PS Mommy thread with toddlers 12-36 months

[Lynnie]

LAILA!!!!! Congrats, girl! I'm so excited for you! So when are you due? Early November? Squeeeeee! Welcome to the 2 under 2 club!!!

 

[Laila619]

Thank you, Lynnie!! I can't believe there are several of us doing it all over again now.

Yep, my EDD is November 5th. Yours is July right? So have you bought a bunch of frilly dresses yet? How is chasing after an active little toddler while pregnant? Are you completely worn out at the end of the day?!!

 

[Bliss]

All the babies (ahem, toddlers) are SO BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Laila, Congratulations!!!! Lynnie, CONGRATULTIONS!!!!! Wow, is it time for us all to get preggie at the same time again? Bring it on! I'm out because I haven't even gotten my periods yet due to nursing. Can't believe it's been two years since I've had a period! I don't miss Aunt Flo, but I kind of wish she would come back so we could TTC, even though I'm kind of scared inside!

Congrats to all the preggie mamas, too!!!!! So exciting to hear about your #2s!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I kind of feel like the second pregnancy will be even more exciting because I'll be able to enjoy it more without the stress of a first timer. Can't believe I'm saying this, but does anyone miss being pregnant? I never thought I would say that I miss it but I kind of do!

Back to the BEAUTIFUL toddlers! Can it be??? We have TODDLERS?!?!?!!

OOOWEEEEE, they sure are BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Skippy123]

Bliss, I miss being preggo and have been talking to hubs about the pros and cons of maybe doing it again? I am still on the fence though!

great pics mommas!!!

 

[Bliss]

Skippy, me too!!!!!!!! With your gorgeous twins...who would blame you for wanting more? Just looking at their smiles makes me want triplets!!!! They are amazing and I want a house full of kids now. I wish wish wish we could have three! Maybe! But I totally am feeling the urge to TTC again. Once Aunt Flo comes back, it's on! I just ordered a Wondfo ovulation kit for future planning off Amazon. We want a little playmate for M!

Skippy, how fun and wonderful it must be to have two at the same time??? It was always my dream to have twins. I want another dumpling because it just warms my heart to think about M with a little sibling. Like a basket full of warm puppies!!!!! Two little dumplings in the bath! Such cuteness! Little hugs!!!! Dumplings hugging dumplings!!!! Awwwww!!!! Your boys are !!!!!

Argh, seeing all of the PS beauties makes me want to have more babies! Babies babies babies!!! Babies for all!

Laila and Lynnie, how I wish I could join you two! Soon, hopefully if Aunt Flo comes back!

 

[Kunzite]

Laila - many congrats!!! I was wondering when you were going to join us

 

[Skippy123]

Bliss, can't wait to hear when you are preggo!!! lol about triplets! thanks! We need more pics of your daughter!!!! She sounds like such a joy!!!

Laila and Lynnie, Congratulations!!!! Kunzite, how are you?

 

[Bliss]

Kunzite!!!! You're preggie, too????? CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow, you ladies are all doubly blessed! How cool is that???? I cannot WAIT to be preggie again. Working on weaning so Aunt Flo can return - she bought a timeshare in Hawaii and needs to come back soon!

Skippy, you FIRST! LOL!!!!!!!!!! I think the hardest thing after #2 (God willing) will be...deciding whether or not to have #3??? Eeek! Snip snip for DH after #2 or #3? Snipetty snip snip!

 

[Bella_mezzo]

Laila, congrats.

yay for the 2 under two club!!!!! You are some brave and awesome mamas

We are doing really well. B is doing better at daycare, but in general I still find it kind of annoying The TV seems to be on all day even though the director says that it is only on during drop off and pick up (there has never been a time that we stop by there that the TV isn't at least on but muted in the background) and the director is sort of weird. I like the teachers in his class though, and it's what has to happen for our family right now, so we're sticking with it. Now we need to make decisions about pre-K for the fall (I hate navigating the NYC public school system! )

I really want more kids ASAP and would like to start another adoption this summer, but DH doesn't feel ready (he does on the other hand feel ready to TTC now, but we're still cosleeping, plus we're both tired and cranky, so that isn't really happening right now on any level...)

