that little potty anymore. Now I keep it by the bed and use it to stash wet diapers from changes overnight so I don't have to get up and don't wake him with rustling plastic.

We bought a toilet insert at Fred Meyer on a whim in August as we thought he was large enough for one and he likes that a lot. In fact, he won't really go now if I try holding him over the toilet by the thighs -- except when we are out.

With the toilet seat insert, a cushioned vinyl covered on with Blues Clues pattern, its not as cold as the baby bjorn potty was. Also, we don't have to clean it up -- everything just goes in the toilet which is a plus. We have some light up ducks that we use in the bath next to the toilet, on the edge of the tub which help keep him interested in sitting there. He also is liking learning how to turn the tap on the tub off and on -- usually if he's that distracted he's done or didn't have to go in the first place.

We keep his bouncer seat in the bathroom so often I will set him down in it and then go potty myself afterwards which seems to please him as well -- everybody goes potty dontcha know?

I think talking to him about pottying and introducing hands signs early on has helped out a lot. Also, anticipating when he will need to go next. He tends to signal more when he's sleepy, and less so when he's playing.

A recent development is that he doesn't want to pee in his diaper when we are out and often makes a fuss, which takes us a bit to figure out of course. My partner thinks its some sort of social behavior learning -- to not want to wet himself when he's in social settings.

He's only pooping every other day or so, which was a little harder to keep track of. He ended up soiling himself a couple times in the mornings and since then I think he and I have realized we need to make a better effort -- as he doesn't like it as much as I don't when he's got that kind of dirty diaper.

Seven Months Old

We’re calling him a pre-toddler now. He’s got opinions about stuff, he can sit up by himself, he has his first tooth, he’s getting ready to crawl, splashing all over in the bath, and taking steps with help from mama. He also likes working on a computer keyboard, talking on walkie talkies and playing the guitar with both hands.

He’s so big he’s officially fitting into 18 month sizes and I’m not buying smaller than 18/24 or 2T now.

I came across a few interesting links and I thought I would share...

 

Interesting site about baby food

http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/

 

Site with links to American made toys - if you are concerned about the lead paint scare (and so many things are made in China these days)

http://www.toysmadeinamerica.com/

 

Also, I don't know if you have heard about the BPA (plasticizers) in plastic bottles - but evidently this compound is in baby bottles as well (see http://www.bisphenolafree.org/). Polycarbonate bottles aren't safe either. The few brands I've heard of that are BPA free are Sassy Mam Assurity (what we were already using coincidently www.sassybaby.com), BornFree (http://www.newbornfree.com/) and the Playtex bottles with the drop-in liners.

 

The pacifiers I've bought both have silicone nipples made in Germany or Austria (Gerber Nuk and Sassy Mam), you might want to double check yours, though I think silicone is the norm these days.

Jonah just had his first dip in the wading pool at park this afternoon and loved it. We're off camping this weekend, Jonah's first camping trip. It's been an annual event for the past 5 years or so, I hope it goes well. Should be interesting if nothing else.

Looking for a Parent Console for Our Stroller

The Bumbleride Flyer does not include any sort of parent console, though they do include a cup holder with the 2007 model. I've been researching various parent consoles for strollers and its hard to figure out what will work. Here are the ones I've found

Phil & Teds Hang Bag & Belt

InStep Parent Console

BOB handlebar console

Buggy Buddy from Sunshine Kids

Jolly Jumper Stroller Caddy

Joovy Cool Essentials Parent Organizer

Maclaren Universal Organizer

Things that are important to me for our Bumbleride Flyer are:
* easy take-on/off for when we switch the handlebar
* compartment for phone, paci, keys

I'm almost tempted to sew one myself but I'm leaning towards ordering the BOB one as I already need to order a Flyer rain cover -- its Seattle and yes, it does rain here.

---
Update: we did by the BOB one and it has worked out fine, even with the flip of the handle. We just fastened it with a little twist. You have to be mindful a little of what you have put in there, but not that mindful. I don't think anything has fallen out.

