Responses to comments and answers to recent posts.

Random catch-up to comments and posts.

I asked for guesses on Sam's weight on this post and this post. Looks like Dawn came close with 7 pounds 8 ounces. So did Julie with 7 pounds 2 ounces. I told Joel that whole last week that Sam weighed close to 8 pounds. I was thinking somewhere between 7 pounds 12 ounces and 8 pounds 6 ounces. By the fourth baby you really ought to have your body (and the baby) figured out!

Just a word about my weight before, during and after the baby. Please keep in mind that I am barely 5 feet tall. That means 135 pounds is really the upper limits of a "healthy" weight for me. Also, I have rheumatoid arthritis. Every extra pound I carry means more wear and tear on my joints.

All that to say, the number on the scale is less important than how you feel. I live in a part of the country where outside activity is difficult from December until about April. So I knew gaining a lot of weight with this pregnancy would leave me stuck with it until summer. And that's not good when the winter blahs set in.

What I really mean to say is please don't feel bad because your weight numbers (before, during or after a pregnancy) are different from mine. Your body and metabolism are different from mine. Find the weight that feels good for you and stick with it.

The answers in our Name that Baby Picture Game are A: Ben, B: Ellie, C: Will. People who guessed correctly: Dawn, Jenn, Julie. The one person who reads my blog and has seen every one of my babies as newborns missed it. I'll leave her nameless and chalk it up to "pregnancy brain." = )

Congratulations to Dawn and Julie! You were winners in both contests. Your prize is that you get to take a shower and sleep through the night every day this week!

Regarding the quote by Will about peanut butter. He loves it. Eats it several times a week. His observation hasn't slowed that down.

Here's an observation that has nothing to do with any of my posts. I'm noticing that I have several people with the same first names who are leaving comments that display just the first name. This is really confusing for me as to who is leaving the comment. Kind of like answering the phone and the person says, "Hi, this is Stephanie." That's fine if you only have one "Stephanie" who calls you. But if you have 3 people by that name, then it's confusing.

So, I'd really appreciate it if you checked your profile or account settings to see how you display. If you have a blog, then you could add your blog name after your name. When I leave a comment it appears as "Stephanie's Mommy Brain" but you could do Alicia @ Experiencing Each Moment (just to show an example).

If you don't have a blog you could add some other kind of identifier after you name. Before I started my blog I commented as "Stephanie in Rhode Island." It's just helpful to me and other readers to know who they are reading.