PS Mommy thread with toddlers 12-36 months

[Bella_mezzo]

OMG!!!!!!! B is supposed to start daycare tomorrow (he did 1/2 day test runs last week). On Friday, the director of the center told me that they can't keep him past 6:00 (she had previously said that they could make arrangements for a staff member to stay until 7 to accommodate my work schedule--of course for an appropriate additional fee).

I emailed Friday to say that we just realized there was a Dr's form in the packet and have not yet been able to get in to see his pediatrician to complete the vaccine form and ask if we could get it to her during his first week at the center (she hasn't said anything to me about the forms previously and he was allowed to stay at the center last week on his own without her asking for or even mentioning the form).

Now, 30 minutes ago I get an email from her saying he can't start tomorrow without the form. I totally understand if it's a regulation but if it is then why was he allowed to stay there last week without it and why didn't she tell me this earlier?!?!?!?!!? She sent me a packet of forms last week, but none of the fonts translated well so the formatting is a mess and difficult to read and she didn't mention that he couldn't start without them all being completed, or ask if I had any questions, or follow-up, or even mention that one of the forms needed to be completed by his Dr. and was necessary for him to start. I thought that we just had to sign all the forms, I didn't know there was a Dr. form (Yes I know that I could have read more carefully and asked more questions, but seriously, I first interviewed her before we went to Ethiopia, stayed in touch since then, and did a trial week last week, at no point in that did she say anything about this form.)

I still like the daycare place and think it's the best combo of good caregivers (as measured by education, current parent reviews, and my observation), price, and location, but SHEESH!!!! I have meetings tomorrow and DH has classes that he can't miss. We are calling the ped first thing in the morning to see if she can squeeze us in to do the form, but this is NYC they may not be able to get the form done yet. If not I got a friend who agreed to split watching him with her husband during the day (they are artists and have a flexible day but they both have some meetings), but this is crazy, CRAZY!!! and no matter what happens, my sweet little boy is going to have a lot of hullabaloo on his first day of full-day care

1. I just went through all the forms again with a fine tooth comb.
2. We're reexamining other daycare centers to make sure that this is the right place for us
3. I temporarily (and possibly permanently) got my work schedule changed so I can pick him up by 6 but if I was still at my previous job there is no way that would have been workable!!!!
4. We just emailed all the parents we know to ask for back-up care options and babysitters for future reference



not a good night at Casa Bella!!!

 

[Loves Vintage]

Bella, So sorry to hear about the uncertainty surrounding B's first day of full-time daycare. Hopefully, his dr's office was able to fill out the form without B having to be seen in the office. How did it all work out? It's a good idea to get the back-up care lined up. Has B been sick at all with colds yet? Sadly, this will probably come with daycare. We really have no back-up care here and have had a few stressful days, but fortunately my boss is very understanding. I go into the office 2X per week, and I feel really bad telling him that I can't come in because baby is sick, but he's ok as long as work is getting done. DH can work at home sometimes too, but it would be nice to have a reliable outside option, but we just don't right now. Anyway, I'm really interested to hear how things went today.

Oh, and super congrats on your new job!!! You so deserve it after the your last employer!!!

 

[noelwr]

thanks ladies for asking about my trip. I did indeed get lots of shopping done. I bought clothes for Skye, but not like she needs any more... it's cool to see how fashions for children are different in various countries. like here, a very popular look for girls is funky tights (which I hardly saw any of in Houston) and a jean skirt. see pic of Skye below.

LV - regarding milk, for us it's about 10-11 oz per day. we did same as Kunzite to gradually replace formula bottle by bottle, though she drinks less milk than she used to drink formula. Skye drinks her milk (luke) warm and out of a bottle. I love warm milk. to me it's almost as good as hot chocolate. but I have to say I've never tasted better milk than what we get in Holland. anyway, I bought a new sippy cup today because I'm so tired of these things always leaking. if this one works well, we will see if she will start drinking her milk out of there instead of a bottle. regarding the pacifier, I think Skye's been going a month without it during the day. they do the same at day care. we also cut her pacifier selection from 4 to 2 at night (and she gets 1 for nap time). she used to throw them out of her crib and then cry when she had none, but now she seems to do that less. you can try going a few hours during the day without a pacifier and see how it goes. we hope to have her weaned off completely by 18 months. good luck to us!

Bella - that is crazy stuff re the day care. do they want your business or not???

- - -

Skye's now got 6 teeth! when I came back from my trip, the top two and another bottom one were coming in all at the same time. needless to say, there was a lot of drooling. her newest thing is barking: "woof woof". except when she does it, it comes out "oo oo". and she thinks all animals make this sound.

my questions for Mamas... how many hours is your kid awake per day? when Skye doesn't go to day care, she is awake (out of bed) maybe 8 hours a day. seems so little, but at least we get to sleep in until about 9 on weekends. it sounds great, but it still entails me getting out of bed at 4 am to make her a bottle...

 

[noelwr]

oh, we just started watching Terra Nova, and they've got a teen age character named Skye!

 

[Loves Vintage]

Noel, I think S is up for about 10 hours a day, on average. Things vary a lot in terms of when she wakes up and also for how long she naps. On daycare days, she's up a lot more because she has a hard time with naps there. The formula/milk mix is going well here.

