THE toddler thread

[ellery]

So here goes - the all inclusive, everyone invited, feel free to lurk or join thread. I'm not sure as to what constitutes "toddler", so I figure whoever feels they belong here can come on in.

I'm going to skip the part of the introduction that includes mine and DH's ages because I'd prefer not to have to think about it. ;) My son, Danny, is on the cusp of 2 and less self-conscious about his age, especially as he seems to think he's a teenager and should have all the rights and privileges accorded to one.

No real challenges to report. He seems to be growing and learning daily and it's just fascinating to watch. His vocabulary is growing by leaps and bounds, he's putting together 2 and 3 word sentences that I understand for the most part and as of the last week or two he's moved on to labeling things. We have two vacuums, and he's decided that one belongs to me, one to DH. He does the same thing with chairs, shoes, etc. Riding in the car each day is like a constant game of "I spy" as we point out things to each other. I just love this phase!

He's also getting more and more confident physically. We have him enrolled in "gym bus" through daycare and last week he did a handstand in my lap. :eek: Here he is breaking rules already and showing off Advanced Sit and Spin...

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9dd30b3127ccec6c37f675ea200000040O00AcNGbNk1ZuW IPbz4M/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

My only main concern at this point is that he continues to have yeast infections. We saw the pediatrician about this a few months ago and have been doing the antifungal cream and hydrocortisone cream whenever the YI pops up, but I just don't understand why he keeps getting them. Never had one, ever, until this past December, and now it seems like it's every other week. One poop seemingly can lead to a diaper rash or the YI just pops up instantly. I don't think it's a diet thing, since Danny eats THE SAME THING every single day. (Pickiest kid on the planet - if he could live off of yogurt, go-gurt, milk, cheese, applesauce and assorted carbs he would). I gave him a bath tonight and it pretty much took a year off my life. :( Poor baby didn't want to sit in the water and I told him he didn't have to, so I was just trying to wipe him off with a washcloth and be done with it. He kept sitting down and standing back up again, though, because clearly he wanted to please me [insert mommy guilt] and then he'd sob hysterically and hold on to me for comfort. Ugh!

I guess I'll call the pediatrician tomorrow, but I don't really know that they'll have much to tell me. They didn't have much to tell me last time I called about it, but I don't know how many more baths like tonight I can take. :(

Anyway...

Can't wait to hear from everyone else. :)

Leah

[Andrea_2]

Leah - Which antifungal are you using? Also, have you tried using the antifungal cream without the hydrocortisone? Sometimes hydrocortisone can make yeast infections worse.

[ellery]

Hi Andrea. :) (waving)

The doctor told me to use Lotrimin 3x/day and Hydrocortisone 3x/day. I usually just use the Lotrimin and it clears it up pretty quickly. Problem is, they reappear just as quickly. Tonight's I think was caused by him pooping out on the playground. They go out to play for the last 30 minutes of the schoolday, and the teachers aren't close enough to them to um, smell, if they've pooped. So I changed him at school. He couldn't have been sitting in the diaper more than 30 minutes but it was enough.

He's been grabbing at his frontal boy parts too, though, this week, and I don't see any sign of rash there, so it's all a mystery. I don't think he's just trying to avoid wearing a diaper. It feels more like it's very uncomfortable for him to be wearing a diaper.

Sigh.

[Andrea_2]

Leah - Do you continue using the Lotrimin for a few days once it clears up? Most of the doctors around here prescribe Nystatin, and they write on the prescription to continue using it for a few days once the rash resolves. Otherwise, the infection can return. Maybe that is what is happening to him, and there is a touch of residual infection that continues to flare up? Maybe ask the doctor about trying just the antifungal too. Hydrocortisone can prevent healing of candida infections.

Anyone have any advice on what to do about a 5 year old who absolutely positively refuses under any circumstance to go to sleep before midnight? :eek:

[valchemist]

Anyone have any advice on what to do about a 5 year old who absolutely positively refuses under any circumstance to go to sleep before midnight? :eek:

ha ha. we have been through that phase (twice) but I have no advice. somehow they came to their senses and the issue resolved itself.

I am not quite in toddler mode here -- nelson is 14 1/2 months and walking and talking but I am not ready to call him a toddler yet. he is my BABY!!! ha ha. and kate is definitely a preschooler at 3 1/2. Julia just turned 7.

I will be reading the thread, though, and chiming in if I have anything to share.

[sugarbaby]

Brief intro:

Me & DH: 32
DSs David & Jonathan: 2
Baby in my belly that is keeping me starving and exhausted all the time:
8 weeks

Leah, have you tried using cloth diapers? A friend of mine has a daughter who had constant, painful diaper rash (different than a YI, I know), and once she switched to cloth diapers, poof, it was gone. Just wondering if it might work for yeast infections too.

Andrea, I don't have any five year-olds, but my parents used to tell me that I had to AT LEAST be IN the bed at such and such time, whether I was asleep or not. They weren't about to lose any sleep because I wanted to stay up until midnight reading (which I did often as an eight year-old reading Little Women over and over!). Then they let me suffer the consequences of being an exhausted and crabby little girl...and the crabbiness often led to more consequences (e.g., because you are crabby, you may not play with this toy or do whatever it is you want to do). I eventually got it right! Good luck!

[ellery]

Andrea, you are the winner! ;) Just got off the phone with the peds office who agreed with you that yes, I am supposed to continue applying the Lotrimin and hydrocortisone for a few days after the YI appears to be gone to fully kill it. Which explains why it's lingered all this time, um, because nobody at the peds office ever bothered to tell me to do that. I'm a good direction-follower (well, when it comes to my kid), so I would've remembered if they'd told me that.

As for 5 year old not wanting to go to bed, my first thought was Benadryl. ;)

Hi Val!

Hi Sugarbaby and congratulations on the new little energy-sucker in your belly. :D

[PoppyJ]

Leah, thanks for starting the thread. Danny looks like such a big boy. It is crazy how fast they are growing. Hopefully you will get the YI under control.

Sugarbaby- congratulations on the new little one. How very exciting....and exhausting!

Andrea, I have no advice and I am not looking forward to that stage.

Val, I am sure we could use your expertise when you have time to answer all of our questions.

Avery is 22 months and I am just loving this stage. She is talking and talking (I can only understand bits and pieces). The other night she gave her daddy a recap of her day. It was so adorable!

I am a little nervous because Avery, my mom, and I are heading out for a road trip next week. We are driving to Las Vegas and the to Texas to see my sister. Avery is not the best car rider and I am not sure how she is going to handle it. Why I agreed to this is beyond me?!?! My mom must have gotten me at a time of weakness...and bribed me with chocolate. Anyone have any good ideas for a car trip?

[sugarbaby]

. Anyone have any good ideas for a car trip?

One word from a mom of two boys whose limit in the car is about an hour: BUBBLES. They saved me on car trip to California last summer. We had the advantage of it being hot, so I turned up the AC and put the bubble wand in front of the vent to let the bubbles blow to the back. I think for our trip to Colorado this summer I'll invest in a bubble blowing machine.

I also bought the boys a cheap new little toy and didn't give it to them until they were starting to get squirmy in their car seats. It was novel, and bought us some more time. Good luck!

[cchhbb]

For long car trips, books on tape work like a dream. I go to the library and pick up at least 5 of them. My boys love them. We always have to listen it twice in a row so each boy gets a chance to hold the book.

I often take them to the dollar store the day before the trip and give them each $5 and let them pick out 5 toys for the trip.

We have some magnet games that are wonderful for travel too. They get a colorwonder book too.

I drive 10 hours each way to my parents 3 times a year without another adult. I generally load up a laundry basket full of books, toys, and games and strap it into the front seat. That way I have easy access to new things for the boys.

I also keep snacks in a small cooler. I cut up fruit, make individual bags of crunchy snacks, boxes of raisins. I try to limit any serious junk food, but have been known to bribe the kids to get back in the car after about 8 hours with fruit snacks or lollipops:rolleyes:.

Cheryl

[TLee4]

Hi all! Just want to pipe in and say I'm happy there's a toddler thread.

Ellery, hope the lastest plan works..that sounds awful.

I love life with two toddlers. The horror I felt at having them 14 mos apart has been replaced by the joy of the nice relationship they have with each other.

