Mom's of babies Check-in Week of May 23rd

M

melanalyus

Cathlete
Hi ladies. Thought I'd get us started this week.

This AM was a bit rough, but I took a little nap and now feel much better.I did end up taking an Ativan for anxiety...and I think it made be drowsy, so I won't be able to take it for anxiety at work. I'm hoping my med will kick in within a week or so (but takes 6-8 weeks for full benefit). Today will be day 3.

I'm hoping to go for a jog in just a little bit. :)

What's everyone doing today?
 
Hey ladies! Just checkin in real quick! Been in the pool all day and have family here so just saying hi....BBL!
 
Jen, pool sounds like fun. I have to gain more confidence to take the kids to the pool/beach. I normally take the boys, but will need help to take the girls. I might need to get a high school gal to come with me to help or something...I'll work something out!

Just got back from four mile run. I'm feeling good. Madalynn went alone with me, her partner was sleeping when I took off. Four miles seems perfect to me right now, especially with the adjustment of pushing a stroller.

DH is taking Jory fishing. We are having pizza & chocolate milk for dinner tonight. :)

I work tomorrow, but will have another pharmacist on with me. This helps with anxiety....especially when I go pump my milk.

Alrighty, Myranda's awake now. Hope everyone had a great weekend!
 
Wow, I was going to apologize for not being around much this weekend but looks like I wasn't the only one. :D I was on call this weekend and was called out every day this weekend. But I made up for it by playing hard in the pool! Thank goodness for the pool cause when I float in the water it just takes all my cares away!

I completed Plyo Cardio last night and stretched real good. I feel sore today (the nerves too) but kind of in a good way like my back is on the mend. I know the nerves get trapped so I wanted to stretch those babies out of there!

Melanie- I would be nervous to take all the kids to the pool too without another pair of eyes and hands. Maybe you could come over... ;) Yum pizza and choc milk!

Well one of the consequences of getting called out all weekend is now I have a ton of paperwork to do! BBL! Hi everyone!
 
Whew, I have been missing in action! The In Laws were great, a lot of help and had fun. It was great to have them here and great to have them go. A couple days is just right... The race yesterday was the hardest race I have ever done in my life. There was 6000 ft of elevation gain and it was such a narrow rocky dirt trail, that to pass other runners, you had to hop in knee high grass. I crashed at mile 10, my foot got caught on some rocks, but rallied. I ended up winning the half for women. The time was not as good as my paved times, but with the hills and terrain, I was pleased. MY DH came in about 45 minutes after me and I was so proud of him! I can barely move today. My butt is so sore! There were really steep tight switchbacks in teh forests and I had to use my hips a lot to try to get down them without slowing own. Happy to have today off!
Today Jimmy and I are off to the craft store to look for birdhouses. We are going to paint them and hang them in the back yard. We do it every year. Other than that, just a low key day for us.
Melanie- Are you on Wellbutrin? I forget what helps you... One thing my sister has experienced, is that when she goes off her medication, it does not work as well if she stops and restarts. So her dr has had to prescribe a different one... SO if you do not start sensing improvement, you may want to ask about that as an option. I took zoloft for anxiety when I needed it. IT was very effective and allowed me to work and drive without feeling wobbly, like the ativan and xanax can do... Hope that you are feeling better. Great idea to get a high schooler to help at the pool. Maybe they coudl come over during the girls nap times or for an hour a day so that you could get some time away without having to depend on DHs fishing whims....
Jen- I am so glad that you hae the pool! Sounds like you had a hectic weekend, but have a great attitude about it. Hope your back gets some relief... Have you had back problems in teh past?
Priscilla- I HATE spiders. I would totally freak out! Jimmy has had little bites the past few mornings, so now i ma starting to think we have them too! EEKKK!!
Susan- You are probably freaking out! Hope that you get all things packed and get settled!
Lisa- Are you feeling better? Saw your FB post. I used to be a financial advisor at one point, if you want any tips.
 
I am off Wellbutrin, it can cause anxiety. I am on Celexa and Ativan. The ativan doesn't really seem to help and the celexa hasn't kicked in yet. I went to bed at 9AM then slept well until I got an anxiety attack at 1-2AM. I tried ativan, didn't work, so I took 1/2 ambien and slept until alarm went off. Then I called sick into work. :confused: I am really not myself & felt like I need another rest day. I slept most of the day today. Not sure if I'm worn out....or if it's the postpartum depression/anxiety crude. Urgh. It sucks.