Bella, How is this week going? Did everything work out at the daycare? How's your new job?

Kunzite, How are you doing? How's O? We need to move up to some bigger food containers, so I was wondering what you use. I figure whatever brand you bought will be good enough for me, and it will save me the trouble of researching it!!

********
Not much new here. Baby has been eating a ton of food lately. My little baby is growing and growing! She had her one year vaccinations this week so was a little bit of a cranky pants. Poor baby!

 

[Loves Vintage]

Speaking of sleeping. S started a nap at 11, and is STILL sleeping, 2 hours and 45 minutes later. This is very unusual! Morning nap is usually 30-40 minutes. Anyone's baby taking only one nap per day at this point?

Puppmom - Haven't heard from you in a while. How is N? Maybe you have some recent photos to post. HINT! HINT!

 

[Bella_mezzo]

Thanks for thinking of me LV! The new job is kind of crazy and disorganized, but so much more positive than my previous job, plus the commute is amazing (20 minutes instead of 40 minutes).

We're all sick with B's first daycare cold (he got it last week when he was visiting).

We got the stupid form signed, found babysitters for the time we needed this week, and he's starting at the daycare Monday...but I am thinking about touring some other places and moving him later in the spring, we'll see...he'll start preK in the fall, so if we can just get to then at this place that would be great.

 

[noelwr]

Skye was down to 1 nap a day months before she turned 1. on average, she'll sleep 2 hrs. Sometimes 1; if we're lucky 3.

 

[noelwr]

Winter has finally come to Holland!

 

[Loves Vintage]

Noel - That is one bundled up baby!!! How did Skye like the ride? How long did it last? We haven't had much snow here, either. I'd definitely prefer more! Oh, we are experimenting with one nap a day now. This may just solve our getting her to sleep at a decent hour problems. Her second naps were just running way too late sometimes. Oh, and she is eating just so much lately. Grilled cheese is her favorite. She seems to be losing her former love for pasta. Her dr told me to expect her to drive me crazy by eating a lot sometimes and then very little other times, and switching on and off which foods she likes, so I guess that has started. I don't remember -- did you do swim lessons with Skye? Need to find some to sign up for here.

 

[Loves Vintage]

Thanks for thinking of me LV! The new job is kind of crazy and disorganized, but so much more positive than my previous job, plus the commute is amazing (20 minutes instead of 40 minutes).

We're all sick with B's first daycare cold (he got it last week when he was visiting).

We got the stupid form signed, found babysitters for the time we needed this week, and he's starting at the daycare Monday...but I am thinking about touring some other places and moving him later in the spring, we'll see...he'll start preK in the fall, so if we can just get to then at this place that would be great.

Sorry to hear about the cold. It happens! Hope tomorrow goes well with daycare!

 

[noelwr]

LV - Skye didn't show much emotion during her sled ride. she was just sitting there like a little snow queen, as though this was an every day thing. we were outside for 10 minutes. it was 14 F outside! I stopped going to swimming once I started chemo (that's almost a year ago), and when I felt better again, DH and I would just take her to the heated pool on a Sunday every now and then. we'll start again when the weather is warmer. between her feeding schedule and afternoon nap, I find it difficult to get out to morning swim class. she is eating considerably less now, so maybe that will get easier.

we put her to bed the other night without a pacifier! I forgot to throw them in her crib and DH didn't think about it when he put her to bed, so we only realized it when she started crying around 11pm. now we put her to bed without a pacifier and then throw one in before we go to bed. at least she's not reliant on it to fall asleep. so far so good!

and I know I share way too many pics, but this one cracks me up. S playing and singing "Ebony and Ivory..."

 

[Lynnie]

Hello my momma friends!!!!!!!! It's been soooo long since I've posted, I kinda don't know where to start! I haven't backread far at all, so bear with me!

Noel! Skye is beautiful!! Can you believe how big they are!? How are you feeling? The chemo's done, I assume? Sorry it's been so long, and I am so glad to see you're doing well I love the sled pic, too cute! We only had 1 snow here so far, and by the time I took him out to play in it, the snow had hardened, and he was NOT a happy camper. He hates hats, too. Sorry about the chicken pox!! That stinks!

LV - Samantha is gorgeous, too! PS brews some beautiful babes! And Happy Birthday to her! Re: milk - V is not too interested in milk! I'm lucky if we get 8oz into him a day... I was gonna try to put a few drops of vanilla in to see if that helps, but I'm out. I do offer yogurt and cheese daily, though, and he'll eat those. I'm loving all the food suggestions here. Spoonfeeding is getting to be a challenge now, he keeps wanting to play with the spoon, and I give him credit for trying to do it himself, but he lacks the motor skill, and it ends up being a huge mess! V cruised for about 2 months before he started walking.

Lanie!! How are you? A is adorable! And congrats on walking!!!!!! It's so exciting, huh? Haha V kisses with his mouth wide open, too! Must be a baby thing. He kisses the cat like that, too. And I hear ya on the comparing thing - BIL's baby is 3 weeks older than V, so comparing them is inevitable. BIL's baby has been a lot more advanced in motor stuff, like starting to walk at 9 months, but V is better at communicating. And their personalities are SO different, too.

