PS Mommy thread with toddlers 12-36 months

[lliang_chi]

Ditto the dark curtains. We just hit the summer solstice. But 3AM is crazy. Also another thing we struggled with was teething. His 2yo molars might be coming in and that could be giving him issues. Also Ethan went through a 8 wk stint where his sleep was absolute garbage. We ended up having to negotiate with him. He got 2 tokens when we put him to bed. If Mommy or Daddy had to come into his room after bedtime, we took one token away. If he has both tokens in the morning, he got to watch his "Teacher" DVD (They Might Be Giants, Here Comes Science). If he has only 1, he gets something special in his oatmeal. So he got 2 tries, then the 3rd time we stay in the room with him and he gets nothing special in the AM.

 

[monkeyprincess]

Thanks Mayerling and LC, I don't think it's because the room is too bright because he's never had a problem sleeping in there before the sun goes all the way down or in the morning until recently, and the sun rises on the other side of the house. And that wouldn't explain the middle of the night wakeups. I'm hoping you might be on to something with teething, LC, because that would mean this might be temporary. This weekend was a mixed bag. He slept until 7:45 on Saturday! Yay! But woke up at 2 am on Sunday morning. Boo! Last night, he started crying at like 11:30, so I went in his room and laid on the floor with him and then put him back in his crib around midnight, but then I had a second wind and didn't sleep well, and he woke up at 6. Little stinker. I told DH that we might finally have to bite the bullet and work on actual sleep training. He is a stubborn one though and cried for nearly 30 minutes straight before I went to get him on Sunday morning.

 

[JGator]

MP, I'm sorry Ev is waking up in the MOTN - that is NO fun. K is definitely in a new teething phase though. She' s up 1o 11 teeth now and has her fingers in her mouth all the time. So, that's likely what's going on with Ev. And, I cannot believe he said Xylophone. He's brilliant! Did you get Ev a water table? K loves hers!

MQ, Weston is adorable. Good luck with your 3rd trimester.

Freke, A's language development is fascinating. I can't wait to get there with K.

AFU, K turned 20 months old yesterday. We are still struggling with naps. She will sleep for 30-45 mins, and then cry for an hour. We'll usually get her at that point, and she will point to her rocking chair. She has been going down at night really easily - always pointing to the crib after less than 5 mins of rocking. I could probably just put her in straight away, and she wouldn't protest. Maybe I will try that this week. She has started saying a few new words like trash, birds, dress, and wet and some French words including Oui and Merci when prompted by her nanny. We started swimming lessons 2 Saturdays ago. She is fine until the part where she floats on her back and gets water in her ears or the part where they ask you to dip their faces in the water. She starts crying at that point and cries till the class ends. I think this will be a long process as she still cries every time we rinse her hair for her bath! The teacher said to pour water over her head in the bath to get used to the water for swimming - I don't think that will do anything!!!

 

[monkeyprincess]

JGator, the MOTN awakenings are continuing. He seems to do it every other night lately. Please God let this be a phase! And yes, we did get him a water table. He also LOVES it. He knows it's out on the deck, and most of the time it's the first thing he asks about when we take him downstairs in the morning or when we get home. He calls it "waters" for some reason

I hope the swimming lessons will get better. Ev has never had a formal swimming lesson, but since DH is a former swim coach, I'm pretty sure he'll handle the beginning stuff with him. I have no advice on the water on the head/face thing. My initial reaction is not to force it because that might lead to her having an even bigger aversion. I would think you would want to keep swimming lessons as fun and stress free as possible. She's still so young. Ev has never had a problem with the water. We give him baths in our jacuzzi tub, and he loves the jets and water spraying and doesn't mind getting water poured on his head. I just think he was born that way, and it was nothing we did. In his daycare class he was the only toddler who wanted to run through the sprinklers on their Water Day last week. The rest of them apparently wanted nothing to do with it.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Quick drive-by post. Love that this week is a short week, but it makes work even more hectic!

MP, so sorry about the MOTN wakings. Sounds like it could be teeth. I know K sometimes has bad dreams and she can't settle very well afterward. Not sure if that is a possibility for E?

