MonkeyMama

Bought the couch in 2006. It's a $600 beige microfiber sectional that we bought from a hole-in-the-wall discount shop and I swear, half their stock "fell off a truck" but we got a good deal so we weren't complaining. We chose microfiber because I had read it was a good choice for kids and pets but I don't think it was scotchguarded in any way.

Cut to June '09, we had a 9 month old and two dachshunds. The baby had awful reflux and would spit up 24/7 and at 9 months could soak the couch with a single belch. The dogs liked to lick the couch, they were finally housebroken but we had had accidents during that process. Muddy pawprints also featured. Add in yrs of drinks spilling or other mishaps. I learned to clean microfiber you need to wash the entire area to avoid waterspots. The cushions are attached so nothing unzips for cleaning. I cleaned it as best I could but it never looked "like new" again. I bought a steamcleaning machine to completely clean it but never got to because we had to move out of state fast. My husband was laid off, we had to move in with my parents to make ends meet.

All of our stuff was shoved on a moving truck (unwrapped) so it has greasy smudges on it now too. It went right into my parents basement in GA. Its a newer house but the basement is unfinished. I didnt think about mice or spiders etc when our furniture went down there or else I would have had it hermetically sealed. But recently we found mouse droppings underneath and under the cushions of another sofa down there. So many. That was all taken care of but now Im terrified about our couch as well. It went into the basement unvacuumed or cleaned so Im sure there were plenty of crumbs and morsels between the cushions for insects and mice to eat.

My husband just got a new job, a nice signon bonus and we are moving into a beautiful rental house. Im terrified to take this couch now and put it into the rental house for us and our 2 yr old to sit on. I would love to find a way to at least salvage it to sell or use but the mice, stain, spider factor creeps me out.

Any ideas? Is there a way to completely remove mice, insects etc and remove all the stains from a microfiber couch? Or should we cut our losses and get a new one?

My son is larger than average. He is 17 months old and 38 or 39 lbs. He is off the charts percentile wise, definitely more than 97% and proportionate for height and weight. He is NOT overweight, he just basically looks like a 3 yr old, its rather strange. Well, my husband is working in Idaho, we live in Georgia, and I want to go visit with my son often but that means regular plane trips. My son has been on a plane before at 3 months and 9 months but was always held on a lap. At 9 months he was a handful as a lap child but now there is no way I could travel that way. He walks, runs, climbs etc.

I have looked into the Sit n Stroll combination car seat strollers because I recently had back surgery and wont be able to carry him and a lot of things through airports and this would be great but it is only approved up to 40 lbs forward facing. He could reach that in a matter of weeks. So after 40lbs, does he just have to sit in the plane seat? Im not comfortable with that. What other options do I have? Is the Sit n Stroll the only product of this type? What should I do? A 17 mnth old is too "little", even at 40lbs, to be sitting like an adult in a plane seat.

My son is larger than average. He is 17 months old and 38 or 39 lbs. He is off the charts percentile wise, definitely more than 97% and proportionate for height and weight. He is NOT overweight, he just basically looks like a 3 yr old, its rather strange. Well, my husband is working in Idaho, we live in Georgia, and I want to go visit with my son often but that means regular plane trips. My son has been on a plane before at 3 months and 9 months but was always held on a lap. At 9 months he was a handful as a lap child but now there is no way I could travel that way. He walks, runs, climbs etc.

I have looked into the Sit n Stroll combination car seat strollers because I recently had back surgery and wont be able to carry him and a lot of things through airports and this would be great but it is only approved up to 40 lbs forward facing. He could reach that in a matter of weeks. So after 40lbs, does he just have to sit in the plane seat? Im not comfortable with that. What other options do I have? Is the Sit n Stroll the only product of this type? What should I do? A 17 mnth old is too "little", even at 40lbs, to be sitting like an adult in a plane seat.

When we bought this house the basement was partially framed and stubbed already. Its been set up with nice, large main areas but then there are three awkward spaces at the back that make no sense whatsoever and would be practically unusable. We want to convert the basement into an open plan apartment but in order to do so we need to change the framing.

How do we know what, if anything, is a supporting wall? Do we need to have an entire wall as a support or could it just be a column?

I have a King size bed that we bought at a furniture store clearance sale. It seemed like a great deal at the time and its been wonderful. We realized quickly we couldnt flip it because it was one sided and can only rotate it. We thought it was of a medium firmness, not too soft or too hard. But now the top dips/dents in where our bodies lie. I have a large, severely herniated disc and sciatica on the right and my bed isnt giving me any support. What should I do?

