PS Mommy thread with toddlers 12-36 months

[MustangGal]

I got my shower when I got home last night, thanks for the ideas! I could probably just take one with him, he loves water, but not sure what he''d to with water raining down on him. I usually don''t take one at night becasue I have curly/frizzy hair, and if I go to bed with it wet I wake up looking like Shirly Temple

. And no, that''s not the first time I''ve had to skip a shower... We tried to keep Kyle up just a tad later than normal, but he had a melt down at 6:45 and was in bed at 7:30. At least he slept until 6:15am today!

 

[Jas12]

Baby boom on PS this week isn''t it? With more to come!


Tacori--i didn''t even get a cold with Co either, and i was really hoping to stay healthy this time too. I''ve had teeny colds since having Cohen, but i think i was in high school last time i got a stomach bug. Not pretty. I guess it''s hard to stay healthy with a toddler around. They are magnets for bugs.
Did your preschool open again?

Burk--yuck, as if they are making you stay later to make up for lost time. It''s never happened around here, despite the amount of snow, ice, cold temps we get, but i guess that is just b/c we have more plows, road maintenance etc. the schools don''t close for anything. The one thing they have changed is that they won''t allow kids outdoors for recess if it gets below -20. That is pretty darn cold, but many teachers think the kids should suck it up b/c we all did when we grew up. Indoor recess is a PITA for sure, but i also hate the cold so i am on the fence.

MrsS. --your kids back in school yet? You poor thing--haha

Janine--glad C is staying healthy. Don''t worry about the MMR. I think all the kiddies here breezed thru it. I say that, but Co still hasn''t gotten his. I think we will soon(i waffle on this subject all the time) and were scheduled to go in this week, but he''s been so sick i am not even considering it till next month at the earliest.

.....
Vent: i am soooo bored. I am the worst person to be sick at home. i can''t even be productive and clean the house or something b/c i am so weak. i don''t really watch much TV so i am just moping. I also feel terrible being at home but not with my kid. Co has been so super clingy the past 2 days. I know he knows something is wrong with me ( he says " momma''s tummy hurts, My tummy hurts") but doesn''t get why i can''t really play with him. It''s hard b/c he wants nothing to do with Charlie but in the evenings i''ve been so ill all i can do is lay in a ball.
I am really trying to eat, but can''t get more than a few bites in or a piece of toast in the morning so i''ve already lost 6 lbs and i can see an indent at the top of my uterus b/c i guess my belly has kinda shrunk around it

I feel so bad for my little in-utero baby. At least i can drink fine so i am hydrated. My sis is coming home this weekend and she promised to take me out for a nice high-calorie meal

so i am very much looking fwd to that!

 

[lover in athens]

hi guys!!

thanks for all the well-wishes for coby. he''s definitely doing better and is back at daycare this morning (although that was a disaster as he hasn''t been in a couple weeks and did NOT want me to leave!). glad to hear the other kiddos are getting better too. i HATE having a sick little one, and hearing about all of yours makes me sad.
sorry to hear about the sick mommies also--jas, i TOTALLY know what you mean. i have been very inattentive to my poor son lately, it''s so hard to feel horrible and play at the same time!

quick question: i was going to post this in tgals'' awesome new thread, but didn''t want to hijack...

we are flying to vancouver for the olympics in a couple weeks and it''s been a while since coby has been on a flight more than an hour long. i think i''d like to get a couple new toys for him to open on the plane that might keep him occupied. any suggestions??? i was thinking maybe one of those kiddo laptops, but i don''t know if he''s still too young (he''s just over 15 mo). oh, we don''t have a portable DVD player or anything, but he''s also never shown any interest in TV or movies anyway, so i don''t think that''s much of an option...

TIA!!!

