March Wobblers

[NMG]

Wasn't sure if I'm the one who should be starting this, but felt the need to since I didn't see one for March! Can you guys believe it's March already! And Mikey turns 1 tomorrow :D It goes so fast - too fast :( Oh well - it's so nice to watch them grow and learn things and there faces light up at the most simplist things........tonights the cake - Tesa's helping me and is so excited!!
Do you guys think it would be wrong of me to send the kids to daycare on Fri - I have off but really need to clean and set things up for Sat. I'm torn because I feel so incredibly guilty sending them when I'm at home :( I don't know, I'll prob end up staying up late Thurs night cleaning so I can keep them home on Fri..........we'll see.
Hope everyone's munchkins are feeling better at this point :)

[MinEaston]

Egads, it's March. No I can't believe it.

Happy birthday to Mikey! As far as sending to daycare, do it. Last week, even though I was off on Monday because of the holiday, I sent Anna in to daycare so we could do some painting. I sent her to my parents for a few hours last Friday and Saturday so I could get the house cleaned up and her birthday cake made. I felt a little guilty but I know she enjoys daycare and of course her grandparents, and it does give me some "me" time and the ability to whirl around the house without worrying about where she is!

Anna turned 1 this past Saturday. Wow. She had a nice day, and is completely recovered from the ear infection (thank goodness) and back to sleeping through the night (7PM or so to 6AM), hooray.

Well, work is crazy, I'm really far behind, so I'd better get back to it.

[fancyn]

Morning all! It's been a crazy past 2 wks at work so my posting has been a little sparce. First off, I just wanted to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to little Anna - so sorry I'm late to say that :o - her cake looked awesome!!

Next, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Mikey!! NMG, I personally would send the kiddos to daycare anyways. My philosophy is this: 1.) You've paid for them to be there anyways. 2.) You know you'd feel much more prepared if you had the day to yourself to take care of any loose ends 3.) Last minute "oops" always happens so you'd have precautionary measures taken. I've sent DS to daycare a handfull of times when I've had the day off. Of course I feel guilty and usually end up picking him up super early, but it also allows me to get my stuff done, more quickly and easily. Geez, I hope I don't sound like a bad person here :confused:

On our front, we took Nicholas to the Farm Show (an event at a convention center down town). I'd never been b/c I have no interest in farming, etc. but my company I guess sets up a booth every year and I get free passes. I thought DS would get a kick out of all the equipment, trucks, 4-wheelers, etc. OMG did he love it! The child had only seen balloons once before. As soon as we got there, he saw tons of kids with balloons and all he kept shouting was "Red Balloon". He finally scored one and it was the hit of the day. When we got home, I even had trouble getting him down for a nap b/c he wanted to keep playing with it. Too cute!! :)

[JenZen]

Gabe - 14 months

Hi all.

NMG - I wouldn't feel at all bad about sending Mikey to daycare. We do that occasionally because it gives DH and me a chance to spend some time together. Once in a while, we even take off the same day and go on a "date" during the day while Gabe is at daycare. :) Oh, and happy birthday to Mikey.

Not much going on here. I leave for a business trip at the end of the month. I'll be gone for five days, which is the longest I've ever been gone from Gabe.

Feeling sort of icky these days. I'm 7 weeks along, and the morning sickness has hit. No puking, just a general sense of ickiness.

Jen

[aprilbride]

Elliott, 10 months..

Happy Birthday Mikey! NMG, I'd take the kiddos to daycare...like everyone else we've done it when the opportunity comes up......Elliott loves school so I feel fine about it.

All is well on our end, really nothing much to report. One thing we did learn this weekend is that it serves no purpose to keep Elliott up past his bedtime. We went to some friends house for a BBQ on Sunday, it started at 4.30. Elliott usually goes to bed at 6.30 at the latest, so I knew that we'd should probably leave at 6ish to still maintain his routine. DH thought we should stay because he was playing and seemed to be having a good time. We left at 7 and boy did we pay for that. He had his first major meltdown in the car and I felt soo bad. I know he was overtired and trying to fall asleep and couldn't..So I think from now on we either leave him home with a sitter or leave at the appropriate time. I guess having such a set routine is a blessing and a curse...should we be more flexible with him?

[JenZen]

aprilbride - When I know we're going to bump into Gabe's bedtime, I bring his pajamas along. I put him in his pjs before we we leave, and he usually falls asleep on the ride home and then I take him right up to bed. So far, that's worked pretty well.

[NMG]

I'll prob just end up taking them in late - around 9:30 (after the school kids get on there way). Don't like to pick them up early since they go down for a nap at 2:00 and I pick them up at 4:00 anyways. I've taken Tesa in before to get stuff done for her b-day party, but always feel so incredibly guilty! Of course the one day I was keeping her home with me because I was at home with Mikey (he was sick) and Tesa came over to me and goes "Mommy, I have to go to school today!". So I took her and she was happy :D
MinEaston - I'm glad Anna's ear infection is all cleared up and Happy belated birday to Anna! Time sure does fly :p
Fancyn - Sounds like Nicholas had a ball at the Farm Show!!! And you don't sound bad for dropping him off at day care to get a few things done - ha, I thought I was the bad one for doing that!
Aprilbride - If Elliott's tired at a specific time, it's prob best to keep him on a schedule..........Mikey goes to bed around 8:30 (although lately it's been around 9:00) and Tesa's in bed at 9:00. My munchkins do fine during holidays or parties if we're out later, but all kids are different - expecially in the sleeping department!!

[aprilbride]

Jen, we did the same thing..put him in his PJ's and gave him his bottle thinking he'd just fall asleep as soon as we start driving...not the case:-( He's not a meltdown kind of kid (at least not yet) so we knew we had just pushed him to far. We're trying to move his bedtime back a bit to give us more flexibility, but since he's down to only one good nap at school it can only be expected that he's tired at night. I'm a firm believer in our bedtime routine with him and it works, I think we might just have to plan our outings better or have a sitter over....less stressful for everyone:-)

[Katie-Did]

Aaron - 14 months

We've learned to be pretty on-time with Aaron's bedtime. He does OK during the evening that we keep him up, but when we keep him up too much past his normal 7:30 bedtime, he gets up super early the next day, fights naps, and it takes days before we get him back into a good routine. So we usually come home early. We're working on having a regular baby sitter at this point so DH and I can spend some time out together. Since we've moved in the past 2 months we haven't found anyone yet, but we need to be more motivated about our search. We were just given a gift certificate to a local restaurant, so that will be good incentive for us to find someone. I've been more reluctant than I thought I would be to leave Aaron, especially at his bedtime. How do the rest of you find time with your DH?

[aprilbride]

Katie, the early bedtime deal works in our favor when it comes to going out..I usually put Elliott to bed before we leave and he never knows that we're gone. He's spent time during the day with the sitter as well so I know he likes her and would recognize her should he wake up. We go out on a Friday or Saturday night fairly regularly and have never run into any issues so far. The early bedtime also works for us because it gives DH and I time in the evenings to hang out together....I guess the benefits of his routine far outweigh the bumps in the road we encounter once in a while so I should probably consider myself lucky:-))

[NMG]

Ok - we made the cake last night!!! The shape looks good, but I didn't freeze the cake before slicing it into the different shapes, so I got some crumbs mixed up in the icing! hahaha - I can't wait to post it!! You guys will get a kick out of it - I have no decorating skills whatso ever and on top of that, I woke up this morning and the little writing icings I bought and used to make some windows and headlights (I had planned on finishing it this morning since it was 10:00 last night and I was tired!) - anyways, the colored icing dripped all the way down the cake! TG I took pics last night. Tesa had a ball helping - actually, I think she liked the beaters more than anything :p I haven't entered the digital world yet so I'm taking film to get developed on Sun and will post the cake next week.
I think Mikey has another ear infection - this time in the right ear :( I want to get him in today or first thing tomorrow so the meds take some effect by Sat - I'm not sure if they'll give him amoxicillan again, I'm assuming they won't since I don't think it totally cleared it up this time.

[Chelle D]

Hey all! So after my millions of questions last month, can I still join?! :p

DS: Maxwell, 10 Months today


NMG - The cake sounds awesome and you have to post pictures. I am looking for inspiration for my babyness in a couple months. More important than how it looks, it sounds like you and your daughter had fun making it!

Things here are going okay. We still have nap issues and I find myself nursing him to sleep after an hour of crying and laying him back down. Yesterday DH was home with him and he never got an afternoon nap. So I got home at 5:30, was going to nurse a little then give him dinner and he fell asleep nursing and I was not even in his room. I took him to his crib, he woke up for an hour around 11:00 and then slept til 5:00.

[sweetpea]

DD: emma, 16 months

hi all--just need some encouragement--took DD to the immediate care first thing this a.m.--she had a fever last night and was up in the night then this a.m. still had fever and was lethargic, didnt' want to eat, etc. it was weird. so she has a double ear infection and her throat looks red--she's doped up. I just sat down to cuddle with her (again! she just wants me to hold her)...and she was asleep in 30 seconds. snoring asleep. poor thing. PLUS we have less than a month till we must be out of this house. the other house still isn't ready or even close. i could use prayers/happy thoughts as we go thru this next month--and if i am MIA it's b/c i am busy mommying, packing and working at the house. i need PATIENCE :) and understanding! (for my husbands sake...) Thanks ladies!

[MinEaston]

(((sweetpea))) and (((emma)))

Chelle, I'm still nursing Anna right before she goes to bed at night. In fact, often she is mostly asleep when I put her down in her crib, after about 5 or 10 minutes of nursing/snuggling. And we still walk her around and hold her for naps (not sure what they are doing at daycare because we have had a parent conf in a while). Sure, it takes us 5 or 10 minutes, but it's the approach we chose. We did have to do a little CIO to get her in bed for the night (I used to not be able to put her down until she was sound asleep), but it wasn't much.

And, first thing in the morning, she comes into our bed for her first breakfast (me).

[Molli526]

Charles : 20 months

Hugs to Amanda and Emma


Not much going on here. We had a big break on the potty front. Charlie sat on the potty bare bottomed yesterday :) Yay!! No pee, but, we will get there.

I am going to some Mom to Mom sales tomorrow. I am so excited. I will be mostly shopping for Charles, clothes mostly. I am hoping to get most of the stuff for fall/winter next year. I also want a double stroller. Not sure how much we will use it, and frankly don't want to pay full price. I am going with some friends who are great negotiators, and they will help there. For whatever reason, I am terrible at negotiating at sales like this and garage sales.