Bumbleride Flyer Review

Our needs are pretty specific, a compact stroller that can do a mile walk across bumpy sidewalks in an urban setting and will let us have the baby facing us once we are downtown -- and it needs to fold up easily for the drive back home. Not all corners have curb cuts/ramps so the stroller needs to be able to perform well. We also have to lift it up a few stairs into our home.

After looking around at the options, the Bumbleride Flyer stood out as a good option. I found a lightly used one on craigslist last night and today was our first day using it, I'll compare it to our other stroller, the Graco Metrolite LE:

Weight: Flyer is definately heavier than the Metrolite. Feels like more than a pound difference but I don't have a scale.

Fold: both require two hands but the Metrolite folds to a standing position, the Flyer folds to the ground. Not sure how that is going to work in the rain. The Metrolite folds far more compactly and fits in our Prius well -- I can get groceries in the back with the stroller in there. With the Flyer I can only get it in the back on its side and its folded depth is bulky. I know I couldn't get as much in the back along with it in there -- if at all.

Control: The Metrolite is really easy to maneuver; it turns well and tips up for curbs easily. The Flyer is harder to turn and not as easy to push -- plus the basket is hitting the wheels below(!) When the Flyer has the handle in the reverse position (baby facing you) you can't tip the thing up onto curbs.


The Flyer has some nice features though, and it was well thought out:

A canopy that pulls all the way down for a sleeping baby

Four position seat with 5-point harness and a built in leg divider sewn in so baby can't fall down.

Rear-facing position

Nice foot muff with front mesh pocket and zip back


I'm not sure if we are going to keep it or not. So far it looks cool and has some nice features but it is hard to handle and that's a huge drawback as that's the key thing for a stroller.

Update 8/18 --
I contacted Bumbleride to ask about the basket issue -- was it a design flaw or a manufacturing flaw. They confirmed that it was a design flaw and they are having new baskets made and would send me when they got their next shipment in. The basket only rubs when the stroller is in the rear-facing (also called pram mode) position.

We have continued using the stroller all week and it is easier to push in the normal outward facing position, but baby has indicated that he prefers facing daddy once they get into the busier areas closer to downtown -- just what I thought. I've been getting more used to its parts and how it works and taking advantage of all the little parts -- like the window in the canopy with its cover, the foot rest which works better for baby being young, and the ability to pull the canopy all the way over to help block the sun or let the baby sleep better.

Rear-facing Strollers Compilation

I've been considering getting a rear-facing stroller so that we aren't stuck with having Jonah facing out -- particularly in downtown Seattle. Up until now we've been able to use the infant car seat, so he's used to watching the world with us there to provide some filtering.

There aren't too many rear-facing models on the market, perhaps a dozen or so, and Bugaboo makes three of these. I've compiled my basic research with price, weight and pics -- plus some notes, if you are interested.

After all this research, the Bumbleride Flyer is standing out as a reasonably priced option.

Manufacturer/Model	Cost	Weight
Aprica Boardwalk	$749.99	12.1 lbs
Britax Vigour	$349.00	29 lbs.
Bugaboo Gecko Lightweight	$679	18 lbs
Bugaboo Frog	$759	32 lbs
Bugaboo Chameleon "The Chameleon has a height adjustable handlebar extending an extra 6 inches for taller parents"	$899	20 lbs
Bumbleride Flyer Baby Bargain Board Review Might need to get used to the reverse position so as to not kick the chair support. Perhaps hard to lock in folder position (problem with our Metrolite as well). Easy to unfold. Light frame bends, no tray for baby, no compartments for parent storage.	$329.00	19lbs
Combi I-thru Epinions Reviews Discontinued. Poor construction?	$175	23 lbs
Graco Coach Rider Canada only? Bad reviews by merchant, unstable wheels, poor construction compared to other Graco products.
Peg Perego Venezia Big with poor steering and not good for travel	$400	28 lbs
Quinny Buzz Small basket below, looks weird.	$499.00	24 lbs
Stokke Xplory Not good on uneven surfaces	$799	23.15 lbs
Zooper Zydeco or Boogie	$519	29 lbs

Sorry for not posting more. I have some forum posts I can bring over to help fill in the gaps. I've been working about 6 hours a day while watching the baby as well, and going into the office so it's been crazy busy without to much extra time.