On the bright side, my hormones seem to be a little better since starting my new job, once my new insurance kicks in in April/May I am going back to the OBGYN to have my FSH tested again and then if DH still isn't feeling another adoption yet, maybe I'll go see the RE...(and hope we can adopt next year

We're having some adoption related challenges with B (he's started asking questions about mommies and tummies and Ethiopia and his birth family--did I mention that my kind is super smart, very verbal, and completely fluent in english so we are trying to figure out how much to share with him...in general I over share a little and DH under shares, so hopefully we'll find a good balance. We've always been really open with him and talk about Ethiopia and his adoption in general and age appropriate terms, but when he starts asking more specific questions, it gets a little harder.

he is an amazing little guy and I just feel so beyond blessed that I get to be his mommy!

here's b's first foray into fingerpainting...he was making "texture" (did I mention he was super smart and super verbal )

 

[Loves Vintage]

LAILA - HUGE CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU!!!!!! Yay!!! So happy for you!! How are you feeling so far?

Kunzite - So the daycare prepares food for all of the kids? How does that work? Do they change the menu every day? My daycare does not provide food (only snacks, like Ritz crackers and Vanilla wafers ), which I panicked about at first, but then decided to let it go.

*************
This mama has been VERY sick. Yikes. I had strep throat. Everyone's like, oh, that's just a sore throat. Well, sort of, but I had to go to the ER one day (PA at clinic sent me) because it seemed as though the antibiotics weren't working (yes, it was bacterial, and yes, I had the quick test to confirm). The ER doctor said it was the worst case he has seen in a long time. I didn't eat for 5 days, and had to force myself to drink it was so painful some days. Now, I am dealing with the after effects of this antibiotic, which includes thrush. Lovely. The good news is that S was not sick at all!

Hope all the other mamas are doing well!

 

[Skippy123]

Oh no LV I am so sorry. I would eat yogurt and take probiotics too. hugs and hope you feel better soon!!

Bella, what a cute artist!

 

[Loves Vintage]

Thanks, Skippy. They gave me something to swish for the thrush, and I've been drinking kefir too. I should probably get some probiotics . . .

Bella!!!!! I totally meant to reply to you. I am still so out of it! Sorry that B's daycare is so annoying. I would be annoyed too! Does he seem to like it? Does he get to do artwork there? It must be really hard addressing the adoption questions. I'm sure I would be second-guessing myself all the time with how to approach things. Thanks for posting the photo. Looks like he's having a GREAT time painting!!

 

[Laila619]

Thanks so much for the congrats, ladies.

LV, oh nooo. I'm so sorry you got strep. That's no fun. Hang in there! Did you have to stay away from S so she didn't catch it?!

Bliss, I think M would love a sibling! Imagine how darling they would be together.

Bella, your little guy is so handsome and precious!! Love him.

 

[Loves Vintage]

Laila - The PA said that I didn't have to stay away from her, just make sure not to share eating utensils or kiss her, but I sort of stayed away from her anyway because I was so sick, I was pretty much useless. I slept in another room so as not to spread any germs, if that were even possible. She also said I wasn't contagious 24 hours after the antibiotics, and also that kids under 2 often do not get strep. Oddly, I was with S at the pedi's office earlier that day, and there was a little baby that was just diagnosed with strep. I had the pedi look at S's throat, since I was just starting to get a sore throat then, and she said she was perfectly fine. My throat got a lot worse the next day.

I also found out that one of S's teachers at the daycare had strep last week!! S had a temp over that weekend, so I wonder if S was somehow a carrier of the bacteria or maybe she had a super mild case of it and then somehow gave it to me. I never saw that teacher the week prior to getting it.