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 2/2/2010 12:46:10 PM
Author: lover in athens
hi guys!!

thanks for all the well-wishes for coby. he''s definitely doing better and is back at daycare this morning (although that was a disaster as he hasn''t been in a couple weeks and did NOT want me to leave!). glad to hear the other kiddos are getting better too. i HATE having a sick little one, and hearing about all of yours makes me sad.
sorry to hear about the sick mommies also--jas, i TOTALLY know what you mean. i have been very inattentive to my poor son lately, it''s so hard to feel horrible and play at the same time!

quick question: i was going to post this in tgals'' awesome new thread, but didn''t want to hijack...

we are flying to vancouver for the olympics in a couple weeks and it''s been a while since coby has been on a flight more than an hour long. i think i''d like to get a couple new toys for him to open on the plane that might keep him occupied. any suggestions??? i was thinking maybe one of those kiddo laptops, but i don''t know if he''s still too young (he''s just over 15 mo). oh, we don''t have a portable DVD player or anything, but he''s also never shown any interest in TV or movies anyway, so i don''t think that''s much of an option...

TIA!!!

I''ll be back to comment more on the other posts, but wanted to see if I could help you LIA.

I am not sure I would recommend a kiddie laptop on a plane. They make annoying sounds that would seem to me to be amplified on a plane. Of course, as a business traveler, if I had to choose between annoying kiddie toy noises and a screaming toddler...well....

Things that are new should interest him for awhile. Amelia right now is fixated on some Christmas tree strings of beads. Just loves playing with them. That kind of stuff might be a nice, quieter option.

Does he like books? Perhaps some new books he has never seen before?

I''m not much into having Amelia watch TV (although she definitely does get to watch some now), but if on a plane, I would have qualms about bringing a DVD player and giving that a shot!

I''m sure Tacori will have more ideas as she''s the traveling toddler expert!

 

[janinegirly]

Date: 2/2/2010 12:46:10 PM
Author: lover in athens
hi guys!!

thanks for all the well-wishes for coby. he''s definitely doing better and is back at daycare this morning (although that was a disaster as he hasn''t been in a couple weeks and did NOT want me to leave!). glad to hear the other kiddos are getting better too. i HATE having a sick little one, and hearing about all of yours makes me sad.
sorry to hear about the sick mommies also--jas, i TOTALLY know what you mean. i have been very inattentive to my poor son lately, it''s so hard to feel horrible and play at the same time!

quick question: i was going to post this in tgals'' awesome new thread, but didn''t want to hijack...

we are flying to vancouver for the olympics in a couple weeks and it''s been a while since coby has been on a flight more than an hour long. i think i''d like to get a couple new toys for him to open on the plane that might keep him occupied. any suggestions??? i was thinking maybe one of those kiddo laptops, but i don''t know if he''s still too young (he''s just over 15 mo). oh, we don''t have a portable DVD player or anything, but he''s also never shown any interest in TV or movies anyway, so i don''t think that''s much of an option...

TIA!!!

Hi LIA,

First of all Vancouver Olympics sounds awesome!! Can''t wait to hear how you manage traveling with Coby--we still haven''t taken that step.

Regarding kiddo laptop, it did not work out for us. I mean I would say it would hold his attention as any new toy would for a short time but it didn''t do it long enough for us. C pushed a bunch of buttons but then she found it boring since its screen is small and yes the voice is annoying. Maybe if she was older she''d get more out of the interactive aspect. She much prefers my laptop and I''d have to say it gets the least attention from her out of all the toys. This was our experience at least..I think others had more successs!

For me the DVD player would definitely help since cartoons always keep C enraptured but sounds like that isn''t the case for Coby (which probably is a good thing!). Sorry can''t be of much help, I''m sure others will chime in!