Kunzite - I loove that pic of O and the cat!! Too cute! And YAY for his first steps!! NOt long now before you're chasing him around! V and our cat get along pretty well - I taught V how to give the cat his treats, I think that helped

Bella! I think when I last posted you were in the process of adoption... Congratulations! How old is B? Sorry you're having daycare issues

Like I said, I didn't read back far... How are Icekid, Laila, HMG, RT, Belle?

AFU
Vinny is 14 months old. He started walking around 12 1/2 mths. We got rid of the paci at 8 months, he was teething really badly, and was just chewing on it, so we just ditched it, and he's been fine without. He did a before-bed bottle for about 2 weeks after his 1st bday, and we've been bottle-free since. He's got 8 teeth, 4 up top and 4 on the bottom, and he's got a bunch that just broke through... I can't tell if it's 4 or 6 more, 'cause those ones next to the eye teeth are wide. Sleeping was a huge issue for a while... at around 10 months, we let him CIO, and lemme tell you, it worked wonders! It took about 5 nights, and it was sooo hard to let him cry, but the first night was the worst (30 minutes), and it got less and less thereafter. Now he sleeps like a champ - we have our bedtime routine - eat at 6, play til 7/7:30, bathtime (He LOVES bathtime... you can't even say the word or he'll go to the bottom of the steps and holler!), back downstairs for a little, watch a few music videos (he likes Katy Perry and Beyonce ), then bedtime between 7:45 and 8:30. He's up usually between 6:30 and 7:30, and takes 2 naps still for a total of 4 hrs during the day. So he's up for 9/10hrs a day, usually. I just ordered a sound machine, because he'll sleep til 8:30 if it's raining out. I think he hears DH get up for work, and he wants to wake up too. I'm still doing the night shift thing, no day care, DH works during the day. Re: food - he loves to feed himself, he's getting interested in silverware, he eats mostly everything we put in front of him. He tells me he's hungry by going into the kitchen by the pantry and saying "nom nom nom nom" repeatedly until I get him something. He says "nana" for banana, "dada", and "kee" for kitty. No mama yet . He calls me 'dada'. It's amazing how smart he's getting! He'll bring me a book to read, we play 'find mommy's cell phone', I can say 'bring mommy' this, that, etc and he'll do it, as long as he knows the word.... He feeds me, brushes my hair (well, conks me in the head half the time, but I don't care!), can point to my eyes, hair, mouth, tongue. It's so awesome! haha, I could go on forever. ANNNNDDDD... V is gonna be a brother! I'm 15 weeks preggo (planned, I know, it's nuts), EDD 7/29, so they'll be about 20 months apart. I was thinking this one's a girl, because my pregnancy w/V was a breeze, and I've been super nauseous with this one, but I had a dream the other night that it's a boy, so now I don't know...

Anyway, I hope to be more active here again. My schedule still sucks, but V can entertain himself enough now, I think. SOrry if I missed anyone. My major issue is still just trying to keep up with the housework... I wish I could afford a maid! Anyone else still having that issue? I mean, my house is clean enough, but not 'my kinda clean', yanno? Ugh

Here's a pic or two!

 

[Laila619]

Lynnie!!

Congrats girl! OMG, two under two! You will do great!! V is SOOOO super cute by the way!

 

[Puppmom]

LV, thanks for thinking of me! I feel like I don’t have enough time to make a *proper* post so I just lurk. This kid is keeping me busy! I LOVE the cute pics of S eating her cupcake and peeking out the window with her doggie friend. RE: naps. N has always been a great napper. He would usually take a nap from 10-12 then another from 3-5 or 4-6. Gradually that morning nap got later but that wasn’t until well after his first birthday. Sometimes the dinner hour is such a struggle because he’s SO grumpy. He gets a second wind around 6:00 or so that carries him through until we start the bedtime routine at 7. There are literally days though where he whines and cries from like 5-6pm. And he wants whoever is busiest to pick him up. If I’m making dinner, he wants me. If DH is setting the table, he wants him… It’s like the witching hour is back!

Noel, that sleigh picture is so stinking cute! The one thing I hate about winter is just not getting out as much but it’s been so mild here that we’re still taking N on frequent walks. He prefers to walk on his own as opposed to the stroller and he’ll walk FAR. Last weekend, he walked about half a mile – maybe more. His problem is he likes to wander into the street. When we get to the main area of our town (just some little shops and restaurants), he waves at all of the passing cars like he’s the mayor of the town! He’s so shy and would probably cry if anyone approached him but he likes to say hello from a distance.

Kunzite, O is so handsome as always. I can’t wait to see what the twins look like! How are you feeling? I can’t remember if you work a desk job or are on your feet most of the day but carrying twins I’m sure begins to wear on you earlier in pregnancy than a singleton. I just read in the other thread that your anatomy scan is soon. WTF? Where has time gone? I can’t wait to find out! I’m thinking it’s going to be one of each.

