PS Mommy thread with toddlers 12-36 months

[MustangGal]

I don''t know how you ladies are able to handle toddlers and being preggo! I think we may end up with an only (but not if DH can have his way), I''m happy with my little guy and have no desire to do it again...

We got a little progress on the lumps, Kyle ate a few tiny pieces of my spagetti on Saturday, and we tried a stage 3 food last night with carrot chunks and he only attempted to choke on it half the time

.

Kyle goes to daycare at a home, so she usually feeds him what I give her. She did try some mac & cheese the other day, which he of course spit back out and then wouldn''t open his mouth. So we''ll just keep on trying. As my mother puts it, you don''t see high school kids eating baby food, so he''ll get over it eventually.

 

[snlee]

jas12, so glad you followed your gut feeling and took Co into get a second opinion. Doesn't look like eczema. Hope it clears soon! Poor Co!

jas, good luck with the move!

Burk, sorry you're having a rough day. Hang in there! You're almost there!

janine, sorry no advice. D cries when strangers or people he doesn't know well talk to him and he absolutely doesn't want them carrying him. I just think it's a phase and will pass. He's gotten better but it still does happen. Before he didn't deal with crowds and loud noises well but I definitely see an improvement.

 

[TravelingGal]

Jas, sorry to hear about Co! Amelia must have felt bad for him because she got a sympathy hive yesterday. I''ve given her zyrtec (or however it''s spelled) and she seems to be OK. But I thought it was kind of funny when I saw it after all the hive talk. That pic is frightening!!

lili, back to your comment about J climbing and what I must think: I think it''s great. I have no issue with climbing. It''s just jumping all over furniture that I have an issue with in my house.

And I let Amelia attempt to jump around on our bed the other day. Kids have to have fun, but there are just boundaries with us, is all.

msb, congrats on your boy! I would have NEVER wanted 2 girls until I had my first one. Now I think two of the same gender is just lovely!

puffy, great pic of your boys!

snlee, yay for D! He''s probably a pro at it by now, right?

mrss, lol about Jake. That would have been great to catch on video.

Janine, Amelia is a BIG chicken when it comes to men, so she''s very clingy (and oftentimes started crying in a panic). Honestly, I just let her cling until she feels comfortable. She''s been like this with men since she was 4 months old, and because of it, not a lot of guys in our social group really make an effort with her. I don''t blame them...I was never into kids who weren''t friendly with me. She is JUST starting to come out of it and like a few of them (the ones who have kept trying.) I feel bad for the guys, but honestly, my priority is just comforting her when she''s scared like that. Not a battle I was going to pick. Sometimes I''d hold her but put her on the ground and point to people or maybe just hold her hand and walk around. She''s never had this problem with other women and is a very very friendly kid with women and children (she runs up to kids at the playground and is very chatty.) Even more bizarre, she has no problems with me leaving her with someone and was always easygoing about that - I just started to leave her recently in the toddler room at my church and had no problems. Must just be something about men.

Been reading, but been too lazy to comment on everything, so I won''t try.

Nothing new here...just created the time out jail and will start to do time outs. Oh and that TGuy is feeding Amelia vegemite and she actually likes it.

 

[Mrs Mitchell]

Ha! I wish Amelia was a little more shy of men. I worry...

She will launch herself at all of our guy friends, then cling on to them if I try to peel her off. She has her favourites, but any man will do at a pinch.

When she was tiny, she used to all but hiss when women approached her stoller, then break into a big beaming smile for a man, any man.

I was walking through Edinburgh a while ago and she was wailing and crying in the stroller. We passed a bus stop every five minutes, when she'd stop crying, check the queue for men, smile at them, then resume screaming when we'd passed.

She isn't crazy about women and the more effort they make with her, the more scornfully she will repel their advances.

She's going to get over this before she hits her teenage years, right?

ETA, she adores marmite, which I think is similar to vegimite. Urgh.

 

[ChinaCat]

Date: 1/25/2010 3:09:29 PM
Author: Mrs Mitchell
Ha! I wish Amelia was a little more shy of men. I worry...

She will launch herself at all of our guy friends, then cling on to them if I try to peel her off. She has her favourites, but any man will do at a pinch.

When she was tiny, she used to all but hiss when women approached her stoller, then break into a big beaming smile for a man, any man.