 

[Bella_mezzo]

LV sorry to hear about the strep! YUCK! I have a double ear infection and it is not cool. I definitely got the germs from B (he just had a runny nose and cough) and he definitely got it fro daycare

B loves "school" they do art projects and have baby piano lessons and cooking classes (whatever those are and does little art projects where he colors and glues stick-on gems to paper (totally his mama's son )

We're just letting the TV issue slide, we're looking at preKs for the fall, so I figure he'll just be there until May or Sept (depending on if DH has summer classes). They are also annoying b/c they don't understand or even really try to understand that there may be sensitivities stemming from his adoption and the fact that he grew up for almost 3 years in Ethiopia. That annoys me much more. They basically just "pooh-pooh" us when we ask them to do things like make sure he looks at his little family photo album everyday. They are like "he's smart, he knows you are his family, he's fine" or that they only take him to the potty twice a day unless he asks to go more or they happen to notice his signs. it's fine now bc he's totally potty trained, but there were a few weeks in there where he definitely had more accidents than were necessary.

but, it's 3 days a week, Fri is usually more like a half day b/c DH gets him early...B likes it...and he seems safe and happy there. So, he'll say there until preK (we're looking for a nurturing, playbased preK but one that is a little more intellectually stimulating than his daycare b/c I think by the summer he'll be getting bored there, he really likes doing "projects" at home like transferring dry rice or water from container to container, or experimenting with colors, fingerpaints, playdoh, etc.).

 

[Loves Vintage]

Bella - Yikes, sorry to hear about the double ear infection. Hope you're getting better. Glad to hear that B likes his daycare and they have fun things like baby piano!! I too would be very annoyed if they didn't want to do something as simple as show him the family photos. It's not like you're asking them to do something that is a burden to them!! They are obviously trained at my daycare to say "yes, it's whatever the parents want" whenever I ask questions. They are also trained to say the kids are having a great day, because EVERY time I call, that's what they tell me. "S is having a GREAT day." And, it seems like she does, so there is that. Good luck with selecting a NYC preK. I'm sure it's got to be overwhelming!!

Kunzite, Noel and Puppmom - Where are you ladies?????

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This past week S started walking when I was holding her hands. On Saturday, she went to her walker, started pushing it and off she went!

 

[Kunzite]

Laila - Congrats again! Your EDD is almost O's birthday!! I'll cross my fingers that you get a little October baby though, because let's face it, pink tourmaline is waaaaaay better than citrine!! I told O that he wasn't allowed to come in November because I hate citrine, and what does the little stinker do?! I should have known then that I was in trouble.

Skippy - Hi mama! Thanks for asking about me. I'll be honest, I'm pretty miserable most days, HA! You didn't tell me this twin thing was going to be so hard! I was quite the naysayer in the beginning, it can't be that much harder than one, right?! Boy, I had no idea what I was in for! I feel like I can barely walk most days and I'm only 22 weeks!! I was reading a twin board the other day and the moms that went close to term (36/37) were talking about how their fundal heights were around 54 weeks at their last appointments. 54!! Is that even physically possible?! Oh boy, I'm in for it. I can't complain too much though. We get to see these two little beans every two weeks and they just melt my heart over and over again. Such precious little cubs. I cannot wait until I'm over 28 weeks so I can stop worrying so much. I can't believe your boys are 11 months!! How did that happen? They're just the cutest things ever!! Oh, and I think of your boys often because right now Miles is one of the tops names on our list!!

Bliss - So good to see you stop in! We need to hear more about little M though!! I'm so excited for you to wean so you can work on #2!!! Maybe fate will throw you twins too so you won't have to agonize over two or three!!

Bella - What a cute picture of B! Man, I would be annoyed with your daycare too. Good thing it's only temporary. I cannot imagine my dc having a TV. That is so bizarre! Why would they even need it for drop off/pick up? Maybe I don't get it, but for us that's just like any other part of the day. O doesn't watch TV at home (other than HGTV in the background some days!!) so he certainly wouldn't get to watch it away from home. Someone actually asked DH the other day what cartoons O liked! He just looked at them confused and said, "Why would he be watching cartoons?!" And to not take a few minutes out of the day to show him pictures? Just strange. You would think they'd have interaction throughout the day any way so how hard could it be?