We are on opposite ends of the toddler-talking spectrum. Last night John-Paul (19 mos) pointed at my pot of boiling water and said "See hot?" That was a long sentence for him. :) Joey (3 in June) can give me a diatribe: "mom, I'm sad because you didn't let me do X. Maybe a popcicle would make me feel better". :D

One of my biggest concerns right now is my bad parenting when it comes to food. As babies they were pretty good with eating veggies in the form of baby food. But now they don't want anything to do with veggies. But I also don't introduce them enough, because it's disheartening to have them refuse to even touch them. They do get pureed orange veggies hidden in their mac and cheese, but not much else. They both eat fruit. Any ideas?

Terri

p.s. Leah, I have just decided that we must have a Sit n Spin. Does he love it?

[ellery]

Terri, it's only recently that Danny has started using his sit-n-spin. I think it's because they have one at daycare and he must have seen someone using it. It's not his favorite toy yet, so we'll see. There's a used kids' clothing & stuff store that I go to a lot, so it was maybe $5. Kids are so finicky, so I try not to buy new toys for him in case he doesn't like it. A bigger hit in our house is tools - he has a mini chainsaw and a mini set of Black & Decker drills, screwdrivers, etc. (Thank you grandma and grandpa.)

As for veggies, I could swear I read somewhere in one of my hundreds of parenting books (thank you in-laws) that there's not really much nutritional difference between fruits and veggies, so a kid who eats primarily fruits is pretty okay. I may have made this up out of hope (Danny doesn't eat veggies, only fruit) but maybe not, since I could swear I've read this at least twice. Another idea is cheese - as in broccoli & cheese, cauliflower & cheese, putting veggies on pizza. And I think roasted veggies are a little more palatable to kids usually as well.

:)

Leah

[TLee4]

Thanks...tools are a big hit in our house too.

I've tried cheese but I'll keep trying!!

Terri

[ellery]

I've tried cheese but I'll keep trying!!

Terri


(head hanging low) hey - at least you're still trying!

:o

[TLee4]

p.s. Leah, I have just decided that we must have a Sit n Spin. Does he love it?

Ha-ha..didn't take me long..I just found one on Craigslist for $10 that I'm picking up at 9am tomorrow. :rolleyes::D

[sugarbaby]

Terri,have you tried red or green veggies in or under a red sauce? Every once in awhile I'll puree red bell peppers and spread it on homemade pizza crust and then top it with the sauce. Or I'll puree steamed broccoli and put it in their spaghetti sauce.

Mostly I've had success with the old "keep givin' it to 'em" routine. They suddenly really like salad - Romaine, carrot, tomato, cucumber and CHEESE (if they get cheese with every bite, they're sure to eat it) drizzled with plain balsamic vinegar. I think the reason they'll eat it this way is because the vinegar is slightly sweet. Sometimes they surprise me - I threw slices of red bell pepper on their plates today at lunch just to see what they'd do, and they loved them. Tomorrow they may not, but they ate them today!

I'm pleased to announce that "Nasty Bear" - a.k.a. the bear that Jonathan sleeps with, wipes the floor with, wipes his nose on, and occasionally sucks on - got a bath the other day and smells much sweeter. The bath will be a weekly thing. :D

[Bawstinn]

Hello!

I am happy there is a toddler thread back as well. Although I couldn't log on to the website for 3 day. :rolleyes:

Madeleine will be 3 in June (can you believe they'll be 3already Terri?) and our biggest challenge these days is listening. Miss Independent doesn't think she has to and she sooooo doesn't like being corrected. A look ahead at the teenage years.

Joey (3 in June) can give me a diatribe: "mom, I'm sad because you didn't let me do X. Maybe a popcicle would make me feel better". :D


Yesterday I was asking Madeleine to bring some of her things up to her room and put them away. "Mommy, I only have 2 hands. I can't carry everything at once. I'll come back when I'm ready" OK....

I have the opposite problem. Madeleine will eat vegetables over everything else. It is the protein I can't get her to eat. Have you tried raw vegetables with a little dip? If she knows they are in the refrigerator that is all that she wants.

[TLee4]

What a copycat I am! They both loved the sit n spin. I'm keeping it at my mom's..she's always up for more toys!

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii91/tleexiv/sitspin.jpg

And here's another one from the weekend. They put themselves in the pack n play, by the way:

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii91/tleexiv/March09.jpg

Yes, Maria, I am amazed that they are turning 3 also! A friend recently broke it to me that Joey is more of a "preschooler" than a toddler, but I'm sticking with toddler til he turns 3!! ;)

Terri

[ellery]

Yesterday I was asking Madeleine to bring some of her things up to her room and put them away. "Mommy, I only have 2 hands. I can't carry everything at once. I'll come back when I'm ready"

Oh my. ;)

I'm pretty sure that I get told that all the time, I just can't understand him well enough. Other times he says it pretty succinctly - "no!"

Sugarbaby - glad to hear about the bear's bath. Yay for being temporarily clean!

Terri - it's not copycatting, silly! That's the whole point of this thread, to share ideas. And I love the pics! Good to see the boys enjoying the toy - Danny hasn't gone near his again since I took that picture.

So we're on the tail end of yeast infection here (as in, he can now sit down in the bathtub) and are now living in Pink Eye Land. I was glad to find out that only a day's worth of drops renders your kid good to go back to daycare, so today was our only day off. Actually putting the drops in his eye was interesting. I'd read something somewhere that the easiest way to do it is to lay your kid down, tell them to close their eyes and put the drop in the corner of the eye - turn their head slightly and it'll seep in. Works pretty well, but I'm not sure if the all the crying afterwards washed out the drops. :( I'm thinking the drops sting? Either way his eyes look better tonight than they did this morning, so maybe something's getting in there.

I think I jinxed myself by asking about potty training a while back. Danny's never shown an ounce of interest in it until this morning when he looked at me, said "pee pee" and walked over the toilet and tried to take his diaper off. I plopped him on and nothing came out (thank goodness - his positioning was completely wrong and I would have received a nice blast to the face). He did the same thing again tonight only with "poo poo." Again, nothing happened on the toilet and I tried with the regular toilet, his way cool Winnie the Pooh potty, and the regular toilet again. He didn't seem to like either option. I think I have an insert thingy for the regular toilet somewhere in the attic that I'll try and see if that's more comfortable than the other options. Is this how PT starts? Do I start now? (insert stifled scream) Do you do a potty in every bathroom of the house or just one? Should I be buying him the training pants?

And in the midst of all this needing answers, can I ask for a small prayer alongside it all? Danny has been sleeping diaper-less for the past few days (helps the YI clear up). I'm really hoping that his "poo poo" warning before bedtime was just him misunderstanding bodily signals. Really. Don't. Want. to face the repurcussions in the morning if he wasn't kidding.

[lbd]

Thanks for starting this Leah. This is my first time logged on in at least a couple weeks but looks like I haven't missed too too much.

No help for you here on potty training. We continue to go through bursts of wanting to sit on it frequently (with occasional actual results) and not wanting to at all. We're not pushing it at all yet, might do something in the summer if he doesn't progress on his own.

Oh, I should probably re-introduce us --

Me: 35 (but my Wii fit age today was 27!!)
DS: Ben, 3 the end of May
DD: Abby, 5 months

Ben had his first haircut today!! I have a little baggie of curls and he has a little boy head now instead of his longish baby curls. It's still superfine and white-blond so you can't really see how uneven it is (I did it myself); I figure I have some time to practice before it shows up more clearly. I'll try to post a photo later, DH has the computer with the photos. I really really really hope Abby's hair comes in earlier than his did.

Oh, so speaking of DH and the computer -- as I'm leaving the house this morning with the kids, the landing on the deck moved underneath me. :eek::mad::( Turns out the steps and landing aren't actually attached to the rest of the deck. Yeesh! The guy we bought from built the deck himself along with many other home "improvements" that were shabbily and stupidly done. We thought we'd finally finished all the urgent repairs but I guess not; fixing the deck has jumped to the top of our list since it's the access to the kitchen (ie, main) door. DH has been online all night looking up retrofitting info.

Back to toddlers - I heard the same thing about fruits and vegs being more or less the same for this age. I keep offering vegs but he rarely eats them; I'm hoping we'll have a successful garden this summer and maybe he'll eat some stuff he grew himself (well, helped with anyway). Oh, he will eat tomato sauce on his pasta if I offer it as a dipping sauce rather than actually on the pasta. This was an instant success that we started a month or two ago. Fruit he eats plenty of and I try to vary it as much as I can. Looking forward to fresh berries season again.