My sons 1st birthday is next week. Bit of background: My husband and I have both battled the bulge our entire lives and have the fat gene to contend with. To give him a headstart on healthy eating habits, I am laying the groundwork for when he is older by encouraging a taste for fruits, veggies, whole grains, and healthier choices. I try to buy organic and make his food. Hes never really had sugar or lots of processed stuff. (Although Grandma has snuck him the odd Nilla wafer)

So his 1st birthday is next week and I plan to make cupcakes for him and give him his own cupcake for pictures etc, to sing to him... all that stuff. I dont like the idea of going to the store and getting a generic sheet cake or WHOLE cake for him to dig into like I see at kids bday parties, but Id still like him to have a special cake tradition on his birthday.

So Ive thought of things like sweetening with applesauce but my experiments fail miserably and taste awful. Can anyone offer some suggestions how I can pull this off and still produce something yummy and delicious without abandoning my ideals? Is it possible to make some kind of frosting even?

Help!

My sons 1st birthday is next week. Bit of background: My husband and I have both battled the bulge our entire lives and have the fat gene to contend with. To give him a headstart on healthy eating habits, I am laying the groundwork for when he is older by encouraging a taste for fruits, veggies, whole grains, and healthier choices. I try to buy organic and make his food. Hes never really had sugar or lots of processed stuff. (Although Grandma has snuck him the odd Nilla wafer)

So his 1st birthday is next week and I plan to make cupcakes for him and give him his own cupcake for pictures etc, to sing to him... all that stuff. I dont like the idea of going to the store and getting a generic sheet cake or WHOLE cake for him to dig into like I see at kids bday parties, but Id still like him to have a special cake tradition on his birthday.

So Ive thought of things like sweetening with applesauce but my experiments fail miserably and taste awful. Can anyone offer some suggestions how I can pull this off and still produce something yummy and delicious without abandoning my ideals? Is it possible to make some kind of frosting even?

Help!

Ive been in the USA for over 12 yrs now, completely legally. I entered the country at 17, under my mom who was sponsored as aa special education teacher. We all applied for the change of status to green card holders but my lawyer didnt expedite the case and I turned 21 (aged out) and my case was thrown out. Over the next 8 yrs, we have tried 3 different lawyers, and filed different extensions and tried different ways to get my case going again. I still have legal status but its incredibly hard to live your life being unable to work, etc. I got married 3 yrs ago to an American who wanted to petition for me but i always told him I didnt want to do that because i didnt want him to think thats the only reason i married him. Its becoming my last resort now after 3 yrs of marriage and he thinks we should do it.

What do we need to do to file for a petition based on marriage? We've been married for 3 yrs, living together longer, we have a child together and i am in legal standing. How much will it cost and how long will it take currently? Aging out is tough...you get lost in the system. I need to get this all sorted out finally so we can get on with our life together.

I know baby cereals are not good nutritionally and so many in the medical profession are actually against them, but I was wondering... could I give my son the same oatmeal we eat? Just prepared to a texture he would like? Would I need to whip it around the food processor before I cook it or can I cook it up and just prepare it for him?

Hi all!

I live in a tract house in California and we are trying to update our kitchen a bit. Our kitchen is small and there is just a small area on one wall above the stove and under two cabinets that I was thinking of putting a backsplash on. BUT: we have the standard white tile countertops that are often put into tract homes. Would it look wrong to then put a tiled backsplash in that area...of a different tile? What other options do I have?

Or because we already have the tile on the counters, should we just keep the wall painted list the rest of the room?

Ive had extreme lower back pain for a while now. I have scoliosis (12 degrees) and some facet arthroses and disk degeneration. But, Im being treated for that and the pain doesnt change. Ive been referred back to my MD now for further testing. She ran a full panel of blood tests and my liver function, kidney function, blood pressure etc is all absolutely normal. I am however dangerously low in iron, B12 and vit D. She said she had never seen anyone with numbers that low. She seems to think that that is the cause behind all the pain Ive been having. That its affecting the nerves severely, that the bone marrow is affected, etc.

I was quite surprised. I know that anemia in a mild form can cause fatigue but I didnt realize how severe anemia (and the different types) can cause pain like this.

I was just wondering if anyone else has experienced chronic pain due to anemia and if it can be treated? What is the science behind it?

I had a baby in October of '08 and I had a cesarean section. From December, I started having lower back pain occasionally. It would last a couple of days to a week at the most and felt like I had just pulled something. I rested, and it went away. I have a big baby and I figured it was just strain on my muscles etc. Well, since then its happened more often and for longer periods. The most recent episode has lasted for about a month now. I initially went to see a chiropractor who did Xrays. He found that I have mild scoliosis and some disk degeneration but hes been treating me for 3 weeks, every day and he is puzzled. He told me to go to my MD and get treatment from her because its something beyond him. He says my pain levels should have gone down by now, and the pain is really becoming more focused on an area that is above where he is seeing probs on the xrays. BTW the pain is now so bad that at times I cant even walk, and it radiates to my hips and down my legs.