LV - Yes, the daycare provides breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, and late afternoon snacks. They have an on site kitchen and cook and the menu rotates on a four week schedule. It's actually been really great for us because they'll make things that I would never have the energy/resources to make myself to send in on a daily basis (today they're having quiche) and O has been exposed to a lot of different foods. Even in the last few weeks since I've posted his eating has improved a ton. He'll try almost anything now and is drinking his milk much more consistently. They do have juice about once a week, which I don't like at all, but since it's just once a week I try not to worry about it too much. So far the only thing he's spit out that we made him in the last few weeks was mac and cheese! What a silly kid!

So sorry to hear about the strep!! That sounds miserable, you poor thing!! I had tonsillitis last fall and I was out from work for an entire week. I have no idea how it knocked me down the way it did, but it was the sickest I'd been in years. It was also the death blow to my supply. I feel for you!! I don't know that I believe your PA about kids under 2 not getting strep. We've had to take O to the doctor multiple times in the past month and each time they did the rapid strep test since his throat was so red. I'm just happy little S didn't get it.

I love the picture of S and her walker!! We finally broke down and changed O's riding toy to a walker (it converts) and he zooms around the rooms like a crazy person. He loves to run into you or go under your legs!! He's always found toys/furniture to scoot around the room and walk with, but I think he likes how much faster he can go with the walker. He won't walk while holding our hands though. He's far too independent for that!! He can walk nearly all the way across the room when it's on his own terms, he just seems to prefer crawling as his main mode of transportation still.

AFU - It's just one sickness after another for poor O. I swear he's gone through 4 or 5 illnesses straight without a break. We just got done with his eye drops for pink eye. What a horrible experience that was! And now the time change? I thought for sure that putting him down for his nap on time yesterday would prevent any trouble overnight, but I was very wrong. He was up for probably three hours total last night on and off, and one time wouldn't settle until we gave him a bottle. Ugh. Times like this do not give me hope that we can break this bottle. It's becoming quite apparent that he uses it to sooth as a last resort when he can't get himself back to sleep. That makes it even more daunting to get rid of at this point! He was so tired when we dropped him off at daycare. He just sat at the table and started at his breakfast like he was going to fall asleep in his bowl!! I'm a little scared to pick him up tonight!! We have been working on getting rid of the bedtime bottle and that's been going pretty well. We starting with just giving him a sippy cup of milk while reading bedtime books because he'll mostly just hold it and not drink much. Hopefully after a little while with the sippy cup we can just read books. Some nights he doesn't seem to notice the difference and other nights he just cries and reaches for the top of the dresser (where the bottle usually sits). I try to remind myself that he's only a little over one adjusted so he's not really behind and I shouldn't stress about it too much. It just feels like more of a habit at this point instead of nutrition so we have to work on breaking it. Easier said than done because this kid is the master of throwing fits.

On a much more fun note, he is getting to the point where he's really starting to absorb information really well! In just one week we've learned to say hi, wave hi and bye, say thank you, and do some of the motions to The Wheels on the Bus!! In just one week! DH and I have taken to calling him little gentleman because he seems like such a big boy all of sudden!!

 

[Loves Vintage]

Kunzite - That's great about the food. I send so much food, it is crazy, but she usually eats it all. I've been sending the same things, so variety like O is getting would be great. I've been trying to incorporate new foods, but generally, she eats what we eat, and we have a pretty boring menu it seems. Or, maybe I worry too much. S is also anti-pasta at the moment, which is surprising because she used to LOVE her linguini and sauce. Now, she won't touch it. Mac and cheese is also out! Funny kids!

I had forgotten about your illness last year. Yeah, it's amazing how something so simple could just knock us down. S has yet another cold, and so does Mommy! I guess I have a weak little immune system myself. Yeesh.

Sorry to hear that you're miserable. Might be tougher this time around since you have O to care for too? It is a joy to hear how happy you are b/c you get to see your little babies on u/s.