Glad Nasty Bear got a bath; amazing what a difference it makes, isn't it? Around Christmas I saw a Woofie (Ben's dog) in the store and was awed at how fluffy and new it looked. And its legs actually held it up rather than flopping around.

Sounds like Madeline and Ben could have quite the toddler conversation. His swim teacher says she can't argue with him when he doesn't want to do something because instead of just saying "no" like all the other kids, he gives a lengthy explanation "no thank you, I'd rather not do X right now, I'd rather do Y". Logical and reasonable, just not with the program.

[Kerri]

Me: 33
DH: 33
DS1: James 2 and a half
DS2: Andy, 9 months

Love the new toddler thread! Here is a picture taken at a local park one a nice day. Of course it has rained ever since, but we do need the rain...

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o79/wirrek/2009-kids/DSC03570.jpg

We had some bumpy days while transitioning to his big boy bed, but now he sleeps at night and naps most days. The crib is down and out. Yay!

A word about potty training, it is a long road Leah. You have lots of stops and starts. We have the potty seat for 2 toliets and then one little potty. It just doesn't seem like he fits on any of them, and really he prefers to stand up. I am pretty sure we aren't ready for that! I think he is going to go to a preschool where he will need to be potty trained, so now that the crib is down, that is the next step. Only 6 more months!

It seems like James has finally discovered "play" He will finally sit and play with things. He doesn't want to nap, he wants to play. His favorite toys are his instruments. He will bring them all out, we put on his "band cd" and he will play them all...including the flag. At a recent consignment sale, I got some big legos and that was a real hit. He will sort and stack for several minutes. Cars are still the favorites. He will line them all up and have them GO! Especially the "big truck" (another consigment sale find).

James is a great eater. He will come grab carrot sticks and pineapple off my cutting board. Maria - James used to eat meat, but won't touch it now. He doesn't like beans. He will try them, then say he doesn't like them, so for protein, right now it is eggs and cheese.

[Bawstinn]

Kerri - Madeleine would eat a scrambled egg and half a bagel every night if I let her. I had walking pneumonia a few weeks back and was on modified bedrest - David made the mistake of asking her what she wanted for supper - scrambled egg and bagel every night, 4 nights in a row. Silly man, you don't ask. ;)

Leah - We have a potty seat (the ones that fit on top) in a bathroom on both floors. Thing is, she won't use them anymore since she is a 'big girl'. I would plop him on there periodically and just start cheering if/when he does something. That's how we started. I am also confident the M&M she got each time she went was an incentive to keep asking to go. :o

I can also tell you that the drops for pink eye do sting a little when you first start using them, maybe the first day or so.

I learned today that when they are clearing the table after a meal, her daycare teacher often tells them they only have 2 hands and need to make 2 trips to put their dirty stuff away. So that is where that came from. Last night she was trying to hang up her bath toys and the Elmo cup kept falling off the peg and she slept putting it back on. 'I losing patience Elmo'. Must be another one from daycare ... makes me wonder what she may say there. :eek:

[TLee4]

Hi again. Nice to hear from anyone. Re: potty training, we had a little potty chair but he rarely ever used it. We have stools in our bathrooms, so he uses the big potty. (He also never used the ring much which is ok with me..wiping is easier if you have them on the big seat!) It's been a long road for us, but we are finally pretty close to trained. I started out by just going with his interest also. When are we supposed to start the standing up thing for boys??

I guess I didn't do the intro either:

Me: Terri 37
DH: Dan 39
Joey: will be 3 in June
John-Paul: 19 mos

[cchhbb]

Terri,

My second DS pretty much started standing very soon after being potty trained, but he had an older brother to imitate. Ds2 pretty much sat for about 5 months and then started standing. He spent a few days with Daddy and that is what changed him.

I did draw some smiley faces on toliet paper for a little bit to encourage their aim and it worked well. I have a friend who used cheerios, but I didn't want them to see the example of putting other things in the toliet.

Cheryl

[Bawstinn]

Sigh. Madeleine had a rash on her back that started on Sunday. Called today for an appointment and they got us in late. Turns out she has tonsillitis. I feel so bad - the doctor says her throat looks pretty bad but she has no fever. :( The rash is scarlet something-or-other that they often see with throat infections.

[sugarbaby]

Just wondering if anyone's ever had success with stepping outside to scream at the top of their lungs? :( It's been that kind of morning. But, it's early, so the day has so much potential still, right? And, there IS naptime to look forward to! :D

I have to remember that just as every day is a new day, every moment can be a new moment!

Now, excuse me while I step outside for a moment...

Hope everyone's having a great day with their toddlers!

[TLee4]

Cheryl, thanks for the info. Maybe we'll start practicing standing up soon!

Sugarbaby, HA! Right now at my job I am having to take one unpaid day every pay period due to the economy. Yesterday was my day. I had a few trying moments during the day that made me want to call my boss and say "you don't have to pay me..just let me come to work!" :D

Terri

[sugarbaby]

Sugarbaby, HA! Right now at my job I am having to take one unpaid day every pay period due to the economy. Yesterday was my day. I had a few trying moments during the day that made me want to call my boss and say "you don't have to pay me..just let me come to work!" :D

Terri

Thanks for the laugh, Terri! I needed it! I just got the boys dressed and sent them out in the backyard. They need to play outside (they're almost always happy outside) and I needed some quiet in the house.

[TLee4]

Yes, when in doubt, go for the fresh air. Hope your day improves. :)

[Nanci]

Hi,

I have a 18 month old daughter (Gini) who is developing a toddler attitude! So I am comfortable joining the thread. Gini is seeking to be independent but at the same time is afraid of things that never phased her before. She loved swimming last summer, but when we took her a few weeks ago she was scared. It was so sad to see fears develop. She still loves to snuggle and hug and she will always be my baby!

Unfortunately, her dad was laid off a couple of weeks back and she will be home with him for 2 weeks 1/2 days and then home with him full-time. Day care or "school" is so expensive that it just doesn't make sense if dad is home. But . . . I am so jealous they went swimming yesterday and today they are heading to open gym time at Gymboree today. I did not get the greeting I normally receive when I came home last night.

I'll be checking the thread regularly. Looking forward to joining the thread.

[Nanci]

Hi,

I have a 18 month old daughter (Gini) who is developing a toddler attitude! So I am comfortable joining the thread. Gini is seeking to be independent but at the same time is afraid of things that never phased her before. She loved swimming last summer, but when we took her a few weeks ago she was scared. It was so sad to see fears develop. She still loves to snuggle and hug and she will always be my baby!

Unfortunately, her dad was laid off a couple of weeks back and she will be home with him for 2 weeks 1/2 days and then home with him full-time. Day care or "school" is so expensive that it just doesn't make sense if dad is home. But . . . I am so jealous they went swimming yesterday and today they are heading to open gym time at Gymboree today. I did not get the greeting I normally receive when I came home last night.

I'll be checking the thread regularly. Looking forward to joining the thread.

[sugarbaby]

Well, I tried it. During one of Jonathan's more rebellious moments today I went into the garage and let out a really loud yell. The result? I almost threw up! :rolleyes: Not that I yelled that hard; it's part of morning sickness - everything gives me a vomit reflex lately.

He's such a sweet little guy most of the time, but when he gets going...sheesh! They won't be this little forever, right? Anybody? I'm right, right? :p

[TLee4]

Sugarbaby, it's got to be challenging to be pg and have 2 toddlers. What kinds of things is he rebellious about? Joey sometimes starts melting down when we leave someplace that he doesn't want to leave. Normally giving him "warnings" in advance (10 min, 5 min, 2 min) helps but not always! Hang in there.
Terri

[ellery]

Sugarbaby, sorry the yelling didn't make you feel better. :(

I honestly don't know how you do it with twins. I've only got one and there are times when I harbor some unkind fantasies. ;) The other night it took him until almost 10 to fall asleep - usual bedtime is 7:30'ish. Instead he was in his crib singing, playing, talking, practicing saying "no!" in a variety of voices, trash talking me - I distinctly heard "mommy" in the midst of all of his indignant babbling. I never did figure out whether I should be ignoring him, comforting him, scolding him or what. I just ended up giving him Tylenol figuring that maybe something hurt and he passed out shortly afterwards (and me not long after him - he wore me out!)