Charles is back drooling too. Ugh. It seems like the weekends are always bad for us. He rebounds during the week and then when we have the weekends, BOOM!

MIL is coming Sunday for a visit. Should be interesting. Charles doesn't really take to her, like he does my parents and FIL and s-MIL. I think it is partly b/c she gets right in his face, which he doesn't like. I will be at church for the first part of the visit, so will be interesting to hear how it goes.

Have a good weekend!

[fancyn]

Woohoo Molli, that is a huge accomplishment! Did he want to sit down, or did you "suggest" it? When we do diaper change, DS will say potty and poop. When we go into the bathroom, he rushes to the toilet and says potty. I know he doesn't grasp the entire concept, but we still talk about it with him in hopes of him catching on! :o What are potty training readiness signs, BTW?

Earlier in the week, there was talk of bed times and it kind of stumbled onto the topic of sitters. We're really lucky that both DH and my parents live within 30 mins of our house. I also have a very sweet sis that covers us on the occasion too. Do any of you have sitters (not daycare) that watch your kids in the evening/weekends that aren't related? Where do you find them? How do you trust them with your child and in your home? We know no high school gals that could help us out. I, of course, have GFs that I'd totally trust to watch him - but all my friends are single and fancy free, so that's not a weekend evening option. Ideas anyone??

[MinEaston]

We too are extremely fortunate that both of our parents are close by. My parents are always willing to help out (in fact, they have Anna 2 days per week). They, of course, moved here to be closer to their grandchild. DH's parents, on the other hand, have been here for 13 years so they have their own activities, etc, but we have called on them in the past. Now that Anna is older, though, I would be less enthused about leaving her w/my inlaws in the evening, simply because they haven't really spent a ton of time with her just alone. We also have some married friends w/out kids who have helped out in the past. I have early teenage neighbors, who I'm not quite ready to have babysit by themselves, but I plan on having them come over and entertain Anna so she can get to know them (and so I can see how they interact with her). Then, if we need them, I know their parents are across the street.

Are there other moms you can ask? That's where I would start.

Or - could you ask your daycare provider? They might know of someone, too.

My biggest concern with leaving Anna in the evenings now is that her bedtime routine includes nursing then sleep. So when we've gone out, we've done so after bedtime (which is around 7). But last night we had a function that started at 6, so my parents had to do the bedtime routine with a bottle instead of me. My mother said it went just fine, although she did fuss a little after being put in the crib.

[aprilbride]

Nancy, we have no family here whatsoever so finding a good sitter was on my mind before we even had Elliott:-) I use a gal at work to help me out with casino events and tradeshows once in a while, she goes to school to earn her PHD in child psychology and works with Autistic kids, so she's highly qualified and likes to earn extra cash:-) It's been working out great. Elliott is usually in bed when she comes over so it's easy money for her. We also use one of Elliott's daycare teachers once in a while, but only during the day as we have to take him to her house which I prefer not to do at night.

Have you tried contacting colleges? A friend of mine in Indiana just did that recently and received a huge list of gals (and guys) that go to a local university and are willing to babysit. Maybe that would be an option....

[Chelle D]

Nancy - Like Claudia, we have no close family nearby. Maxwell has a regular sitter on nights that DH and I go out, or nights that we both need to be places. She is a college student and the daughter of a couple we met through church. Our church has many younger people that babysit and we like that ours is other (21) and she LOVES kids. She is a child development major. If you don't have a church, I would also check colleges and see what you find.

[EmilyK]

No advice on non-family sitters. DS goes to an in-home sitter during the day during the week, so I feel guilty leaving him with somebody on weeknights. The only time we've left him with anybody on the weekeneds has been my parents staying at our house. We have no close family (all 3+ hours away) and we live in a non-friendly neighborhood. We're hoping when we move, it'll be a more social place.

Our update for this weekend... Gavin has been saying momomomom and dadadad for quite a long time, but doesn't seem to know it applies to either of us. As a little background, he doesn't watch tv much at all at home unless we happen to flip by PBS and pause for a few minutes, because the scots/irish pig show or Bob the Builder is on. Our relatives gave him several videos for Christmas, so they all sit on "his" bookshelf with his books to pull off and play with. His favorite is the Bob one, mostly because it's bright yellow. DH noticed Saturday that when he's playing with his Bob video, he says "Bob-ob" and "Bob". If you ask him where Bob is, he'll look around until he finds his Bob video. Just thought it was cute... his first word is "Bob". :p

[NMG]

Hi all! Boy, what kaos this weekend. How about we did the cake thing (DH, myself, Tesa and Michael) on Thurs night - ok so the kids are having a ball eating with there hands (Joe and I had already gotten our share ;) ) and we were just letting them have some fun. Joe steps downstairs for a min and I brought my plate in the kitchen (GONE ONLY 60 SECS) only to come back into the dining room to see Tesa's hands in the air full of cake whipping it across the house :mad: I am so glad I can laugh about it now and will definately post pics as soon as I get them developed but I almost died! Needless to say, cake time was over and I threw them in the bath. Saturday went over real well, we ended up with about 55 people and everyone had lots of fun - exp the kids. No cake throwing though :p
Sweetpea - How's Emma doing??? I hope everythings ok with her and the house ordeal.
As for the non-family sitters, we usually have my parents or DH's parents watch the kids (they live very close). If not, I have the oppertunity to switch off with a friend of mine (I watch her daughter occasionally and she'll watch my 2) although a few weekends ago we called the girl up the street from us. We went to school with her and she is extremely nice, plus she's pediatric nurse at Childrens Hospital here in Pgh. I have a really hard time leaving the kids as well as trusting who is watching them so I try and plan far enough in advance so that they end up with one of our parents. I would suggest asking someone you trust who they leave there kids with get a feel for it from there.
Molli - good for Charles!!! Now he's on the road to no more diapers :D

[fancyn]

Thanks for all the sitter suggestions! I thought about our church, but we attend the 8:15 service (though we haven't been in several wks :o ) and 85% that attend it are over 60. Other than the service, we aren't active for lack of time. Mmm...but there's a place to start.

Update to our latest and greatest, Nicholas scored another balloon at the grocery store this weekend. He was so excited when he saw them, I couldn't help myself. I keep convincing me that it's better than a candy bar or something ;). After his nap, DH and him went out to the front, attached the balloon to the RC Car, and chased it all over the place. We/he had so much fun, I'll share some pics! :) On the other end of the spectrum, I think the terrible twos have hit WAY. TOO. EARLY, so the sitter, DH and I believe. Yesterday he got frustrated b/c I was talking to the sitter too long when I picked him up (probably 20+ mins). So he smacked me right in the face! :eek: I raised my brows and in my most dramatic voice told him, "We don't hit mommy!". He then proceeded to bury his head in his hands b/c he knew that was unacceptable. Then we got home and were playing and all was fine....then he got upset with this baseball/bat toy. He picked it up, slammed it on the ground twice, and then in baby words cursed it out and stomped off! :eek: :eek: What am I supposed to do about that?!?!?!

Emily, YAY on the first word!! He's making connections and what's important - even if it wasn't Mama or Dada! ;) working on an email, fyi

NMG, lol about the cake hurling incident. Right now I can't fathom handling two, though it should be soon. Great news that the party went over smoothly. Can't wait for pics!

[Molli526]

Nancy,

I vividly remember that stage. It will pass :) It is because they don't have the language to express themselves. I remember thinking what happened to my sweet little boy??? Things have much improved though. We remind him we don't hit, hitting hurts. If he throws a toy, the toy goes in time-out (up on the counter we he can see it). We also remind him no throwing.

Well, no more success with the potty. The past few nights, he did NOT want to sit bare-bottomed. I did offer to let him sit on the big potty and that was a big NO too :)

Emily, that is cute about Bob.

Natalie, that is hilarious about the cake throwing :)

[Katie-Did]

Aaron has been increasing in his frustrated tantrums too. But he's also getting more cuddly, giggly, and all around fun. So I guess I'll take the tantrums along with it...

We had an eventful weekend. My DH's parents, and brother and sister-in-law, plus 2 family friends came in for the weekend. My DH is a pastor and was installed in his new church on Sunday. Aaron loved the attention, but got overwhelmed too by all of the people. On Sunday I arranged for a teenager in the church to babysit while the service went on at 2pm. I put Aaron down for his nap and then went to the church. Thankfully, he slept for the whole service because when he woke up and saw the sitter was here, even though he knows her somewhat and she was here when I put him down, he FREAKED out! She called me and I came right home, to him hyper-ventillating, poor thing. He was very clingy the rest of the day, as if to make sure I knew that he noticed I was gone. I think his separation anxiety is going to get worse before it gets better. My DH wants to go out more, but it's hard for me to put my baby through such a hard time (not to mention how bad it must be for the sitter!).

We gave Aaron his last bedtime bottle on Monday (he was down to that 1 bottle which our pediatrician recommended we keep giving him until he was settled in well here in our new house). Last night we gave him a cup of milk and he didn't protest at all - yeah!

[JenZen]

Hello, wobbler mommies.

I've been lurking along, but haven't had energy to write lately.

We've had a lot of icky stuff happening in our circle of friends/family. My cousin lost her baby at 16 weeks gestation last weekend, and then on Monday, I found out a close family friend died in a car accident on Sunday night. The funeral is this Thursday, so I'll be heading up north with Gabe for that. Not sure how long I'll be staying, but it doesn't make too much sense to drive 2 hours and then turn around and drive another 2 hours just so I can work on Friday. I might as well take Friday off, too, and spend some time with my family.

So, Baby Einstein is paying off. Gabe sang "Eee-I-Eee-I-Oh" last night when Old MacDonald Came On. At the daycare this afternoon, I started singing it, and he joined it. Oh how precious! We also taught him to beat his chest like a gorilla while we read one of the Eric Carle books to him. It's hilarious. He likes to walk around beating his chest now.

So, the little good things continue to bless us even among the bad stuff.

Jen

[fancyn]

If he throws a toy, the toy goes in time-out (up on the counter we he can see it) I LOVE this idea!! We were doing this with his sippy, but didn't even think to apply it to toys :rolleyes: Thanks Molli!! :)

YAY Katie for eliminating that bottle! And Yay for Aaron for not missing it!

(((Jen))) What a rough time you're going through! I think family time will be really good for the healing process. Hang in there, my prayers are with you!