Christine~I'm really proud of your run yesterday. :)

Jen~ have fun catching up on paperwork

Lisa~I'd love to see all the goodies you got at garage sales

Susan~ you almost done packing? When's the big day?
 
I have heard great things about Celexa, my sister took it for years. It does take a few weeks to kick in, and then one day you are great! I remember that happening when I was on Zoloft. I even remember where I was when I finally felt okay. I was on the 405 south in Los ANgeles at the highway 14 exit! I hope soem rest helps. What about xanax instead of ativan? I think it works better. Hope you have a better day and feel okay. Off to get everyone down for nap, me too! I am totally sore and tired! And WTH with me weighing 4 lbs heavier after a huge race like that? I am thinking I have a lot if lactic acid causing water retention. I will BBL! Love you all!
 
The doctor was really hesitant to prescribe anything for anxiety...especially with nursing. My general pracitioner ordered the Ativan...I had to call him Saturday. My ob/gyn is wonderful, but slower at getting back to me and I felt it was an emergent thing that I get treatment right away.

I've spoke to quite a few people about anxiety. Many people say it's something that they have had to "learn to live with". That is sad. I hope the medication takes it away so I don't have to just "learn to deal with an anxious life". That's depressing.

I'm so thankful that my late afternoons/evenings I feel normal. I might just need to learn to push through the mornings.

At my Dad's request, my mom has stopped feeding him through his feeding tube. Many cancer patient's volunteerly give up their feedings....the only reason he got a feeding tube was to hopefully get more energy to enjoy his last days. It's not working. My Dad has been asking my mom to stop feeding him for almost a month already. It is time, he is ready to pass. I hope the Celexa is in full force by the time of his passing.

Urgh. Sorry to sound like a downer. Some positives:

I cuddled with my three youngest kiddos for a mid-afternoon nap while it stormed today.

My girls are starting to roll all over the place. They are crying less & are becoming more content everyday.

The weather is getting nicer, I look forward to putting them in a bunch of summer dresses!

DH has been incredibly supportive today. He left only a couple of times. He even asked how I was. I told him that I was learning how to cope. His reply? "You have alot to cope with". DH is a man of few words. Those couple words will fill up my lovetank for months. :)

DH has been spending more time with Jory too.

Alrighty, boys are fighting and girls are screaming! Bring it on!!
 
Melanie- The news about your dad, I am so sorry. You have so many things to handle right now.
As for anxiety, having some time on medication allowed me to learn how to feel normal, and how to delegate. I get anxious because I am a perfectionist and do everything myself and never ask for help. Emotionally too. As I got better and could handle things on the meds, I slowly tapered off of them> I have not had a panic attack in years. Sometimes I get a little wacky, feeling nerves, but I use exercise to tame it. You will be okay, sounds like you have great doctors and a great outlook. You are awesome! Hope your kiddos give you good snuggles...
 
Hey everyone. Wow, what a quiet week! I'm feeling much better, so I hope to be around a bit more. We've had such a sick house the last 1 1/2 weeks. Caden, DH, and I have all been sick. Please, please let the sick season be done!

Melanie-so sorry to hear about your dad. I hope you can get the medications straightened out and anxiety under control. That's great to hear that the girls are becoming happier! My garage sale finds were awesome! I probably spent around $100 but both kids have enough clothes to last them through early spring, with the exception of needing a few filler pieces. I even picked up a few things for a little further out, like pjs and jeans for Caden. The last one I went to was the best--all Old Navy, Gymboree, Baby Gap, Guess, etc and in GREAT condition. I washed up 3 huge loads of laundry and put it all away. Not only does it save me $$, it also saves me time because I have so much shopping done!