Bella, I’m glad to hear the job situation is on the up and up. It must have been so stressful to find alternate care while waiting on that form. I can’t believe B is going to be in pre-K! It’ll be so cute. I can see it now – B wearing a little backpack! Sorry B got sick straight away. N got sick on his trial week too. I didn’t realize how often I would get sick with this whole daycare thing!

Lanie! It’s so good to hear from you. I love those pro-pics. The one with the tie is my fav. Isn’t it so cute when they start to follow directions? That only last for a little bit until they don’t listen to anything you say!

Allie, I hope Charlie is well! What’s he up to these days? I know you were thinking about weaning soon. How’s that going?

Lynnie, congratulations! V is so cute. I love those gorgeous eyes! Re: housework. We struggle too. On the weekends we’re often able to catch up by “power cleaning” when N naps but by Friday our house is a mess! And sometimes our bathrooms get yucky. I HATE yucky bathrooms! I fantasize about having a cleaning person all of the time.

AFU, we’re having fun! This kid is HIGH MAINTENANCE but he is a blast to hang out with. He’s doing better at daycare (although he’s not entirely himself there). He’s talking a ton these days but is virtually mute at daycare. Is that normal? The other day the daycare gals couldn’t believe it when he said “Bye!” He has about 20 words and uses certain things to tell us what he wants all the time so it’s odd to me that he doesn’t say anything there.

His new favorite thing is chasing our dog. He laughs so hard when he *chases* the dog that he falls down. Hollis is quick so N never catches up but, as soon as N makes a move, the dog bolts and he CRACKS UP. He has also learned how to tell the dog to “Back up!” when he has food. He has a little waving finger point to go with it. He also loves to pretend. He has a shopping cart and pretend food. He likes to *eat* it and feed it to us.

Oh, and he is SUPER attached to his blankie(s). He has the angel dear dalmation blanket (4 of them) and he wants them whenever he’s upset or tired. He had 1 and I bought a set of 3 as spares. Well, if he sees them all he wants them ALL. So he tries to carry all four of them around with his thumb shoved in his mouth. He calls it “Bay” and sometimes wakes up in the night saying “Bay? Bay?” in a sad voice.

Speaking of the thumb – he’s got a sore on it from sucking it non-stop. I’ve been putting nipple ointment on it and that seems to be helping. Any other thumb suckers here? I hope the doc doesn’t give us a hard time about the thumb sucking at his well visit. I’m not ready to discourage it just yet. I can tell though that this kid has thumb sucking teeth. The front two are gradually pulling out further than the two next to them. I figure pretty much every kid needs orthodontic work so I’m not sweating it. On a funny side note, DD needs some cosmetic orthodontic work but the orthodontist is waiting for her 12 year molars to come in – she’s almost 17!

Oh, and DH and I think we’re ready to TTC again! I’m SO nervous. The unexpected pregnancy then miscarriage really did a number on me so I know I’m going to be so anxious when we do get pregnant. I think I’m going to stay off of the TTC thread (besides cheering on those lovely ladies!) for now to maintain my sanity. Anyone else here thinking of having another? I would love some company!

I’ll try to post some pictures of my handsome boy when I get home from work.

 

[Puppmom]

Pics...

 

[Kunzite]

LV - So cute that S does the drink/sip out thing too. O does that when he's saying he's had enough. It doesn't bother me because his bib usually catches most of it, and he makes an adorable face when he does it! He's also started holding the sippy cup in his mouth with his teeth and letting go. He'll literally throw his hands in the air like, "Look mom, no hands!" And he'll be laughing the entire time. Such a cheese!! No advice on the pacifier since O decided he was done with them around 4 months. Sometimes I think it would solve all of our sleep troubles if he just wanted it!

We have these food containers in both the 2oz and 4oz sizes. If I'd have know how much we'd use the 4oz I would have skipped the 2oz in the beginning. I did find out after we got them that they're made in China. Not a fan of that, but not enough to buy an entire new set. We love everything else about them though.

http://www.amazon.com/Fresh-Freeze-Reusable-Containers-6-Pack/dp/B0051D768K/ref=sr_1_3?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1328815223&sr=1-3

O started taking one nap a day about two months ago. They started to transition him at daycare because they only do one nap in the one year old room. He never did very well with the afternoon nap anyway. We waited another month to do one nap at home because he napped better at home. The transition was a little hard at first because keeping him up for 5 hours in the morning was a little bit of a stretch, but we had to do it because his afternoon nap was starting to get too late. Some days he was waking up as late as 5 and then going to bed at 6:30! Now that we've been consistent with it for about a month he's totally fine with it. His nap has gone from about 30 minutes in the beginning to nearly 2.5 hours.

bella - Sorry to hear about the daycare fiasco. We had to fill out the vaccine forms, but the doctor didn't have to sign it or anything. That seems pretty strict. When he gets new shots we just bring in his vaccine book and the ladies at the desk update his form for us. How is the new job going? I was so excited to read that you were able to leave your horrible job!

noel - Yippy for more teeth! We're up to five now with a sixth on the way. They just keep popping out! Wow, I wish Oliver would sleep until 9 on the weekends!! That sounds amazing. Though I can't complain, since getting KU my amazing DH gets up with O on the weekends so I can sleep in a few hours. O is usually up from 6:30 - 6:30 every day with a nap that varies between 1.5 - 2.5 hours. So average of about 10 hours a day. Such cute pictures on S, especially the one in the snow!!