And last but not least...HaPpY bIrThDaY GAVIN!!!!!:D

[EmilyK]

Awww.... thanks, Nancy!! I can't believe my little guy is a year old already! I wrote in his journal last night at 10:00 to tell him that at this time last year, I was checking into the hospital. :)

Thankfully, the little bugger was in a good mood for me last night and again this morning... the previous night and morning he was an absolute bear! He had a bad nap at the sitter and then that night he woke up at 11:45 screaming because his leg was stuck between the bars of his crib. :( Bad sleep = cranky baby. Good to know!

(((Jen))) I'm so sorry about all the loss in your circle... take care of yourself.

[Chelle D]

YAY, Happy Birthday Gavin! :)

I love reading this thread to get a glimpse into what I am in for, both the good, the bad, and the ugly :D I love that Maxwell isdeveloping his personality. I know just what to do to get a laugh, a giggle, or a smile. He is so cuddly still and a ton of fun. I just can't imagine not having him in my life. It's amazing how much life changes when you are blessed with a little one.

Jen - Sorry to hear about the losses in your circle. It's so difficult to lose a child. I think you should take Friday off and spend the day. It sounds like it was a close family friend and I am sure your presence and Gabe's will help.

[aprilbride]

Happy 1st Birthday, Gavin!

[EmilyK]

Thanks, you guys!! I can't wait to see him tear into his big tub of duplos tonight! :D

[MinEaston]

Happy Birthday Gavin!!!!!!

Ah yes, Emily, welcome to the world of tripping over duplos in the middle of the night, finding them under the radiators, in the diaper bag, in the cabinets or anywhere else they "fit." Anna loves hers :D

I have absolutely no real news to report. It's been a crazy week (nothing to do with Anna, though!) but it's almost over. This weekend we are hosting a party for my brother and his fiancee. Two of his college friends have kids - and are staying over - so we'll have 6 adults, a 3-year-old, a 17-month-old, a 15-month old, and Anna, for one night. This ought to be interesting. I've invited the teenage girls across the street to come over... ;)

[Molli526]

Happy Birthday Gavin!!!

Duplos are such a hit here :)

[NMG]

Happy 1st Birthday Gavin!!!!!

MinEaston -Sounds like a fun (and crazy!!) weekend - hope it all goes well :D

Still haven't picked up pics yet - hopefully will this weekend - we'll see. Things get so crazy sometimes (like this past week :p ). Anyways - gotta get back to work..........

[JenZen]

Happy Birthday, Gavin!

Quick update on us: I ended up spending Thursday-Saturday at my parents', and I'm so glad I did. This weekend truly was a healing time for me because until now, I couldn't be around the people who were hurting. It helped me greatly just to be there amidst all of the bad stuff, to hug those who were hurting, to cry with my cousin, to talk to my family about everything. I feel much better this Monday morning.

Gabe discovered the sandbox while we are at my mom and dad's. He loved it! He was coated in sand when I pulled him out, but it was worth it. I just can't wait for all the snow to melt and the frost to lift so we can send him outside all the time.

Jen

[EmilyK]

The birthday party this weekend was a huge success! 5 people from DH's family came down, and my parents, sister, and aunt were all there. Gavin was super-smiley with everybody, even though he doesn't really "know" the IL's... He took a perfect morning nap so he was able to stay awake the whole time everybody was visiting... the cake (Carrot Sheet Cake w/ Cream Cheese Frosting CL May '05 (http://food.cookinglight.com/cooking/display/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1054818)) was a huge success. When everybody left, we put him down for a nap and he went right to sleep, with no complaints and took a lovely 1.5 hour siesta!! :D The only problem we ran into was his night sleep. He was acting tired, so we put him to bed at his normal bedtime (6:20) and he talked to himself in there for a little more than 2 hours!! At one point, I went in to check on him but he was just hanging out, so I left him to his chattering. <shrug> He was in a great mood this morning, hopefully the sitter won't have a terrible day with him!

Here are the pictures from the party: Gavin's Birthday Pictures (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/emilyking630/album?.dir=/5c9b&.src=ph)

Jen, does it help to know my daffodils are blooming right now? ;) I'm glad the weekend went well for you...

[aprilbride]

Emily, glad you guys had a great time! The cake looks fabulous and Gavin really made out in the gift department, huh?:-) I'm looking forward to Elliott's party, decided on an East Indian "theme" with Elephants and Indian food etc. Should be fun!

Not much new to report here..Elliott had his well check on Friday and he's in the 95th percentile for height and head circumference (sp?) and 45th for weight. Anyone else has experience with biting at this age (almost 11 months old)? I thought this was more of a toddler type behavior. He seems to do it most when he's tired or overly excited..hopefully it's just a phase!

This morning he woke up with "goobers" in his eyes...he seemed fine otherwise, no fever etc. but when DH dropped him off at daycare he cried, which he never does. I'm hoping he's not coming down with anything..DH isn't feeling well either so we might be in for another round of family sickness..

[EmilyK]

Claudia, yeah he got quite a few presents... he's the first grandkid on my side of the family, so they went a little over-board. :rolleyes: We decided we need to weed out some of the younger baby toys from his toy bin to make room for the new ones. We have a few biting problems, when I clip his nails, he'll lean over and bit my arm or if you happen to put your finger in his mouth he can bite so hard it bleeds. A stern "No" or a screech, depending on the severity of the bite and your involuntary explanation, will usually stop mine in his tracks. I hope Elliott isn't coming down with anything... and a question totally off topic: did you guys really get snow the other day?! :eek:

[aprilbride]

Emily, we've been using the stern "no" when he does it which stops him but doesn't prevent him from doing it again later...He has 6 teeth and it hurts:-(

Yup, we did get snow. Not in the part of town we live in but other parts of town did. It was hailing on Friday when I drove home from work and a little on Saturday and it's cold!! I'm done with "winter"!:-)

[fancyn]

Emily, I'm happy to hear your party went so well! Gavin is absolutely adorable! Did he ever end up devouring the cake? DS is the first grandkid for both sides of our family so needless to say ours was spoiled too. We did the cleaning our of "baby" toys to make room for "big boy" toys. Ha! The toys still are overflowing the toy box and there's a huge pile next to it of bigger stuff. Good luck with that one! :rolleyes: ;)

Claudia, Nicholas went through about a month of biting too. I don't think at this age there is really anyway to prevent them from doing it, just keeping a consistent reaction will probably help. As for the goobery eyes, that was us last week. It started last Sunday night and I thought it was b/c he'd bumped himself in the eye on the table. As the week progressed both eyes worsened into green stuff. Finally on Friday I called the dr. and they asked me to bring him in. Come to find out, we're dealing with yet another double ear infection! :rolleyes: I feel awful b/c who knows how long he's had it. Or, if the first ones never cleared up. Poor guy. He seemed like his usual happy self. :o

Other than that it was a great weekend. DS and I have this new game called "I'm gonna get you" where I give him this onry look and he starts running and I chase. We'll go circles b/w the kitchen and living room where I cut him off, grab him, and raspberry his cheek. Oh my, the belly laughs just melt my heart!

[Chelle D]

Wow, things are quiet over here.

Emily - The party looks like it was fun!! Thanks for sharing so many pictures, I love seeing pictures of all the little ones.

Things here are not so great. Maxwell is so difficult when it comes to napping and waking up in the middle of the night. I give him an hour of crying and sobbing and heavy breathing and he still does nto put himself to sleep at naptime. Then, I give up, rock him 2 minutes and he is out! I have no idea what to do, but my hair is getting more gray with every naptime. At night, he wakes up between 3-4 and plays, then cries and cries. This morning I could not find the FREAKIN paci (he had just had it 40 minutes before) and I threw a fit (along with a dinosaur toy and the Dutalier ottoman :eek: ) about it. He was crying, and I brought him in to his dad so I could try to find the "suck-suck" as we call it and I had a meltdown. It totally disappeared from the crib....

So after a good cry, I got up to start my day. Today I had to work so I am at work now, tired as heck. I feel like I have been trying so hard to let him self soothe over the last few months and it is not working at all.

Other than napping issues and nighttime separation anxieties, he is doing great. He is eating all sorts of foods and tries everything. I think he may be walking around his first birthday in May and is very happy and laid back most of the time, just like he has been since he was born. But those naps.... :(

[EmilyK]

I kind of feel like I don't have anything to post about. :( I see the little man for 30 minutes in the morning when I feed him breakfast, change his diaper & clothes, then send him off to the sitter with DH. I get home in time to dress him for bed, play/snuggle for 10-15 minutes and then put him to bed. I don't have the opportunity to have any "issues". Don't mind me, I'm just depressed about how little time I actually get with him. :rolleyes: Thankfully, I'm supposed to be transferring to a closer office at the beginning of April which means I'll be getting a little over an hour more in the evenings. I just wish he didn't get so exhausted by 6:10!! I absolutely live for my weekends...

Still not walking yet, though I've been trying to have him walk around while only holding on with one hand. That works for a few steps and then he drops to the floor to crawl where he wants to go. Silly boy.

Chelle, sorry you guys are still struggling so much with his sleep... it amazes me how quickly they can lose a paci from a crib! When DS still had them in his crib (he never sucked on them, but liked to chew/play at night), we would find a stash in the back corner on the floor below his bed. I think he just wanted to see how many he could accumulate!! ;)

Nancy, we play the "gonna get you" game too, except mine doesn't run away yet! :p

[Katie-Did]

Chelle - I'm sorry too that you've been having sleep challenges. All I can do is comiserate... when Aaron was around 11 months we went through a really tough 6 weeks. He fought naps, and was up A LOT in the night and the only thing that worked was for me or my DH to rock him back to sleep. Thankfully, one day he was back to being a good sleeper. Now at 14 months he fights naps infrequently, and hasn't been awake at night for months (knock on wood - watch him be up tonight, just because I'm writing this! :rolleyes: ) Hopefully Maxwell will sort himself out soon, and you all will get more sleep. As for the pacis - we keep at least 3 in Aaron's crib at all times. He only gets them in his crib, but he throws them out quite a bit so we try to stack the odds in our favor that he'll find one when he wants it.

We've been trying to "undo" a bad habit of Aaron's this week. When my DH's family was in town a week and a half ago, Aaron put his plate (containing spaghetti of course!) on his head. The whole table cracked up. Guess what he's been doing every meal since then? After over a week of his parents giving a stern "no," and taking the plate away, I think he's finally starting to catch on that we don't think it's funny after all. He's been enjoying his nightly baths though (he usually only gets one every other day).

[MinEaston]

Katie - the spaghetti plate on the head trick cracked me up, too. But yep, you give them any kind of reaction and they'll remember. Anna sits in a booster seat at our dining room table. Without the booster seat tray, she can put her foot up on the table. And will proceed to just sit there and act normal otherwise. DH made a big deal of it, which only encouraged her (she's almost 13 months). So we've been trying the ignore tactic now.