The best a$$vice I have is that I've found that the more frazzled I get the wilder Danny gets. If I can calm myself down he seems to chill out a little bit. I also remind him (and myself) and say to him "I love you so much" and hug him (when I'd really like to be doing something else) and sometimes that works. Or I use humor and tease him when he's putting up a fight about something inocuous (usually getting dressed) or make funny faces or start singing a goofy song. I do this rather dramatic and enthusiastic fake sneeze (with lots of build up - "aaaaah...... aaaaaaah.....") that can diffuse most situations. Or distraction works well too. Danny loves saying "bye bye" and sometimes when he's throwing a fit because he can't take, say, his vacuum cleaner to school, I'll ask him to say bye bye to his vacuum and he'll get caught up in saying goodbye versus remembering that he's having to leave it. We also do very brief time-outs when absolutely necessary but I try to limit them to times when he's being aggressive or doing something dangerous (he got one tonight for beaming something at me when he was mad). Timeouts last about a minute or so and basically serve the purpose of letting us both take a minute to collect ourselves and remember the rules. I warn him once that he needs to do ____ or he's going in timeout, and if he does it again, boom, no discussion, just quick time out wherever we are - against a wall, in a corner, wherever. We sit quietly together (him facing the wall, me behind him with my hands *reminding* him to stay still and put), and when I think he's calmed, I remind him of the rule, he says sorry, and we carry on with our day.

Oh, and to add to what Terri said, and I'm sure you already know this, but the times kids act the worst are when they're hungry, tired, overstimulated or hungry. I try to plan ahead (my purse always has a snack, drink and a toy) and/or just ride it out if it happens at one of those times.

But that's just me. I'm sure others have ideas and different strategies as well.

Nanci - welcome to the group!

Maria - how's Madeiline feeling?

Hi Kerri and lbd!

[sugarbaby]

What kinds of things is he rebellious about?

Well, yesterday he was eating a cracker, it broke as he bit it, and he FREAKED OUT! Got so incredibly angry. Or, I'll ask him to do something, like set down his toy when it's time to eat. He'll do it, but then realize it means he can't have it right then, and he absolutely loses it. Or maybe the garbage truck drove by (he LOVES garbage trucks) and he can't understand why I can't make it come back, so he throws a fit. It could be any little thing. This past week our mornings - from breakfast until just after lunch - have been overflowing with moments like this. But after his nap, from about 3:30 or 4, until bedtime at 8, he is the happiest child, and rarely has moments like this. Maybe he's not a morning person?

Thanks for the advice Terri & Leah. I think I DO need to give him more advance warnings, and remind him (and myself) how much I love him in those crazy moments, because he really is a great little guy - funny, smart, bold, determined, as compassionate as a two year-old can be (likes to comfort crying babies)...

The good news is that there's only been one crazy moment today, and they've been up for six hours...AND Daddy's out of town until next week! No screaming yet, from anyone!:p

Thanks guys. :)

[ellery]

Sugarbaby, I hear you on the fits about weird stuff. We have arguments like that frequently. Very important stuff like about why he can't have M&Ms for breakfast, why he doesn't want to wear overalls to school, being allowed to have his sippy cup of milk in the bath, etc. You know that 2 year olds are all a little nuts, right? ;) I find that it comes and goes, so maybe next week your little guy will be "normal" again and give you a break.

One of my favorite parenting books is Love & Logic and I really try hard to use their main principle, which is giving kids choices. Kids have essentially no power or control over anything, if you think about it, and this is the age when it's probably just occurring to them. So I try to let him pick out his Tshirt in the morning, which shoes he wants to wear, what he wants to eat for breakfast (M&Ms are NOT a choice), etc. I also let him "win" sometimes when it really doesn't matter and isn't a safety issue (see above argument about sippy cup in the bath). I figure if he feels like he has some control over some things, it'll make it easier to bend to my will at the times when he has no choice. Does that make sense?

Hope everyone's having a good weekend!

Leah

[sugarbaby]

You know that 2 year olds are all a little nuts, right? ;)

This actually really comforts me. It also comforts me to know that my kid isn't the only one freaking out about weird stuff! Seriously, I often find myself thinking, "Are my kids the only ones doing this? My kids must not be normal." And then I find out that lots of kids bang their heads against things and eventually grow out of it, and I say to myself, "Oh, my kids' aren't weirdos after all!" :o

I actually really like the principles in Love and Logic. I used them a lot when I was a teacher. I think I need to choose my battles a bit more carefully sometimes!

Have a great weekend, everyone! And welcome Nanci!

[TLee4]

So Sugarbaby, is it just one of the boys or do they take turns?! I know what you mean about the nonsense stuff. Sometimes I feel like Joey is constantly arguing with me. Like "I didn't want to throw it in THIS garbage can, I wanted to throw it in THAT garbage can". No big deal in isolation but when it's a steady stream it can get a little trying!!

[Bawstinn]

Good morning!

It is hard to tell if Madeleine is feeling better or not. Other than being a touch cranky, she never had a fever or complained of a sore throat. The rash went from being red, to flesh-colored, to looking dry, so I guess the anitbiotics are doing their thing.

I am all about giving Madeleine choices from which pair of panties she wants to wear to which outfit (I learned helps avoid the unmatching outfits) to which cup she wants her milk in. It alleviates SO many potential arguements in the morning so we can get out the door.

We are having a bug issue. In terms of a blood-curdling scream when she sees them in the house - dead or alive. We live in the woods, so it is pretty unavoidable now that Spring is coming <fingers crossed>. Last night she went upstairs to get a book and just stood at the top of the stairs and screamed because there was a dead bug on the stairs. Quite a change from last year when she would cover a dead bug with a Kleenex when she found one. :p

It was actually nice enough around here to play outside for a bit. We broke out the sidewalk chalk and drew pictures on the sidewalk.

[lbd]

Ah, rebellious and difficult 2s. It's definitely not you, sugarbaby. One day last week I insisted that we read "How Do I Love You" at naptime instead of whatever Disney story Ben wanted. We'd had such a willful morning that I needed a fix of "even though it may not show, I love you when you're bad". And I think I totally confused him another day when in the middle of a struggle I stopped to grasp his shoulders and "I love you". It was mainly a mantra for myself but it seemed to distract/calm him as well.

[ellery]

Sounds like all of our kiddos are having their moments. :rolleyes: Danny got a note home on his "report card" yesterday that he was very difficult all morning, not following directions, etc. Turns out he's figured out how to open the door from his room to the outside, and he likes to look at the teacher, smile, and practice his new skill. And today he got in trouble for climbing the fence outside.

(insert vent... may want to avert eyes)

Okay, so maybe I'm warped because I work with kids for a living, but it gets frustrating when adults are surprised and irritated when a kid is being a kid. I've heard repeatedly that Danny is one of the best behaved kids in the class (I take almost no credit for this - it's his personality, not my parenting skills) and they're so shocked when he has one of these days. I don't really see how testing limits or climbing a fence is really that big of a deal discipline wise. You prompt him, if he doesn't follow directions, you put his cute little butt in time out. It's a kid's job to test limits (it's how they find out what they are) and to be excited about learning new skills and want to practice them (much to adults' dismay).

He's moving to the 2 year old room either next week or shortly afterwards and I was talking to his new teacher today. I mentioned that about 5 minutes earlier Danny had taken off running from me (headed for the parking lot) when I asked him to give me something. I caught him, picked him up, quick time out, and on with our day. In all seriousness, the teacher asked me what he had done to deserve a time out. Um, safety issue? Not following directions? So I shared some of the stuff I believe in parenting wise, and she was reviewing the troubles she'd had with a kid in Danny's future class earlier in the day. Kid wasn't sitting down and waiting for something (I think that was the gist of it) and teacher repeatedly prompted her, did the "1..2.." thing, etc. and shared how frustrated she was, what else she could have done? (Um, what was the big deal if she wasn't sitting? You wanted her to wait for you, was it really all that essential that she sit? How about choosing your battles?) Mind you, this woman has a lot of experience with kids, is a mom, was a former nanny, etc. Long story short, I ended up offering her a parenting video I had shared with another teacher that I'd found very helpful and use with the parents I work with.

And now I have 2 frustrations.

1. That his new teacher uses parenting strategies I don't agree with (okay, nothing horrible but it sounds like things will be working differently in her room than they do at home - the first time she uses the "1,2,3" thing on Danny he's going to look at her like she's insane).

2. She now thinks I'm a know-it-all and I wish I'd just kept my mouth shut.

I get excited about having resources and knowledge and truly only want to help and I'm afraid it's off-putting. But all I work with are parents who have kids who are out of control, and they usually admit that they've never been good at setting limits on their kids and now that the kids are older, in some cases, it's really too late.

