Got Baby? Avez vous un bebe?

[ValerieA 350]

I thought it was some personalized mongram or something at first, and thought.."hey, Val is going to name her baby with an 'S' name...." I guess not then...

LOL No, the names we have somewhat agreed upon are Sloane Lee for a girl and Anderson Wyatt for a boy.

[Krikit 1,164]

I can see them in their cowboy hats now. lol

[Revenesque 2]

I'm trying to get hubby to buy in to my new project (raise the baby on a very anorexic shoe string budget) but he wouldn't have it, LOL.

[ValerieA 350]

I can see them in their cowboy hats now. lol

The funny thing is, I'm the one with the cowboy hats, boots, and fancy western shirts. He was born and raised in Texas, and has none of that.

[ValerieA 350]

I'm trying to get hubby to buy in to my new project (raise the baby on a very anorexic shoe string budget) but he wouldn't have it, LOL.

Yeah, I've been trying to put us on a very strict budget for a while now, and hubby is, well, resistant. I scared the ####### out of him with the expenses to have this baby, though, so I think I am starting to get through. He had 2 kids with his previous marriage, you wouldn't think it would be such a shock, except I imagine they had insurance.

[Krikit 1,164]

The funny thing is, I'm the one with the cowboy hats, boots, and fancy western shirts. He was born and raised in Texas, and has none of that.

OMG! I was going to write "I'm guessing you're in Texas." I had no idea where you lived, Valerie.

[ValerieA 350]

OMG! I was going to write "I'm guessing you're in Texas." I had no idea where you lived, Valerie.

LOL Yeah. He suggested Wyatt. I explained how everyone in Saskatchewan would laugh at me for giving my kid such a stereotypical Texan name. He gave me a look, then told me that Wyatt was not a Texas name, it was maybe an Oklahoma one. I ceased to argue the point. I better have a girl! Actually, the name Wyatt has grown on me.

[Nina~ 431]

LOL Yeah. He suggested Wyatt. I explained how everyone in Saskatchewan would laugh at me for giving my kid such a stereotypical Texan name. He gave me a look, then told me that Wyatt was not a Texas name, it was maybe an Oklahoma one. I ceased to argue the point. I better have a girl! Actually, the name Wyatt has grown on me.

My coworker (born & bred in Texas) had a son last November and named him Wyatt... it is a very stereotypical Texan name.

[Revenesque 2]

Wyatt...Earp! Very western cowboyish name. I like it!

Hubby and I were arguing washing the baby in the sink vs baby bathtub, and well, Ant, you'll be happy to know we're getting a baby bathtub, LOL. I lost that argument.

[Bern. 3]

I don't have a baby yet, but it's always fun to start picking out names.

Boy: Alexander Esrin

Girl: I haven't thought that far. XD

[Staashi 371]

Wyatt...Earp! Very western cowboyish name. I like it!

Hubby and I were arguing washing the baby in the sink vs baby bathtub, and well, Ant, you'll be happy to know we're getting a baby bathtub, LOL. I lost that argument.

We still use E's tub - he loves it. He's so cute. Now when we're getting ready to bathe him, we'll strip him down and he'll crawl on the floors. He loves to pull himself up at the big tub and watch his little tub get filled up with water. Nothing like seeing his little nekkid chubby bootie and legs as he stands on his tiptoes.

[Team J and B 2]

I washed Monkey in our kitchen sink till he outgrew a regular cheapy tub (on loan from a friend). This pic looks like it was taken when he was a week old, so about exactly a year ago. He was around 7 lbs in that tub. So kitchen sink is definitely doable as long as you have a tub with a netting underneath for their comfort.

Our kitchen sink is quite large. The bathroom sinks in the rest of our house are regular sized; we don't have a laundry room sink; and we don't have a regular bathtub, so the kitchen sink was the best solution and it worked out splendidly.

I didn't buy anything new, except a few obvious things. I got most of my stuff on eBay, Craigslist (some free, some not), friends and family gave/loaned me tons of stuff, and Gramma and Grampa bought stuff we didn't want to buy ourselves.

I just purchased brand new a toddler car seat (Britax Roundabout $140 - lowest price). My next purchase will be the Medela Advanced breast pump in anticipation of #2. My friend had loaned me hers and it worked awesome so I think I will splurge and buy a new one myself if I can find one for under $200. If not, I will buy a used one for $150 or so. They run around $300 with taxes brand new.

If you guys have any questions on buying stuff new or used, feel free to ask me. I'm very frugal when it comes to baby stuff and my husband and I do a lot of research and always try to find the best deals online.

[Autumnchik 6]

Hey Team J and B - we had the exact same tub for Declan!!! We used the sink to place the tub at first and then moved to the bathtub when we was sitting up.

As I said before, some things to definitely buy new, but most can be found used. It is not recommended to buy a breast pump used, because it is only the hospital grade pumps that are made to be used by more than 1 user (with new tubing, etc.). They say there is a risk with personal grade pumps of transmitting germs between users.

To answer Ant - I had always wanted to breastfeed because I wanted my child to get immunities from me, etc. For me, it was such a fricking struggle to do so. I finally found out at 6 week postpartum that I wasn't producing enough milk, so I took Reglan which increased my supply. It was all good until his surgery 2 weeks later and then the breastfeeding went downhill again!!!

To the new mommies to be - the Medela electric pump is awesome, but I would suggest not buying a pump until after you have the baby and know if the breastfeeding is working out. It is an expensive pump and cannot be returned to the store, even if unopened.

[Team J and B 2]

Everyone-By the way, how many of you are doing/did breastfeeding/nursing versus forumla feeding? And what swayed you to choose one over the other? When did you decide to give your baby solid foods? Did you have any problems doing such too? Do you have any questions/concerns about such too?

Ant

Hi, Ant -

1) I've been bfing since day one. I've also pumped till my supply ran low. In the first six months I had too much milk so pumping was no problem and my husband could feed him when I didn't want to nurse.

2) I'm now pregnant again and my kid is still bfing. I eat for three, literally!

3) After my supply went down (around month six), I stopped pumping. I now nurse:

-when he wakes up in the morning

-before morning nap

-before afternoon nap (when he naps, that is)

-before bedtime

So I nurse 3-4 times a day.

4) He gets a bottle of formula about 10 minutes after I finish nursing him in the morning. While I have my coffee, he gets a formula bottle. So we do bfing and one formula bottle a day.

5) Rice cereal at six months. Then other mushy foods.

6) By eight months, he had six teeth so he was on our food. Now at a year he's on our food, just cut up. His new thing now is Japanese udon noodles - they're so chewy and fun to eat.

7) We go out to eat a lot and as long as he has food in front of him, he's cool. Eating out is great since eight months when he could sit up in a high chair. We don't hold back on spices or cuisine on him. He eats Chinese, Indian, Thai, American.

8) I am a believer in starting them with exciting tastes as soon as possible. I love hot, and he loves to sneak my food so he ends up eating some hot stuff. He doesn't care for meat, though. I don't eat meat so maybe he gets it there. He eats eggs, tofu, fish.

9) Some easy things to make: noodles, fried rice, scrambled eggs, toast with PB, cottage cheese with applesauce, fries, creamy soups.

Hope this helps!

Edited January 21, 2010 by Team J and B

[Team J and B 2]

Autumnchik - you're right about not reusing pumps. But it is fine to buy them used as long as you buy all the accessories brand new (tubing, shield, etc.) I understand some women are skeptical about that still, so for them, if you feel safer buying brand new, do it! I will buy a used one that is more recent but use my own accessories.

And good advice about buying the pump after the baby is born.

Hope this helps.