I was walking through Edinburgh a while ago and she was wailing and crying in the stroller. We passed a bus stop every five minutes, when she''d stop crying, check the queue for men, smile at them, then resume screaming when we''d passed.

She isn''t crazy about women and the more effort they make with her, the more scornfully she will repel their advances.

She''s going to get over this before she hits her teenage years, right?

ETA, she adores marmite, which I think is similar to vegimite. Urgh.

Just a lurker on this thread, but OH MY, I am in stitches over here! My assistant came in to see what was so funny. This image is so farking funny!!!!!!!

 

[janinegirly]

Date: 1/25/2010 3:09:29 PM
Author: Mrs Mitchell
Ha! I wish Amelia was a little more shy of men. I worry...

She will launch herself at all of our guy friends, then cling on to them if I try to peel her off. She has her favourites, but any man will do at a pinch.

When she was tiny, she used to all but hiss when women approached her stoller, then break into a big beaming smile for a man, any man.

I was walking through Edinburgh a while ago and she was wailing and crying in the stroller. We passed a bus stop every five minutes, when she''d stop crying, check the queue for men, smile at them, then resume screaming when we''d passed.

She isn''t crazy about women and the more effort they make with her, the more scornfully she will repel their advances.

She''s going to get over this before she hits her teenage years, right?

ETA, she adores marmite, which I think is similar to vegimite. Urgh.

Mrs M: That is quite an image and how hilarious! Your Amelia is a flirt and knows how to work it! Somehow I think that personality trait might stick around .

TGAL: That''s so interesting that A is like that around men! I do notice that C is most uncomfortable around older men (the Grandpas) and / or loud talkers. I guess that makes sense b/c she is mostly used to quiet talkers who are women! Still I hope this phase passes soon. I think everyone understands that children go through this phase but C just really disses everyone and I feel so bad because they''ll say things like "guess I lost my touch" and I have to say things like "no, she does this with everyone and you were more successful than most!" A few have just gone for it (picked her up) and she curls into a ball while screaming so they can''t bring her in. I guess I will just have to try to expose her to new people as much as possible and hope that eases her reactions. I have a 15 mo appt in a few wks (yup when she''s s16mo''s..pedi is on maternity leave!) so may ask about it then.

 

[MustangGal]

Mrs - you''re going to have trouble when A''s older!

Tgal - Kyle doesn''t like other people much either, but he does seem to be more tolerant of the women like your A is.

And here''s a pic from last night for you ladies, Kyle trying out his Cozy Coup for the first time

 

[TravelingGal]

Aw MGal, what a cute pic! He looks so happy!

Janine, I think the loud talking thing is another reason why she''s afraid of men. Our social group of men are sports fanatics and they are always screaming in front of the telly. I think it freaks her out. Oddly, old grandpa type men are fine. It''s just young men. I wouldn''t worry about it too much...some kids are just shy and it''s a lifelong thing. I''m one of them. No one can believe it since I''m in sales now, but I still feel very uneasy around new people. I just learned to fake it, is all.

 

[mrssalvo]

that''s such a cute pic Mustang gal. The the little car too.

 

[Burk]

So funny to read about all the kiddos "preference" to one sex or the other. T has a preference to men. She is obsessed with her uncles. Obsessed. Talks about them all the time. Will actually sit still and sit on their laps for extended periods of time. Odd. She does pull the "shy" act at first when she meets new people but then when she starts to feel comfortable will really let anyone hold her, play with her, whatever.

Snlee~Thanks for the reassurance. Some days are better than others. I''m less whiny today, I promise!

Mgal~Adorable pic!!

So I''m 37w3d preggo and DH is leaving on a business trip tomorrow morning.

At least he moved it, since it was supposed to be next week. I clearly am not THAT concerned (I don''t think this baby is coming until 40 weeks)or I would have said no way, but every once and a while I think it wouldn''t that just be my luck!?!? We''ve had 3 showings this past week for our house so I''m hoping the change in weather is actually going to produce a buyer. Please send house dust our way...we need it!!

 

[Jas12]

Burk--sending ''house-selling'' dust your way! And i hope that Kade stays put for DH''s trip. Do you have mild weather there too? It''s been unseasonably warm here (like just a few degrees below zero) so our siding is going on now.

Mustang--adorable pic. He looks so happy!