JGator, a couple of kids in K's swimming class had a headband called the ear band it (I think?). The headband kept the water out of the kids ears. K was also fussy during a couple of classes and I'd hold her until that part was over. Our issue was that her favorite thing to do was jump off the side of the pool, so I felt like I was spending the entire class keeping her from climbing out of the pool.

 

[monkeyprincess]

NEL, I'm kind of wondering if Ev's issue is bad dreams. He wakes up so upset and crying so hard and saying "Peas Mommy Daddy." Over and over again while looking at the camera. It's really awful. I felt in his mouth and didn't feel any teeth coming in. He has most of them already, and teething has never seemed to be a big deal for him. Who knows. I just hope we can get thigns back to normal soon. He had been sleeping so well for like the past 4-5 months.

 

[monarch64]

Hey moms!

Quick question: what do you all use for dining seats? Does your child still use a highchair or is he/she at the table with you, using a booster seat or similar? Alex is ready to go from highchair to table but needs a few extra inches under her to have easy access to her plate. We don't have a Babies 'R' Us in town, but we have a Target. I wanted to go pick something up tonight, but I'm not finding a whole lot online that is also available in store. The only one I'm interested in so far is this: http://www.target.com/p/ingenuity-baby-base-2-in-1-booster-seat-aqua/-/A-14966215#prodSlot=_1_6 but I don't even need the tray. Is there something made to fit on a chair that just has the lap belt but no tray? Are these things even necessary, with or without the tray? I feel like she still needs a lap belt...I don't want to just double stack chair cushions or something since that would not be safe. Any suggestions/advice appreciated.

JGator, sorry the swim lessons aren't going as well as you'd like. A is apprehensive the first few swims per season but is ok after she figures out that she isn't going to go under. She's always been pretty good about letting me rinse her hair using a cup, and she sometimes even turns around and sticks her head under the faucet to help rinse it herself. I wonder if K would try wearing goggles? Sometimes the toughest part seems to be opening your eyes in the water even when you have holding your breath mastered. Sorry I'm not more help.

MP, I hope the MOTN wakings phase out quickly! I remember going through that for a couple weeks a few months ago, too. Seemed like it didn't last too terribly long.

 

[mayerling]

Monarch, we have this: http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Infant-Deluxe-Comfort-Booster-/dp/B000JVXZF2/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1404328971&sr=8-10&keywords=highchair

We're never had a proper high chair and have used this since he was 4 months old. Lately he's been good at just sitting on a regular chair, but I prefer to keep using this because I noticed him slouching when on the regular chair because it just didn't offer him the back support he needs while trying to reach the table. I also prefer it because it's not just a booster, but also has a proper back to keep his back straight (I'm anal about this because I have a bit of a hump from slouching as a child).

 

[monarch64]

Thanks, Mayerling! I guess I'll see what's on the shelf at Target later. Maybe my only option is really the kind that come with trays. It's not that big of a deal, I just hate to have another piece of clutter to hang onto (the tray) until we grow out of the booster seat, too.

 

[monkeyprincess]

Monarch, we still use our Boon Flair high chair most of the time, but we also have one similar to Mayerlings: http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Healthy-Care-Booster-Green/dp/B004C43JJ4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1404330344&sr=8-2&keywords=fisher+price+booster when we are visiting friends or family.

If you don't find anything at Target and are set against a tray, I know I've seen ones without trays on Amazon.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

MP, I am totally guessing here, but it does sound like E could be having bad dreams. K does the same thing when she's had one--sad/pleading/clingy. In fact, I'm not even positive that she's having bad dreams since it's not like she can say "Mom, I had a bad dream and am freaked out." So I'm just assuming it's a bad dream. And to be honest, I'm a sucker when it comes to bad dreams. As you know, I'm usually pretty rigid when it comes to sleep. I don't hesitate to let K CIO if needed. But the idea that she's scared and doesn't know what's going on because dreams are confusing to a toddler makes me feel awful. So we give in and one of us sleeps in the guest bedroom with her. It was happening once every week or two earlier this year, but it hasn't happened in months now, so maybe it was just a phase. Anyway, just sharing my experience and relating since I know how tough it is when they're crying for you like that!