Lynnie - Good to see you and V! That's so exciting about the new bundle! O and the twins are supposed to be about 20 months apart (that was the range we were going for 20-24) but since they'll likely be between 1 -2 months early we'll be even closer than we ever imagined!! That's awesome that he only cried for 30 minutes when you CIO. Back when we had hopes of getting rid of the early morning bottle we tried to CIO and O cried hysterically for over an hour. At that point I was over my limit and said NO MORE! I know it's only supposed to take a few days, but my baby is stubborn. I think I'd rather deal with the wake up!

pupp - Good to hear from you!! I've been wondering about little N too. I work a desk job, but since I have to eat and pee all of the time I'm up a lot. I'm normally okay through the day, but by the time we put O to bed I have to veg on the couch until bed time. My problem is my back. It hurt a lot with O but obviously has started acting up sooner with these two. I have to be careful not to bend down too much (like picking up the toys on the floor) because I will be done for the rest of the day before I know it! O is also in this stage where he likes for you to hold him while he plays with things that are about waist high (the controls on the washing machine, the thermostat, the light switches), oy it's hard. I usually have to hand him off to DH after about one minute! Luckily my DH is totally understanding of my limits. N has 20 words? Wow!! We're up to one intentional word, we think nay, nay, nay is him saying no, no, no because he only says it when he's upset! Other than that we have a lot of different sounds, just none intentional that we can tell. I am SO excited for you to TTC again!! Yea!!! I understand why you want to stay pretty mum about it, but know that I'm going to be here rooting you on big time! Oh my gosh, and what a cutie! I love the picture in the glasses!


I hope I didn't miss anyone, I was so behind! Not much new here. I've just been sitting on my hands waiting for our anatomy scan next week. Gah, I can't wait. Any more gender guesses? We'll also get to learn more about the twins living arrangements by finding out if they're sharing a placenta or if there are two, how many layers are between the sacs, etc. It should be a really interesting appointment. We'll also meet with MFM and talk about our plan for going forward. I'm obviously super paranoid about them coming too early given how early O was for no apparent reason. I'll feel a lot better with a plan.

I don't have many new pictures of the boy anymore. As soon as he sees you get the camera he stops whatever he's doing to try to grab it. Such a bummer. These will end up being the lost years! These are a few we got of him playing in "his" cabinet.

 

[Bella_mezzo]

these kiddos are beyond gorgeous!!! Thanks so much for the congrats re the new job, it's a promotion (more money, better title, more responsibility, etc) but it's with a smaller organization so there is A LOT to be done (their systems are virtually non existent). But I like it much more and think it will be a way better fit long term. I am a little scarred from my previous job I think, b/c I am constantly waiting for the other show to drop/looking for the crazy.

Kunzite-I can't believe you have two baking away in there, and O is ADORABLE!!!

Lynnie- how is V so big?

Noel-Skye is always so precious! I love her ebony and ivory rendition

LV- samantha!!!!

Pupp-N is so cute! DH and I are about to start TTC for a while before we make a decision about pursuing a second adoption (ultimately, we're hoping for both to happen at various times, it's just a question of which happens first). Step 1 is transitioning B to his room at night b/c B in the bed is not really conducive to baby making! (aka it's not happening.at.all.) hopefully we'll transition him in the next month or so. I started drinking wheatgrass juice a few times a week (it's supposed to help fertility--who knows...) and am trying to be less stressed (thugh staying up late on pricescope is probably not part of that plan ). Anyway, good luck. i have a feeling this will be a short TTC journey and a smooth pregnancy for you!

 

[AllieLuv83]

Hey Ladies! It is nice to see this thread moving again. Nothing new with us. We have had a relatively well week, after another bout with an ear infection. He is adjusting well to having me drop him off at daycare. The first few weeks were rough, now he just waves to me and blows me kisses no tears at all. He really is a joy to be a parent to. I worry about baby #2 being a handful compared to Charlie. He is still waking up to nurse one time a night. Once he started drinking more cows milk he dropped his afterschool nursing session without a second thought. I feel like I am drying up, he isn't getting much from me anymore. I feel sad that pretty soon we won't have that time together in the middle of the night but I am looking forward to finally sleeping ALL night . We are going to try for baby #2 this coming summer and I am nervous and excited at the same time. If we conceive right away that would mean that Charlie would be about 2.5 years old when the new baby is born.

 

[noelwr]

good luck to all the ladies who will be TTC again. your kiddos will make great siblings!

Kunzite - that's so sweet that your DH lets you sleep in a little on the weekends. you need it for good baby baking! are they identical or fraternal twins? O looks quite happy playing in the cupboard. S just opens them, but luckily hasn't started touching stuff inside, yet. and the same here, she tries to touch the camera lens as soon as she sees it.

pupp - what great pics of N! I love his little belly in the photo with the shades. S doesn't suck her thumb, but she was biting on it for a while so it was totally red, dried out and had lots of scabs. I've been putting an ointment on it which is actually meant for her face out in the cold wind. I'm not sure if it tastes bad because now she's gone from biting her thumb to biting the tip of her index finger. yah, we also just accept that she's going to need braces one day.