(((Chelle))) - I don't know what daycare does with Anna for naps, but here at home and when she is with my parents 2x week, we still rock her or walk her to sleep. At night she still nurses and then I put her down half-asleep. I do remember her fighting naps back in late Dec and into January, when she was about Maxwell's age, so hang in there the best you can. Do what your gut tells you. I've been doing that and so far, so good.

Anna's 1-year checkup was yesterday. Not only did she get the varicella and MMR needles, she also got a TB test in her forearm. So far, I've seen absolutely NO change in her behavior or temperament whatsoever, so I guess I'm really lucky with that. She's 19lbs and 27", a tiny little girl but well-proportioned. She's the smallest walker most people have seen!

[sweetpea]

i have an adorable 16 month old up for grabs...for free. you can have her. i give up. totally and completely. she has been laying in her crib after i put her down and crying on/off for an hour and not falling asleep till 9 p.m. fine, except that sleep begets sleep for my child so...then she wakes up at 6 a.m. (an hour early) then naps for only 1 1/2 hours (usually 3 plus hours). fine, so i put her to bed early tonight and she is now back there screaming after being asleep for 1 hour. whatever is wrong with her, she better get over it. i am so done with her attitude and clinginess and constant GRUNTING! i taught her signs so she could communicate except that she grunts to get our attention, then signs. or grunts when she points to somethign in a book, grunts as she walks around, all day all the time. STOP GRUNTING!!!!!!

okay, i feel a bit better...now back to your previously scheduled thread. i need a drink. the stiffer the better. and a full time job.

[fancyn]

Don't know if my comments would be appropriate right now, but here are my thoughts SWEETPEA - she's tired. You know that and you know that they act AWFUL when children are tired. I watched DS for 15 mins tonight bang his head on the ground and punch the cabinets :eek: all b/c he was tired/ mad/ lonely/ etc. Not quite sure (never ended up doing the signing thing). BUT, he knows when he pushes my buttons and tonight I had to walk away. He finally found his set of books and entertained himself...after I had pulled out every stop I know AND tried cuddle/snuggle time. He was totally content w/o me...Hurt my feelings but I realized he wanted his time JUST like I want my adult time. I'm on wine glass #2 for you (and Me totally). If you want something stiffer...the KU game is on tomorrow and I PLAN on celebrating! It's all a phase and this too shall pass. BUT, take comfort that your stress levels ARE felt else where! Your house is soooooo beautiful in such a short time...DH is under just as much (just different :rolleyes: stress). All in all, a few weeks from now, life will be good. I will say a prayer for you'll tonight. Get some much deserved sleep and take care...

[Katie-Did]

((((sweatpea))))
Sometimes being a SAHM is so tough, isn't it? I love Aaron so much, but some days it is exhausting, tedious and boring to be home with him. And when he gets into a yucky sleep pattern, it makes it all the worse. It seems like with him if he gets off of his good napping, it makes everything worse for a few days before I can get him back on track. I hope you and Emma have a good day today - get out and enjoy if you can!

I'm taking Aaron to a play group we've been going to later this morning. Aaron loves it, but it's not very much fun for me. I'm new to this small town, and am having a hard time "breaking in" to the long established circles. The other kids that go to this group are all older than Aaron, so the moms can let them play free. I have to watch Aaron like a hawk because of all the bigger kids careening around on their tricycles, etc. Not many of the other moms have made an effort to get to know me at all, which is depressing. I know of no other avenue to meet other SAHMs in this town, so I'll keep going for a while. At least it gets us out of the house, and Aaron loves playing with the toys there and being around the other kids.

Happy Friday (and St. Patrick's Day) everyone!

[sweetpea]

thank you. you're right nancy, she is totally pooped and now she has a runny nose. she woke up every hour last night. no joke. every single hour screaming bloody murder=no sleep for anyone. i just put her down for her nap. and katie you are even more right--being a SAHM is boring and exhausting. like having a little boss always breathing down your back. and when she doesn't feel good it's really hard and lack of sleep makes it even more difficult. i know i shouldn't complain..i am very blessed, but i also am very tired and talking to DH about it just makes him frustrated. i feel so trapped and tired of all this. just depressed, i guess. i pray warm weather and spring truly do arrive soon.

[aprilbride]

(((Sweatpea)))) ((((Katie-Did))))) I hope today will be a better day! I really don't know what to add other than that I have a huge amount of respect for SAHM's, I don't know how you do it...I'm not cut out for it and sometimes wish I was!

[jphilg]

Sweetpea, Katy, I hear you! The transition from working professional to SAHM-with-a-few-side-projects has been one of the hardest of my life. I do get bored sometimes, and I am lonely lots of the time. There are tons of kids in my neighborhood, but I am the only SAHM. I feel like some crazy stalker, checking out the cars in the driveways of my friends, waiting for them to get home so I can go over and chat (just what they want to do with their precious kid-time). I've got my summer planned out based on who will be around on maternity leave. Its pretty pathetic.

I have been struggling a little the past few weeks, too, with SAHM blues. I feel so selfish, since many of the women I know fantasize about being able to stay home with their kids. But frankly, Saskia's not that engaging, 10 hours a day, every day. I can only imagine that it will get harder as we enter the terrible twos. Right now, she's going through a fussy phase because she wants to walk, but can't, so she constantly wants me to lend a finger so she can wobble across the room. As soon as she plunks down, fussy again.

I don't know what the answer is. I just keep reaching out and trying to find things to do. I have a small business catering and teaching cooking classes, which actually keeps me pretty busy, but I still need more structure. I'm thinking of checking out a new gym today. It has childcare, and I could definitely use some more workouts in my life. I've also though about looking for some sort of volunteer thing that I could either do from home, or bring Saskia along. Sigh. I never fantisize about going back to my old job, but I do wonder if there might be a kinder, gentler kind of law I could practice while also parenting the way I want to. But honestly, we're planning v2.0 pretty soon, so it makes sense to me to keep doing what I am doing for a couple of years.

Anyhow, this is sort of a longwinded way of saying "I hear you, sister!" But I don't know what the answer is.

[mst]

Lots of hugs all around. (((Emily))) and (((SAHMs)))

I have always wanted to be a SAHM, and always feel guilty and old-fashioned about it. And, really guilty about the money I do not make. I have a friend who works who was complaining to me about how she feels like SAHM and society looks down on her for wanting to work. I sat there with my mouth hanging open, because I had always looked at it from my perspective, and never realized there was guilt in the other direction too!

Jen- I joined the Mom's Club (I think it is momsclub.org?), and they are always doing things. In fact, I am the sloth who barely does things. Especially now that we are moving, I feel like I don't want to make friends to leave them. I have enjoyed watching your journey as I love law, but emotionally know that I am not cut out for it- I don't have a tough enough skin. But, I envy those who do, and have enjoyed watching you make the choices that you have. Kind of gives me a perspective.

I keep thinking that I should sew baby stuff to make money, but the marketing sounds yucky, and probably so many people can sew. I don't know, I still think about it...

[MinEaston]

((((Wobbler Moms)))) I think we all need one.

NewMrsG posted this article on the PG thread. I think it's very insightful and you will all enjoy it.

Moms at War: Attacking Each Other, and Themselves

By Leslie Morgan Steiner
Special to The Washington Post
Monday, March 6, 2006; C10

I stood chatting with a neighbor, a stay-at-home mom whose kids go to the local public school with my children. I was writing a book exploring the tension and confusion between working and stay-at-home moms and so I asked what my neighbor thought of moms who work outside the home.

Her immediate response: "Oh, I feel so sorry for them."

My cheeks flushed like a child with a fever. This woman felt sorry for me? For all the moms at our school who work to support their families, to show their kids that women can work, who work to change the world, who work to keep their sanity? I turned away.

All moms -- paid and unpaid -- work. We all know that, but still, there's a lot I haven't understood about other moms since I became one myself. I can't fathom why some working moms stay stuck in too-demanding jobs or careers that they openly resent because of the quality (and quantity) of time they miss with their kids. What I know for certain, because I see it almost every day, is that working and at-home moms misunderstand and envy each other in the corrosive, fake-smiling way we women have perfected over the eons.

Nothing was going to stop me, an optimistic college student in the 1980s, from cherry-picking the best of my mom's and dad's worlds -- hands-on motherhood and a fulfilling career. I worked hard. I put myself through business school. I married at 30 and had my first child two years later. By then, I was a marketing executive at Johnson & Johnson and I'd launched a new product, Splenda sweetener, throughout South America, the Mideast and Australia. The chairman knew my first name.

As much as I loved my work, rocking our newborn son felt like mainlining Valium. I thought I might stay home. My OB-GYN, a mom with three kids, tried to stop me. "You don't want to make such an important decision during maternity leave," she said as I lay on the examining table for my six-week postpartum checkup. "You've got hormones and exhaustion clouding your judgment. Life is long. You can always quit after six months, a year."

I went back to my job the Tuesday after Memorial Day, Max's 3-month birthday. I was amazed to be paying another woman to do what I craved most in the world, to stay home with my little bird. While I drove out of the driveway, dressed in a black coatdress and full makeup for the first time in weeks, my heart lay beating on the changing table.

I got through the day with a single vow: Don't cry.

Soon enough, Max came to work with me, spending his days at the company day-care center. I could see his nursery window from the boardroom window, and I breast-fed him during lunch. My boss said yes when I asked to work at home two days a week, granting me a gift more priceless than a briefcase of stock options: time with my child.

I've worked a variety of part-time and full-time jobs since then and am on a year-long sabbatical from my job as an advertising executive with The Washington Post. My career has progressed and I have had two more children. I've combined the best of my mother's and father's worlds, largely through years of education and careful career choices that have afforded a handsome prize: rewarding, lucrative part-time work that leaves time for my family. I have no doubt that my life, as well as my family's, is immeasurably richer due to my decision to combine work and motherhood.

Of course, it's rarely easy. I don't often have ironed clothes and blow-dried hair on the same day. I could store my three kids' winter clothes in the bags under my eyes. Despite my ambitions and MBA, it's not likely that I'm going to be president of any company anytime in my life.

I am always pulled in two equally compelling, mutually exclusive directions. I once left my daughter crying in her highchair during a conference call, shutting the kitchen door to block out her wails. More times than I can count, colleagues have wrapped up jobs for me so I could get to the day-care center before my kids were turned over to foster care. I rush along deliriously busy, in love with some project. Until-- bam! -- I miss my children so much it's as though a large block of ice has suddenly replaced my stomach.