Communcation Update

My little one caught on with some ASL signs early on very oddly. I wasn't expecting it. His versions of signs were more like punching the air for milk or raising a fist in his sleep for a diaper change or to go potty. He hasn't really wanted to learn more than those, though recently he was experimenting with the signs for diaper change.

He sometimes signs more with my partner than me. He also talks to my partner more than me. I think mamas are able to interpret a broad range of non-verbal cues and so they sometimes use the signs or "words" more with others. You might check with your DH to see.

Recently Jonah has said "gilk" (milk -- he doesn't have his m's yet) when he wants his dad to bring him to me (I have a name finally! Gilk!) He knows a range of words but only uses them some of the time with me -- though last night we were chatting and he was showing me how much better he's getting at them.

He doesn't know bye-bye at all. Here are some of the things that we use with him all the time and his versions of them when available:

milk - gilk
all done -- all goo, dooo, all dUN (ocassionally)
all good -- all goo
milk is good -- gilk es gooo
go
again
go for a ride in the car
let's go
up - (arches back)
kick, kick, kick -- (and he does)
hello -- hellll-n, ah-coo (sound like the same intonation but its his lazy version)

Jonah's going to be 5 months old on Monday. He barely fits into some of his 12 months size outfits. We've been buying 18 months sizes now. Crazy.

Pottying at 5 months

It's been a while so I thought I would give an update on my almost 5
month old. He did an amazing 9 potties in one day last week out of
the blue. We used almost no diapers. My parents were visiting and
were amazed.

My mom was telling me how they used to have highchairs with cut outs
in the seat and a shelf for a bowl beneath so that the baby could
relieve herself while eating. That seems so degrading to me, almost
like there's no communication involved at all. Perhaps some parents
used them like we do when we EC though.

It took Jonah a week or so before he adjusted to the Baby Bjorn
Little Potty -- plus some trial and error until I figured out how to
best help him use it. I have it on the floor in his bedroom and I
wrap my arm around him and let him rest his chin on it as he needs
to. I also help steady his head against mine and hold one of his
hands with my free one as he wants to. He's pretty into it and when
we are at home he seems to prefer it over the toilet. I keep a box
of tissues and a burp rap nearby to help wipe his bum/face -- he
often spits up while toileting (anyone else notice this?) My partner
is cool with using the little potty as well, but he just helps him
balance on it while holding his shoulders.

The toilet position is still good if he's totally sleepy though as
he can rest against me. He will wake me up if he needs to go while
sleeping. Not all the time but often enough. The frequency of that
has gone down from back at the start of May when I was mucho pooped
out after having my sleep disrupted so much.

In the past couple of weeks he's gotten the knack for standing up
while supported. If he's done on the potty and hasn't communicated
clearly (he's been talking while sticking his tongue out so I have
no idea if he's saying "all done" or what sometimes) he now will put
his feet down and try to stand up.

Forward/Backward Progress at Four Months

Monday my 4 mo, who's been using the toilet for the past two months,
wasn't really having it -- I'd offer the toilet to him at changes
and he'd look up at me and say "all dooo" (all done) even though his
diaper was dry. Then within the next 10 minutes he would say "all
dooo" and he wet his diaper. It went on like this all day and I was
getting frustrated -- he could potty and had been pottying but
wasn't. Sure our timing could have been off, but it seemed like
something more than that.

I sort of figured that we were at a different phase, that it was
time for something to change either way. My thought was to try
offering the potty more frequently, particularly if he was going to
be saying all done and wanting a diaper change each time (as we were
flying through diapers and he was crying a little sometimes when he
went and I wasn't changing him fast enough -- even though I wasn't
waiting).

Sure enough, by Tuesday evening he switched over once I asked him to
TRY to go pee pee. We then went from around 4pm until 6am with only
one diaper change. It was like he needed us to be more consistent.