Monnie, I have no suggestions since I don't know of a booster with a buckle and no tray (K's skinny bum actually still fits in a Bebepod w/ removable tray) but we're going through a seat transition at our house, too, and it is a serious pain in the bum. I've bought a few seats, but none work well and K is back in the Keekaroo (at table, no tray) for half of her meals. But not the other half. It's a long story, but the point is I feel your pain!

 

[JGator]

Monnie, here are a few - mostly without trays on Amazon. You can cross-reference these to target. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=booster+seats+dining&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Abooster+seats+dining

MP, sorry Ev is still having a hard time waking up early. K woke up at least an hour earlier than usual today. No fun.

NEL, I think goggles would be a great idea, but I'm afraid she would take them off constantly. The climbing out thing is K's favorite part too, I think.

 

[monarch64]

Thanks, MP, NEL, and JGator! We have those tall counter stool height dining chairs so I'll have to measure the seat before I go. I have no patience and hate ordering this stuff online even with 2 day shipping, but I might have to suck it up this time.

Oh, I've been slowwwwwly working on a playroom upstairs. I've gotten as far as a rug, a pillow, and paint colors. I need to sell the recliner and find two pretty upholstered chairs and then figure out a window dressing.

 

[mayerling]

Thanks, Mayerling! I guess I'll see what's on the shelf at Target later. Maybe my only option is really the kind that come with trays. It's not that big of a deal, I just hate to have another piece of clutter to hang onto (the tray) until we grow out of the booster seat, too.

The tray comes off when you're no longer using it as a high chair, and it's just there to be used as a booster but has the advantage of having a proper back. Now that we use boosters in restaurants I hate how N is basically just sitting on something resembling a bench/stool since the booster prevents him from leaning on the back of the actual chair.

 

[monarch64]

Thanks, Mayerling! I guess I'll see what's on the shelf at Target later. Maybe my only option is really the kind that come with trays. It's not that big of a deal, I just hate to have another piece of clutter to hang onto (the tray) until we grow out of the booster seat, too.

The tray comes off when you're no longer using it as a high chair, and it's just there to be used as a booster but has the advantage of having a proper back. Now that we use boosters in restaurants I hate how N is basically just sitting on something resembling a bench/stool since the booster prevents him from leaning on the back of the actual chair.

Yes, I figured it could just come off as needed. I meant that I hate to have the optional tray just because we probably won't ever use it. I want her to get used to sitting at the table and eating like we do from a plate. I do like the idea of the back support, you're right, that's a valuable part. Thanks again!

 

[mayerling]

Now that you mentioned eating from a plate…

N used to be good at self-feeding by just eating his finger food off his tray. For the first month in Cali, we just had him sit on a dining chair at the table. He couldn't really reach the table, so we just spoon-fed. So now I feel he's regressed. How did you get your LOs to start using utensils. Part of me thinks I shouldn't worry as he'll be in pre-school in September and he's bound to imitate older children, but I don't know...

 

[monarch64]

Mayerling, Alex is hit or miss with using utensils. She'll ask for a spoon and then use it plus her hands to eat. But if I give her the little forks sometimes she'll actually stab her food and have some success. I'm not too concerned. I send sandwiches and finger foods to daycare with her lunch so she doesn't get too frustrated trying to eat with all the distractions of 14 other kids there. I figure she'll eventually work it out.

Target was a bust for boosters. They had ONE. Since there weren't at least 2 options to choose from, we decided to go ahead and order something from Amazon without a tray instead. I'll let you know which one I decide on. Thanks again everyone for all your suggestions--very helpful!

 

[amc80]

Thanks, Mayerling! I guess I'll see what's on the shelf at Target later. Maybe my only option is really the kind that come with trays. It's not that big of a deal, I just hate to have another piece of clutter to hang onto (the tray) until we grow out of the booster seat, too.