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 2/2/2010 1:13:01 PM
Author: janinegirly

Date: 2/2/2010 12:46:10 PM
Author: lover in athens
hi guys!!

thanks for all the well-wishes for coby. he''s definitely doing better and is back at daycare this morning (although that was a disaster as he hasn''t been in a couple weeks and did NOT want me to leave!). glad to hear the other kiddos are getting better too. i HATE having a sick little one, and hearing about all of yours makes me sad.
sorry to hear about the sick mommies also--jas, i TOTALLY know what you mean. i have been very inattentive to my poor son lately, it''s so hard to feel horrible and play at the same time!

quick question: i was going to post this in tgals'' awesome new thread, but didn''t want to hijack...

we are flying to vancouver for the olympics in a couple weeks and it''s been a while since coby has been on a flight more than an hour long. i think i''d like to get a couple new toys for him to open on the plane that might keep him occupied. any suggestions??? i was thinking maybe one of those kiddo laptops, but i don''t know if he''s still too young (he''s just over 15 mo). oh, we don''t have a portable DVD player or anything, but he''s also never shown any interest in TV or movies anyway, so i don''t think that''s much of an option...

TIA!!!

Hi LIA,

First of all Vancouver Olympics sounds awesome!! Can''t wait to hear how you manage traveling with Coby--we still haven''t taken that step.

Regarding kiddo laptop, it did not work out for us. I mean I would say it would hold his attention as any new toy would for a short time but it didn''t do it long enough for us. C pushed a bunch of buttons but then she found it boring since its screen is small and yes the voice is annoying. Maybe if she was older she''d get more out of the interactive aspect. She much prefers my laptop and I''d have to say it gets the least attention from her out of all the toys. This was our experience at least..I think others had more successs!

For me the DVD player would definitely help since cartoons always keep C enraptured but sounds like that isn''t the case for Coby (which probably is a good thing!). Sorry can''t be of much help, I''m sure others will chime in!

That''s what I forgot to mention...Amelia likes my stuff. I give her my blackberry (locked) and she''ll play with it for some time. I think it''s not a matter of finding something that will keep their attention the entire time, but having an arsenal of stuff that will keep them occupied for a bit of time before you move onto the next thing.

 

[Burk]

Jas12~Sorry you''re stuck at home still feeling awful! Get some rest! The "make-up" time for the extra snow day (we have 5 built in our schedule but have used 6) is a joke. Like we''re really making up quality instruction?!!?! It has to feel soooo long for the kids because it drags for the teachers too! Classes are all a hour which makes it really hard for planning. I just need to make it through Friday, though. I can do it! Oh, and our rule for outside recess is 30 degrees...far cry from -20!! I can''t even imagine.

LIA~I agree with the others to make sure you just have a lot of stuff to keep him occupied. Will he color/draw at all? That''s always a go to for us-crayons and scratch paper. T doesn''t watch a ton of TV but the DVD player is a life saver for long car trips...maybe you could borrow one? Lots of snacks.

 

[ChinaCat]

To piggyback LIA''s question: Is it completely insane to consider taking a 15 month old to Italy? I am not that worried about being in Italy, but the plane ride sounds miserable.

O is only 6 months now, so I just can''t even fathom what he''d be like at 15 months.

I hope you all aren''t rolling on the floor laughing over this question...

ETA: I take that back. I am also worried about carting around a 15 month old in Italy.

Thoughts? Has anyone done something like this successfully?

TIA!

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 2/2/2010 3:09:36 PM
Author: ChinaCat
To piggyback LIA''s question: Is it completely insane to consider taking a 15 month old to Italy? I am not that worried about being in Italy, but the plane ride sounds miserable.

O is only 6 months now, so I just can''t even fathom what he''d be like at 15 months.

I hope you all aren''t rolling on the floor laughing over this question...

ETA: I take that back. I am also worried about carting around a 15 month old in Italy.

Thoughts? Has anyone done something like this successfully?

TIA!

CC, I''m not laughing, I''m shuddering.

I''m a big believer in not letting kids get in the way of travel. But kids are in a way more portable pre-1 then they are when they get into the toddler stage. I plan to do some serious traveling with Amelia, but we are going to wait until she''s 3-3.5 years.

Where would you be flying from? Also, I don''t know what the plane schedules are, but I am pretty sure you would have to connect at least once, which in itself is just...ugh.