So I went to my MD today. I have been running a fever for 4 days, I have blood in my urine. She has ordered a full panel of blood tests, more xrays, and depending on those results she might order an MRI. But her first suspicion is a kidney stone or kidney infection. Im going to take the tests tomorrow and ask for them to be rushed.

Im confused... can a kidney infection left untreated over months just get worse and worse and become so painful that one cant even walk or twist? Im super worried and wondering what I can do in the meantime over the next few days to relieve symptoms beyond pain medication. I have a 7 month old to take care of and not much of a support system so Im worried. Advice? Anyone experienced this?

I'm one of those people (and I believe there are many of us out there) who have no idea what they are meant to do in life. Ive always had this idea that we all have a purpose, that we have this destined career or life purpose that we are supposed to find that will be fulfilling and that is what we are supposed to do. Easier said than done!

When I was a child, my dream was to do fashion design. I started studying clothing and textiles and realized that I could have a longer career path in a different type of clothing design like costume design, so that became my focus. My family had to move to a different city away from my college and I was unable to stay on my own so I moved with them. There was no program that taught clothing design so, I got a job. I changed my major to alternative medicine which I studied online while I worked. Then I started studying nursing concurrently with dreams of becoming a holistic nurse. This all got put on hold again when I got married and needed to contribute to the family income, so I joined the workforce again and got so frustrated with the math and chemistry (which I dont enjoy much) involved in the nursing prerequisites. While working, I decided to return to my first love of design and started studying part time again. I now have a degree in Digital Arts (Graphic Design).

Now Im a stay at home mom with a 6 month old. I plan to stay home for a while, perhaps even have another child. Not sure when I will go back to work but this big life change has me thinking again: Whats better? Art because I enjoy it? Or a job with a more secure outlook? My husband makes great money as he is an engineer (71K, less than 5 yrs out of university) but if he were to be laid off and I had to work to provide for the family, I would never be able to replace his salary. I dont even know if I could keep our mortgage going. In this economy, its really brought home to me that maybe Ive wasted all this time trying to find this life-changing, epiphany-inducing career thats going to define my life instead of looking for a job that will pay the bills and find my life meaning, enjoyment and purpose elsewhere. My husband puts it: you have to work, so why not work at something that will make the most money that you can find some enjoyment in along the way.

So what is everyone's opinion? Where do you find your purpose in life? Should a job be something you love right away that might not pay the bills or something that you dont mind doing that will bring your family security?

My son is 6 months old. Hes been eating puree's and cereal since 4 months and now eats a variety of foods. A combo of organic jarred food and food I make myself. He also gets formula. His diet is primarily formula but I feed him twice a day with the "solids" aka purees as well. With those feeds he will have the puree and then I finish him off with a bottle. He doesnt eat actual solids yet. He has two teeth on the bottom front but doesnt have the pincer grip yet and has no interest in putting any solid cubes of soft food in his mouth.

I was just wondering if he is getting adequate amounts of everything. he used to be in the 95 percentile but now is off the charts for height and weight but he is not chubby at all. He is very tall and muscular even! Slender and solid. He is growing fast and growing well and has a wonderful appetite. Thanks

The first time I ever had a very vivid sex dream, I was 5 weeks pregnant. I ended up miscarrying that little one and didnt have another vivid sex dream until the following year when I fell pregnant again. You know, those dreams that are SO graphic and SO real and usually end in climax that pregnant women often have due to all the hormones in their bodies. I gave birth 6 months ago and didnt have any more sex dreams until about a month or so ago. Ive started having them regularly, perhaps three times a week, sometimes a couple a night. Im a little concerned that that means Im pregnant again but I dont want to be paranoid. I am on Nuvaring but maybe Im that 0.01% of women that fall pregnant on birth control.

Has anyone had their pregnancy sex dreams return after giving birth to their baby?

Thanks

My mother-in-law and I have always had a troubled relationship. It started off well until my husband proposed. Then she changed and its been nothing but trouble. Anyway, I thought having a baby might bring us a little closer together or at least she might get off our backs a little. It seemed to be fine. She bought a beautiful crib for our little boy that is convertible to a toddler bed and then a full size bed, so will likely last him until it literally falls apart from age. We love the crib and are very grateful for it.