Christine-awesome job again on the race! I was not surprised when I saw you came in first..you are a machine! :) The financial planner thing..DH and I have been talking about getting someone for quite awhile. Fortunately, we don't have debt (other than a manageable mortgage), so we don't need someone to help with that.My biggest concern is whether we're doing the right thing with our savings. We have a decent amount of cash "wasting" away at a low bank interest rate of 3ish% and we've both been contributing to a retirement account at no less than 5% since we graduated college 8 years ago, so we're holding our own and doing ok. However, the perfectionist planner in me wants to do the exact right thing with our money to maximize the long term gains, which I know is impossible since we can't predict the future! It's hard to determine how much $$ to save for a rainy day, how much to put toward the house, how much to IRAs, mutual funds, etc. Enough about that..as you can see, it has me a bit frazzled!

Jen-did Plyo Cardio have noticeably more impact than the other Insanities? I don't think I've done a plyo one.

Priscila-when I read your post about the spiders last week, I could have jumped out of my skin! I don't do well with spiders or anything similar. ugh.

Susan-I lost track...have you moved yet?

Allison, Kendra, and Judy---hello to you all!

All for now. Although I'm not able to post much, I do try to keep up with what you all are doing! I read while I pump at work. If only I had a third hand, I could post, too :)

Good night to all of you fabulous women!
 
Melanie, I'm so sorry to hear your dad's update. Cancer is so horrible; it touches everyone, and it is so painful to watch a loved one suffer at its hand. I guess sometimes, it's enough to know the patient is at peace with the idea of letting go. (((hugs))) On a lighter note, how exciting about the all the achievements of the girls! And I think it's wonderful that DH is spending more time with Jory.

Lisa, wow -- sounds like you had a banner shopping weekend! Congrats on your treasure :) What a relief for you all that everyone is finally feeling human again.

Jen, augh -- that stinks that you were called in all weekend. Love that you guys are enjoying your new pool so much! I think that's awesome :) I did Plyo Cardio last week too -- I was really gasping for air during the last circuit.

Christine, how did I miss that you were running a race?!?! Congrats on finishing first! I guess "terrain training" would be pretty difficult when pushing a stroller, so I think it's pretty cool that you *still* kicked serious booty (not that I'm surprised!). Glad the visit with the ILs went well too.

Anyone have advice or book recommendations for dealing with a mouthy, stubborn, extremely bright 4 year old? I did some soul searching tonight -- I have been too lenient. I keep talking about respect, but apparently my talk is cheap. I'm not getting through to her. And as of this weekend, she is now terrified to be left alone in any room. She is driving me up the dang wall -- I finally told her that *I* needed a time out because she was making me insane. Her boundary testing is too taxing. This sounds horrible, but I really wish she was in preschool right now -- I could use the break from her tomorrow!

DH is so excited that the Flyers won tonight. They haven't played in the Stanley Cup since 1997. Ella and I are excited that hockey will be done in 2 weeks LOL
 
Good morning all! Our nights seem so busy that I only have time to post from work and little time at that because I am so swamped!

Lisa- Plyo cardio has a lot of plyo but I find that if you land softly it isnt hard on your joints. I listen to Shaun T's form pointers and try to the moves right instead of fast or hard and (knock on wood) so far so good, no injuries. I'm glad all the germies are out of your house!!

Allison- What kind of discipline do you use with Ella? Does she get timeout when she speaks disrespectfully or something taken away? Just curious...I'd love to try and help. Yay for hockey season being over! DH is happy that DWTS is over but PO'd that I will be watching The Bachlorette. :p That last circuit of Plyo kicks my butt! I do great until I have to stand up again, then go back down on the floor. Sometimes I just stay on the floor. And those ski abs!!! :eek: I hate them!!!

Speaking of shows, any of you watch Lost? We watched the season finale last night (DVR) and I just don't know what to make of it.

Melanie- I am sorry to hear about your dad. Allison said it all beautifully. It is hard no matter what the person wants but please know that we are all here for you. And I think it is great that Christine can share her experience with medication with you. It is a great way to teach yourself how to cope and live day to day until you are ready to do it on your own. I hope it starts working for you soon. That is wonderful that DH is being so supportive, that is really what you need from him right now. I love your comment "love tank". How adorable...I think you and your DH are an adorable couple from the way you talk about him.

Have a great day everyone!! I will try to check back later!
 