Tgal--did A''s hives go away? How''s the timeout thing going? I am not a huge fan of time-out, i guess cuz i''ve seen it misused so many times working in daycare, but iam not sure what or if i''ll use something else instead. I think i''ll try it when the opportunity arises, and see what happens.

Janine-i wouldn''t worry about the shyness. I know it''s hard b/c you feel like you have to make excuses for your child, but it is what it is. I think if you push them, it can be worse. I let Co be scared and explain who someone is while he clings. This past summer he went thru major "stranger danger". My mom coined it the "statue stage". One aft we were on our dock at the cottage and our neighbor came and sat on his dock which is a good 20 feet away and obviously seperated by water. My mom was sitting crosslegged on our dock and Co laid himself behind my mom, at her bum, in a tight ball and moved nothing but his eyes (to check if the neighbour was still there) for a good 15 minutes! I''ve never laughed so hard! But it''s weird, that stage passed in a couple of months and now he is rarely super shy around anyone.
....

Co is slowly getting better from his rash-thing. He doesn''t look like he has skin eating disease any longer

, but still looks very spotty.

Charlie felt the new baby kick last night (which i thought was pretty darn early at 21 weeks) and he was so thrilled. Usually i am asleep by the time he gets home from building so last night he came in at 10 and we just talked in bed till 11:00, like "hey, how''s it going, remember me, i am your spouse", and when he felt the baby i think it really hit home to him that despite how busy he is, a new kids is just around the corner!

 

[TravelingGal]

Wow Burk, you are so close! I guess you'd really better hold on a bit longer if you want your DH to be there for K's birth!

Jas, I've never had time out growing up (nor was I ever grounded.) My mother believed in consequences and spanking. So I really am not sure about time outs myself, but I thought I'd try it. I'm trying to use it to help correct certain behaviors. I've only had to use it twice so far, so it's hard to say, but I know Amelia doesn't like it. And right now she is only going in when she throws something she isn't supposed to throw. I say "no throw" and "time out." Then when I take her out and say again "No throw." I guess it's been working OK since I haven't had to use it since those two time outs when I first created the cage? Anyway, I don't want to put her in it for being "bad" if I can't show her what exactly was bad. So it's time out or a spank now (which I use if she defies me on safety issues) and when she gets older, I'll use reality based parenting when I am able to show her why A lead to B happening. At this point, of course, she doesn't get that.

ETA, and oh, yes, Amelia's hives seem to be gone. It was literally a sympathy hive for Co.

 

[Burk]

Jas12~Thanks for the dust. Market is tough and our neighborhood is making it pretty difficult to get it sold (think most expensive house on the block

). Weather here is back to more typical weather for this time of year (30''s and 40''s) as opposed to the crazy snow and single digits we were having. I''m glad it''s warm enough for you guys to put up siding! Yay for Charlie feeling baby too!!! My BFF from highschool is due the same day as you and she''s having her second boy....I''m thinking another boy for you too!

re time-out: We never had time-out growing up either and I''ve seen them misused all too often (my IL''s are the poster-parents for this). I use it with Tayva and really have found that it works very well for us (I should say ME because my DH is worthless when it comes to discipline right now!). The other thing that helps is that our daycare uses time-outs so there is consistency. I think T has been to time-out at her school a grand total of 1 time so at least she fears it while she''s there. At home she''s more prone to put herself in time-out when she doesn''t feel like doing what she''s supposed to....like this morning when she didn''t want to put her coat on.

BUT, when she couldn''t get out of time-out b/c the time wasn''t up that made her decide that putting her coat on wasn''t all that bad! I think that as long as parents are consistent and show follow through, it really doesn''t matter what it is (be it timeout, spanking, ect).

 

[puffy]

burk DH is all for a big family, and while i would love to have more kids, 2 right now is plenty for me to deal with. but who knows in a few years or so. he keeps telling people that we will be trying again real soon...oh boy has he got another thing coming! that''s great that you''re still coaching. good luck on the house building and selling!

mustang cute cute pic!!

jas12 glad to hear that Co is doing better.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

So I am getting kinda annoyed with all of these 2nd time baby showers. All of them are having the same sex and less than 2.5 years age gap. Really? ANOTHER shower? I have no problem getting a gift but seriously? A causal lunch, girl''s night, brunch, TOTALLY in but themed showers. Aggg...I didn''t even like my own. Vent over.