Your child will most likely still be napping, although how many naps, it''s hard to say. This would cut into your time to enjoy Italy. You could cart him around in a stroller, but depending WHERE in Italy, it''s not exactly the most stroller friendly. A maclaren would get eaten alive (very bumpy) and a BOB would just be so huge. You could carry him, but they get pretty darn big at 15 months old. And if he''s walking, he may not WANT be to be carried.

On top of that, will he be an adventurous eater? I mean, tons of good stuff to eat in Italy and it''s not like people there don''t have things to feed their own young. Pasta would be an easy choice. But if he''s more a creature of habit, it''s something to consider.

Hotel rooms can be small in Europe. Where will he sleep? Does he sleep in the bed with you now? If not, where will he sleep? Some rooms are not big enough to have suitcases laying around, much less a portable crib. But again, if you check ahead, I''m sure you can find something that works.

So to answer your question, I don''t think it''s insane. It depends what you are used to. I think most people might not say it''s insane to take a kid from, say, Ohio to California at 15 months, and so it might not seem a big deal for someone say, living in Spain to take their kid to Italy. But if you are not a seasoned international traveler, I think it could be more challenging than one may want with a 15 mo old.

 

[mrssalvo]

jas12- tummy bugs are awful. I had one last spring and thank goodness I was in TN with my family b/c I could do nothing but lay in bed or was in the bathroom, there was no way I couldn''t have taken care of Jake. I was still nursing at the time too. I would nurse him and then my mom would take him and let me rest. I shudder just remembering it. I''m glad you are at least taking in fluids and hope you continue to feel much better over the next day or so. How co feeling, is he back to 100%?

Burk-we''ve used up out snow days here too so any more and they''ll have to make them up. In indy, they actually went to school on scheduled holiday''s last year to make them up rather than tact on days at the end of the year. Kids don''t play outside here if it''s below 32. when we were in indy though it was 0 and snowpants were manditory. I can see wanting to bundle up and get outside though, even for a short time. Inside all day for 7 hours would be hard.

LIA-I think having a small toy bag with different items is a good idea. A portable DVD player might be a good thing for the trip too. Jake would watch baby einstein video''s from time to time and they held his interest at that age.

so, we had yet another snow day today. mom my was so kind and watched my kids so i could get to the store for much needed groceries. Jake was up again at 5:15am. I don''t know what''s up with the early riser business. The roads were pretty much clear today so I will be surprised if the kids don''t go back tomorrow. not much else going on with us.

 

[Jas12]

LIA--i second the idea of beads. Co has strands of those colorful mardi-gras beads that he absolutely adores for some reason. We make shapes, animals etc. with them and he''ll do that for a good 1/2 hour at a time. Might work on the lap tray
Books with flaps are always a winner in this household
Anything with buttons (like an old cell phone or kiddie cell phone)
videos would work for co, he loves tv, but you have to get something with short clips, like a baby einstein video....hope that helps a bit

 

[janinegirly]

I don''t know how you gals give your LO''s old cell phones--C will not accept baby ones or old ones. She wants mine and wants it open (it''s a slide-open, not flip top) and then she goes to town. The lock function doesn''t work when it''s open. She has called plenty of people and texted garbled messages (2222222gltnalbhlbke is a good example) to nobody. She has taken pictures of her foot.

In all seriousness do you guys think there is any danger in toddlers playing with a functioning cell (after all the controversy over radiation etc.)?

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 2/2/2010 3:58:05 PM
Author: janinegirly
I don''t know how you gals give your LO''s old cell phones--C will not accept baby ones or old ones. She wants mine and wants it open (it''s a slide-open, not flip top) and then she goes to town. The lock function doesn''t work when it''s open. She has called plenty of people and texted garbled messages (2222222gltnalbhlbke is a good example) to nobody. She has taken pictures of her foot.

In all seriousness do you guys think there is any danger in toddlers playing with a functioning cell (after all the controversy over radiation etc.)?

I turn off my wireless when I remember. The blackberry does lock, or else I''d never give it to her.

Honestly, I think there''s more danger these days in some of the stuff the kids watch with the crazy flashing lights and psychedlic backgrounds!