Finding one's balance between work and family can be a torturous task for any mom. Complicating every mom's personal dilemma is the societal tension between working mothers and stay-at-home ones. Motherhood in America is fraught with defensiveness, infighting, ignorance and judgment about what's best for kids, families and women. Wouldn't we be far better off if we accepted and supported all good, if disparate, mothering choices? Aren't moms ultimately united in our quest to stay sane, raise good kids, provide each other with succor and support, and protect humankind from the overly aggressive, overly logical male half of the species?

The evidence, unfortunately, does not support a united sisterhood. I remember a morning when, dressed for the office at 8 a.m., I
(somewhat) frantically dropped my kids off at school while my husband sat on a plane to somewhere. In the space of 20 minutes on the playground, three stay-at-home moms lobbed greetings that felt like sly, wholly unwarranted commentary on my life. Jabs about wearing pantyhose, the rush I was always in, and the ultimate: "I don't know how you do it." (Accompanied by patronizing smile.) But at least the stay-at-home moms talked to me.

Later that day I was dressed in sweats, sitting on the floor at the kids' weekly computer class. A working mom rushed in, clad in child- unfriendly leather skirt and high-heel boots (quite similar to the ones I had recently peeled off), impatient for her child to finish. She glanced at me on the floor as if I were an oversize rodent. In lieu of a greeting, she rapped on the glass door to get her child's attention. Maybe she didn't remember her kid's name. In one day, I rocketed from damning the holier-than-thou stay-at-home moms to damning those snotty working ones.

There is no good reason for working moms to treat stay-at-home mothers like dirt (invisible dirt but dirt nonetheless). Working moms might conceivably be grateful to moms who stay home and run our schools, our communities, a good chunk of our kids' worlds. At-home moms might arguably appreciate the working moms staying late to get the big promotions, fighting to increase women's presence on company boards and the front page of the Wall Street Journal and campaigning to win elections. Without the money, the power and the loudspeaker that successful careers bring, women will never have the collective bargaining power to make the world better for ourselves, our children and all the women who can't leave abusive husbands, the ones who wear veils, the moms who earn less than minimum wage cleaning houses and don't have choices about birth control or prenatal care or any other kind of care.

That same morning on the playground, right after the stay-at-home moms had had their verbal way with me and I was scurrying out of the schoolyard, my daughter's pre-K teacher beckoned me with one finger.

I don't have time to talk to her, I thought.

She had on one of her 33-year-old son's Redskins T-shirts, pulled down over a faded purple Indian batik skirt. Her long white hair hung to her elbows. Her red lipstick was on crooked. If you put a crown and shimmery dress on her, she'd look just like an aged Glinda the Good Witch, headed for the Oz nursing home. The other parents and I call her the Goddess of Pre-K.

She gently but firmly grabbed my elbow, exactly as I'd seen her do to my daughter on Morgan's bossiest days. She'd overheard those stay-at-home-mom comments. Wisdom radiated from her green eyes.

"Did anyone ever tell you how beautiful you are?" Mrs. Rahim whispered so that the swirling crowd of stay-at-home moms, lingering by the school door, couldn't hear. "You are a happy mom. Your face glows with it. That's what matters most to your kids. I think you should have 10 more children. Now go to work." I could tell she wanted to pat my Liz Claiborne-clad tush as I walked away, smiling as if she'd tied a pink balloon to my wrist.

[fancyn]

Mineaston - thanks for posting that. i read it on the other thread and was going to mention it here. I think both has pros/cons...just like everything in life. I'll have to second what Emily said about living for the weekends. I get to see DS for 2-3 hours in the evenings and that's it. I'd post more if I had more quality time to spend. My evenings are spent trying to entertain and cook dinner. Work has been so hectic too, that I'm not nearly posting as often as I used to. I have been following the thread, BTW.

Ah, green beer for everyone on me!! ;) Hang in the everyone - the weekend is almost upon us!! :D:D:D

[EmilyK]

Well, this weekend was really nice. :) I think DS is trying to say "all done" when he's full... I repeated what he was saying (sounds like "Ah dah") and it hit me that he was trying to say he was finished! He also claps his hands when he says it. We're still working on getting him to hold his own cup. The sitter is really cracking on us because he won't hold it on his own, but he never held his own bottles. :confused: We work with him, but he just doesn't "get it" or want to hold it. We did discover that he likes feta cheese (this really grosses DH out, because he can't stand the stuff). :p

Still no progress on walking. I "walked" him around DSW while we were shopping for shoes, but he insisted on holding both of my hands the entire time. Somebody suggested that we walk with him holding onto a pencil (or something similar, not sharpened of course) and then let go once he gets going so he thinks he's still getting help. I don't think I'll try this until he can walk with only one hand supported.

[MinEaston]

Em - sounds like a great opportunity (IMHO) to introduce the "all-done" sign! But he has one of his own, in a way - clapping his hands together. Anna's picking up signs quickly now (the first one she mastered was "nurse" :rolleyes: ). She knows "all done," "nurse," "bath," and we are working on "more."

Her favorite word is Papa. And "caaaa," which is duck. (like quack). It's positively hilarious.

[EmilyK]

:D You know that "CK" sound in the back of your throat? That's "cat" for Gavin. He does it every time he sees one of the cats, which is pretty often. We've been trying to teach signs, but since the sitter doesn't do it with him (or notice when he's doing signs at her) it's hard to get through to him. He does seem to be coming up with his own. He does the "eat" sign, and smacks his lips when he wants fruit. If I didn't know to look for the signs, I would probably miss most of them. "Drink" is the biggest one he knows and does all. the. time. We liken it to being trained monkeys... baby does sign, mommy/daddy jumps to get a drink. Cool! :cool:

[Chelle D]

Ahhh, this thread must be reading my mind (well, what's left of it :rolleyes: ). I have to agree with everyone. When I was younger, I was going to have kids, a career, the whole enchilada. Then I met DH, decided I was not sure what I wanted to be when I grew up, but knew that I wanted to be a wife and a mom most of all and stopped the career stuff. Then, I was hit with being sterile before my first anniversary and became determined to have a child and find a way to stay home. We worked our tails off, cut more corners than I knew there were and finally had Maxwell with the help of many prayers and a team of medical professionals :) Oh, life was perfect....a fresh little baby and I had it worked out to only work 2 days per week and we would pay off our debt and all was terrific. Now, 10 months later, I am still working 2 full days, started another part-time job as a Pampered Chef consultant to try to help more financially around here and I still have doubts about wanting to stay home. I am about 80% sure I am meant to stay home even more than I do now, but sometimes I am so thankful for the days away, even if they are at a job I do not like. For me, being a SAHM is the HARDEST job I have ever had and I have had some bad ones :) But also, I have never had a huge desire to be anything in particular. I went to school, graduated high in my class, went to college, but was never driven toward a specific field. I think if I did have a desier to be something in particular, I would be in that field and pushing myself forward, but that did not happen for me. When I got married, I felt driven toward being a mother and it was the first time I felt something so strongly. So, for me, I think I am doing what I need to do. Although, I do sometimes have a baby up for grabs too.

[Katie-Did]

Good morning! I hope that all of the other mommies and wobblers are having a good week so far.

Aaron is upstairs in his crib playing instead of sleeping. I thought he was transitioning to 1 nap from 2 six weeks ago, but it seems like he truly is now. I keep putting him in his crib for a rest, even if he doesn't sleep, because he gets so tired and cranky around 9:00. Sometimes he'll take a short snooze, and other times just play for a while. I'm not in a hurry for him to make a complete transition. If he doesn't sleep in the morning at all he still will only take a 1 1/2 hour nap in the afternoon. Is this normal as he makes the transition? If he's only going to take 1 nap I want it to be at least 2 hours!

Our big challenge right now isn't really sleeping with him - it's table "manners"! He's still doing the put the plate on his head thing (as he says, "no"). Now he's started to throw food! He usually only does it at dinner. After 1 or 2 warnings we declare his dinner to be over and take him out of his highchair. I worry that he'll be hungry and be up in the night, but that hasn't happened so far. Any other ideas on how to handle this latest phase?

[EmilyK]

Katie-did, is it possible to give him his food on the tray of the chair instead of on a plate? Maybe make a point of taking the plate away from him when he tries to put it on his head. If he starts to throw the food, take it all away from him and just feed him one bite at a time. I know Gavin will throw his food off the tray if he's tired of being in the chair or is full. We don't give him a plate to mess with, any self-feeding is done on his high-chair tray. (keep in mind, I'm a few months behind you, so I haven't really gotten to this phase yet, I'm just trying to come up with ideas) Good luck!

[fancyn]

Morning All! Ack!! Crazy week already. I took Nicholas in yesterday to follow up on his double ear infections, and supposedly there is still fluid, but no infection. Humph. Why does he keep digging in his ears and holding his head? :confused: They blame it on a nasty cold and drainage, etc. Whatever. If he's not better by the end of the week, we'll be back. I'm just sick of paying the office and the pharmacy on a bi-weekly basis. :rolleyes: But, his mood hasn't changed one bit. Tonight I'll try to post more pics. He's getting so big!

Emily, YAY for Gavin!! I knew he'd be talking soon. It takes a "mama's" ear sometimes to decipher what they are saying, but he's definitely moving in the right direction. Keep repeating what he does, and you might find more words he's trying to say. I'm SO excited for you!!! :)

Katie, DS is down to one nap a day (unless he's sick). Sometimes it's an 1.5 hours, other times it's more like 2.5 to 3. Yesterday, he only had 45 mins! :eek: WHen we got home from the dr.'s, I put him in his crib for 30 mins, thinking he was so exhausted he'd crash. Huh, yeah right. He talked/laughed/played until I finally got him out. And he still was in a cranky mood. :rolleyes: As far as the food thing goes, I second Emily and just serve him on the tray to break up the routine. Then revisit the idea of a plate in a week or two. My problem is, DS will tell me he's done and I don't think there could be any way b/c he hasn't eaten much. But once the food starts going anywhere but his mouth, he's done. I guess I should just listen when he tells me. :rolleyes:

[Katie-Did]

I've thought about just not giving Aaron a plate. He's doing so well with feeding himself with a spoon, though - and he only has a chance when he has the sides of the plate to help him out. I keep hoping that he'll stop putting it on his head if we basically ignore it and just take the plate away... AND if we don't give him a plate, he just puts the food itself on his head! I just tell myself, this will pass soon, this will pass soon...

He took about an hour nap this morning. I hear him now, time for a morning snack and then errands before lunch.