Tessa really likes saying hi to anyone, male or female. She did go through a male hating phase but that was when she was a baby. Time-outs are really working for us. We didn''t have them either growing up unless being sent to your room when we were older counts. My mom watches "Super Nanny" and she is so PRO time-outs my mom was the one who convinced me to give it a try. I have a naughty girl and boundaries NEED to be set. I wasn''t 100% comfortable spanking b/c I don''t want her to think hitting is ok. Seeing her spank her doll kinda scarred me.

MrsM, A hissing. TOO funny. You ARE in trouble.

MG, he looks SO happy.

Burk, hope you sell your house soon AND Kade doesn''t make an early arrival just yet. I am sure you will be fine. I am convinced I would STILL be preggo w/o medical intervention. People are idiots. IGNORE them!

Jas12, glad Co''s rash is going away and how fun Charlie can feel the baby. All of his hard work will pay off soon.

Puffy, went to the gym tonight. I am TIRED. T had a blast as usual. I think I have surrendered all hope to have my old body back. I actually feel okay about it.

Jas, miss ya girl.

 

[mrssalvo]

ha, tacori, I''m with you on the second baby showers. especially when it''s the same sex. I didn''t even want to have one with Jake even though he was a different sex and 4 years younger than Lily. But, my closest friends/family insisted and I did finally expect to a very small/laid back shower b/c I really did need a few of the items I had gotten rid of when I thought we were done. Plus, I didn''t have any boy things.

burk-I hope your house sells soon. it''s still a very tough market in our area. You''re getting close but lets hope little Kade waits until you hubby gets back from his trip b/f he decides to make his arrival!


So, Jake would not nap again today

it''s like 2 days he will then one day he won''t, repeat cycle. I''ve keep him on a consistent bed time so I don''t get what is going on. He''s also back to waking up at 5:00am

needless to say, i''m tired.

 

[gailrmv]

hi there!

With a 10 month old, I''ve been kind of lurking on this thread and the newborn thread. I feel like I''m kind of in between with my concerns. So, I hope you won''t mind me just popping in with a random question.

I am planning a couple of trips for summer and fall and getting kind of nervous because A will be about a year and a half then. I remember with my good friend''s son, that was a rough age because he was into EVERYTHING - an unstoppable tornado of destruction. On one of our trips we will be renting a beach house. I am kind of freaking out. Will we just be chasing A the entire time trying to keep him from trashing the place? Can we do some on the fly baby proofing? I remember Divergrrl posting a long time ago that you can do a lot with duct tape so I will be bringing that for sure. Any reassurance or advice would be helpful. I wish I could just wait and see what things are like at that time, but other people are involved so we need to commit to plans.

MustangGal, love the photo. You two are adorable! A loves playing with his friend''s cozy coupe so we plan to get him one for his 1st birthday!

Burk, best of luck with selling the house! You have a lot going on with the new baby and moving!

Tacori, I am hoping we can use time outs effectively too.

 

[Burk]

puffy~I''ve always wanted 4 kids. I doubt we''ll get that far but I still think maybe 3. Right now is not the time to make those decisions....give me a year or two!

Thanks so much for the house luck. We need all the help we can get! I so hope we are able to get our house sold soon, however the thought of having to move into a rental in between our new house being done isn''t very appealing. Only time will tell I guess.

Tacori~I couldn''t agree more regarding second showers and especially when the babies are the same sex! Great job making it to the gym. I am really looking forward to getting this baby out of me so I can work out again! Hopefully he at least stays put until DH is here. I''m guessing he will since I''m pretty sure I''m like you and without medical help my body would stay preggo forever!

mrss~Sorry about the nap situation! Hope he gets out of the crazy cycle and goes back to napping every day for you!! I am pretty sure I''ll stay preggo until my doc induces me.

tandog~We took T on vacation when she was 18 mo (so same age as A will be) and we stayed in a cabin by a lake (similar to a beach house) and she did just fine. I moved things off the coffee table ect. and put them up high so she couldn''t get to them and just brought a bunch of toys and colors and coloring books to keep her occupied. Another thing that was helpful was the fact that we had an extra bedroom for her and set up her pack ''n play in there so she was able to sleep well. I brought extra blankets and masking tape and taped the blankets over the windows so that it was dark (she has black out shades in her room so it''s very dark) in there and she was able to stay in her normal routine with sleep which was essential so we didn''t have to deal with extra crabbiness!