Lynnie - congrats! V sounds like he's quite ahead with all his milestones. S also calls me "dada" until I remind her I'm "mama". we've got a guy who comes in to clean our place once every 2 weeks. is that an affordable option for you, as opposed to once a week?

- - -

AFU, I just dropped off Skye at my mom's because I'm having my wisdom tooth cut out tomorrow and expect to be in pain all weekend. otherwise, all is going well with her. I caught her eye infection, but luckily it didn't look too bad. when she's hungry, she now pulls herself up on her chair and says, "Up! Up!" today was her first time sitting on the toilet (with one of those kiddie seats) as opposed to the potty, and she didn't mind at all and did a poo! she still likes to pretend she's talking on the phone, even with other things like her shoe, a tube or just her hand. she is eating proper pieces of food for dinner now. I have to give her the dinner on a plate and let her eat it with her hands (and rub it in her hair) or else she just cries if I try to spoon feed her. my mom said she wouldn't allow any messy stuff in her house - I say good luck to her! she does eat her yoghurt with a spoon, but can't manage to scoop a lot on. well, it's date night for DH and me, so off I go.

oh, and the good news: we have weaned her off the pacifier! I just stopped giving her a pacifier whenever she goes to bed, and she is fine! sometimes she will wake up in the middle of the night and the crying will last 2 minutes instead of 1 because she has no pacifier to soothe her, but she manages to get back to sleep.

 

[Loves Vintage]

Hi Everyone!!

Lynnie, Soooo nice to hear from you!! Congrats on your pregnancy! So happy for you!!!!

Puppmom, N is just the cutest!! Love the bathroom photo with his little buddha belly! S has a little belly, and I call it her buddha belly. LOVE it! And the book picture -- tooooo cute!

Kunzite, Thanks for posting those containers. I think you posted them once before for me, haha. I was looking for larger containers. I am sending a ton of food into daycare for her, and they are still giving her snacks there! I wound up getting these: http://www.amazon.com/Wean-Green-Sn...s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1330008756&sr=1-8 Glass! They are really nice. Oh, O pictures! Great photos, as always! S has her cabinets, too.

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S is funny!! DH gets her laughing hysterically all the time, and it is such a joy to hear her laugh. She has gotten quite a bit more tempermental lately too (as in cranky pants!!) Her naps have been all over the place. At home, she will sleep for over 2 hours, and at daycare, like 35. Yesterday, she had a shorter nap in the morning (a little over an hour), and then fell asleep in her stroller on our walk! She has never slept in her stroller before! She has very little patience for having books read to her, and instead will take the book, sit next to me, and page through it herself. She has toy stations all over the house. The highlight of her day is when I open the dishwasher. She comes crawling over as fast as she can to help me unload dishes. I tell her I'm going to remind her, when she's a teen, how much she loved doing the dishes! Her hair has gotten quite long, so I need to get it cut soon to get everything evened up.

 

[Puppmom]

Bella, would love to hear a B daycare update. I hope he's doing well. I get so stressed about daycare sometimes but then I see N doing something that I know he didn't learn from us and it makes it seem worth it.

Noel, I hope you're feeling better after your wisdom tooth yanking. And yay to no paci! I've heard some kids have a really hard time when you take it away.

Kunzite, love those pics! N is always digging around in my tupperware cabinet. He loves it! It's probably not very hygienic but I just pic them all of off the kitchen floor and put them back in cabinet.

LV, N hit a moody streak from about 14 months until it turned around just recently. It was tough! He was so grumpy in the evenings from about 5-6. It really wore on me but the last month has been much better. One of the keys for us is getting food in him early.

Allie, that is a great pic! I'm so jealous that Charlie eats regular food. N seriously barely eats anything. He eats NO fruit or vegetable except bananas. We offer everything and he won't even try it. I've read that you have to offer like 15 times for some kids before they'll try something so we keep trying! I know getting a kid to eat healthy early on is key so I get so worried!

AFU, N had his 18 month check recently and he's dropped on the chart in weight but is still kinda chubby for his height as you can see! He was in the 50-75th percentile for weight and just under the 25th percentile for height. The doctor was really happy with where he is. She did refer us to an opthamologist because we expressed concerns about his right eye being slightly smaller than the left. It appears to be the cause of a little extra skin on the right eye lid. They just want to measure it then do a follow up measurement down the road to make sure it doesn't get any lower. I guess they're concern ultimately is that the eyelid drops so far that it obstructs his vision. I'm not worried about it because it's been that way since he was born and is actually much less noticeable than it used to be.

His new favorite thing is playing with this memory game my mom got him. It's 30 tiles with pictures of animals on them and it's intended to be one of those memory games where you place the tiles face down and find matches. He's too young for that but he likes for me to dump them on the floor and mix them up. Then he'll find the pairs and give them to me...then we start over. He claps for himself every time he finds a pair! He also makes some of the animal noises that he knows. Most of them are just roars but he moos like a cow, baas like a sheep and says "ooh, ooh" for the monkey.