[aprilbride]

Good morning....what a weekend we had:-( We took the little man in on Friday because he kept touching his ear..sure enough, another infection. That would be # 5 and I think we're looking at tubes. Saturday he threw up every time we gave him a bottle, but was his happy self...no incidents Sunday so we went to some friends house for a BBQ. All of a sudden, projectile vomit:-( Sure enough, DH and I get the same thing Sunday night, it was horrible:-( DH had to leave on a business trip yesterday morning and felt so bad he had to leave us. I kept Elliott home yesterday but we had no more incidents so today he went back to school and I went back to work. Unfortunately, the friends we visited with came down with the same thing yesterday:-(( Fun stuff...DH is feeling better as well so things are looking up.
On Saturday we're signed up for our first "Mommy and Me" swim class. The thought of getting into a swimsuit is not exactly thrilling me but oh well...

Hope everyone is having a good week!

[fancyn]

Yuck Claudia - I hope everyone's feeling better soon! Well, little man had a better day yesterday AND took a 3 hour nap! He was in a great mood when we got home and him an I had around an hour of alone time to play. It was nice. As promised....a recent pic. :D http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid202/p448b060e4b43de12fe67171744134859/efbf8524.jpg

[Molli526]

Wanted to drop in while the little man is napping.

We are at the hospital :( Charles was admitted yesterday after weekend of not keeping anything down.

The vomitting started early Sunday morning and was off and on over the next 36 hours. We took him to the ER early yesterday in the morning, and here we are. As miserable as it is to have him here, I feel so much safer with him having an IV attached. He hasn't been able to keep any solids down - well, half a graham cracker square and a bite or two of jello.

We will most likely be here until tomorrow, as we don't want to take him home until he can keep something down vs. getting him home and doing the whole ER thing again :(

Please keep some good thoughts for Charles.

[aprilbride]

Nancy, what a cute picture!! He's adorable:-)) Thanks for the well wishes..we're doing better but still not 100%. We have yet another dr. appt. on Friday and I'm hoping his ear will have cleared up by then...I'm fairly sure Elliott is going to have to get tubes.

Since we're sharing pics, here are our latest. A photographer came to Elliott's school and I signed him up just for the fun of it, but the pics turned out so cute I had to buy them..go figure!

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid202/p7e86d0736ef53be4aefffca773c874cc/efbf5a40.jpg http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid202/pbf1fd42b4f07b628644c683a90fbb7e2/efbf5a35.jpg http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid202/pc5ce3152a956912ce8d81005781743ff/efbf5a2f.jpg

[EmilyK]

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid202/pc5ce3152a956912ce8d81005781743ff/efbf5a2f.jpg
I just LOVE this one!! They're so cute!

Nancy, I can't believe how big Nicholas is getting... love the dumptruck, too!

(((Molli))) Poor Charles! I hope things improve quickly for him and you guys can get home. Take care and you guys are in my thoughts and prayers...

[aprilbride]

((((Molli and Charles))))) We must have been posting at the same time....how scary!! Do they know what's been causing this?? Reading this made my stomach sink because we had the same issues over the weekend but they seem to be getting better. Good thoughts coming your way, hopefully Charlie will feel better!

[fancyn]

Thanks guys, I think he's pretty cute too. ;) The dump truck was a $10 Walmart special, meant to go outside when the weather is nice. Can you believe he actually put himself in there. :confused:

((((Charles and Molli))) OMG, do they know what he has - something besides the flu? Hang in there and hopefully things will improve quickly. Thoughts and prayers are with you too. :(

[sweetpea]

katie--they make bowls/cups with big suction cups on the bottom so you can suction it to the tray/table..might be worth finding? :)

molli--praying for charles! hugs all around...

thanks for the posting that long post MinEaston--exactly right! i have no desire to get a job though :o well, not a full time one right now with everything going on...maybe a part time one is in my future! off to get DD--up already from her nap :(

[Katie-Did]

I too hope that Charles feels better soon! Keep us updated...

Nicholas and Elliott are very cute! It's amazing to watch all of these little ones grow.

Thanks for the suggestions with Aaron's bad "manners," everyone. Sweatpea - we did try the suction bowls, but my little guy is so strong he thought it was fun to pull them off the tray! We did have success today - a whole day with no plate on his head! He didn't need a bath tonight for the first night in weeks, but my DH is giving him one anyway. I think they both like their father, son bonding time. I know I like having 20 minutes to myself in the evening.

[Chelle D]

Molli - I hope Charles is feeling better soon. Poor little guy - keep us updated.

Claudia - Those are SO cute! That's what happened to me with Maxwell and his pictures done by Antiquities (one is my avatar). They are just too cute not to buy. I hope Elliot is feeling better soon too.

Katie - I tried the suction plates with Maxwell too and he rips them off the tray quite easily :rolleyes: I am happy it is going better for you.

Amanda - You do have a part time job! :) I have a friend with twins that you made slippers for (Kyle and Courtnie) and I gave her your contact info so hopefully she will have you busy soon.

Nancy - That is so cute that Nicholas put himself in there! He is so cute.

Okay, I love to see all these pics and I love to share some of my little dude so here are a couple recent favs:

Maxwell playing with his friend Lydia. I love this one because he is so amused and Lydia is all, "Whatever Maxwell :rolleyes: "

http://family.dinesen.us/gallery/albums/10-Months/DSC02220.sized.jpg


And here is my little dude standing (as he does all day long!)

http://family.dinesen.us/gallery/albums/10-Months/DSC02245.sized.jpg

[Molli526]

Thanks for your good thoughts and prayers.

We may get to go home tonight! Really crossing my fingers.

So far, Charles has kept down 2 saltine crackers, a couple bites of jello, and ~3oz of a popsicle.

He also had a HUGE diarrhea. which the Dr's say it means the vomitting should lessen, and as long as he keeps taking fluids in, we are in the home stretch. They said they don't keep kids in for diarrhea.

They think it is either Rotovirus or just a nasty GI virus.

[aprilbride]

Chelle, the picture of Maxwell and his little friend is priceless!! So adorable.....and funny. Our boys are getting so big! I actually remember the pictures of Maxwell, don't you have one of him sitting in a tub as well?

Well, it seems like this stomach virus is making its rounds at daycare, our friends little girl (the same one we visited with on Sunday, she also goes to Elliott's school) was throwing up again yesterday and one teacher in her room got it, too. I'm just hoping that since we've already been through it it won't come back!

Here's a question for those of you that have transitioned to regular milk...how did you go about it? Do you just replace formula bottles/breastfeeding sessions with milk in a cup or do you offer a cup of milk with every meal, but not necessarily right after getting up/before going to bed? Elliott loves his cup and I don't think we'll have a problem transitioning all the bottles to cups, but I'm just not sure how to incorporate regular milk. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[NMG]

Hi everyone - man, I feel like I haven't been able to post in ever.
Molli - I hope Charles will be able to come home tonight - poor baby. At least they admitted him to keep an eye on him and didn't send you around in circles.
Nancy - Nicholas is so cute - I love how he plopped himself in the truck! I hope the fluid clears up in his ears - Mikey constantly tugs at his ear (no ear infection, just a ton of teeth)
Chelle - Maxwell looks like such a happy little man!! He and his little friend almost look like twins!!
Aprilbride - Those pics Elliott turned out awesome!! So cute!! On the milk issue - we started off doing 1 oz whole milk to 5 oz formula for a few days then bumped it up and oz and lessened the amount of formula. Mikey has been soley on whole milk for about a month now and I offer it to him at all meals in a sippy cup (he hasn't had a bottle in a long time - just lost interest) - usually after dinner if he hasn't finished his milk, I leave it out for him for an hour and then offer him water for the rest of the evening. Mikey did still take a nighttime bottle while we were switching over (well, he had a bottle about 1-1/2 hrs before bedtime). Needless to say, Mikey seems to love milk so we don't have a problem with having to warm it for him (that's one of the few ways Tesa would drink any milk for a long time - even in a sippy - now she drinks it cold, but prob only 2 cups a day).
I know I'm a little late on the working mom/SAHM part - but I wish I could stay home, I love Thurs because I call Tesa at my MIL and talk to her for a few mins (I don't see the kids in the am because I try and get out of the house by 6:00 so I can leave work between 3:00 adn 3:30. Dh takes them to the sitter and I pick them up because I get home earlier) - Dh and I have looked into every possile cut back and there is no way I can stay home right now if we want to stay in our neighborhood. I always feel guilty doing housework in the evenings (although I do always cook dinner and a lot of the times Tesa helps when she can or her and Mikey "cook" in there little kitchen). Then if I do housework, I feel guilty not spending the little bit of time I have with them in the evenings.......I don't know, there's obviously pros and cons on both ends so its almost like a never ending battle within myself :( On a better note - I finally picked up the pics from Mikey and Tesa's cake battle (and that cake I made and poorly decorated!!! Oh well - it tasted good). Here's a few of the pics for some good laughs :D
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid202/pf063737c417ee8cbfc43d4d7caabeb52/efbcf21d.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid202/pfbb9da60213c9e9fb74e142cd73efedc/efbcf279.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid202/p2ee67e5a8f0492eee59c0092615edbe8/efbcf242.jpg

[Katie-Did]

I love the cake fight pictures! Especially the ones where they are digging in together and having such fun. And I don't think that cake is poorly decorated at all.

About transitioning to cow's milk - I remember being surprised at how quickly our pediatrician said we could do it. She said to start with 2 oz. of milk substituted for the formula for a few days. Then to up it by 2 oz. for another few days, etc. until we were all on milk. It didn't take us very long before we were off formula (and spending a lot less money feeding Aaron!) We kept giving Aaron a bottle at bedtime for longer than I think we needed to, and then gave a cup for a few weeks. Now he's not interested in it, so we're skipping it all together. It was a big mental leap for me to go from thinking that his little tummy needed to be filled so frequently when he was a little baby, to now when he'll go 12 hours between dinner and breakfast.

[sweetpea]

i love all the pics! i need to get one in her of emma...hmm...do i remember how? :o

about starting cow's milk--emma was nursing so i just began offering her a cup of milk about 11 months with her meals. i didn't mix it with bmilk or anything, just gave it to her straight in the cup. she transitioned fine...not how everyone usually does it but i wasn't really pumping much *and was too lazy to do it* so i just gave it to her with meals.