 

[janinegirly]

tacori: agree on the 2nd shower stuff. If I had #2 it would be small family thing no matter what the sex.

burk: hope the house moves quick...you are so close!!

sooo...kind of a heavier topic, but how are ladies with toddlers who are on the fence about #2 feeling? I know for me I now get the questions constantly..or just the assumption that #2 annoucement is any month now. It''s hard b/c the truth is I''m really not sure we will have #2 (and not any closer to the decision than we were last year) so it''s hard to field the question and be peppy. I have such mixed feelings expecially since there is a baby boom among my friends now! I feel that pang or yearn for the whole baby anticipation thing but then it''s mixed with the desire to reel it in since that might never happen. I guess it''s the rational side vs. emotional side battle. I personally lean towards wanting #2 but can see how it would make things difficult for us--and DH is leaning the other way due to his age. Anyway, just wanted to get that out, not sure if anyone can relate. I hope DH and I can decide within the next 3-6 mo''s, but right now it''s looking unlikely there will be another LO.

 

[curlygirl]

Tacori, I couldn't agree more about the 2nd shower thing--especially if it's a same sex child. I don't get it at all. I didn't have a 2nd shower for Lucy. The one thing I did was create another small registry of the few minor things we needed--a new bouncy seat since we let friends borrow Lily's and never got it back, new bottles, bottle brush, just small stuff like that. It makes no sense to me when people feel the need to have a second shower.

tdm, we traveled with Lily at 14 months and honestly, it was a PITA! But I think by 18 months, you may be ok. He'll definitely be getting into things but hopefully nothing too harmful and I agree with the duct tape recommendation! Since it's a beach vacation, hopefully you'll be able to keep him occupied outside a lot so he won't be messing with everything inside! It's doable, especially if you have extra hands to help keep him busy and keep you sane! We haven't traveled with other families but I see when we have playdates at people's houses or go to dinner with people that have kids, they "get it". Everyone helps each other out and nobody is giving stink eye! I think you'll be fine.

janine, I feel for you. I wish I had some advice but it's such a personal thing. Honestly, I always wanted 2 kids and although DH didn't necessarily want more than one, when I found myself surprisingly pregnant with Lucy he was thrilled about it. My circumstances were so f'ed up--there was never a thought in my mind that I would have my children 17 months apart and I went through some serious emotional distress over the whole thing. But it happened, we're happy and life goes on. Was it the right time? Probably not. Were we financially ready? No. Did we even have room for a 2nd child? Definitely not. Do we struggle daily? Yes, but it's worth it. We did it and we are making it work. When I look at my girls playing together now, I am high fiving myself for having them so close together!

We take it one day at a time and try not to look too far into the future because that would surely make us insane! But if we can survive day to day, we're doing pretty well!

My point is, if you are constantly searching for the "right" time, you're probably never going to find it. There will always be issues that will come up and convince you to wait for a better time or change your mind completely. I think you and your DH need to really REALLY decide whether or not you even want another child first. You should not put the opinions/comments and assumptions of others into your decision-making process. It's about YOUR family and what is best for you. You can't really predict the future but if this is something you really want (and it sounds like you do), I think you have to get DH on board and throw caution to the wind! But seriously, don't let this weigh on you for too long and don't overthink it. Talk to DH and come up with a game plan either way. And tell everyone else to mind their own business!

 

[MustangGal]

tdm - we''ll be traveling with Kyle when he''s 14.5 months, so I''d also like to know what to expect! I hope it''ll be a fun trip for you though, and not all running around after a tornedo!

janine - I''m also on the fence for #2. I like how things are now, we can handle this. DH already gets frustrated at times with just 1 easy kid, so I can''t imagine what would happen with 2. And if the second is colicy/fussy/even special needs, I don''t know that I could deal with it. My MIL is bugging us already, and co-workers and friends are asking. What business is it of theirs what our family planning is? I''ve been telling people "We''ll think about it when he''s 2, if I still don''t want another by then, we''re done", but in my heart, I know I won''t be having another, and I''m at peace with that. But I''ll also never hear the end of it from the ILs, and probably even DH.

And thanks for the compliments, Kyle is a pretty happy little guy most of the time

.

