When I was expecting, I didn’t tell people until I was 6 months pregnant. Why? Don’t even get me started.

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1. I enjoyed serious conversations with people I wanted to talk with already, but all the people who just want to ask the same old stuff… ugh, that got old. The worst time was when someone (I felt I needed to be polite to) stopped me outdoors in the summer heat and went into this long rant about how she didn’t think anyone anywhere in any situation should ever have an abortion because babies were just so wonderful… Regardless of my opinions, abortion was the LAST topic I wanted to discuss while pregnant.

   Comment by Isha — June 11, 2009 @ 7:27 pm

2. People just don’t think about it, but some subjects shouldn’t be ever brought up in a conversation with a pregnant woman. And abortion is one of them.

   Comment by Emma — June 12, 2009 @ 4:04 am
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Speaking to my friends who don’t have kids yet, I often imagine this picture – there is a one-way door leading to a passage, childless couples are standing before it and those who have babies and kids are on the other side.

There is no chance what so ever for people “before baby” to understand what the heck those freaky parents are talking about before they walk through that door. But then they can’t get back to the way they were thinking before – it’s a one-way door.

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1. This post has made it to the Carnival of Skeptical Parent crossing #8 at the wonderful Babylicious http://figur8.net/baby/2009/05/22/skeptical-parent-crossing-8/ - thanks for including me!

   Comment by Emma — May 23, 2009 @ 8:39 am

2. When I was still pregnant with my son, my brother announced he was getting married in Shanghai. The wedding was to take place 4 months after I delivered so I could attend. Hubby and I made plans to have a little side trip before the wedding since I’d never been to China before.

   After my son was born, I ended up changing our arrangements so that we only attended the wedding, and all I got to see was the airport and the hotel! I just couldn’t bear to be away from my son for so long!

   Comment by Shen-Li — May 23, 2009 @ 12:45 pm

3. I found that the going back to work was not as bad as I thought it would be. I only work 2 days a week and my self-employed husband keeps our little girl. This is so much less stressful than turning her over to a stranger. I really thought I’d just bring her along and not change my schedule much. That is more true now but less true than I thought it would be when she was first born. Ahh, the changes.

   Comment by Stacie@HobbitDoor — May 23, 2009 @ 8:23 pm

4. I know a couple of moms who would so envy you! Being able to keep your baby girl at home and still work is awesome.

   Comment by Emma — May 23, 2009 @ 11:50 pm

5. That is so true! The choices you make before and after the baby are worlds apart, aren’t they, Shen-Li.

   Comment by Emma — May 23, 2009 @ 11:51 pm

6. You hit it on the nose. Kids change your entire life and it’s impossible to understand all the ways it does until you’re on the other side.

   Comment by Kat — May 25, 2009 @ 8:14 am

7. That before and after picture is so unbelievably, quietly beautiful…

   Comment by Writer Dad — May 25, 2009 @ 1:12 pm

8. [...] presents Before And After the Baby posted at [...]

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9. This post has made it to the Observations of life Carnival here http://anjamerret.com/?p=609

   Comment by Emma — June 7, 2009 @ 7:37 pm
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Hey, you’re new! I love new people, welcome. You may want to subscribe to Baby-Log via RSS feed or via email. Thanks for visiting!Normally I don’t give it much thought: Eric is not allowed to have candy or chocolate until he’s at least 3 years old, period. All the Chupa-Chups that storekeepers are trying [...]

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1. I have a no candy policy as well, my mother broke that when my first was around 15 months, she gave him a peppermint and has been giving them to him ever since. I don’t keep candy in the house and generally my rule is that they can’t have any. With my oldest in school during the mornings he got a ton of candy for Valentine’s Day and I let him have one peice that day and one the next day and then threw the rest in the trash. Just because he gets it doesn’t mean that he can have it. And I only allow hard candy at that. I usually tell the family no candy, and I make sure to check gifts before it even gets to him so I can take out what he can’t have.

   I’ve learned that you can’t always control what people are going to give your children but you can control what YOU give your kids. My mom knows that she can give my son 1 peppermint when she sees him at church and (so far) hasn’t tried to cross the line. Everyone else either gets their feelings hurt or I just take the candy away before my son sees it.

   Comment by LaToya — April 7, 2009 @ 7:46 pm

2. I agree, you can’t affect everybody else but you can teach your child self control, you can set the rules. It seems like the only way.