About O's night time bottles, is there an age where it is advisable to give them up? I never really looked into it. S still gets bottles before each nap and at night. Some nights she is just too tired for it (those are daycare days, because she doesn't nap well there) so she will fall asleep before finishing it or even taking it at all. It is pretty much guaranteed that she will be up at 3 or 4 in the am because she is hungry. On nights when she does have her bottle, she doesn't get up. So, I was just wondering if O wasn't getting the full bottle at night, and if that was why he was waking up some mornings?

 

[Kunzite]

See, I don't think it's the pasta that bothers O, I think it's the strong cheese flavor. He'll eat spaghetti and fettuccini just fine, but he makes you feed it to him so he doesn't get his hands dirty. What sort of foods do you send to daycare? I would be at a loss if I had to do that. It's honestly like a switch flipped with this kid overnight and he decided food was okay. This morning I was going to eat a banana and he took it from me and ate the entire thing!! I looked at dh like, who is this kid?! And it's funny that you say S eats what you eat. I hear most people say that, but O is not on our eating schedule at all so he always has his own meal. He's just so hungry the second we walk in the door from daycare that we have to get him dinner right away. Maybe we should start making enough to give him leftovers from the night before. That could work.

From everything I've read and what we've had two pedis tell us, babies shouldn't need to eat during the night after 9 months. They also advise no bottle before bed at 12 months. I usually don't take recommendations like that too seriously (obviously, since O is 16 months!!) but I'd at least like to get rid of the bottle before bed. He eats dinner around 5:15 and we start bedtime at 6:00 so he's not hungry, it's just a habit. In a case like that, where he doesn't actually need the food, I don't want him needing it to fall asleep or eating after we've already brushed his teeth. Mainly the teeth thing. So if we can just break the bedtime bottle I'd be happy for awhile. The night one I think we'll let slide for a few more months. Last night he slept until 5:45 before he woke up and his normal wake up time is 6:30, so we tried to get by without feeding him (not intentionally trying to get rid of the bottle, but he woke up so close to the morning we figured we'd see what happened). It was a disaster. He woke up angry instead of happy and threw tantrums the entire morning. I think he's still not adjusted to the time change so his body thought it was an hour earlier and he was going to eat and go back to sleep, but instead his mean mama got him out of bed!!! Full on meltdown!! We won't be doing that again for awhile. I'd rather he eat at night and wake up happy!! How long does S sleep at night?

All of that said, this is easily my favorite age so far. I've never been a baby person, so I don't pine for the infant stage like some people (sorry twinkies!!). But even with the tantrums, this age has been such a joy for the last few months. Seeing him learning and interacting so much is just amazing. I have a little person!!

 

[Loves Vintage]

Well, S will eat ravioli too, so I guess it's not all pasta that she won't eat. Well, ravioli is filled with lots of yummy cheese . . . who knows. Daycare days are defnitely tough! I will often pick up food from a restaurant near daycare, so those days are easier, but she is exhausted. On other days, I will have something cooked in the fridge, like sweet potato, and I'll give her some of that to keep the crankies down. She is a food weirdo. She ate some kalamata olives last week, but doesn't like carrots. I'm going to keep working on the carrots though. Her main veggies are sweet potato, acorn squash, broccoli and she LOVES grape tomatoes. I haven't really tried salad with her. She eats hardly any meat because we never have it at home (I'm veggie, DH is not), but we just never really have it around, so not sure if I should worry about that.

Here's what I typically send to daycare. I make either french toast or pancakes in the morning. Today, I made eggs to send for the first time. She eats them at home. I also make her grilled cheese in the am for her lunch, and cut up into appropriate sizes. I've tried sending other things like fritatta (she loves eggs, so I think she'll eat it), but she rejects it. So, we are in a grilled cheese rut. What else do they give them for lunch at your daycare? I need ideas.

Ok, so I also send: cut up cheese (favorite is havarti!), cut up grape tomatoes, a vegetable (usually sweet potato) and a fruit (today was a banana, her all time favorite food).

So cute that O stole your banana!