 

[Burk]

janine~Thanks! Realtor is showing it again tonight. As for #2 I''m really no help at all because I was never on the fence but I agree with curly that there will never be a "right" time and you will most likely never have a "light bulb" moment where the decision just comes to you. Make the choice that you think is best for your family and stick by it. I don''t think you could ever regret having another!

So we got a new car last night (DH''s version of getting the mini van when you have baby #2-we got a Youkon Denali). T was so funny on the way to school today in the new car talking about everyone we can fit in it and pointing to the seats for all her aunts and uncles to sit in the car and then telling me we need to go get them! Too funny.

 

[TravelingGal]

Hiya gals...

Burk, fingers crossed the house sells soon!

Tacori, I''m WITH YA on the second showers. One of the girls in our group had THREE showers and they were all fancy ones. I hate baby showers. I didn''t want of my own for the first one, but my friend absolutely insisted. I agreed only if it wasn''t going to be expensive. So she did it at her house and I only invited the social group of friends. They kind of poked fun at me and gave me a "Miranda" (from SATC) shower with fried chicken, PB&J sandwiches and really simple, homemade stuff. It was perfect.

TDM, Amelia would have been a nightmare to travel with when she was 14 mos, but 18 mos I think would have been fine. The key factor here for me is walking. I would not take a kid on a trip who is crawling but not walking. As for whether you''ll be chasing A around or not...well, what''s he like now? He is easily contained now or does he not listen well? If he''s tough now, he''ll probably be tough to manage as an 18 month old...they only become more willfull and tornado like.

Janine, I am in the same boat as you. Huge 2nd round baby boom in my circle of friends right now. Everyone jokes that they want me to get preggo asap so all our kids will be the same age. But honestly, I''m not inclined. More and more families will be single child families and I don''t think there is anything wrong with that. I absolutely do understand that I could possibly regret not having another - that there will be joys I''ll never have and know. However, I''m just too tired to have another. I know that everyone thinks Amelia is good and easy (and she is!) but it took a LOT out of me to get us here. I''ve always been on the ball with her...I haven''t cut myself much slack when it comes to consistency, discipline, blah blah blah. I had no help, nor wanted any when she was a newborn - 4 months and I am pretty sure I''d be the same with another newborn.

So because of all this, the thought of the EFFORT needed to raise another "good" kid is mentally daunting to me...especially if that kid''s disposition is to be a PITA. Amelia''s no saint, but she generally is a good kid. I don''t want to tempt fate, as I am happy with my happy, healthy child.

 

[snlee]

MG, cute picture! Kyle is adorable! Welcome!

Burk, good luck with the house!

MrsS, sorry to hear Jake is on a nap strike. Hope he naps and gives you a break soon!

Welcome TDM!

jas12, how is Co doing? Hope his rash is better.

janine, sorry, I feel for you. I''m not much help since I was never on the fence for #2. I agree with curly that there''s no right time and this is a decision that you and your DH need to decide together. I hope you guys can have a good talk about it.

 

[qtiekiki]

Janine
Late to chime in, but it''s normal for them to be scared around "strangers". The kiddos don''t know those are their relatives/family friends. M acts like that at family gatherings too. I do noticed that she''ll act differently with different people. Some she''ll cozy up to really fast, others she''ll pull away. M doesn''t like adult male, but loves to play with the older boys. M is absolutely scared of DH''s best friend. She cries whenever he looks at her. It''s kind of funny.
I hope you can decide on baby #2. We were never on fence with having another kid, so it wasn''t a hard decision for us.

Mustang
You and your little man are so adorable.

Tacori
Couldn''t agree more with the 2nd shower. Work threw me a casual cake and ice cream shower on my last day of work. I felt very uncomfortable getting gifts since my kiddos are only 1.5 year apart, so I told the organizers that we should just celebrate without gifts. They ended up giving me $200 in cash. Our family doesn''t do baby showers, so I never had one with family and friends.

Burk
Wishing you luck with selling the house.
How cute that T tells you that you have to go pick up all her aunts and uncles.

Jas12
Glad Co''s rash is getting better. That definitely doesn''t look like eczema.

puffy
Your DH doesn''t want to give you a break, huh? hehe. People are already asking if we are going to have more kids. DH''s best friend (he assumes that we are having another girl b/c I didn''t tell anyone the baby''s gender) asked DH the other day if he is going to keep trying for a boy.