The tray comes off when you're no longer using it as a high chair, and it's just there to be used as a booster but has the advantage of having a proper back. Now that we use boosters in restaurants I hate how N is basically just sitting on something resembling a bench/stool since the booster prevents him from leaning on the back of the actual chair.

Yes, I figured it could just come off as needed. I meant that I hate to have the optional tray just because we probably won't ever use it. I want her to get used to sitting at the table and eating like we do from a plate. I do like the idea of the back support, you're right, that's a valuable part. Thanks again!

We have the Fisher Price one linked earlier. I got it a garage sale for maybe $5. We had a proper high chair, but it went to the dump when we moved. I hated that thing- food would get everywhere and it was impossible to clean. I've decided for #2 we will just use this booster.

I think B has been having bad dreams as well. The other night, he woke up SCREAMING bloody murder...not just crying. We went in his room and he was terrified. I felt so bad for him.

B had an allergist appointment yesterday. At his initial testing last August, he tested as allergic to dairy, eggs, and cats, and sensitive to peanuts and soy. He was constantly congested at that time and I figured some of those results were false positives. I had him retested yesterday and the results were better. He is mildly allergic to egg yolks, and mildly sensitive to milk, soy, and peanuts. Those reactions were under the threshold of a real allergy. I asked is allergist what he thought about peanuts, if he thought there was really an allergy there. He suspects there isn't and we are going to do a peanut tolerance test in the office next month. I would love another protein source for B so I'm really hoping he passes. As an added bonus, I had to have him off zyrtec for 5 days before the testing, and I noticed no difference in allergy symptoms. So, as of now, we are medication free. Hopefully he can stay healthy!

 

[monarch64]

AMC, that's great about 5 med free days! Have you ever tried making your own veggie burgers, like with black beans, etc.? Might be a good way to get protein plus veggies. I have a bunch pinned on Pinterest but I rarely get around to making them. I had a fantastic one at a local restaurant a couple weeks ago so now I'm determined to make time to put some together because I want to recreate that $12 veggie burger, ha! If you're interested I'll post my recipe when I get around to it.

Sorry to hear about all the bad dreams/babes waking in the MOTN. Alex had a little crying at 12:30 last night and by the time I went in her room she had stopped and was fast asleep. I think it was too warm in her room; the sheet next to her face was soaked. I pulled her blanket down to her hips and she was fine the rest of the night. Wonder if these kids are getting too hot at night? Just a thought. We keep the A/C on all night but her room is warmer than ours because it's over the garage.

 

[monkeyprincess]

Just curious when and if you have all introduced pillows and/or blankies to the crib? We still have Ev sleep on just a flat crib sheet and use a breathable bumper. His night time or early morning awakenings are continuing about every other night (more or less), and I'm trying to think of what would make his crib more comfortable and allow him to fall back asleep rather than stand up and bawl right when he wakes up. When we take him into our bed, he always cuddles up on a pillow. I've been pretty strictly in the no blankets or pillows in the crib camp, but since he's almost 21 months, maybe I'm taking that a bit overboard???

 

[dani13]

Just curious when and if you have all introduced pillows and/or blankies to the crib? We still have Ev sleep on just a flat crib sheet and use a breathable bumper. His night time or early morning awakenings are continuing about every other night (more or less), and I'm trying to think of what would make his crib more comfortable and allow him to fall back asleep rather than stand up and bawl right when he wakes up. When we take him into our bed, he always cuddles up on a pillow. I've been pretty strictly in the no blankets or pillows in the crib camp, but since he's almost 21 months, maybe I'm taking that a bit overboard???

MP, we just gave L a pillow a few wks ago. He loves it. And he's been sleeping with a blanket for, um, ahem, a long time now.

 

[lliang_chi]

We switched Ethan to a blanket when he ditched the sleep sack (maybe around 18 months). I haven't thought of giving him a pillow, that's a pretty good idea.

 

[monkeyprincess]

Thanks for the input, LC and Dani. I realize I probably have an unhealthy fear of SIDS (and whatever it is called for non-infants). I had an acquaintance lose a 15 month old in an unexplained crib death when Ev was about 6 weeks old, and I've been terrified ever since, hence our continued use of the AngelCare movement detector. But I think he's probably ready for a few more comforts in the crib.