She wakes up a different times every day, depending upon when she fell asleep, really, so on average, I'd say 6 am, but she'll sleep a little later if she's being held. Her average bedtime is 7:30. I didn't know about the bottle thing. Pedi never mentioned it. In fact, I think I brought it up and her teeth, and he told me to just give her some water after she finishes her bottle. This was at her 12 month visit, so who knows, but I will say that this kids drinks a TON of milk. I think that food and milk are different to her, so even if she just ate half an hour ago, if it's been several hours since she had a bottle, well, it's time for one, and she lets me know! I'll definitely ask the next time we're there, but don't see how we can make a change any time soon.

Oh, new question - do you have fluoride in your water? We don't, so pedi prescribed fluoride drops, which I dutifully gave her since 6 mos, I think, but then started reading more about it on-line, and not sure we should continue. I did talk to pedi about it briefly, and he suggested I continue with it.

 

[Skippy123]

KUNZITE, I will be honest, I was exhausted and smells bothered me but the kicking and seeing them grow was awesome. awwww, huge hugs. I have a cousin who had one girl and then twin boys and she said carrying twins was way harder than carrying one so I believe it. I did think that after I hit 20 weeks it went faster! I was very winded when I hit 28 weeks. My belly did get big; I don't remember how big but I measured it a few times and was in shock but I never wrote it down. You will do great! You are awesome!!! I will pray you go a long time, hugs to Oliver too!!! he is a doll and going to be an awesome brother!!! Yay for seeing your twins every 2 weeks! thanks about my boys!

LV, aww S is precious!

 

[Kunzite]

LV - Oh, grape tomatoes, that's a good idea. I don't know why I hadn't thought about tomatoes yet. Neither dh or myself really like tomatoes so I'd like to get him eating them. It's things like that that are hard for us because we don't think about foods we dislike, even though we try to! Our daycare menu is online so I copied the lunch menu below (which is why the formatting is weird). I was wrong, it looks like they have a five week rotation. And lots of foods that I would never make because they gross me out (tuna!!!).

Turkey wraps (cream cheese, lettuce & tomatoes) Fresh orange wedges
Spiral Chicken & Mushroom Pasta Peaches Carrots & Peas
Tuna casserole (w/ egg noodles) Peas Apple slices
Soft beef taco (w/ tomatoes, lettuce & cheese) Broccoli & Cauliflower mix Peaches
Ham & Cheese on wheat bread Corn Pears
French toast Strawberries Applesauce Turkey sausage
Bean soup Corn bread Steamed carrots Pears
Ham & pineapple pizza on English muffin (w/ tomato sauce & shredded mozzarella) Broccoli
Chicken Taco salad (w/ lettuce, tomato, cheese, cucumbers w/ ranch dressing) Tortilla Chips Fruit Cocktail
Tuna salad sandwich Peas Applesauce
Potato Quiche (w/ ham, cheese, egg, & broccoli) Peaches
Turkey on wheat sandwich Cauliflower Applesauce
Bowtie cheese pasta (w/ ham) Apple slices Peas
Chicken & rice casserole Broccoli Peaches
Beef Stroganoff Rice & gravy Carrots Pears
Tuna wrap Mandarin oranges Cucumbers slices
Quiche w/ crust (Broccoli, tomato, cheese, mushroom) Honeydew melon Buttermilk roll
Grilled ham & cheese sandwich Tomato soup Apple sauce
Beef goulash (w/ tomato, pasta, beef & corn) Peaches
Biscuits & gravy (w/ crumbled sausage & chicken gravy) Peas Peaches
English muffin pizza (w/ ham, shredded mozzarella & tomato sauce) Green beans Pineapple
Egg Salad sandwich w/ cheese on wheat bread Applesauce Buttered corn
Teriyaki chicken w/ white rice Broccoli Pineapple
Bean & cheese burrito Green salad (w/ tomato, cucumber lettuce & ranch dressing)

I'd like to get O going to sleep closer to 7:30, but he's just so tired when we get home from daycare. We tried pushing his bedtime back by 15 minutes for about a week (because I read it takes 5 days for them to adjust properly to a change) to see if he would adjust to a later bedtime, but it was always a meltdown while getting on PJs and stuff. So we moved it back to 6 (falling asleep around 6:30). My thinking was that he seems to average 11 hours at night so if we could get 6:30 (his wake up time) to be at that 11 hour mark we'd be set. He's just not ready to go to sleep that late though. O was the same way with food/milk being different until he started doing better with the sippy cup. Once he started drinking a decent amount of milk from his sippy he seemed to associate it more with food.