TDM
We''ve only been on short trips to visit my parents with M (the last time M was 15 months). We stayed at a hotel, so not the same as a beach house with regard to babyproofing since there''s usually not much at the hotel and a lot less space. She was very curious in the hotel, and was going in and out of the closet. But if we say no to something, she was pretty good at following directions. So I think you''ll be fine. Maybe just need move things out of reach.

snlee
How are you and D?

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Glad I am not the only one turned off my second time showers. The few in the past I didn't mind b/c it was more like a girl's night out/dinner type of thing and the preggo friend was surprised. One we gave an organized friend $20 each and she got a giftcard so that our friend could buy her double stroller. Then we brought a book for the new baby. I thought that was sweet. But the latest ones have full out registries! How could they need anything besides diapers and maybe some clothes if boy #2 is born in a different season from boy #1?

Okay, I don't feel like I brag that much about anything but I do have to say I think my kid is hysterical. Not in the "every kid says funny things" way but seriously funny. No one believes me but she makes jokes that are actually funny. She is very entertaining in the midst of her tantrums, power struggles and whining.

MrsS, I think you might have been in acceptable second shower range. I think a big age gap in combo with different sex is appropriate. Sorry Jake is not napping. Hope you all get some rest soon!

TDM, are you flying or driving to the beach? If you are flying that will be tough but if you drive I would take a cheap baby gate with you. 18 month olds are trouble makers. Or at least my girl was (and still is). Duct tape is excellent for taping off outlets, keeping drawers shut, that kinda thing. I wouldn't NOT go but I would go prepared. Lots of toys, dvds, snacks, etc.

Burk, for reasons beyond my control I cannot go to the gym tonight. Oh well. I am SURE you will bounce back fast. You did with T! Have fun with your new car!!! I love new stuff.

Janine, I just tell people she will be an only child. That shuts them up. People are so noisy. I hope you make the right decision for you. I cannot remember how old your DH is but 36 is young! You have a few years to decide. Sorry you are feeling frustrated. I just hit the ignore button...often.

Curly, I think it is ok to have a family celebration, meet the baby, look who is here, type of thing but invites, favors, games, massive registries...come on ladies! The world doesn't revolve around you so get out of the spot light! Geez...some pent up anger here. Haha. Ignore me. Just having a bad day I guess.

MG, I guess that is the benefit of having a difficult child. When someone asks I can just point at T and say "seriously?" Haha. I am so evil. But honestly not sure I could handle TWO spirited kids. It makes me want to break out in hives just thinking about it. Maybe when she is 8

TGal, I have accepted the fact T may be an only child and am focusing on the benefits. I think Tessa IS enough. I am not ruling out anymore but I figure it will be a welcomed surprise if I decide to have another vs. a sad loss if I decide not to.

ETA: Q, we were posting at the same time. I am IMPRESSED you can keep his gender a secret. I have such a big mouth I would NEVER be able to do that!

 

[gailrmv]

Burk, Curly, Tgal, Tacori and Qtie, Thanks for the encouragement and ideas! Great idea about the gate, Tacori. We would be driving to the beach. The friends that we are going with don't have kids, so I know they'll be understanding but they won't really "get it." Tgal, he's not great at listening now. He's into all kinds of mischief, but he's only 10 months. I'm quite sure he'll be walking by the trip. He's very close to walking now! He's very sweet and easygoing about most things, but is just very curious - not one to sit still. I am sure it will be fine! Later in the fall we will be flying cross country and that will probably be his first flight. We'll be traveling with our best friends, who have a toddler (the tornado kid!), so we can all help eachother out. I'm a little stressed. We've traveled a decent bit with him so far, but he just keeps getting more mobile and more destructive!

Also thanks for the welcomes!

Second kid I think about it a lot. I know it's early, but I guess I am a planner! DH is all for it. I would love to have another child, but I feel overwhelmed when I think of the day to day actually caring for them both. I am a SAHM for now. DH works long hours and I don't have family living nearby, so I'm on my own with A most of the time. I feel like we're in a good routine and doing quite well most days, but I really can't imagine doing this all on my own with two. Even just the thought of recovering from another C section and those early weeks with newborn + a toddler seems daunting. (A was a challenging baby, who knows what #2 would be like.) I'm not close with my one sibling and DH is an only child, so it's hard to imagine a "normal" family where the sibs are close. I'd like A to have that, though. I am pretty sure that I want to have a second child but spaced a couple years apart. Anyway, I think about it a lot. We're both over 30 and not getting any younger, so I think we should not wait TOO long.