Here is a picture of me at the finish line. Again, not a great pavement time, but a great trail time! DH got me the new pink jacket for the race, it was in the 40s!
http://picasaweb.google.com/Coastal...ailRuns?feat=embedwebsite#5474686961988993378
lisa- i am typing one handed so i will type more later... getting 3ish percent is equal to inflation, and may actually be less, if in a taxable interest bearing account. If you pay taz on teh 3 or so percent, you are making less than inflation. That being said, you should have 3 months of salary/expenses squirelled away for an emergency, or if you lose a job, etc. So, you would need liquidity, making an interest bearing account the most logical, versus a CD. DOes your bank offer tax free interest accounts? Most do. Also, you shoudl consider setting up 529 plans for your kids for college. They grow much like a retirement account, tax deferred. The great thing about a 529 account, is the child can not use the money for anything but school and school expenses, nd cannot use it for whimsical stuf like an UTMA or UGMA that they would get in entirety at 18. If the kid does not use it you can transfer it to another child or to yourself. If you use NONE of the funds, you can withdraw them at a later date, but pay tax at that time. It is a great investment. I would not advise investing outside of retirement accounts until you know you are able to afford the possible losses. Also, great job on the garage sale booty! And happy you are feeling better!
allison- i hear you, this is a hard age. we had a few hiccups on discipline a bit ago. creating more structure with jimmy helped. i love these discipline books:
boundaries with kids - henry cloud
i brake for meltdoowns: how to handle the exasperating behavior of your 2-5 yr old
discipline the brazelton way
i started doing kumon preschool and kindergarten books with jimmy. it gave him a focus. he acts out just like any kid! i find he acts out more if tired and out of jealousy with john. so when i rock or feed john, jimmy has a focus, like kumon. that way he feels he gets to do something while i "ignore" him... we are really strict here. hope it gets better. feel free to message me...
mel- hope today is going better....
 
christine-does a 529 offer any benefit over contributing to my retirement plan at work? that is also pretax and I invest in funds and bonds. i'l look into the tax free thing at my bank...we have too much sitting in there anyway.....over a year's worth of exp i'd say
 
the 529 would be for the kids for college, and is a tax write off. If you put money for kids in any other account, you may pay taxes annually or they may get the money at 18 and blow it on a trip to europe! Most important is money for college and retirement! I will BBL with more explanations. John is sick adn I have groceries to put away. Putting my priorities in line, got to check forum before anything else~!!!!
 
Christine- Not to rush you but when you get a chance I would also love to hear more about 529. We want to set up a college fund for James but are unsure of what to do. We were debating between just a savings or a 529 but a 529 sounds more logical.
 
Melanie - Just popping over really quick from the mommies to be thread to let you know that you and your family will be in my thoughts and prayers. (((HUGS)))
 
How sweet, Liann! Thank you so very very much!

All your financial talk is making me sad! We don't have anything saved for emergencies, we've had so many "emergencies" that we're wiped out. This is leading to alot of my anxiety as provider of my large family. After my trip down to see my folks I hope my energy level is back up so I can pick up some more shifts. Then it's bills vs savings issue. *sigh*

That aside, we do have 529's for the boys. We don't save much to it, $150/month between all three of them. We started later so Jory gets $100 and each of the little boys get 25/each. We haven't started with the girls yet.

I stopped contributing to the 401 at work when they stopped matching about a year ago. I plan to again, but felt like I needed every penny when kiddos are so little. We haven't had a raise in two years, plus the 401 cut. I took a serious paycut when I changed jobs a three years ago....that with a declining economy and two extra kids has put a crunch in our budget.

Okay, I"m finally feeling half normal....so I'm going for a walk with the kiddos!
 
melanie-so sorry! poor timing on my part talking about $$.

have the kids tonight while dh plays softball and has his guys night. hope to get the kiddos sleeping early so I can check back later
 
Lisa, don't feel bad. This is life! I'm happy for you that you are at a place where you can look into your future that way. :) I do wish I had money saved for emergencies, and I will have to work on that....but as far as investments go we'll have to wait until all the kiddos are in school and I can work fulltime (and DH can work parttime). To everytime there is a season, and this is ours.

I wish I could bottle up my afternoon energy and share it with the mornings. It's the strangest thing. In AMs I am depressed and can barely function, then come early afternoon BANG I'm normal. I am so grateful for my "normal" times. lol
 
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