Yesterday he had to come into the office with us and I tried
pottying him there (and the bathroom is far away on the other side
of the building). He didn't want to go and I ended up holding over
my trashcan in my office 15 minutes later (yeesh!) I'm not sure how
well we can potty him in the office unfortunately. (grumble)

I went last night to Bootyland (between 13th and 14th on Pine ST on
Cap Hill) and bought a Baby Bjorn potty and was able to try that
twice before bed. My little one wasn't so sure about it but we did
get one pee out of him. He was most comfortable using it if I say on
a foot rest behind him, with my arms and legs at his sides and his
back resting against the foot rest, similar to our pottying
behavior. It's going to take some getting used to I can see, and
probably some additional stability on my baby's part will help.

Right now I'm up at 2 am as he woke me and didn't seem to want to
nurse but then didn't want to be pottied either -- I think it was
gas. When I got him back in bed he farted and then had a big nurse --
but of course mama can't sleep now.

It just keep getting more and more interesting...

Easy Diaper Changes and Pottying Outfit Observations

When you have a little baby you are doing a lot of diaper changes. I don't think I've ever done so many snaps in all my life as the past few months. Over time though, and after so many different styles of garments, I've come to appreciate certain garments for their ease of changes or removal for pottying on the toilet. Mind you I have a little chunky monkey and we're using cloth prefolds with a cover from the diaper service, so if you have a skinny baby you might feel differently.

Things to look for:
Snap crotch
Narrow elastic that stretches easily (Zutano pants are soft and quickie at changes)
Gowns with snaps up the front and elastic at the bottom (Rabbit Moon makes some really cute ones, spendy but they will last a while and they are super easy on/off)
Short rompers if you can find them (Hanna Andersson rompers are great)
Overalls (the Gymboree ones we have are nice -- pull them off from the top or bottom)

Things to avoid:
Zippers (see Hanna Andersson Baby Zippers)
One-piece outfits that require you to pull bend and pull one leg up to thread it through the leg opening (see Hanna Andersson Baby Zippers)
Wide elastic bands that are snug (lots of things have this we've found)
Garments that snap up the side and at the crotch -- they can be really confusing to assemble and aren't easy to figure out

Sleepy baby in the middle of the night

My little guy will initiate wanting to get changed/go potty in the
middle of the night. I'm happy enough to oblige but in the past couple of weeks I've ended up sitting on the toilet with my baby sleeping in my arms.

He punches in the air (and me sometimes in his sleep) plus wiggles
when he has to go -- and sometimes its just a timing issue, that it
might take him a while to get everything ready to go in his little
system. It is leading to one tired mama though.

Sometimes we just need permission
(to not be holding our sleeping infant on the potty LOL)

I feel bad today as he only got to do 2 pees on the potty today and I missed 3 poops that I think he would have rather done in the potty
instead. It was just an off day for mom unfortunately.

So, I think I mentioned that he's been saying "all gooo" or "all
doooo" when he's done on the potty since last meeting. Well, he likes saying it all the time now so we aren't sure when he's got a wet diaper or is just practicing, or is wanting us to pick him up. He even shouts "all doooo" at his toys now. He does use it for pottying too, but you can imagine how interesting it is for us.

Three and a half months

Jonah's crib arrived Thursday afternoon finally(!) We've been assembling it and have just the wheels to hammer in but the baby is sleeping in the chair so we're waiting to finish. I'm not sure how the crib will work into our routine but I will use it for naps during the day and start out some nights with him in it so he can get used to it. I was worried that the crib wasn't going to arrive until July as he hasn't ever had a chance to use his mobile (and they say to remove them around 5 months) Now we'll at least get some use from them.

We ended up with the Sorelle Rosa crib in Antique Black after shopping around some. I'm liking the look of the black; originally I had been thinking of dark brown but then my mother just about convinced me to do something more wood-y -- to match the other things in the room. Black looks just right to me though. Now I have to just get a mattress pad and some more sheets.

This week Jonah's been talking up a storm (who knows what he's saying most of the time), trying to scootch along on his belly, making faces (and teasing at that), sitting up supported more easily (yeah for head control) and gaining major hand control. This was him a couple of days ago playing with a toy, a toy that wouldn't interest him at all two weeks ago:

Solo Air Travel with a 3 Month Old

I just got back from our first trip back east and thought I would post about how it went travelling with an almost 3 month old baby.