Anyway. If anyone can relate, or feels like virtually patting me on the shoulder and telling me that it's probably not as bad or annoying as I think it is, feel free. Even if you're fibbing. ;)

Leah

[Couperine]

Leah, I hear you about the discipline skills with preschool teachers. Ethan's usual teacher can keep them in line quite well - it's very obvious on days when she is out sick. Her assistant just doesn't have the skills. Every day I pick Ethan up from school, there is a pair of mothers who are talking while their kids (2-3) are literally running around and through the cars in the parking lot where we all park. They see nothing wrong with this - I can only imagine how frustrating it would be if their teacher felt this way too.

We're in countdown phase to Ethan's 4th birthday and David's 1st. I don't have wonderful ideas for either one since David has access to all of Ethan's old age-appropriate toys, and Ethan is really into superheroes, but there are so many junky hero toys out there, and with a new baby due in 11 weeks, I'm trying to keep the small pieces to a minimum (hence avoidance of the smallest Lego type). If you have suggestions for either age, I'd be grateful, even if it's to spur my thoughts in a new direction.

Hope this posts, and the rest of you can post soon!

[LHBryan]

Hi everyone! Thought I'd finally join the new toddler thread. Thanks for starting it, Leah! I haven't been on-line much lately, but quickly skimmed the previous posts. Sounds like we all have much in common these days with our toddler triumphs and struggles!

Me: 37
DH: 45
DD: Hannah, almost 22 months

Leah--Vent away! I too would be frustrated with daycare, but I wouldn't have been able to share any feedback/suggestions with the teacher b/c Hannah does almost all of her limit-testing on my watch, and not with DH (primary caregiver) or daycare (1 day/week).:o I'm sure the teacher is used to hearing suggestions from parents and probably prefers those who are more involved to those who are more hands off. Transitions to new rooms are tough. I know I don't like Hannah's current room (or teachers) nearly as much as the last room, but I do realize she's learning new skills and benefitting from the new environment. Kids are so much more flexible than adults, so Danny will probably adjust to the new teacher's style quickly (but not expect that same style at home). On another note, has Danny done better with the YIs? Just a thought--does he ever eat canned fruit? Hannah inevitably gets a terrible rash w/ the 1st poop after eating canned peaches, mixed fruit, or pears. Oddly, she can handle mandarin oranges and pineapple in juice fairly well as long as we use cream on her rump.

Terri--You already have some great non-food ideas for the Easter basket. I'm also thinking of playdough, silly putty, slinky, or yo-yo. Are there any relatively healthy sweet treats they like but don't get often? Dried fruit, yogurt-covered pretzels or raisins, etc.? Maybe a very small portion of one of the sweets mentioned in the book?

Couperine--Hope the boys have terrific birthdays! And congrats on the new baby on the way! Hope you are feeling well. Sorry I don't have any gift suggestions.

As for us, Hannah is doing great, although we have our fair share of (hopefully) typical toddler challenges. She's going through another "Mama-Drama" phase, which I hope will be short lived. In the mornings and during dinner prep, all I hear is "Up on Mommy! Up on Mommy!" If I don't hold her, she screams and throws herself on the kitchen floor. She's also pulling the maneuver of refusing to stand when I try to put her down (raising her feet way up in the air, which is SO hard on the back), hugging my legs and head-butting me until I pick her up again. I explain that I need both hands to do what I'm doing and try to distract her--"have you seen the birds outside?" or "hold my hand and help Mommy get the milk out of the fridge" or "here, have a raisin.":o I don't feel like I can discipline for this sort of thing since I work full-time, and she just wants some extra TLC. Any advice? It's also getting physically harder b/c I'm 5 months pregnant and Hannah weighs about 30 lbs. Thankfully, she doesn't cry when I leave her with DH for the day. They get along great and she cheerfully tells me bye-bye. But yesterday at daycare she screamed like I'd never heard before.:(

On a happier note, her vocabulary is exploding, and she seems like such a big girl lately (aside from the "up on Mommy" whining). The connections she makes and how much she understands truly astound me. She's lots and lots of fun these days and very good company, for the most part! I know I had lots of questions to ask, but I'll have to stop here and get back to work.

Hope everyone's doing well!

-Laura

[Kerri]

Sugarbaby - I find that some quality time with playhouse disney or some quiet time locked in his room helps my outlook when toddlers are hard to deal with. I am just saying. ;)

Terri - Sorry about the 2 going on 14! I have some ideas for non-food easter basket goodies. We have been having some rain, err, ok, it is more monsoon like and I took pity on my poor babysitter and hit the Michael's and got a bunch of little stuff. Stickers, stamps, one of those glider planes, but the biggest hit was some of those capsules you dissolve in water and viola! A dinosaur. Got to get more of those.


LHBryan - I thought that was such a tough stage, but when the talking really took off it got oh so cute and fun!

Ellery - it is probably no big deal, but I would go ahead and prepare for there to be problems to continue in the future. I don't really know first hand, but my neighbor is dealing with something similar and has started to look for other alternatives. It is just so hard when parenting styles don't match up. Or it could be nothing, what do I know?

Have I ever brought up James's drool? He is 2.5 and has all his teeth, but since we took the paci away (made cookies out of them) he has just been drooling. From the internet research I have done, we are thinking that he just never learned to swallow his saliva and I try to do things that strengten his mouth muscles...blow bubbles, play kazoo, etc. That does seem to help, but just wondered if anyone else is still having this type of problem.

[TLee4]

Laura and Kerri, thanks for the Easter basket suggestions! Believe me, they get more junk food than I would like to admit, but I don't want a basket full of candy, so I appreciate the ideas. I bought some Easter stickers yesterday but didn't do a good job hiding them so Joey has already found them!

Laura, re: the mommy clinging thing (I am going to get the reputation of the meanest mom on the BB), we went through that also (with JP). And like you said, sometimes you are doing something (for me it was dealing with Joey and the potty) where you CAN'T hold the kid. What I did was give him a couple of warnings (he was probably 15-16 mos old) and ultimately put him in the pack n play "to get self-control". He stopped the melting down pretty quick after that (although oddly he didn't get upset in the pack n play..he would just hang out in there!) He is still my "velcro baby" but like I said, he doesn't melt down anymore.

[Bawstinn]

I have to indulge it to a point since he is sleeping diaperless (!) with good results.

OK, you are a lot braver than I am. Madeleine has been trained for 6+ months and I still stick her in a diaper at night. I am just afraid she won't wake me when she has to go as she is a pretty sound sleeper. She wakes up with a dry diaper all the time, except maybe 1-2 times a month. We are nearing the end of a pack of diapers, I should probably just do it.

Leah - when Madeleine was in the transition room (1-2 yr olds) they did the 1-2-3 thing for the younger kids and then switched to time-outs when 1-2-3 didn't work for that particular child. Toddler room has time-outs and Madeleine was SO upset when she got one for not listening. She confessed as soon as I picked her up :p

I also like deepdiscounts.com for DVDs. Santa brought Madeleine a couple of Dora DVDs (which she loves) in her stocking this year. Makes me laugh when she tries to throw a Spanish word into a conversation.

We are having an eating issue - as in this child could sit at the table for an hour and talk and eat and talk and talk and eat and talk ... she eat, but it takes so long. I asked if this was a problem at daycare and was told that she is usually one of the first ones done and back to playing. Problem is when we don't sit down to eat until 6, and bedtime is at 7:30, doesn't leave us much time for bath and stories and such. Suggestions? Taking her plate away after an hour didn't faze her in the least.

[sugarbaby]

Kerri, did you mean some quiet time locked in MY room? :rolleyes: I've tried locking myself in my room, but they just follow me...;) This past week was WAY better - not nearly the drama.

Laura, regarding Hannah's "Up on Mommy" phase, Jonathan went through this for awhile - every freakin' time I'd go to fix dinner, he'd want me to pick him up. I'd say no, and he'd start doing things to get negative attention, things he knew he wasn't supposed to do (e.g., hit the fridge, throw a toy). I finally caught on, and so what I do now is say, "Mommy won't pick you up right now, but I'll give you a BIG hug and kiss." I squish and squeeze him and make a huge deal out of it, and rarely do we have an incident over this now. Maybe if Hannah just wants some extra TLC (Jonathan needs lots of it - he's a touchy-feely kid), this might help! Good luck!

Amusing toddler story: The other night Jonathan was having a bad attitude over something, and DH asked him if he needed such-and-such consequence, whatever it was. Jonathan shook his head no. "Well," DH asked, "what do you need?" Jonathan gave him a big smile and said, "Cheese!" (The correct answer was "a new attitude"). Gave us a laugh.

