Next month my baby will be 10 months old and will finally be having surgery to correct the (internal) hernia and undescended testicle issues he was born with.

We live about an hour or so from the hospital and the easiest way to get there is by train. As such, I'd really prefer not to take the stroller.

Given the nature of the surgery, I don't think the mei tai is a good idea but I was thinking of the wrap, in a cradle hold.

Has anyone else had any experience with this and have suggestions?

Tags: medical complications

Girls:
Kaydence Anna Lee
Layla Ariana
Chloe Grace
Shelby Carys
Annabelle May
Chloe Dianne
Adela Claire
Abigail Grace
Milla Joss
Kaysha-Dee Skyrah
Hailey Jean Teresa Star
Lara Dove
Mia Rebecca
Abbey Jade
Kaylee Isabella
Larissa Marie
Caley Lynn
Ruby Jane
Amara Sai
Hope Marie
Lydia Marie
Courtney Alice Susan
Rachael Leona
Sammie Ann
RyeLinn Keeyera
Jessica Ann
Kacen Pauline
Scarlett Aleta Valentine
Austen Aquila
Elliana Christine
Elisha Britt
Emma Renee
Savannah Grace
Elizabeth Elaine
Tiliesha Lee
Avalon Eileen


Boys:
Cody Mateo
McCrae Coleman
Sully Matteo
Eitan
Josiah Cayden
Jackson Chase
Oliver Francis Alexander
Kingston
Riley Jacobus
Lucas James
Ezra Sayohn Tohuora
Connor Melford
Lucca Randall
Voden Sky Walker Karablin
Collin Wayne
Euan Thomas
Samuel Mark
Ethan John
Liam Mitchell
Maverick Maerten David
Maleik Liam
Noah Anthony
Christopher Ronzell
Tohbee Orion
Xander Dean
Jaspin Karr
Martin Leo
Andrick Darius Pueblos
Noah Finlay
Zachary Alexander
Marcus Douglas
Trenton Andrew
Roman Rees Carey
Konnor Payton


Sibsets:
Megan Aleah(f) Cole(m)
Max(m) Mia(f)
Mason Randal(m) Shelby Renea(f)
Mekhi(f) Janiya(f)
Macoi Beckett(m) Baxter(m) Lachlan(m) Tyler(m)
Thomas Nathaniel(m) Abigale Marie(f)
Kaden Shane(m) Makayla Shaye(f)
Ellie(f) Lucy June(f)
Sophie Madaline(f) Marli Kaye(f)
Hanna Gabrielle(f) Addison Catherine(f)
Natalie Jean(f) Gavin Matthew(m)
Cole Alexander(m) Dylan Michael(m)
Alexander Samuel(m) Alexis Marie(f) - twins
Maisy Siena(f) James Tuscan(m)
Alexa Raelynn(f) Kaleigh Elizabeth(f)
Rowan Amara(f) Skye Breeanne(f) Raina Cheyenne(f)
Mason Edward(m) Logan Angelo(m)
Ava Alyse(f) Avianna Kelis(f)

I was going to relent as my husband stated MIL had mailed out gift cards to her "grandkids" and say we could go on Christmas for a short visit as long as MIL behaved. Unfortunately it seems that the grandkids yet again does not include my son. I kind of slacked off on getting my mail in until this morning. I received only a giftcard for my daughter addressed specifically to my daughter and nothing for my son from my MIL.

Hell, no. She has two grandkids so she must accept that or see no grandkids. I suspect she sent the mail out late so she could get a visit in before I found out she purposely did nothing yet again for my son. My husband agrees that we can't allow her to continue to treat our kids like this. So no visit for her, which sucks to be her since my daughter's 1st birthday is like 2 weeks away so she'll miss that too.

I know some asked about my son's father and what that family does. They are odd ducks and while they give him gifts all the presents stay over there and my son is never allowed to bring any back & forth by them. So my daughter would never see the gifts my son gets from his father's family as I don't feel comfortable and never will to send my daughter there. I only send my son because I'm court ordered to do so.

I hope my MIL will change but I doubt it. It is a huge shame my FIL isn't alive as he would never allow my MIL to do this crap ever to her kids but unfortunately he is dead. I like him better.

Thanks P101! I was starting to feel like I was crazy when both my parents told me to just use the gift card on both the kids, and to visit with my MIL still. I was raised to just deal with it and to compensate for the favoritism by giving more gifts to the slighted relative, but it just seemed crazy to me to act like it was okay when it hasn't been okay for the past 5 years. I also knew that I couldn't hide the slights from my MIL to my son too much longer and felt like if she wasn't going to treat both her grandkids from me equally I didn't want to deal with her BS anymore.

I am on a weird fairy/pixie kick. After reading 'Need' I decided to read 'Wicked Lovely,' and now I really, really like the names Aislinn and Zara. Wdyt?

