Visit with the in-laws

[judecorp]

So my in-laws are in town and it has been an interesting couple of days to say the least. My MIL, like my mother, likes to overstimulate the baby. Did these people never have infants? Why does everyone want to jiggle and poke the baby? So strange. Maybe it's a generational thing. But like my mother, she also has been washing a lot of dishes and umm, there is no way I am going to complain about that.

My in-laws really like to go shopping and buy stuff. (This has been genetically passed down to my wife.) They have gone shopping every day that they've been here. I can't complain about that either, though, because they have bought everything. They went to the grocery store with Jen and bought our groceries. They went to Babies R Us with us and bought a whole mess of stuff. Today they went to Home Depot with Jen to get something to fix the doorbell and ended up buying a 100' cord for the lawn mower, a weed whacker, batteries for Jen's Ryobi hand tools, a toilet seat, and heck knows what else. And THEN they went to Costco and bought us a trunk full of stuff. INSANE. (But hey, free stuff.)

I have started opting out of their excursions though because they are always longer than expected and it always throws the baby off of her routine and then she is a basket case. When we went to the mall, we were supposed to just go to BRU (and maybe Target), but ended up going out to lunch. Thankfully I was able to hide in the mother's room at BRU for a while and get some peace for the baby. The night they arrived they wanted to go out to dinner even though we'd bought stuff to make for them, and I tried to resist because they wanted to go somewhere 20+ minutes away and the baby was going to want to eat soon, but of course we went anyway and the baby screamed the whole way there, slept the whole time we were there, screamed the whole way home, and then didn't want to eat. My MIL kept asking why I didn't just give her a bottle in her car seat in the car. Ack! So for the first two days we didn't get any sleep at night because Gus was majorly discombobulated.

Things seem to have calmed down but she's also been extremely gassy. We are trying a number of things to see if it helps, including switching to a reduced-lactose formula, and so far she is better last night and today. Fingers crossed!

Comments

[cappucinogrrl.livejournal.com]

Isn't jiggling babies a good thing, just when they're a bit older?

I'm sorry the scheduling was difficult. Sheesh, those babies are demanding!

[scirocco.livejournal.com]

It is the inherited right of a grand-parent or in-law to do the exact things that everyone always WANTS to do to cute babies (jiggle, poke, stimulate) that makes it the most difficult for the actual parents to deal with. C'mon, no one wants to let sleeping babies lie except the parents!

[sassywoman.livejournal.com]

Grandparents rock when it comes to buying stuff! My mom buys her a shitload of clothes. Joel's parents are very practical and got us all the baby gear we needed ... my dad insists on taking us out to dinner when he is here. It's so hard to keep your baby on schedule when you're traveling or have company. I can so sympathize!!!

[hazelpeach.livejournal.com]

I have to tell you something. My SweetPea is excited to know someone that has the same birthday as her. I haven't shown her the picture yet, bec she hasn't been home.

Okay, with that out of the way: They've got reduced lactose formula now??? Geeezy! SweetPea was one gassy baby. I was up nights all the time with her. I had to switch to low-iron and that seemed to help. Maybe they had it, but I didn't think to look into it. She STILL get gas pains. But I'm not sure where they are coming from. (That's why she had that unnecessary surgery (appendix was removed.)) Her stomach would get so hard as rock bec of the gas, and I'd try this and that, and the only thing that would help is her lying on my chest. She'd go to sleep with my rubbing her back, humming softly. Is it wrong to cherish those nights? I remember walking out to the balcony at night in Athens, the summer breeze and how cool it was then. I saw lots of stars, and was trying to soothe her, and for sme reason, it did. She fell asleep in my arms.

Wow. That was 10 years ago...

[anitsirk.livejournal.com]

have you tried that Mylicon stuff? it's amazing.

[hetterrific.livejournal.com]

I'm stalking your journal...

I came across 2 coupons for you in the mess I call my desk: one is for Enfamil Gentlease Lipil or Enfamil AR lipil and the other is for any Enfamil formula.