   Comment by Emma — April 8, 2009 @ 8:45 am
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Life is sure a strange experience, isn’t it? At first I didn’t have a child and when my son was born, it took me some time to get used to the fact that his little person is going to be attached to me for quite some time now. It took me a complete change of mindset to become a Mom, a person responsible for a child every second of every minute of every day.

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1. Heck! My mother is still learning and I’m almost 26 with two kids of my own. I don’t think it’s something you really ever master. My oldest is very independent most of the time and I just make sure that he’s not going to draw blood or kill himself or anyone else and give him the space to do what he wants (within reason of course). I usually spend that time praying and/or holding my breath. I’m hoping to do better with #2.

   Comment by LaToya — March 1, 2009 @ 11:48 pm

2. Gosh, some moments are really scary. When he stood near the edge of a platform on a playground and took a step back, I almost had a heart attack. What do you do differently with the second child?

   Comment by Emma — March 2, 2009 @ 4:40 am
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Ever since my son was born, every trip we went on I’ve noticed a slight feeling of disappointment. I wasn’t enjoying myself. Can you blame me? Running around chasing a little toddler, changing clothes, changing nappies, feeding, warming his milk, walking around the same tree for the twenty second time, it’s time for his nap but new things are far more exciting and he’s fighting me again as try to put him to bed, all that makes a trip to the most beautiful spot on Earth look like, well, too much work.

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1. It wasn’t really that difficult for me to adjust my lifestyle when my 2 boys came along (they are 2 and 4 now). It just took quite a bit of compromising with hubs that even though I am the main caregiver I still need my time off to re-charge with trips out sans kids for like says once a month to remain sane.
   I feel that I am coping well now with both boys and am able to plan and manage my time better so that I have time for myself, them, the household and hubs all together.

   Comment by Dominique — January 9, 2009 @ 4:13 am

2. Thanks for your comment, Dominique. It is reassuring because my boy is 15 months now and I still don’t have “me” time. Do you ever miss your life before the kids, when you had the total ownership of your time?

   Comment by Emma — January 9, 2009 @ 5:10 am

3. Emma,
   Seriously I don’t really miss the life before kids. It’s more exciting and unpredictable now but am loving it :)

   Comment by Dominique — January 9, 2009 @ 5:48 am

4. I do miss life before my son was born, in part because right after having him I moved 2000 miles to a new city. I am unfamiliar with what there is to do here and I hardly have time to figure it all out while I’m still figuring out how to do everyday things with a baby. Thanksgiving was horrible - I have no idea what people said to me because the little dude wouldn’t stop fussing and squirming no matter what I did. Not only that, but I didn’t spend it with my family (for the first time ever). Christmas wasn’t as bad because the baby was a bit more relaxed and slept through a lot of it. Do we still hike? Are you kidding me? I don’t know where to go, and everytime we go out my husband comments on the amount of stuff I’m bringing. Um, hello! We have a BABY. I know it frustrates him to no end that we can’t be spontaneous anymore.

   Comment by thursday — January 9, 2009 @ 11:33 am

5. Thursday, I am hearing you girl! I don’t know how old your baby is (sounds like a very young infant) but my 15 months old son can still make any trip (even 5-minute stroll to get some milk) unpleasant. Yesterday I received a call in the morning and as I was trying to understand who that was and what it was about he started screaming so loudly I had to tell the caller :”I am sorry, this is a very bad time for me, could you please call me back.”

   As to hubby being disappointed with lack of spontaneity - same here, he is complaining about the dull life we’re living. So we’re in the same boat here. Today was the first day we could go on a hike in a nature reserve near our house, carrying the boy in a backpack. It was only 1.5 hours but - better than nothing! I guess things will get easier over time

   Comment by Emma — January 10, 2009 @ 4:31 am

6. [...] father should have done, and aims at the kids point of view to get her own satisfaction.  Read Family vacation can be fun or a disappointment - the choice is yours. to see how she did [...]

   Pingback by Ultimate Vacation Spots » Blog Archive » Traveling With Kids Carnival - January 2009 — January 10, 2009 @ 2:14 pm

7. [...] presents Family vacation can be fun or a disappointment - the choice is yours. posted at Baby-Log, saying, “Changing the way we think will change our [...]