Based on advice online, I booked the flight when baby was usually sleeping (for us that was overnight), and also a non-stop flight. JetBlue has a non-stop red-eye to NYC from Seattle that I've taken before and so I decided to stick with the known quantity. Since we left on a Wednesday and returned on a Monday our tickets each way were only $99 a piece. JetBlue has infant changing tables in all their aircraft restrooms which is a huge plus.

I opted to buy a seat for us each as I didn't want to have to hold the baby for 5 hours straight and I was also concerned about his safety during take-off/landing and if there was turbulence. Since the ticket was so inexpensive with the days of the week we travelled it was even easier to make this decision. I am glad I had his seat as he was able to sleep in his seat comfortably and when there was turbulence over the Dakotas, he was in the safest spot (when I had him out on the way back, which was not a red-eye, I popped him back in right away when we hit that rough air -- in my arms he did not feel safe to me).



Knowing that he would have his own seat, I saw from the boards that the car seat would have to be in a window seat. The Graco SnugRide (we did not bring the base) has a level on one side only -- if you want to use this on the plane you want to be on the left side of the plane in seat A.

I studied the car seat manual prior to my departure to make sure I was comfortable with how to use it without the base. Be sure to bring along the metal clip to use with a shoulder seat belt if you need it -- my father told me that their cars had lap belts in the center in the back and no they didn't so we had to go pick one up at a baby products store while I was there ($3)

I gate checked our stroller without any issues and I didn't have to wait to get it either, I was able to deplane with the rest of the passengers. According to the JetBlue site, even with a lap infant, you are allowed to bring a stroller, car seat and carry on for the baby.

In case you are interested, here was our routine at security in the airport...

• wheel up and get in line with baby in car seat in stroller


• put back pack and diaper bags into bins as they become available


• remove purse, coat and shoes


• remove car seat from stroller with baby in it and put on floor
  
• push your bins onto the conveyer belt


• fold up stroller and put on conveyer


• remove baby from car seat and put on conveyer

...
go through metal detector with baby in arms -- remember to keep your ticket on your person
...

• wait for car seat to come through and put baby in it on floor (out of the way of other passengers)


• put on coat, shoes and purse


• unfold stroller and snap in car seat with baby


• put on backpack


• stash diaper bag under stroller

and you are off to the gate!

On the flight to New York I had to pee badly and baby was asleep so I figured that I would just take him with and do a little change as it had been a while. I grabbed my purse, a diaper, the wipes, and some disposable changing liners and went to the toilet. First I peed with him on my lap then I hiked up my pants with one hand and pulled down the infant changing table, laying down disposable liners and then the baby (and then I fastened my pants).

I was in the middle of putting the new dipe on him and he had an explosive poo across his pj leg and the table that went dribbling down the side and hit the toilet paper roll beneath. The new dipe was still clean so I removed his pjs (thankful that I put an undershirt underneath), diapered him, and then proceeded to clean up the changing table and lavatory while I held him in my arms and tried not to bump his head on the wall.

I carried him back to the seat and he had peed again on the way there (darn it all, if we were at home he could have gone in the potty) and I changed him a second time in my lap in the seat -- we had the row to ourselves.

TIP -- do make sure you bring the diaper bag with you to the lavatory as you might need all of what it contains in the matter of minutes. Also, really do bring two changes of clothes for the baby, even if you keep one in your carry on for space considerations.

I was pretty wrecked from being behind on sleep even before the red-eye sleep deficit -- I only slept 2 hours, but baby slept pretty much the entire time -- so I was not feeling 100% but I did my best not to be grouchy. I took a nap every afternoon which was a big help.

EC Notes

I learned from our local diaper free baby group that it was helpful to have a signal for "done" which we
are now introducing with our baby. I also started using the toilet
sign for go potty and he's shaking his hand at us now, within hours
really, so that's cool.

For me it was easiest to start with the morning BM as he was really
obvious about needing to go. He's also pretty easy going in the
morning, and even overnight if he has to go, so bringing him to the
potty then has been the easiest time in the early weeks.