[TLee4]

Hi all. Just thought I'd bump us back up to talk about "pee pee standing up". :rolleyes:

So we have this babysitter who is always in a big rush about the next developmental step. I'm sure she'll have him doing his own laundry by next week. And her latest thing is to have him stand up. Well, he is not tall enough to just stand on the floor and reach. (Although he is on the tall end of the height spectrum). So she had him stand on the stool. Well, last night he wanted to show me, and he almost fell down two times, not to mention peeing all over his own leg! I think it's pretty precarious to stand on a stool with your pants and your undies on. So do others take their pants all the way off? Or what?

Thanks!
Terri

[TLee4]

I can post some more since my 8am client seems to be blowing me off...
Maria, so if you take her plate away after giving her enough notice, are you just worried that she will be hungry or what? Some people would probably love for their toddlers to be able to sit still that long!! Joey is fast at the table..John-Paul is pokier. He is still in the high chair, so I usually drag it into the kitchen with me and we keep each other company while I do the cleaning up.

Sugarbaby, so is David "easier" than Jonathon when it comes to these lovely toddler challenges we've been discussing?

How's the pg going for both of you?? I hope to get pg in the fall.

Terri

[cchhbb]

Terri,

You mean he's not doing the laundry yet?

delurking to answer your request for info on standing up to pee. We put in comfort height toliets when we replaced our toliets a few years ago so it was a long time before my 3 year old was able to stand on the floor to pee. DH made a large platform which he made a cut out so it slides right up to the toliet. It's probably as wide as the toliet tank or wider. My boys have used this for a couple of years. It's much more sturdy than a regular stool. They keep their pants on when they go standing up.

When we go out, I either hold up my son so he can reach the toliet or have him stand on top of my feet. I like it when he stands on my feet so I can use my legs to push on him to make sure he's close enough to the toliet.

Hope this helps.
Cheryl

[TLee4]

Thanks Cheryl. My husband is not Mr. Handy so I'll probably have to figure out something else!!

Right now I am sitting in my office bawling. I've worked in this chair for 11 years and can't remember doing this before. My wonderful sitter (2 days/week..she's been with us since right before John-Paul was born) just resigned. She was offered her dream job. She is bright and talented and we were lucky to have her as long as we did. I know it will all work out but right now I am devastated. My kids love her. (She's not the pushy one..she's the other one). :(

[sugarbaby]

[QUOTE=TLee4;1477455
Sugarbaby, so is David "easier" than Jonathon when it comes to these lovely toddler challenges we've been discussing?

How's the pg going for both of you?? .

Terri[/QUOTE]

David is just a more compliant child. His responses to things are easier to predict, where as Jonathan is pretty unpredictable. He's a very passionate child! :p From the time he was born and in the NICU, that kid has been a fighter - there's a lot of strength and might on him, and truly, I wouldn't have it any other way (most days :p).

The morning sickness is finally easing up, and I'm actually craving real food instead of Taco Bell, Carl's Jr., and jelly beans. My poor baby! But I've been eating lots of veggies and fruits lately to make up for it!

Have fun getting pregnant this fall! Woo-hoo!

[Couperine]

Re: boy standing to pee

Ethan has a few Baby Bjorn stepstools around the house for initially standing to pee, and then assisting to get himself seated to do his business. He used to pull his pants and underwear down, put a hand on the side of the toilet seat and then step up, but he's tall enough now that he has clearance without the stool (honestly it doesn't take much clearance at all when they start working on aim). Your big boy has to go through some standing accidents to get it all working, but it's a big improvement over diapers and it should really boost his independence - just wait for the magic when they finally do their BM's without needing assistance - awesome days!

[ellery]

Terri - so sorry about losing your babysitter. Finding good childcare is so stressful. ((()))

[lbd]

Are we the only ones that aren't really doing toilet training at all yet? We have potties and will occasionally go sit on one but Ben's interest goes up and down and we're still letting him dictate what we do. I figure we'll start some "training" once summer comes if he hasn't done it on his own yet.

Anyone having problems with chewing furniture? I recently became aware that Ben is continuing to chew on his wooden bed frame and that he chewed several pieces of a windowframe in his room at my parents'. By continuing, I mean that he went through a short phase many many months ago (probably over a year b/c I think it was still in VA) but seemed to have stopped. DH and I have both talked to him about not eating the food, chewing on furniture, etc.; he says he'll stop but then I find little bits of wood on the floor. I really don't know what to do at this point.

[Kerri]

Lorien - We go through potty training phases, which is probably bad, I know. We aren't doing anything all that seriously. It depends on what else is going on. A lot of his friends are way further along than we are, but my plan is to go hard core this summer...roll up the carpets, go around naked, and I'll probably have to get rid of little brother for a few days. James will need to be trained by the start of pre-school!

Terri - As for standing, James likes to stand when he goes down stairs (little potty sit down upstairs...wierd), but since we aren't really doing this, he is only going at my prompting so time isn't an issue. We take his shoes, pants, pull up or whatever completely off.

DH has been out of town all week and today is the first day that James has taken a nap. It has been a long week!

[sugarbaby]

Lorien, my boys just turned two in January, and we've done a miniscule amount of potty training; we plan to hit it hard this summer when DH is home more (he's a teacher). We'd really like to get them out of diapers before the new baby arrives. I wouldn't worry too much about it - if he's not interested, then he's not. It was a big deal a few weeks ago when my boys took off their pants to sit on the potty - still in their diapers. We hyped it up, and then they didn't want to do it again. Oh well.

I don't have anything to offer re: chewing furniture. I've got rockers, not chewers. :rolleyes: I'm sorry! The only thing I could think of would be to ask you pediatrition. Best of luck!

Kerri, I hope your week gets shorter! :p DH was out of town last week for five days, and it was definitely the longest five days of my life! I honestly don't know how single moms do it.

I wanted to announce that I'm looking into inventing steel earplugs that block out ALL sound COMPLETELY, for when you need those moments of quiet because you just can't take it anymore or your head will explode. Yes, it's been one of those days. But nothing that a bit of tea and Ghiradelli chocolate chips can't help. :p

[TLee4]

Terri - so sorry about losing your babysitter. Finding good childcare is so stressful. ((()))

Thanks Leah! I pulled myself together after an hour. I really took it hard. My husband thought I was nuts...when his secretary told him that I really needed to talk to him, he figured that I was going to say that I lost MY job. Anyway, I have a couple of leads and life will go on...

Thanks for all the potty feedback too. We have the puzzle stools from One Step Ahead (that have the kids names on them..one upstairs and one downstairs). As an aside, I highly recommend
these things. They are so useful in general. But I think they're just a little high for "pee pee standing up"! I have a smaller one at my mom's house, and I thought I'd try that and then get one of those. But I think the whole experience the other night shook Joey up a bit..he didn't want anything to do with trying that stool at my mom's house last night. Well, no hurry in my book.

Other than that, all is well in toddler land. I took the boys to a children's museum yesterday (Dupage Children's museum in Naperville, Nancy) and it was so great for them that I ended up buying a membership. I think we'll go enough to get our money's worth.

Have a nice weekend, all.
Terri

[ellery]

Hiya everyone. :)

As for the potty training, not really doing much with it either. Danny had his 2 year checkup last week and the doctor said that most boys aren't fully trained until age 3. Daycare kids do it faster, but in general, it's age 3 and anything before that is gravy. Danny's in the new 2 year old room at school and they work on it pretty quickly from the time they transition into that room, so we'll see how that goes. He's so freaked out at this point with the change that they're tabling the potty training until he adjusts a little bit.

Just wanted to pop in and wish everyone a Happy Easter and Passover. I've been picking up little things all week for Danny's basket - stickers, those gummy things that stick to windows, a pinwheel, some play-dough and little funky toys. We dyed Easter eggs last weekend and it actually turned out pretty well - he understood the concept and got way more into it than I thought he would (they do a lot of craft activities at school). I was going to try hiding plastic Easter eggs around the house and see how well that went over. Last year we didn't really do anything for Easter, so I'm a little excited that this year he may actually sorta kinda get it.

We'll see. :)

Have a good weekend all.