Here's a pic of emma totally not liking her cousin's piano playing (she's the one with her head in her hand):
http://www.earmstrong3.photosite.com/~photos/tn/2169_104.ts1136913600000.jpg

here she is on her rocking moose wearing one of emilyk's sister's hats:
http://www.earmstrong3.photosite.com/~photos/tn/2350_104.ts1009861200000.jpg

another hat shot:
http://www.earmstrong3.photosite.com/~photos/tn/2357_104.ts1009861200000.jpg

[Katie-Did]

I'll jump in on the picture bandwagon. Here's a recent shot of Aaron:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid202/p15aa84901f786dc1f71a64ce825cafd4/efbab163.jpg

I have a question for you mommies: how much TV do your little ones watch? I'm not trying to start a debate about if toddlers should watch TV, etc. I know the AAP recommends no TV for kids under 2. However, Aaron has a cold and in a moment of desperation I turned on an Elmo DVD we were given a few days ago. He LOVED it, and has been asking for it frequently. It is very tempting to turn it on for him as these March days are cold and long. So far I have resisted, but I'm curious how much TV your kids watch, what they watch, etc.

[EmilyK]

Katie - Gavin hasn't been interested in TV much at all, so he rarely watches it. I think the sitter has it on for the other kids occasionally throughout the day and he enjoys watching Blues Clues with them. At our house, we sometimes will pause for a few minutes if Bob the Builder is on, but he quickly will shift back to playing with his toys. He just doesn't care to watch it. This is totally fine with us, because he will literally spend hours playing by himself with his toys. If we try to get down there with him, it just annoys him that we're interrupting play-time. :rolleyes: My few minutes with him in the evenings are usually him playing and me trying to get his attention.

Many of the IL's got him DVDs for Christmas and his birthday. He plays with his videos, as in: pulls them off his shelf and looks at them and talks to the characters on the cases. :p This is how he knows Bob. Whenever he pulled that one out, we'd ask him if he found Bob. We just haven't mentioned to the IL's that he doesn't watch these videos, but make sure they know how much he loves them. :D

[fancyn]

I'm totally loving all the pics, they are all so cute - and SWEETPEA, thanks for posting Emma's too - nice to have a little princess amongst all these boys! ;)

Katie - DS doesn't watch TV. At the sitter's it's on during drop off and pick-up times only, but he could care less. At home, we don't have a TV upstairs except in the kitchen, and it doesn't get turned on until he's down for the night. On Saturdays while DH watches him, he'll flip on sports and that WILL catch his eye, but only for a minute at the most. Not trying to debate either, I just don't see the need for them to watch TV. I maybe catch an hour if during the weeknights, and maybe a movie on Saturday nights. DH on the other hand lives in front of it. I just don't want to start such a bad habit so early, JMHO. SIL, on the other hand has DD watching baby Einstein (and regular TV) and the baby just loves it. It helps her get dinner ready, do laundry, etc. I guess it's just personal choice.

OK, time to revisit my dilema. :rolleyes: Tantrums. DS has a very high vocabulary and is able to communicate very well with us. So what's the problem you ask? Well, he thinks he should get everything he asks for on demand. If not, he flops, hits his head, kicks and hits. I've been very good at not giving into them. But, he's still too young to rationalize with, though we do it. He's not getting why he can't have/do something, he just wants it his way. This is making the evenings very stressful....and the sitter too. We've been doing toys in time out, even Nicholas in time out (which doesn't last but 30 secs but seems very effective). But when he flops down on the ground, I tell him why he can't have his way, and then I ignore him until he's finished. Am I doing the right thing here? Any suggestions?

[EmilyK]

Nancy, that's exactly what I would do if I were in your situation. If you give into the demands, they're just going to expect more from you. When Gavin is really tired (ie, cranky), he'll throw a fit if he doesn't get his way, but I just let him cry it out and then give him a snuggle. Just my opinion on how I would handle it. :cool: It sounds like he might be going through a phase.

If it helps to know, my sister threw her first fit at 3 months and it just went on from there. We had hard-wood floors and she would throw herself backwards onto the floor, smacking her head on it repeatedly. My mom thinks this is one of the reasons she suffers from migraines now. :eek: :rolleyes: I am SO thankful my little guy doesn't do that!!

It's kind of funny, I find myself watching Super Nanny (the one with Jo Frost, not the other one) and taking notes on how to handle different problems with kids. None of my friends have kids, so I have no idea how to do any of this stuff. :o

[fancyn]

Wow Em, thanks for such a prompt response! ;) DS has thrown "fits" since he was about 5 months, and your description of your sister describes exactly what he does. But these tantrums are like X5 of what they were. If you heard him, you'd think we were torturing him. And from those nanny shows too, I've learned that even negative attention will suffice when that's what they want. So, I guess I'll just keep "walking away" and follow up with a snuggle and keep my fingers crossed this will pass soon. Thanks lady!!

BTW, I love your new tag line now!! :D

[fancyn]

BUMP!! :confused:

[EmilyK]

Thanks! ;) DH cracks me up, and I told him this was my favorite thing he's ever written. Well, at least here on the boards! :D

[Katie-Did]

Thanks for your thoughts about TV. Our TV is rarely on, we don't have cable and only get a few channels so we really only watch movies after Aaron goes to bed a few times a week. Up until now when the TV has been on he hasn't had anything but a passing interest - but now he's asking for it all the time! I think I created a monster... Hopefully if I don't turn it on much when he's around he'll lose interest.

Re: Tantrums - I think you're doing the right thing too, Nancy. It's funny you brought it up, actually. Typically Aaron will wake up from his nap and will talk and play in his crib for at least 10 minutes and then will be happy. Today he woke up screaming, so I ran up to check on him. He wasn't hurt, didn't have a dirty diaper, and would not be comforted. I thought he was hungry, so I brought him downstairs and set him down while I fixed his snack. He laid down on the dining room floor and had his first full-out tantrum - screaming, kicking, etc. I went around the corner into the kitchen and after a second he was quiet - but as soon as I looked in on him he started up all over again! I decided to just let him lay there, and he did for 10 full minutes, not moving but not screaming. When he got up he signed "eat" and was fine. Go figure!

[sweetpea]

need help from you all please! my Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child is packed and moved already--can someone please check on something for me--emma is 17 months today and has started waking early and only napping for 1-1 1/2 hours per day--putting her at about 2-3 hours less sleep per day than she normally was getting 2 weeks ago. She sleeps from 7:30pm.. till 6:30 a.m. then the 1 1/2 hour nap for a total of 12 1/2 hours of sleep--can someone please see what she should be getting and if Dr. W has any advice about what might be going on, etc. i am in desperate need of more time to get stuff done/time to myself :) TIA!

[Molli526]

Amanda-

My HSHHC is loaned out, BUT I do know from reading it a few places at this age Emma should be getting 12-14 hours total sleep. At 3 yrs, it is 11-13. HTH!

[food girl]

I had a mothering epiphany this week. I had to meet DH at his office to sign some papers but I wanted to run by an art exhibit near his office real quick. (funky painted scateboards!) I didn't have time to be 'cute' i.e, fixed hair, make-up, a outfit that was thought about.... so, I opted for the "sporty -spice" look of workout clothes, sneakers and a ponytail so tight it hurt. When I got to DH office he looked at me and asked if I had been to the gym or what and I told him that that was exactly what I wantedpeople to think! But then I remembered the times, before Anna, that I would run down to the Panera before work or on the rare day off and I would see those momswith their workout or (gasp) tennis clothes on and the envy that I felt was unbelievable. I had this whole picture of what I thougt being a SAHM would be. Woo boy, was I wrong. I work 2 days a week which is nice but I feel so guilty... ack baby crying... I'll add more later.

((((hugs)))) to you all.

Lisa

[EmilyK]

Ugh... it has been a rough weekend. Gavin had his 1-year shots Friday evening. He weighed in at 19 pounds even and was 28.5" tall - yes, my guy truly IS a little guy. Both his height and weight are in the 5th %tile, while his noggin is in the 90th. :rolleyes: We'll just assume this means he's smart. ;) So, on to our family drama... he woke up earlier than normal on Saturday and was burning up. We expected it, since he usually has a pretty nasty reaction to the Hib shot. He's been miserable. All. Weekend. He's still burning up today, so we've been giving him regular doses of infant advil. <sigh> He's not eating much at all, because he just doesn't feel good. I really hope he's better by tomorrow, or else one of us will have to miss work. Because of stinking shots. I just needed to vent to people who would understand...

[sweetpea]

poor gavin and em and jon! hugs to you all...poor LITTLE :) guy! maybe today will be a turning point--just in time for you to have to go back to work :( but still...and i meant to comment on something you said in an earlier post about how gavin loves to play by himself--do you think that's b/c he is in daycare? emma wants me to always read her books or play blocks with her--never plays by herself--even if i am in eyesight she still wants to be WITH me. i am thinking a parents-day-out program would be good for her. she goes to the nursery at church on sundays and then again for 2 hours on wed. for Bible study--it's been good for her--i think she needs to LEARN how to enjoy her toys/books by herself...any suggestions?

[Luv to Cook]

sweetpea, did your DD recently transition to one nap? If so, you may want to try and move her bedtime up a little to 7:00 perhaps. She may be waking early because she is overtired, especially her sleep decreased suddenly.

[EmilyK]

Well, I totally dosed him up. I gave him his advil, then a dose of mylecon drops (he's been really gassy lately - the dr. even noticed how "puffed" his belly is), and put some anbesol on his gums. He seems to be feeling a little better now, though he still has the residual "hot" feel to him. I had Jon try to give him some more lunch, but he's still not interested (gets a mouthful of food and just cries).

You know, I have no idea why he plays by himself so well. I know he spends most of his active time at the sitter's house in the playroom with the other kids. He's the youngest one there. I know the sitter has had problems where Gavin will scream at her if she tries to walk away from him or leave him with the other kids. He's done that a few times with us, but it usually happens when he's over-tired. Most often, he'll hang with you on the floor for a few minutes, then wander off to play and talk to his toys. Part of me worries that he's abnormal in this behavior. He loves to figure things out: he knows how to put the lids on specific containers right-side down, put together legos and take them apart, etc. He doesn't put up with us reading to him and will shut the book after the first couple of pages. Makes me feel like a bad mommy that we don't read to him all the time, but he really doesn't have the patience for it! :o He will sit there for 20 minutes with a single book, turning pages on his own, talking to it, though. :rolleyes: Maybe it depends on the child's personality? I have no idea how to teach her to play by herself, though maybe our sitter has done something like that to help Gavin??