My fiance bought some piave cheese at the italian market on tuesday(22nd) as part of a christmas gift to my father. My family canceled christmas due to snow and we are going to celebrate it on sunday(27th). Will the cheese last till then? or should I buy new cheese? I have to go back to buy the raw italian sausage(I should re buy that one right?) anyway. Its a aged crumbly cheese and it is in a paper tray wrapped in paper, and it is on the shelf of our fridge. I'm afraid it will dry out or taste like refrigerator if we don't get a new one. I also don't know if the market will have the same cheese when I go back.

Also what is a good way to cook raw Italian sausages? A chef friend who visited yesteday and said they could be cooked in the oven but I didn't get the specifics. My father should know this already, but since my family decided to cancel christmas we are eating the presents and rebuying them later.

FEELING: dirty

I stumbled upon the name Zoelie recently. It seemed stupid at first, but I'm also intrigued. How does one pronounce it? Are there any children in the universe with this name? WDYT?

I kind of find it appealing. Argh.

So, central VA received a metric buttload of snow a week ago. We got close to two feet in about 24 hours. I live in a town which shuts down for 2-4", so you can imagine how well this went over.

It's utterly gorgeous. We still have snow, only now it packs down well, so my toddler is having a heyday sledding in our back yard. Earlier this week, though, it was strictly toddlerwearing, especially since the snow far too deep for a toddler to walk. I couldn't stay cooped up inside, I had to get out. So we went out several times with the framepack (Deuter KidComfort III) or the Ergo. I needed trekking poles and good boots, but it was great! We hiked roughly a mile and a half one-way to either get to the nearest coffeeshop or to the bus stop (only two routes ran, only one of those went anywhere shopping-wise). The roads were barely plowed (not at all the first day) and there were huge piles of snow to traverse, unshoveled sidewalks, and all manner of craziness. It was like being in an urban wilderness, only with people instead of critters. Friendly people with no fear of strangers. ;)

( deuter pic behind the cut )

The funny thing is that I've been complaining about my Deuter off and on, wondering if I was hasty in deciding it didn't work for short people with really short torsos. The straps always seem to try to float *above* my shoulders even though I have them set for the lowest height on the vari-adjust thingy. And that makes it less stable and causes pain in the middle of my back, which is about the only part of my body which *doesn't* hurt on a daily basis, so that doesn't make me happy.

Well, I was at Starbucks looking it over after having hiked that far (1.5mi) and noticed two slides just below the top strap adjusters. I'd previously been smoking crack and brushed these off as additional backpack adjuster buckle thingies for gear straps. Duh. They were an additional lower setting for the top strap adjustment for the shoulders. So I pulled out the straps and rethreaded them lower and now the thing fits *perfectly*. I know this makes no sense, but neither does the Deuter manual, which doesn't address any of this at all.

Tags: framed carriers, photos, weather
FEELING: amused

( I found these names in a comm on personalized icons. Some are nicknames. )

They had a thing in one of my local papers recently about unique names. I currently can't find it, but if I do, I'll post it here. In the mean time: There's a list of unique names here if that's your taste

FEELING: anxious
LISTENING TO: Better Off Gone by J.D. Clarke

So my cousin from the Czech republic is asking my mom to buy refills for a Diaper genie that she bought online

she can't find refills that ship to the CR so she is asking my mom to buy 20 refill packs and ship them over (mom doesn't want to do this as she thinks she is a spoiled brat and it is hella expensive to do this)

so any ideas websites that might be useful?

thanks all!

We'll be on our way shortly to my MIL's house. One of my twins has this bear (and, yes, it's the SAME twin that has the mobile. Lucky bitch.) The babies got it at birth, and it made this "inside the womb" noise. I have two questions about this bear (and the other twin has a blanket as a lovey, so these questions don't apply to her.)

1) The bear has stopped making the sounds from inside my womb. How can I make it work again?! No. IT'S NOT BECAUSE THE BATTERIES ARE DEAD. But thank you in advance for that helpful comment. (They no longer need that sound to sleep, obv., but I'd like to have it so that they can at least have some semblance of home when I put them down in the uncomfortable pack and plays they'll be sleeping in tonight.)

2) The bear smells. Like, STINKS. She basically eats it every night and it smells like old spit. I've tried putting it in the wash and dryer, but that only worked for a couple days, tops. Then the smell was worse than before. (Possibly because the dryer can't dry a full-sized stuffed animal all the way through.) Anyway, she loves it and hugs it, and mushes her face in it. Then her face smells like old baby spit.

Getting ride of the bear is not, I repeat, NOT, an option.

Anybody have any advice?

ETA: I washed the bear only. The sound box was not immersed in hot soapy water.

Tags: toys