   Pingback by Carnival of Personal Development in the Hizzay! « Through The Illusion — January 12, 2009 @ 1:18 pm

8. Oh I know all about things that change in life after having one (in my case two) baby.
   Read about a recent trip on my blog here:
   http://mindfulmimi.blogspot.com/2008/10/stress-is-ignorant-state-it-believes.html
   And check out my boys here:
   http://tweemannetjes.blogspot.com/

   Comment by Mindful Mimi — January 13, 2009 @ 8:59 am

9. Yes, it’s tough. Sometimes, I do miss the good ol’ days, but when I think of life without my little boy, well, I just can’t. So yes, I can’t enjoy attending a wedding like I used to, I can’t go shoe shopping without my son wanting to try on all the shoes in the shop, including mine, in fact, I can’t go shopping at all without my son demanding that I take him to go see his stuff, but I do enjoy the moments when we cuddle up on the bed together and read a book, when he comes and takes my hand because he has something to share with me, when he sings me a song or tells me a story he’s just made up. No, I can’t imagine life without him.

   Comment by Shen-Li — January 14, 2009 @ 1:18 pm

10. Thinking about it… me neither, I can’t imagine my life without my lil’ one. I remember the good things about being free and not having all the responsibility but on the other hand I have changed since then.

    Comment by Emma — January 15, 2009 @ 4:29 am

11. [...] presents Family vacation can be fun or a disappointment - the choice is yours. posted at [...]

    Pingback by Carnival of Beginning Writers - 2009 February - 2nd Edition — February 5, 2009 @ 11:13 pm

12. [...] to this advice, there were samples of people’s writing on a range of things including family vacations, drawing and life in the [...]

    Pingback by Real Words Returns to the Blog Carnival | Real Words — February 11, 2009 @ 2:32 pm

13. I totally miss the before-baby days. My little one is only 3 months old and I truly feel like I am losing my mind. People say it gets better but I any time we go anywhere I just think that it would have been easier/better for my daughter/better for me to just stay at home. But since I live in a apt, home can also feel limiting quite a bit. I know people say it will get better but I think that I need to change the way I am thinking — I am just mourning the old me and my old life. I love my daughter, don’t get me wrong, and I have had joy with her but I need a break and my husband doesn’t want to hire a babysitter…

    Comment by Colleen — April 20, 2009 @ 9:40 am

14. I hear you! When my son was 3 months old I refused to go to restaurants and the like because it was more work than fun. Instead of enjoying myself I couldn’t even get a bite to eat, because it’s feeding the baby, changing the baby, settling the baby, walking, rocking, you know the drill. So it’s easy to give up on things, but it is also easy to give up on more than you should. Balance is the key here, I think, give things a chance before declaring them “too hard” - that was my mistake anyway.

    Comment by Emma — April 21, 2009 @ 9:35 am
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Have you ever felt like your life is over? Have you felt that there is no room for your wishes - only for the baby’s needs? That you are no longer you - someone else took over your body, changed your life and you don’t like it one bit? Have you ever looked in the mirror and thought “Oh my God, I used to be pretty, what’s happened to me?”

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First of all the teeth appear in pairs. Pair numbered 1-1 comes first, then the pair numbered 2-2 and so on. There is also a time frame for teeth appearance: first four pairs erupt in the first year, pairs numbered 5 and 6 – from 12 to 18 months, pairs 7 and 8 – from 18 to 24 months and pairs 9, 10 after the baby is 2 years old.

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1. Don’t get to excited just yet ! My baby is 10 months old tomorrow has the first 4 pairs by 8 months and is now getting pairs 5 & 6 and is really struggling with thse ones

   Comment by Amy — December 12, 2008 @ 2:36 am

2. Oh gosh, I know exactly what you mean. My baby is 14 months now and still struggling with those pairs. All the symptoms, you name it - he’s got it. Cranky, in pain, can’t sleep at night, no appetite, diarrhea. Oh man, it’s tough to see him suffering, my poor baby.

   Comment by Emma — December 12, 2008 @ 2:53 am

3. My baby girl is almost 17 months old and still has only 6 teeth, first 3 sets. What the heck is going on?

   Comment by Amy R — March 8, 2009 @ 6:55 pm

4. And my son recently at 17 months produced teeth that were supposed to erupt between 18 and 24. I was totally blown away when I accidentally discovered them. Go figure!