 

[mrssalvo]

hi mommies..not much going on with us. jake is fighting some sort of tummy bug. He did take a nap today but I think it was b/c he just wasn''t feeling very well. no fever though which is good and he has been drinking lots of fluids. not sure what he''s got.

re: second kid. hubby and I agreed before we even got married that we''d try to have at least 2 so that was never an issue so can''t be of much help there.

on a totally unrelated note, my little DK bauble is coming back home

 

[puffy]

tacori cute that T''s a funny girl. sounds like she is a hand full at times, but i am sure she definitely keeps you entertained.

mrsS hope jake is back to taking naps. you must be super tired! yay for your DK going back home to you. hope jake is doing better.

janine DH and i always wanted 2, well i wanted 2 and he wanted at least 2 or 3. so we were never on the fence about it. but now that we have 2, i honestly feel like i could be done and DH wants to get back to business. so we''ll have to chat about that when the time is right. but when is the time ever right?

burk WOW, 4 kids?!?! i hope your house sells, but it would suck to move to a rental. YAY for a new car!! so cute that T was talking about where all her family would go. so cute she is!!

snlee are you having fun with D now that he is waling everywhere but i''m sure he''s getting into just about everything as well.

qt how are you? you''ll be holding your little guy soon!! nope, DH really doesn''t want to wait to have another. can you tell, he''s not really around much since he has no idea what it''s like to be with a newborn and toddler all day and now he wants to add a preggo lady into the mix. we clearly have different plans. how can you not tell anyone you guys are having a boy?? you are good with secrets!


i hope to be getting my noah necklace tomorrow or friday. it''s more of a my 2 boys'' necklace instead of a noah necklace. i told DH that and i think he might have agreed to get me a ring of some sort for my noah gift, even though i didn''t want to get another ring, but more bling is never a bad thing.

 

[janinegirly]

thanks all on the feedback re: 2nd child, I reallly appreciate it and know it's come up a few times from me, so thanks for listening!

Mustang & TGAL: It was really helpful for me to hear your perspectives---that it's ok to have one and sometimes makes more sense. I agree TGAL on the tired thing.

curlygirl, snlee,burk: you're all so right. With us it's more of a question of "if" rather than when though. I think I could handle the 'when' issue better since our ages will pretty much determine that (ie pretty soon!). It's been a challenge balancing house, baby, work--but for me I don't like to let those factors influence me too much, but I know it does impact DH's thoughts (that and age factor). The decision seems so natural when you are on the same page but the thing is that DH and I are leaning opposite directions but neither wants to say absolutely yes or no since we don't want the other to feel pressured. I need to know soon for my own sanity though. Otherwise I have an internal struggle each time I hear someone's news, or I put away's C's clothes that she's outgrown. And while we've talked about it multiple times, the time is coming when we will have to say this is the decision and that is it.

tacori: yup I need to tune peeps out! I can handle family, it's the acquaintances and work that annoy me--and the fact that I'm generally sensitive to the topic (and no one would necessarily know that). This SVP at work for example always asks how old the baby is and when I respond he says "OH time for #2!!..look she's blushing!". Seriously he's said that about 3 times already! And do mind me asking why you think T might be an only one? DH is older than me..not a huge difference but enough that it has an impact--he would be a senior citizen when one and possibly both are still in college. I think of my own father who is now just becoming a senior citizen and I've been out of college over 15 years! So I get it, but it's still so sad to accept as the "reason." I like to believe that age doesn't matter...but the reality is it sometimes it does come into play...from the child's perspective too.

mrss, puffy: DH and I did talk about it pre-marriage but things shift. I knew I wanted kids and one seemed fine. He thought one seemed fine too but could be more. We both felt slightly differently after the baby I guess.

ok onto the personal comments!

puffy: can't wait to see the necklace! I have a feeling there will be #3 for you..but probably too soon to imagine now!

burk: congrats on the new car...

qtiekiki: hope you check in daily so we know if there's been any action!

snlee: i meant to say earlier that that's so funny that D says poo poo--he seems advanced in the language area. Is he walking all over yet? He was so steady that I think he'll be taking off soon.

jas12: thanks for chiming in on the shy thing. Maybe it'll ease with time! Hope Co's skin is healing