 

[JGator]

MP, K still sleeps in a sleep sack with no pillow or blanket. I also have an irrational fear of losing her early for some reason which keeps getting reinforced by events around me. A friend of a friend just lost a 6-year old who died in her sleep with no known cause.

On a brighter note, here is a pic of our princess eating her first popsicle at a 4th of July parade.

 

[amc80]

I gave B a light blanket when he was around a year. We gave him a "pillow" around 16 months (it was a stuffed animal type pillow...pillow pal thing), when he started balling up his blanket and putting it under his head. Just last week we decided to get him an actual toddler pillow. He has two baby blankets as well.

 

[FrekeChild]

A has pretty much always slept with a pretty light blanket if the weather called for it. She got pillows when she moved into her big girl bed, and that was just before she turned 2. Now she has three pillows and a menagerie of blankets, and don't get me started on stuffed animals.

 

[monkeyprincess]

Darling July 4 picture, JGator. Yikes, your friend of a friend's story is every parents' worst nightmare. I hate always being so paranoid and worrying that something horrible is going to happen, but maybe that's just what happens when you have a child and realize you can't protect them from everything. I soemtimes feel like my fertility issues have changed my personality and makes me always assume the worst is going to happen or the other shoe is going to drop. I hate it! Ev had an icee (the ones you freeze in the plastic wrapper) for the first time this weekend, and now he is constantly asking for a cee-cee

The sleep issues continue at our house. I changed things up a bit last night and insisted on having him fall asleep on his own his crib. I brought a pillow and blanket into his room and laid on his floor. He is a stubborn little man and stood up watching me and fussing for 30 minutes before he finally collapsed out of exhaustion. When he finally fell asleep, my knee cracked when I stood up, which woke him up and started the whole process over. Then, he woke up crying at 3:45, so I came back in and slept on the floor, and he eventually went back to sleep. I'm hoping if he realizes he is not going to get out of the crib, he'll start giving up more easily.

One cute thing he has started doing is saying "bless you" or "excuse me" when somebody sneezes or coughs (or burps, not that I ever do that . It is definitely an improvement over his prior response which was to imitate anyone who sneezed or coughed.

 

[monarch64]

Well, it happened. Alex got bit yesterday by a rabid fan, er, schoolmate. Apparently she and another girl became embroiled in a dispute over a certain playground car (?) and a scuffle ensued. She walked in the door last night, father behind her looking rather discouraged, and showed me her forearm, on which was visible a perfect oval of little pink teeth marks. I'm told she held her own during the altercation and that the biter is a second-time offender and has been counseled according to policy. Having met the child, I must say I was shocked to hear of such behavior from her due to her appearance giving one the impression of fairies, rainbows, elves, and spun sugar. I guess she's one of those mean little fairies!

NEL, I'm set to order a Keekaroo booster. Any pros/cons I should be aware of (I read a ton of reviews on Amazon of course) from your experience?

 

[monkeyprincess]

Monarch, LOL. Well, not about the biting, but about the rest of it. Ev was also a repeat victim of a vampire in his class about a month ago. She bit him three times over the course of a couple weeks, so she was moved up to the next class under the theory that the older kids will intimidate her I guess? Anyway, the sad part was that she and Ev were best buds, and I would frequently see them holding hands when I logged into the camera. I guess they had a love/hate relationship. I was worried he would start biting as a result, but so far so good. The funniest part was that whenever we would ask Ev about M (the girl who bit him - we weren't supposed to know who was doing it, but found out), he would point to his arm and say "owie"!

 

[monarch64]

Oh my god, MP, poor Ev! That story is really funny, though! Kids are SCARY little creatures. When my husband told me what happened the first thing that popped out of my mouth (I am not ashamed to admit) was "well did she smack that little shit?" I know, I know. The fierce in me overrode all the other, more delicate sensibilities. Not my finest moment, but when someone messes with your kid I guess decorum flies out the window. I guess if this child bites anyone again she'll be done-zo and asked to leave the facility, period.