   Comment by Emma — March 9, 2009 @ 8:09 pm

5. I have also gone through everything you are all saying. My parents said back in their day they used whiskey to help with the discomfort..lol any kind of toothache or pain is one of the worst things for anyone to go through

   Comment by dc makeover — May 5, 2009 @ 3:45 pm

6. This is a nice guideline, but every child is different and on a different time table. I have 13 month old twins (boy/girl). My little boy got his first 2 bottom teeth at 5 months and then no more until 11 months, now at 13 months getting his first top moler when still missing one of his bottom 4. My little girl didn’t have any teeth until 11 months. At 13 months she 2 on top and 3 on the bottom. They get really cranky and feverish when cutting new teeth. Can last 3-5 days.

   Comment by Marsha — July 8, 2009 @ 2:00 pm

7. My 16 month old boy had a lot of teeth right away then slowed down and he got his back molars already and now we are waiting for his K-9 teeth(I teeth) and he is not a happy kid right now. My son already has 14 or 16 teeth right now. He is in alot of pain but I love him.

   Comment by Frank — January 3, 2010 @ 4:26 am

8. Hi Frank,
   So sorry your poor baby is suffering :( Ice lollies are helpful, did you try them? If you don’t want to buy anything with artificial flavors you can make your own.

   Comment by Emma — January 3, 2010 @ 7:27 am

9. Hi, my son is 7 months old and has his first pair through, but i have just noticed that he has a third tooth, which is also on the bottom. Does this happen often?

   Comment by jessica — January 20, 2010 @ 11:45 pm

10. Hi Jessica, I haven’t seen this happen myself for any of my friend’s babies :) I guess he is special!

    Comment by Emma — January 21, 2010 @ 5:55 pm

11. Hi … My little man is 11 months old,, got his first set of teeth at 4 months old, set 2 and 3 came through all at once at 6 months and he’s now missed set 4 and has moved onto set 5 he’s had such a tought time and noe wonder he won’t eat lumpy food he’s always got sore gums ….we’ve had no rest from teething he started it at 2 months old and has never stopped …….

    Comment by Kim — January 30, 2010 @ 2:54 pm

12. My 8 month old boy got his top two teeth first…Is this normal?

    Comment by *TABITHA* — February 18, 2010 @ 3:26 pm

13. Hey everybody :)
    my little son now is 10months but he hasnt had any tooth yet. Is there something wrong? or is there any kind of way to make the teeth grow faster -like chewing training or something~~

    Comment by Rissa — March 1, 2010 @ 12:49 am

14. I’ve read in many books that babies don’t need teeth to chew, they are using their gums, so even if he has no teeth he’ll be able to eat solid food. Don’t stress, he’ll cut the teeth when he’s ready :)

    Comment by Emma — March 1, 2010 @ 4:36 am

15. my lil boy is 6 month old nd is already gettin his canine teeth through on the top and the bottom. according to the chart they are the 7th nd 8th pair to come through why is this happenin.

    Comment by ellie — March 16, 2010 @ 1:04 pm
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Why? For so many reasons:

…

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A year and a half since I got pregnant and I feel like Phoenix reborn from ashes. I don’t shed hair any more, my gums are not bleeding when I take a big bite of apple, my stomach looks almost like it used to before I got pregnant, all the aching muscles I pulled carrying extra 18 kilos are healed and in fact, I am in as good shape as I was before the pregnancy.

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I had no idea that babies can’t fall asleep on their own. It never crossed my mind that a tired baby might need help to relax, close his eyes and nod off.

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1. my daughter is 5 months old now and she wakes up every two hours for breastfeeding. I’ve tried white noise and downloaded on our ipod that didnt work either. Any suggestion will definitely help. thks

   Comment by Maggie Tan — August 24, 2009 @ 6:40 am

2. I was having the same thing with Eric, he was waking up for a feed every 2 - 3 hours. I tried everything - denying him the feed because he didn’t need to eat at night, rocking him to settle, nothing helped and he wouldn’t give up until he got fed. It took me until he was 10 months old and until we moved house to solve this problem - apparently he was waking up because of the noise we were making (he slept in our bedroom in his cot). Once we moved his bed into a separate room, in these periods of light sleep that happen every 45 minutes, it was quiet, and he was going back into deeper sleep without waking up.

   I hope it helps, hang in there!
   Hugs,
   Emma

   Comment by Emma — August 24, 2009 @ 10:20 pm
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