ETA: I decided he really needed a haircut and ended up completely chopping off his hair. :( It's his 2nd haircut, but now he doesn't look like our child!! Here are some pictures:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid202/pf735d0b7ed0e50adbe18a82e3499a42d/efb2ee15.jpg http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid202/p7cd8771d3152622685c2e65022d5b6e1/efb2edac.jpg

[Katie-Did]

Sweatpea - I can totally relate! I feel like the entertainment "committee" for Aaron most of the day. Sometimes I can look at a book or magazine while he's playing next to me without him protesting, but most of the time he wants to have a playmate or an audience. My hunch is that it's just a personality thing. Aaron is very social (as long as his mommy or daddy are near by). If I can get him interested in something different and new to him he'll play by himself for a while. But often my creativity runs out. I saw your quote in the new CL, by the way - you're famous! :)

Emily - How does Gavin do when you cut his hair? I've been thinking about (and partly dreading) Aaron's first haircut. Everyone talks about his wild hair, sometimes it makes me want to cut it, but most of the time I think it's cute. I hope Gavin's feeling better!

[sweetpea]

anita--she transitioned at about 14 months so we've been at this for a few months. i totally think she is overtired so i put her to bed at 7:30 p.m. for a week and it's not improved (her bedtime was 8 p.m.)--she was just getting up at the same time or earlier! yipes! and i am so used to that nice big nap so i can workout and do some other things so i don't really mind the early rise as long as she naps well. i think you are right though...totally pooped. i will start the 7 p.m. bedtime tomorrow. happy thoughts you all!

emily--ha! i love the pics! he DOES still look like your child..just with a homemade haircut! emma's gotten 2 haircuts too--in the bathtub while she is playing and could care less what i am doing. she has alot of hair in the back so i am working to limit the mullet on a 1 year old :) you could just buzz it all off JUST KIDDING! he looks just as darling as before--and soon it will grow out--and i got a chuckle out of it all! thanks!

[EmilyK]

Amanda, I asked DH about the whole "how do you teach your kid to play alone" thing. He said that Gavin probably just has his (DH's) personality... when he was a kid, his mom babysat in her home, so he was around a lot of kids. He never went in search of people to play with and preferred to play on his own most of the time. Sure, he played with the other kids when they were around, but he still was more of a loner. When he described it, it really did sound a lot like Gavin. So, that probably has something to do with it. I haven't asked my mom what I was like as a kid - I'm assuming I was pretty needy. ;)

I used the electric clippers to do his hair, with the longest clip (1") on the top and the 3/4" one for the back and sides. He did okay, though I had to curtail my wails of horror when I took that first swipe down the middle front of his head and realized how short I was cutting it. :eek: DH had to tell me to freak out afterwards, so the boy wasn't upset about me being upset. :o He wimpered sometimes, because the cord got in his face or because the buzzing on his head bothered him. I just did it on the floor while he played with his toys (and got covered in blond fluff). He did get VERY leary when I came at him with the scissors to trim around his ears, but overall he did really great.

When my mom saw it, she thought he looked really cute... and then mentioned that she would search her clipper box to see if she has any longer attachments to give to me. :D I'm waiting to see what MIL says... :rolleyes: DH had HUGE blond ringlets when he was 3 years old, so I'm not sure if he had a hair-cut early on.

Oh yes, (to keep adding to my book) the fever finally broke this morning and my baby was back as far as his personality goes. He wasn't thrilled about me taking his temp, but I had to make sure he was a-okay to go to the sitter's house. I hate shots.

[fancyn]

Sheesh...This thread has been incredibly busy over the weekend. So much catching up, so little time. I'll post more later but here's my condensed version :p

Sweetpea - Grrr....that nap/sleep thing is tricky. I don't own HSHHC but Molli's recommendations are right from what I've read else where. DS had the exact same sleep patterns as Emma over the weekend which was TOTALLY frustrating. I couldn't figure out what the problem was, but last night I noticed 3 new teeth had broke thru. :eek: Did you try the 7 pm bed time? With DS, I'm wondering if the sun rise/set is throwing him off. Here it's starting to get light at 5:30 and DS thinks it's time to get up. Then, by 6:30, he's practically passing out. I'm hoping the time change will even things out - but how do they fall asleep when it's still sunny out??? :confused: Congrats on being famous BTW!

Emily, Poor Gavin!! :o He always has such a rough time with those &^$^^ shots. Glad to here he's better this morning. Did he go to the sitters? I think his hair is adorable. Nice and clean cut. He is a little guy with the prettiest blue eyes! (can I say pretty in regards to a boy :p ) Most often, he'll hang with you on the floor for a few minutes, then wander off to play and talk to his toys. Part of me worries that he's abnormal in this behavior.I don't think this is abnormal at all! It describes DS exactly. As far as kids playing by themselves - I wonder if it's different b/w children who have SAHM vs. those who go to daycare. I'd be curious to other mom's on this topic...

[MinEaston]

Busy weekend! Hugs to everyone, I'll forget someone if I try to name all of you specifically.

On Fri and Sat, I worked for a local chamber music competition (stage work), leaving Anna with DH for a good chunk of time Fri and 9am-10:30pm Sat. I'm relieved to report that they did just fine. Sat I was able to come home on breaks (theatre is within walking distance of home) which coincided with meals for Anna, so I am sure that helped. DH was really tired both nights, and some selfish part of me was glad that he now appreciates the energy it takes :eek:

[sweetpea]

katiedid--glad i am not the only one feeling like a one woman entertainment director on a cruise ship! :)

em--thanks--that does make me feel better that it's probably a personality thing...i was thinking i had ruined her myself :)

nancy--thanks :o i was very shocked to see my quote there this month but how fun too! and i was wondering about the sunrise thing too, what's really annoying is now we have to move our clocks back/ahead whichever it is this coming weekend and that is new for us in central Indiana...just gonna make everything worse i am afraid. anyone have advice on that?

well, we had an exciting evening. DH is in england still (4 more days!) and last night Sometime between 8 and 10 p.m. Emma threw up in her bed. When I went to bed at 10 p.m. I went to check on her and make sure she was covered up, etc. and noticed immediately an odd smell in the room. When I looked into the crib I could see dark spots on the sheet and immediately I knew what I happened --i freaked out! I picked her up to find her completely soaked from head to toe in vomit—her hair was completely covered and matted; the bed was covered; the floor/rug by her bed was covered. It was horrible! I stripped her down and rinsed her hair out at the sink, got her face cleaned off, new onesie/pjs and the bed stripped and covered with a towel—all while I boo hoo and she is kinda out of it. She only cried when I washed out her hair but saying “momma make it all better” seemed to very soothing to her but I wasn’t sure I was really making it better :)! So after our whirlwind clean up I laid her in bed with me and she laid on DH's pillow saying “daddeee” over and over. Still smelling like puke --poor thing. I smelled like it too now from when she snuggled into me when I first got her out of bed. It was not fun. She woke up about 12 a.m. and coughed but was fine and I put her back in her towel covered bed. she woke again at 5 a.m. and thankfully our house is tiny and I heard her gagging—ran in there and she was on her back trying to throw up again. Flipped her over and got it out, changed the towel and back to bed. SHEW! how horrible! i feel so bad for lil' peas that vomit. how scary for everyone!

she seemed right back to normal this a.m...except for that pukey smell in her hair :) my pastor's daughter was puking this weekend (14 months) and so was my nepher (13 monhts) so it must be going around!

[Katie-Did]

I was just checking in to see how some of the sick wobblers are doing. How's Charles? Emma?

I don't have anything new to report. I'm taking Aaron for his 15 months appointment tomorrow to a new pediatrician, I hope we like the practice.

[sweetpea]

emma's fine now--she threw up again monday evening before bed--all over me and the couch :( but was fine after that and all day before it. it seems to be gone now--thank goodness! sorry the long gory details of it all--i was just so traumatized and i tend to be into details :) thanks for listening! thanks for checking katie--good luck tomorrow!

[fancyn]

Sweetpea - Glad to hear Emma's feeling a lot better! How rough - esp. to handle w/o DH. Is he home yet? ( like details BTW;))

Katie - check back in and let us know how Aaron's appt. goes. :)

On our end, I think we're through the attack of the molars. :rolleyes: I can't believe all 3 came in at once. Last night Nicholas FINALLY slept the night through and was all smiles this morning!

[JenZen]

add us to the teething list.

i was out of town for most of last week, and every time i called to check in, DH told me how cranky and out-of-sorts Gabe was. well, when I got home, I ran my finger through his mouth, and he has more molars! plus, i think his eye teeth are coming in.

the good thing is that Al told me he has a new appreciation for when he leaves on fishing trips. looks like someone missed having his wife around. :) i missed Gabe incredibly. this was the longest i've been away from him. however, it was worth the big hugs i got when i came home. he was so happy to see his momma.

jen

[NMG]

Hi everyone! I hope everyones little ones are feeling better at this point :) The other night after we put Mikey to bed, we went into the play/tv room and it stunk so bad of puke! I couldn't find it anywhere and Mikey didn't stink like it when I took him up and neither did Tesa - so I ended up scrubbing the whole couch, Tesa's little couch, the area rug, and threw all the blankets in the wash. Needless to say, it must have been from one of them eating and then jumoing around so much after eating because they were both fine the next day - TG!! Not much goin gon this end - I think Mikey might be a football player because he stands there with his feet out a little and runs in place like football players do - it's so funny and he gets such a kick out of doing it! Tesa is becoming quite the handful and everything is "I had it first - no its mine!" (even if Mikey wasa playing with it or even if it's his trucks). We have some major sharing issue to work on because Mikey doesn't take that from her anymore (you hate not to laugh when you see them fighting like that, but sometimes it's too funny :D ). I am happy that we've finally had a few days of nice weather and the kids can go out for long periods of time (it's so much easier now that Mikey walks as opposed to having to carry him around while trying to play with Tesa).

[Katie-Did]

Aaron had his 15 month well visit today. He's a big guy! He was measured at 35 1/2 inches (though he was throwing a fit while the poor nurse was trying to measure him, and the doctor thought it was on the high side) which is in the 97th percentile. He weighs 26 lbs., 8 oz - in the 80th percentile. DH is only 5'9", the same height as me, so we don't know where Aaron is getting his height. Of course, he may end up being the shortest kid in the class in 10th grade!

Aaron freaked out anytime any nurse or doctor touched him today. He was more upset when he was being weighed than when he got his shot. :rolleyes: The doctor was pleased with his development and overall health, which is always nice to hear. As far as the new practice, I think it will be OK. We loved our old pediatrician, so anything would probably pale in comparison.

Aaron has started something new - acting out things that just happened for us. If he falls over he'll laugh and then show us over and over how he fell down (as long as he's not scared or hurt). It cracks us up!