Our little boy is 5 months old and we have him sleeping in an Arms Reach co-sleeper right next to the bed and we are happy with that, and so is he. He is sleeping right through the night now (some 10 hours straight) with no crying. Our plan is to transition him gradually to his own room. We want to move the co-sleeper away from the bed like a regular bassinet, so hes used to being away from us in the room. Then change out the bassinet for the crib, then move the crib to the babys own room. We dont plan on doing this until he reaches the bassinet weight limit. We are an attachment parenting family and we are quite happy with this.

Also, we are planning to move out of state soon and I really dont want to set up a gorgeous nursery here and have to leave it when we move. I want to do the great nursery when we move to the new place and my son can grow with it. He only sleeps in the bedrooms now anyway, we spend the whole rest of the day in the main shared living areas.

My problem is that since the day we were given the crib (at 6 months pregnant) to today (at 5 and a half months old) we keep getting hassled about it. She keeps asking "When should we come around to help set up the crib, when is he moving to the crib, why hasnt he been put in the crib yet, why isnt he in his own room, dont you like the crib, dont you appreciate our gift, why did we get you something you obviously dont like cos you dont use it, why cant we set up the crib for you, lets set up the whole nursery for you!? Why dont we just put the baby in another room and shut the door and ignore him? Dont we need alone time? Cant she just come decorate the whole nursery?". We explain our intentions over and over again, we say thankyou over and over again, and we seem to rehash the whole thing over and over again. This is something that will be used until he is likely 12 yrs old so we dont see why there is a rush and also, it was a gift. Its pretty frustrating because it feels like we have to constantly toe her line and that she doesnt understand that gifts dont come with conditions. I feel like giving the crib back and going to buy one on our own that we can just use when we are ready.

Does anyone else have to deal with MIL's like this? This is just the one thing too out of many many problems we have. What should I do? I would leave it to my husband to handle but his mother definitely has this hold on him that comes between us sometimes and I feel like its up to me now. I feel like if I dont step in now, then this will come up again and again with every aspect in our lives forever.

Advice?

I have a 5 month old son who is 24 lbs. I want to get him a jumperoo. I tried him in them today at the store and he loved them so much. The weight limit is 25lbs. Anyone know of a brand that has a jumper that can be used beyond 25lbs? I dont want one that fixes to a doorway. I want one with a stand like the Rainforest Jumperoo. Thanks.

My son is 5 months old and about 24 lbs. No he isnt fat, he is actually quite slim and muscular. He is just off the charts for his growth percentile. Anyway, I want to get him a jumperoo. Today I was trying him in them in Babies R Us and he was SO happy, grinning at me. He loved it, bouncing around. Anyway, the official weight limit is 25lbs but can it really be used for an extra 5 pounds or 10 lbs?

How strict are the weight limits?

I have a 5 month old son. He is great about night-time sleeping. I do a strict bedtime routine with him where he baths, gets jammied and swaddled, lights go off and he has his last feed. He goes to sleep and when Im sure hes in a deep enough sleep, I put him in his crib and hes down for the next 7 or 8 hours. He will wake up for a feed and then go down for another hour or so usually. He lets us put him into bed without a problem and sleeps well.

During the day, its a different story. From Day 1, he fought daytime sleep. He would initially let us put him down sleeping, but would wake up within 5 minutes. I learned quickly that he would sleep longer during the day if I held him. I was okay with that because I nap too and the sleep deprivation as bad then. Now, if I try put him down during the day, he wakes up immediately and grins at me.

Now that he is getting older, I would like to be able to put him down during the day to sleep. He gets lots of play time and tummy time on his own when he is awake.. this is just sleeping. I dont believe in the Ferber method or crying it out. Ive tried the the Dr Sears method of "wearing him down" but he still wakes up and smiles at me when I put him down however gently.

I have a thought of how to do this without crying. Now that he is 5 months old and pretty predictable on his nap cycles, I was thinking I could get him to sleep and put him down at certain times during the day, establishing a nap routine that he will begin to recognize. If he wakes up, I can comfort him, pick him and shush him back to sleep again, and then put him down again. If I keep doing this, every day, over a long period of time... will this become something that he can adjust to? I dont want to train my baby or force him into anything but can I gently guide him into a new daytime routine this way?

Thanks

PS: Please dont lecture me on how crying it out is the best thing since sliced bread. I dont agree and thats just my opinion. I just need some help with my preferred method of baby-raising... thanks all

My inlaws have asked us to go to a teppanyaki restaurant for dinner this week. Ive never gone with my son and I was wondering if anyone has attempted it. I think it would probably be fine if I sat the furthest away from the grill and move away if I felt warmth. I think he would love the display of it all but I am concerned about whether its a place for a baby. Its a special occasion so I feel like we need to be there but I wont if its too risky.

Has anyone ever taken their baby to one of these restaurants?