Our water does not have fluoride and we don't do any drops. I also didn't like the idea of them. Our pedi gave him a fluoride treatment at his one year appointment and we'll probably get him into the dentist now that he's getting a few more teeth, so I figure we'll be okay with just that.

Skippy - Yes!! Smells still bother me too!! I still can't be in the room when O has a really stinky diaper. Luckily dh knows I'm not just saying that to get out of changing diapers, haha!

 

[Loves Vintage]

Wow, Kunzite, that is a lot of food! O is eating like a king! S has always had a later bedtime. No advice there. Interesting about the fluoride. I will ask her dentist when we go for her first visit. So hard to know what to do!

 

[Laila619]

LV, regarding fluoride: we don't give Luke any tap water, so we bought fluoridated nursery water, and we mix his oatmeal with that once or twice a day. We don't use fluoride toothpaste yet, it's just a baby toothpaste that doesn't have fluoride. I read not to give fluoride toothpaste until 2 or 3. That seems pretty old though.

 

[Kunzite]

You're not supposed to use fluoride toothpaste until they're old enough to understand that you have to spit it out instead of swallow it, so not really a set age. We might not be there for awhile, I think the only reason O puts up with us brushing his teeth is because he likes to eat the toothpaste!

 

[noelwr]

hi ladies! health-wise, it hasn't been that great the past month. nothing that would kill me, but the pain after the wisdom tooth extraction took about 3 weeks to clear and then I had a sore throat and saw I had an ulcer in the back of my mouth which made swallowing painful, so I lost another 5 lbs.

congrats to all the preggo mommies! that is really wonderful! I remember how exciting it was to find out I was pregnant.

so our big news is: We're moving overseas!
we just don't know where, yet. haha! I have had an offer to relocate to Singapore which looks very attractive. the other thing in play is that I have applied for a position in our Houston office and have the 1st interview on Monday. of course I have to land the job, first, and find out how much it pays. so these opportunities are on exact opposite sides of the world, but it will be one of those two. DH and I decided we are tired of Holland and ready for a change. (for him, it helped a lot that my company offers a great relocation package.) so in a few years, Skye will either be speaking Mandarin or have a southern accent.

Skye is doing really well. her favorite words are now "Hallo!" and "auto" which you can guess what those mean. still too afraid to walk on her own. I find she sleeps better on nights she goes to day care. I think she is just really tired. I will post a pic later.

 

[Loves Vintage]

Thanks for the responses on the fluoride, Laila and Kunzite. We've stopped the fluoride for now. I still have to make her first dentist appointment. I've been pretty sick this week too, so haven't gotten around to it.

Noel, Sorry to hear you've not been feeling well. It is really a crummy feeling, being sick and taking care of a little one. Wow, super-exciting relocation news. Do you have a preference re: Houston v. Singapore? They seem like complete opposites in terms of culture!! Would your DH be able to work in Singapore? I think you mentioned he would have to get a work visa to work in the US, right? I've never been to Singapore, but my company has offices there. Everyone I have dealt with has been so super-nice! I'm sure it's an amazing place!