I've been sitting on the toilet backwards with the baby in my arms
and that's been working pretty well -- though we have an elongated
toilet upstairs which is much easier to sit on than a standard round
seat.

People also mentioned that through observing they could see that the
baby could pee every 20 minutes -- which if you are still using
diapers and being attentive to changes you notice as well sometimes.
This helped me realize that I could actually offer more regularly
and that might help us out.

I started out by just announcing his movements at diaper changes for
about 4 weeks -- "oh, you had a poo poo" or "did Jonah just go pee
pee?" so he was more aware of what was going on. I now can offer him
by asking him if he "wants to go poo poo in the potty" and he will
smile if he wants to try. I try to keep it very low pressure. My
little one is just 11 weeks now and we've been doing this in a low
key manner, building up our confidence, for about the past month. My
goal right now is to have it stay an enjoyable experience for him,
and to reduce the number of prefold cloth diapers (diaper service)
we are using each week as a measure of success.

Fibroids and Endometriosis?

In response to Deb's question about endometriosis testing on my post about infant potty training, no, I haven't specifically had tests for endo. But I did have two HSGs and have been opened up twice -- once for my myo and once for the c-section and nothing was mentioned -- not even on my medical records. Some of my other online fibroid sisters have had endo and fibroids though -- so it is a possibility. In the book The Infertility Cure both conditions are dealt with in the same chapter -- so similar can their causes be.

I've had painful ovulations before, the first one that I recall was back in 1996 when I was just about doubled over in pain at work -- a stressful computer start-up -- and I ended up going to the emergency room just to make sure I didn't have appendicitis. Wanna know where that pain was? The same location as my fibroid showed up years later. I had an ultrasound at the time and it came back clean. After all the acupuncture I've had done I think that partially the pain comes from some form of blood stagnation in that area -- and too much stress will divert the blood flow from your reproductive organs so it it possible that its all related.

Since my c-section I've occassionally felt a few jabs of pain in that area -- which is where Twyla, my new big fibroid is located. It's not too bad so I'm hopeful that she's not going to be an issue.

Lately I've thought, as people respond in surprise when my partner and I mention that we're planning on starting to TTC again later this year, that another factor besides it taking so long and the miscarriages, that also the fibroids I have are another consideration. One good thing for the moment now though is that breastfeeding suppresses estrogen production so it is possible that my fibroids will shrink substantially until my period shows up again. The reduction in estrogen also causes me to have dry skin, so dry I have hives on my upper arms, and it also dries out the girly bits so that sex is a bit uncomfortable. There's no winning.

Two Month Well Baby Visit

We had our 2 month ped appt this morning and Jonah is up over 15 lbs (phew that its not more than that) but it's still a doubling since our last appt at 2 weeks. He's measuring in the 90th percentile for head circ., 95th for length and above 95th for weight -- he was average all around at delivery.

We opted to do two shots today, polio as it is less reactive and HIB. The HIB shot really hurt him going in at the office but a few hours later he was screaming at home in pain and his thigh was all swollen. He's been crying since then, but mostly sleeping. I couldn't help cry when I saw him hurting so -- it really was awful. We've trained Jonah by being attentive so that he doesn't need to cry for us to respond. The crying this afternoon just made me want to thow up. He starting to smile and coo again now.

It was just awful watching him crying in pain and not being able to console him though. If I held him it would hurt him and if I put him down he got upset. I ended up laying him on my bed with his head on my pillow with two diaper flats laid out beneath him as fastening the cloth diaper would hit his injury. I held his hand and he fell asleep but would wake periodically and cry, especially when he would kick his legs (his favorite thing to do, even in utero) as it hurt. Awful, awful. I'm still recovering.

We opted to do our own schedule for the vaccinations as the CDC recommendations are designed to try to get as many people to complete the shot series as soon as possible so they don't miss them, but they are based on babies in childcare, etc. Since Jonah's at home and not around many other children -- we feel comfortable doing our own schedule to reduce the possible overload of introducing so many foreign proteins and preservatives into his system at once. I read that from a TCM standpoint you ideally would only introduce them one at a time -- but obviously getting one shot each time means more trauma over time so that's a bit extreme.