 

[noelwr]

my wisdom tooth extraction has been a nightmare! the first 2 days I was fine. then I've just been in SO much pain and we don't get prescribed any opioid analgesics here. you have to survive on Ibuprofen and paracetamol. the surgeon's assistant wouldn't let me come in to see the doctor as I had no fever so my pain must be "normal". I told her I thought I had a dry socket and she said that wasn't possible. finally, after 4 days, I called the dentist who was happy to see me and was so kind that I could have hugged him. he said I had a dry socket, which means there was no blood clot, thus leaving the bone exposed and causing excruciating pain. he said he had it once, himself, so he knew all about it. he numbed it again, cleaned out all the foul-smelling crap that was stuck in there, prescribed me penicillin, tooth paste and mouth wash (which the surgeon's assistant had said I didn't need) and gave me more pain killers. so still 7 days healing and pain from now on, but at least someone looked at me, cleaned it up and gave me antibiotics! I really don't know what's with the doctors here. I love that by law we are all required to have health insurance and that most things are covered by the basic insurance (like I haven't had to fish out a dime for all my cancer treatments), but sometimes I think that they just end up skimping on other areas, and thus doctors don't want to see you or give you anything unless you're dying...

anyway, enough about me.

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Skye spent 4 days with my mom after my wisdom tooth surgery. they enjoyed their time together. unfortunately, she was a little bit constipated so I gave her pea soup and soft stuff for 2 days which seemed to help. she had her MMR shots a couple of weeks ago (with no resulting fever) and is a little below average in height/weight. but I'm short, so that is to be expected. oh, and she's got 8 teeth now (4 on top, 4 on bottom) and we see 2 more top ones coming out.

regarding moods, Skye is the same. in the evenings after day care, she is very tired, and oh boy do we hear it when she's hungry and the food isn't being prepared quickly enough! it's so funny when she gets mad and we give her something to distract her which she just ends up throwing on the floor in a huff. DH wants to cut the back of her hair, but I don't as she hasn't got much hair in general. she is sporting more of a mullet-look. she loves copying everything Daddy does, and likes to play peek-a-boo, hiding her eyes behind her hands. this week she slept quite well... from 7pm to 6am, and once even til 7am! I think she wasn't feeling well because she had a fever Wed night. and here a photo from this morning...

 

[Puppmom]

Gah, please pardon my many typos in my post from last night!

Noel, Skye is gorgeous! No hair cutting vote here. I'm sorry your tooth extraction was so terrible but I'm glad to hear you're being treated properly now.

N gets so ticked when he's waiting for food too. He'll just say "More more more more" - he'll seriously say it like 20 times. Sometimes I respond with, "Nolan! I heard you the first time. You only need to say more once!" He, of course responds with, "More more more!"

 

[Loves Vintage]

Noel, Such a pretty girl, your Skye! I LOVE that outfit. Too cute. Is it from your US trip? Sorry to hear about the tooth troubles. I would be so mad at that first doctor! Sounds dreadful, but glad to hear you're on the mend.

Puppmom, Always so happy to hear N's stories. He is such a character!

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So S is not cranky just after a long day or while she is waiting for food. She can be cranky at any time. I think it's because she can't communicate, wants something immediately, but is unable to communicate with us. Seems to be happening quite a bit more now, and I'm hoping it's just a phase, like Pupp suggested.

 

[Puppmom]

LV, I didn't mean to suggest that N is only grumpy around dinner. That time is just the worst.

He also doesn't like being bossed around. That is a big struggle for us but he is getting better about taking direction. And I totally hear you on the communication thing. S probably knows what she wants but can't tell you. I can't tell you how many times I've carried N around the house while he fusses and cries and points and I can't figure out what he wants! Sometimes I overhear MIL say, "I'm sorry, Lambie but Grandma doesn't understand."

 

[Loves Vintage]

LV, I didn't mean to suggest that N is only grumpy around dinner. That time is just the worst.

He also doesn't like being bossed around. That is a big struggle for us but he is getting better about taking direction. And I totally hear you on the communication thing. S probably knows what she wants but can't tell you. I can't tell you how many times I've carried N around the house while he fusses and cries and points and I can't figure out what he wants! Sometimes I overhear MIL say, "I'm sorry, Lambie but Grandma doesn't understand."

Haha, ok, then same thing here!! I love your MIL!! So sweet that she calls him Lambie.

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I found this the other day. http://www.theimaginationtree.com/search/label/Treasure Baskets It's kind of lame because it's just a basket with stuff in it, but I like the idea of using existing stuff from around the house, putting it all in a basket, and taking it out just a few times a day so baby sees it as something new. Always looking for new ideas on how to keep baby entertained!

 

[Lynnie]

Hi Ladies!

Noel - so sorry to hear you've had a rough time with the wisdom teeth. Here they give percocet right off the bat (that's what I got, anyway). Skye looks adorable! Vin's hair is much thicker in the back, too. Yes, I should look into a cleaning person. I can keep it up enough, just stuff like the good bathroom cleanings, baseboards, getting under the furniture, etc I let go... and it'll be tough picking up after tornado Vinny when I get big again. He is all over me every time I clean - he wants the spray bottle, wants to play with the vacuum, and he gets upset if I don't let him have whatever he wants! Oh, congrats on weaning her off the paci! We got lucky in that dept, but BIL's having a hard time with my nephew, who is 15m now. He'll scream bloody murder if you don't give it to him!