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My update - still so so sick. I am getting worried about it. I've had a temp since Weds that just doesn't break. I don't recall ever getting (albeit minor) illnesses like this that just go on and on and on. I didn't go to work on Thursday, and then asked daycare if S could go in on Friday too, so that I could rest. They said YES, and I was so so so happy. I thought the day of sleeping and lounging would do the trick, but nope, I still have a minor temp. I did go to another clinic on Thurs. She said I have an upper resp infection, told me I was exhausted, looked like I was going to pass out, and said that my immune system was shot from all the antibiotics I took for the strep. I'm taking vitamin C now, and some over the counter decongestant stuff. I'm going to get a physical and see if I can have some blood work. Maybe I have low iron due to veggie diet? I dunno, but I've been feeling crummy for a long time!! Advice?

 

[Bella_mezzo]

Oh LV-I hope that you feel better soon!

S is beyond adorable with her walker! how did she get so big!?!?!?!?

Kunzite-you are such a trooper, hoping that you and O are both healthy soon and that the little cubs keep baking away!

Noel-congrats on the job opportunities! An overseas move sounds like a lot of fun!!!

I am finally starting to get better from the ear infections, but had a weird blood pressure issue today (I think I stood up too fast from a nap) and almost passed out 15 minutes later (I was in the lobby of our building selling some cloth diapers to a neighbor--I got a thin film of sweat all over, felt like I was going to vomit, and everything started to swirl and go black...I sat down, leaned forward, and after about 10 minutes I felt better). About 15 minutes later I got upstairs to our apt, told DH, he took my blood pressure and it was 92/60...not so great. I had something similar happen about 6 years ago, except I passed out i the middle of the street, and that resulted in a 24 hour ER stay that was miserable and they just said it was a "syncoptic episode" so I just stayed home today and DH took my pressure every 30 minutes. It slowly got back up to normal for me 110/70 and now I'm just chillin' at home.

But, before all this drama...B and I had a super fun day walking along the Hudson:

 

[noelwr]

Skye is still not walking unassisted, but lately she likes to sit on her haunches and then stand up for a few seconds!

 

[Puppmom]

LV, I hope you're feeling better by now. I've struggled this year too. I've been sick 5 times. It's so hard taking care of a little one when you're sick. I that pic of S with her push toy. Nolan loves to chase our dog around the house with his.

Bella, what a great pic! I'm totally enjoying this weather too! We've been to the playground like every day. It's pooping me out. Sorry about your scare. I used to have something similar happen to me but mine was blood sugar related. I hope you figure it out!

Kunzite, I need an O pic to get my fix! I hope you're hanging in there. I can't believe how far along you are already! It seems like just yesterday that you dipped your toe in the TTC thread.

Noel, I love the pics of Skye. I guess she's testing her balance! I bet learning to walk is all confidence at this point. Watch out when she gets going. N couldn't stand from a seated position like that until long after he learned to walk. For the first month or so of walking, he had to crawl to the nearest thing he could pull up on.

AFU, my kid has been shot from a cannon for like two weeks now. Maybe it's the nice weather but he has been SO busy. We go to the playground and walk through the neighborhood nearly every day. He'll walk pretty far. It can be stressful for me since he constantly wanders toward the street. Even with all of this activity, he's tough to put down at night. I turn the lights off and try to rock him for a bit but he won't shut up! Once he falls asleep though, he's out until morning. He seems to be coming out of his shell a bit. He's still cautious of kids his own age and younger. I think it's because they don't have social boundaries really and he doesn't like having his personal space invaded. But, just in the past few weeks, he is playing independently on the play structure at daycare when I pick him up. Up until then, he was ALWAYS being held by one of the teachers when I arrived. He'll also hold my hand and walk out the door of daycare when before he insisted I hold him. Oh, and they said he talks there now. He's been talking at home for so long and I was worried that he wasn't talking at daycare. He's still a super picky eater. He rarely eats lunch at school so they have a stash of food that I send in just in case. Usually, if he just picks at his lunch, they'll give him a pouch of applesauce or mixed fruit/grain and some crackers.

Oh, and N has recently shown signs of a bit of a temper. He now pounds his chest when he's mad. It's kinda cute actually! What ISN'T cute is that he hit me last week because I took something from him and when I said "No. Be gentle with Mommy.", he raised his hand as to *threaten* that he was going to do it again!

Well, that's all for now. I should be in bed!