Leah

[TLee4]

Hi all. How was your Easter? We had a lot of fun with the egg dying (our kit had stickers in it which was a big hit too), egg hunts and baskets. Here are a couple of pics:

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii91/tleexiv/easterboys.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii91/tleexiv/jpeaster.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii91/tleexiv/joeyeaster.jpg

[PoppyJ]

Cute pictures TLee4. Your boys are adorable!

I am back home and finally getting back into the swing of things. Avery did really well on the trip. I had to constantly entertain her in the car and the plane but she made it without a really bad meltdown. But ever since we have gotten home, she has let loose with all of her reserved meltdowns. I just figure that she is doing a dress reherasal for the terrible twos which is just two weeks away! :eek:

Anyone have any book recommendations on adding a baby to the family? I am 16 weeks along and starting to worry about how Avery will handle a little one. I feel like I need some good suggestions/books to make the transition as painless as possible. Thanks.

[Couperine]

We really enjoyed the book "It's Quacking Time" by Martin Waddell when preparing Ethan for David's arrival. It sort of eased him into the concept, but he also went to most of my OB appointments too.

Easter was fun here too - those stickers were a hit in my house; I love the fun of getting out eggs for breakfast and having Ethan go,"No I can't eat that one - it's a BAD GUY!" Who knows why the transformers kit had decepticon stickers.

[ellery]

Terri - absolutely adorable boys! It looks like they have a lot of fun together...

Easter went over well here too. The Easter bunny visited and left stickers, those gummy window things, water guns for the bath, motorcycles, etc. The indoor Easter egg hunt was a BIG hit too - especially the eggs that had M&M's in them. ;)

Here he is first thing in the morning, rumpled, playing with the spoils of his Easter egg basket. :D

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9da35b3127ccec689d905c0cb00000040O00AcNGbNk1ZuW IPbz4M/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

[TLee4]

Thanks guys. :) Danny is adorable too. Let's see some more pics!

Ugh, Nancy..you get the "bad guy" talk too? It drives me nuts. "Bad dragons, bad cops, bad guys"..really? Already at age TWO???!

Terri

[sugarbaby]

Do anyone else's kids rock? My kids will rock back and forth on all fours, or even when they're sitting in a chair, kind of as a way to comfort themselves, or if they're bored. Sometimes it takes on the form of bouncing on their knees. The pediatrition said they'd outgrow it within the next six months or so, but I'd like to know if anyone had any ideas or suggestions for breaking the habit! Thanks!

[Kerri]

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o79/wirrek/2009-kids/Jamestie.jpg

Here is my Easter toddler. Better late than never, am I right? James got garden tools and garden gloves in his basket. I was hoping that this summer while little brother was napping, we could work on our vegtable garden, but here it is, April 20th and I haven't even made it yet. Not looking good.

Sugarbaby - No help on the rocking, but maybe when they start doing it, maybe try giving them a "lovey" to transfer their confort to that item? It is the only thing I can think of.

I think I finally understand what everyone has been saying about the terrible twos and "being tested" even trying to get attention by behaving badly. I ask James not to sit on the coffee table, so he will just lllleeeeeaaaannnnn on it on his tip toes, or if I am feeding the baby during dinner and not paying attention, he will put his utentils on his head, etc until I tell him to stop.

Couperine - I have to ask. Does your husband ever, with any of your children, just get completely frustrated and just say " I don't know!!!!"? Just wondering.

I finally got my hands on a copy of Child of Mine and just skimmed it a bit. Enough to know that I give James too many snacks. He is just such a good eater, it is completely reasonable that he will eat a good dinner 30 minutes after having a big snack. I guess I will work on it.

I hope everyone is doing well!

[Bawstinn]

Quick hello from me. Got a call from daycare yesterday that Madeleine had a 103 fever (she has never had one that high). Kind of congested too. Picked her up and we snuggled for the afternoon. Fever broke overnight so she is pretty much back to normal this morning.

I have been slacking in the picture department. Here is one of the latest ones. She was decorating our bunny cake.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l223/Bawstinn/DSC02371.jpg

[Couperine]

Maria, I hope Madeleine is still feeling better and that you got a good night's sleep last night!

Kerri, DH does have his flaws, but lacking confidence with children is definitely not one of them. Some of it comes from the person he has to be at work, and he also has an innate affinity for children. It's something I admired about him when I met him years ago, and it makes him a great partner in child-rearing. Lord knows we still have differences of opinion on how to do things i.e. we don't agree about birthdays and parties, we went round and round about MDO versus waiting for a real preschool, and we're still discussing a double stroller purchase, but he's just not one to have an I don't know moment, and I try my best to respect that he has opinions and come to a compromise (hence the wait on a stroller when it's patently obvious to me that I'll need one with boys 13 months apart).

I have I don't know moments though, just a lot less frequently now that I have almost 3 boys. I'll cop to being the village idiot of helpless when Ethan woke up from his nap a few months ago screaming about abdominal pain near his appendix, and even though he didn't have a hard belly or decided tenderness in that spot, I was terrified of giving him pain medication in case he did have appendicitis. I called DH in a tizzy, he told me to give him some Advil and watch him, and within 15 minutes, Ethan was fine and letting me realize it was gas. I knew I could have given pain meds logically, but it was something so out of character for DS that I froze. I'll blame it on pregnancy now, but I'm sure I'll have other moments once DS3 is born.

Anyhow, I hope everyone is doing well - I finally kept a reply before David crawled along and pressed the pretty blue button that turns off the computer. The pictures are wonderful - hopefully one day I'll get my act enough together to post one of the boys!

[TLee4]

Hi Nancy. Just in support of your stroller purchase...my boys are 14 mos apart and I couldn't have survived without the thing! I still use it ALL THE TIME now that they are almost 3 and almost 2. Yes, you need one!!

Terri

[Couperine]

Terri, thank you for letting me know how it works for you! David just turned one last week, and he's a much mellower child than Ethan. By age 2, Ethan would not sit in a stroller, but David really loves to ride. Currently I'd guess the odds are 60/40 to my side (DH thought I'd circumvent his opinion by gifting him with a double stroller last week - tsk tsk), and I'm pretty certain I'll get one. I need to do something to get in shape after the baby is born, so I'm considering Stroller Fit so I can also talk to other moms as well. If I choose the Stroller Fit route, it's a done deal; my other option was a personal trainer at the house, but I'm leaning more towards the social exercise option.

That being said, I'm most tempted by the BOB Revolution Double (the orange version keeps talking to me). Supposedly it fits through doors, and the ones I saw at the park looked pretty maneuverable. I could always say it's about the same price as the 2 new Storksak diaper bags I'm tempted to purchase, but I'd rather just wait for DH to decide if it's a sticking point for him. My birthday is two days after my EDD, so there are other options for it to come into our lives too. :)

[TLee4]

Mine is nothing fancy..it's the MacLaren side by side. But it has done the trick for us. Here is a picture from the very beginning. JP was too small for it here but we started using it pretty quickly.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii91/tleexiv/stroller.jpg

[Couperine]

I'd been looking at the MacLaren single prior to getting pregnant so I'll have to find a double to test - I love the look on your older son's face in that pic though; I imagine Ethan had it often when David was first born. :)

[ellery]

Hi everyone. :) (waving)

Just popping in with a quick question or two about eczema. I'd never seen any signs of it in Danny really, but mentioned this weird red patch above his lip at his 2 year checkup and the ped said yes, it's eczema. He basically said to keep it moisturized and it would be fine, so I put Aquaphor on it most days and it seems to be okay. But a few days ago I noticed that the dry skin on the back of his arms is worse - kind of dry and bumpy. And yesterday I noticed the same thing on his shins. (urgh!) I didn't know eczema could start at this age? Is this eczema or just dry skin? I thought it started as babies, but whatever.

Just wanted to see if anyone had any advice about this stuff. I'm moisturizing him after the bath most nights with a good thick moisturizer and only washing him in the bath with soap every other night so he doesn't get more dried out. I haven't figured out what to do about days, though. They go outside a few times a day, so his cubby at school is fully stocked with sunscreen, bug wipes, and the stuff that's combination bug spray and sunscreen. Should I be moisturizing him before school? Putting the bug spray over the moisturizer? Should I not worry too much about the dry skin since it's just a little dry with the raised bumps and he doesn't seem bothered by it?

Between the mosquitos and the 80+ degree days here we may as well be living in the swampland of Florida, so I don't know which evil to address. Poor little guy came home last night with mosquito bites EVERYWHERE. :(

thanks for any advice. :)

Leah

[Bawstinn]

Does the patch on his lip look the same as the patch on the back of his arm? Do you know both are eczema?