Pupp - So cute that N is making animal sounds! The only one Vinny can do is a pig - and not 'oink oink', more like a snort. He sucks air in and out really fast, it's pretty funny... We have our 15month appt on the 6th, so we'll see how he measures up. He's skinny - I have him in 18m tops and 12m bottoms, even though they're short, at least the waist fits. I hope your appt w/ the opthomologist goes well - be sure to update! I love his pics - I try to get V to wear sunglasses, but he won't. N is adorable!!

LV - haha, V is obsessed with the dishwasher, too! Yeah, they won't be so obsessed when they're teens! Sorry she's a cranky pants lately. I think it is that they can't really communicate what they want yet.

Allie - C is so cute! Those blue eyes Good luck with TTC - I'm nervous about #2. It's weird - w/Vin's pregnancy I was obsessed with all things preggo. Now I kinda feel bad, cause V is still my #1 priority, and this pregnancy isn't getting the attention that his did.

Bella - Congrats on the promotion!!! Are there any pics of B on here? I'd love to see!!

Kunzite - O is so cute!!! AND congrats on BOYS!!!!!!! Man, you're gonna have a testerone-filled house!!! I'm so excited for you!

Laila and EVERYONE - thanks for the congrats. DH and I are excited....

We found out Wed that it's a GIRL!!!! I really didn't care either way, but I'm super stoked about being able to buy little froofy dresses! My SILs are ridiculiously excited. They both wanted girls for me and BIL, and they're both boys.

As for Vinny news - not much new, but he's starting to repeat things - sort of. More like the tone of things. Like, we say 'night night' in a sing-song kinda voice, and he'll say 'eye-eye' in the same tone. He's a dancing machine! He's happier with music videos than Sesame Street! He'll bounce up and down, or for a slow song he'll spread his arms out and close his eyes and spin in circles... It's too funny. Still with 2 naps. He's napping now. I did buy a sound machine, but he's up at 6:30 no matter what. I can't complain, because I really need him to nap so I can too when I have work.... hmmmm I guess that's about it. I'll try to snap a pic later.

 

[Kunzite]

LV - I love those containers, they're adorable! Now that O isn't in the infant room at daycare we don't bring his food, which also means he barely eats during the day! He's gotten a lot better and seems to be picking it up some. We had the same issues with O's nap at daycare when he switched to one nap a day. The problem is that he was taking one nap in the infant room, so if he was between sleep cycles it didn't take much for him to be done. With all of the infants napping at different times and making constant noise, it's no wonder he only made it through one sleep cycle every day! As soon as he switch to the waddlers room and they all take naps at the same time, no noise, lights dimmed, his naps got much better. Still not quite as long as home, but usually at least 1.5 hours.

noel - Wow, I'm sorry to hear that you had such a horrible time with your wisdom teeth!! I hope you're feeling better now. I love that picture of S, she looks like such a little lady! We won't know if the twins are ID or fraternal until they're born (if they have different blood types) or we do genetic testing.

AFU - MIL stayed with us for about a week and we gave her the thumbs up to give O a haircut (as you can see in his last pictures, the boy looked like a ragamuffin!). She was tickled pink that she got to give him his first haircut. He looks so much better, like a proper little boy now! Our tantrums seem to have gotten a little better lately. Part of me wonders if it's the better napping at daycare. We still have the evening witching hour like everyone else, but the weekends are so much more enjoyable for the most part. I hope it lasts. Maybe he's just caught on to the fact that we ignore his tantrums (even though they're down right hilarious sometimes!!). Luckily he's still got everyone at daycare fooled. Everytime we pick him up or drop him off someone comments on what a happy, independent boy he is! And he babbles ALL.THE.TIME! It's like he's decided that he'd like to try out every sound he can figure out how to make. He always wakes up happy in the mornings (are we related?) so I'll just lay in bed for a little while and watch him wake up on the monitor. It melts my heart. He'll start by talking to himself, then he'll start belly laughing, then he'll clap, make noises with his hands/mouth, I mean it's a riot! I need to record him one of these days.

 

[Laila619]

Hi to everyone!! Gosh, it's been forever since I posted on the mom threads. Can you believe we all have toddlers now?! My little guy is doing great, he's almost 15 months. Such a mama's boy now.

LV, Samantha is such a gorgeous girl! Your heart must melt every day!

Noel, I love Miss Skye. She's a beauty!

Lanie, how are you and little Anderson doing?

Pupp, oh goodness is Nolan cute!! He looks so smart and mischievous.

Kunzite and Lynnie,

I'm joining you ladies in the expecting again club! 2 under 2, omg Very happy and excited, but nervous too--it's probably going to be a little crazy at first. Based on the darkness of the test and charting, I'm about 5 weeks.

Kunzite, congrats on your sweet little twin boys! And Lynnie, a girl! Awesome news!