I took Madeleine in for some dry skin and it turns out it was dermatitis which the doctor said was related to allergies. She had it on her torso. She is on ... I forget what, for the allergies (bad mom) ... but we were also given a prescription cream to get it under control.

[ellery]

Hi Maria. :)

No, the patches look different. The one on his lip comes and goes and just looks red and like dry skin that's peeled. The patches on the back of his arms and his shins are just dry and bumpy (white bumps - very teeny, not like zits, just like a bump). (yes, fabulous description, I know ;) )

How do you know when it's serious enough to take him in to see the doctor? I don't want him to have something that he needs a prescription for and I've mis-diagnosed it... uh oh... mommy guilt flaring up...

[Kerri]

Ellery - No, you are right, it is probably ezcema. It tends to flare up in the summer. Tends to be worse right where the short sleeves and the shorts hit the skin. It got bad enough last summer that we did take James in. It didn't seem to bother him, but it sure bothered me, and we were prescriped a prescription strength topical steriod. We ended up doing aquapor in the morning and this medicine at night. It helped a lot. It looks really bad, I know!

[ellery]

Kerri, can it be eczema if it's not red? His skin looks basically okay, but when you run your hand over it you can feel all the bumps. It just looks like a very mild rash. I spent some time with Dr. Google last night and none of the stuff I found looked like it - I looked up the different types of dermatitis, etc.

It's probably nothing, and Danny certainly is enjoying the after bath massage as I lube up his legs and arms, but I'm just one of those that likes to *know*. :rolleyes:

[Couperine]

ellery, I'd just call for an appointment to have your dr. view the two differing rashes. Rashes are hard to describe verbally, and after your visit, hopefully you can have some peace of mind!

[Bawstinn]

I would just call and take him in too. Madeleine's rash isn't red and they only reason I know it is there is I can feel the bumps AND she scratches it.

I think I am raising a girly-girl. She hates bugs (as in screams when she sees them), loves to get rubbed down with cream (so she smells pretty) and has been carrying around a purse with a lip gloss that her aunt sent her. We went shopping this weekend and I let her choose some new outfits and they were all skorts. We also picked out some new shoes and sandals and she was just beside herself because she couldn't choose which sandals she wanted (they so pretty mommy). Poor David. :D

[ellery]

... Madeleine hates bugs (as in screams when she sees them) ...

Heh. I saw a bug the other day and screamed in Danny's presence. Ever since then he thinks it's hilarious to say "bug!" and then scream. :rolleyes:

So I just called the peds office and talked to a nurse and she essentially diagnosed Danny's rash as eczema, told me to put hydrocortisone on it and that there's nothing else you can do for eczema. Hmmm. She said yes, eczema can spread, and no doubt that's what it is. Hmmm. When I asked at what point do I worry and bring him in, she said only if it gets worse and seems to really bother him. Gee, thanks.

I'm just annoyed. I don't want him to have eczema. Kids who have eczema are miserable (in my limited experience). :(

Leah

[TLee4]

Leah, don't worry. :) Joey has had some exzema on and off and it's been no biggie at all. If I see a patch or feel those bumpies that you mentioned I just slather him up with the Aquafor. He is not miserable at all.

Terri

[LHBryan]

Hi everyone!

Leah--Last summer Hannah started getting dry red patches (probably like the one above Danny's lip), after having no skin problems as a baby. DH had bad eczema as a baby, and his adult dry skin sounds a lot like what you describe on Danny's arms. With DH, it's no longer eczema, but just chronic dry skin. I wonder if all the heat, sunscreen, bug repellent, and daily baths (which I'm sure are necessary after a day of products, sweat, and general toddler grime) are aggravating his skin. I agree w/ Couperine and would probably just take him in to make sure you know what you're dealing with. Our dr. gave us one of those topical steroid creams to use only during a flare-up and said not to use it on the face (which isn't a problem area anyway). The dr. said the thick Eucerin in the tub is what most drs. recommend. Any lotion that can be "pumped" out of a bottle has too much alcohol in it and will just irritate the skin more. Vaseline (or Aquaphor) is good as an additional protective barrier and especially great for the face b/c it's not a problem if they rub it in their eyes or mouth. When H's skin is irritated, I treat it with Eucerin and/or Vaseline morning and night. Oh, and what soap do you use? Good luck!

Hope all the Moms and toddlers are doing well and enjoying the warmer weather. It's been so nice being able to get outside FINALLY. Hannah is lots of fun these days, but still very Mommy clingy and whiny during breakfast and dinner prep. For the most part she's an angel with DH, but as soon as I get home the whining sets in. It makes me feel like a bad Mom and that I somehow encourage bad behavior. A friend reminded me of H's point of view--"OK, Mommy, I've held it together like a big girl all day. Now you're finally home and you're paying more attention to the kitchen! I'm hungry and want some attention NOW! And I'll do anything to get it! WAAAHHH!" We're waiting for her canines to poke through, which seem to be bothering her, and also struggling to convince her to keep a barette in her hair. We were trying to let it grow out, but may have to cut some major bangs if she continues putting barettes in her mouth.:eek: Otherwise, she's cute and funny as ever.

Oh, and I too am curious about double stroller input. Our two will be ~22 months apart. DH thinks a double stroller is not a necessary expense and that Hannah can just walk. I totally disagree and hope my parents will offer to buy one as a gift, thus ending the debate. I want to start researching and am looking for compact, collapsible, and reasonably priced, if that exists. We're not mall people or people who need adult cup holders or lots of storage space. It's mainly for outings in our small car and brisk walks on sidewalks/paved paths. Is side-by-side or front-back preferable? I saw a compact front-back one that allows for an infant seat in the front and a convertible sit/stand for the back, but want to hear about other things to consider. And if DH is right, let me know that too!:p

-Laura

[ellery]

Thanks Terri, that does make me feel better. :)

I guess I've only seen kids with the severe eczema whose parents have to go to all kinds of trouble to make sure the kid is comfortable (avoiding certain foods, slathering with lotion all the time, etc.) and the kids have always looked miserable.

It's possible that other stresses in my life have me overreacting...:cool:

Like I said, Danny does enjoy the lotion rubdown a lot (makes me feel bad that I never tried infant massage more than a few times). Considerate kid that he is, once I'm done with him, he insists that I rub myself down as well. :D I've never seen a kid so big on sharing. :)

[TLee4]

Laura,
I'm plugging the double stroller again. To me, it's not just about "can the kid walk"..it's about CONTAINING them in situations where that is necessary. I guess that I have my kids out and about a lot when I am by myself, so I think of it as a safety issue that I have the option to strap one down if needed (although I rarely fasten the seatbelt on Joey at this point. He'll be 3 in a month). But I would still hate to not have the option to do it. Maybe some kids hate the stroller, but for the most part Joey is fine with it. And JP often puts himself into the stroller if we are at the library or something and he decides that he is done!

ETA: Maybe they would be more resistant to being in a front-to-back one as they get older..they seem to like the side-by-side. But of course that's all we've ever had.

Terri

[LHBryan]

I was working off and on on my long post while everyone else was chiming in. Too funny about the bugs! It's spider season here, so H is always pointing them out and saying, "Daddy fix it." In her eyes, Daddy can do EVERYTHING. I try not to take it personally b/c it works in my favor with things like spiders and dust bunnies. When she sees dust bunnies, she says "Eww...mess! Daddy fix it!" Or "Daddy clean up!":D

Maria--that's adorable Madeleine is so girly! I think Hannah will be a tom boy, aside from her interest in my makeup and bras.:rolleyes: She's in love with her sneakers and wants to play only with the boys when she's at school.

Leah, our nephew had bad bothersome eczema (of the oozy variety), but Hannah has not seemed bothered by it in the least. It's really not a big deal. Now that she's a big girl, she'll occasionally let me know where she needs "cweam" and then says "make it bettuh" after I put it on, but she never seems miserable and rarely ever scratches or acts like she even gives it a second thought.

[Bawstinn]

Laura - I agree with Terri that it just isn't about walking but also about safety. When we were shopping this weekend Madeleine was in her stroller except for the Carter store (where she could play) and she had no problem with it.

I am looking at a BOB. Friend of ours has one for her 2 kids and I liked it when I pushed our girls around at a pumpkin patch last Fall. I was debating gettting something that had the ability to hold an infant carrier but Madeleine was using the stroller in Sept and I figure I can get by until then with just the one. That just means one stays home with daddy or Madeleine rides on his lap. :)