 

[ChinaCat]

TGal- Now I''M shuddering reading all your questions.

I''ve been to Italy a few times and it''s for a family wedding, so we wouldn''t be traveling around Italy, most likely just staying in Florence/Tuscany. Tons of family to help out as well.

But I just don''t think it''s worth it. Can''t say I would even really enjoy myself with all that going on. I just didn''t want to not consider it.

I think we''ll wait till he''s older or we can go alone.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Traveling with a kid is tough or at least traveling with MY kid. She has been on so many flights. The longest has been 4.5 hours not including layover. International scares me so I am avoiding it. As she gets older it has gotten more difficult until the last flight. I think she does better when she has her own seat, I bring her dvd player (sony has one with a super long battery. Buy one Lia), I get her LOTS of snacks, toys, books, and let her run around the terminal beforehand to get some energy out. Still it is a gamble. Some flights she is good, some convince people never to have children

I have taken my BOB on an airplane before. I have never used a car seat and honestly not sure she would stay quiet in one. Honestly once she started walking around 11 months until 22ish months was VERY difficult. But you know your kid best.

MGal, we put her baby bath in the shower. She sits in there and plays while I do my thing.

Jas12, we''ll see if she has school tomorrow. She only goes Mondays and Wednesdays. Fingers crossed. Hope you feel better! Sounds horrible.

MrsS, hope they go back to school! Crazy.

Hope all the other mommies are doing well. I am so tired and should have taken a nap when T did. Oh well. Maybe I can force myself to go to bed early for once.

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 2/2/2010 4:29:29 PM
Author: ChinaCat
TGal- Now I''M shuddering reading all your questions.

I''ve been to Italy a few times and it''s for a family wedding, so we wouldn''t be traveling around Italy, most likely just staying in Florence/Tuscany. Tons of family to help out as well.

But I just don''t think it''s worth it. Can''t say I would even really enjoy myself with all that going on. I just didn''t want to not consider it.

I think we''ll wait till he''s older or we can go alone.

I think it would be different if you are going to visit family...still would be hard, but you would have a bit of relief. Especially if you were staying in someone''s home. With a child, a kitchen makes things SO much easier.

Also the issue of customs. If you flew an American airliner, you could probably stow your stroller onboard. With Qantas (to Oz), I had read up enough in advance to know that they will check your stroller in at the gate. What they DON''T tell you is that they will put it through baggage so you will not have your stroller UNTIL you clear customs and go pick up your bags. Which is fine and dandy, but in Oz you can be in the customs line for an hour. If I didn''t bring my Ergo onboard with me, I would have been toast.

 

[Bella_mezzo]

china-15 months can be tough, but my aunt brought my cousins on a family trip to italy when then were almost 4 and not quite 2 (I think the younger one was about 20 months). She traveled on her own with them. 15 months is even more of a handful but I think it''s totally do-able. One of my other friends took her then 13 month old to Indonesia last year for 3 weeks and she thought it was pretty easy...

The ergo is a must, also a great light travel unbrello stroller (like the mcclaren volo with the paparazzi sun shade), and a great tote/diaper bag.

For the plane: snacks, books, DVD if they are into that, toys, snuggles, bottle/boobs, paci, snuggly...

It''s easier if someone can fly with you, but if not make sure you have porters or someone to help with your luggage on each end of the journey.

rented car seats from the car rental company in whatever country they were going to.

 

[ChinaCat]

Thanks TACORI, TGAL and BELLA MEZZO for your thoughts.

Aaand, just found out that this is a totally moot point, as apparently we aren''t invited to said family wedding. My mom is so she just assumed we were and jumped the gun. A bit relieved actually that we don''t have to make this decision now.

But good things to keep in mind for future trips.

Tacori- I meant to comment on your Tessa diaper-less pics. So funny. And she is just gorgeous now, haven''t seen pics of her in so long. Wow. You definitely have your hands full with that one!

 

[lover in athens]

you guys are great! i knew i asked in the right place!! i am definitely going to get some beads (CHEAP!! ), and someone told me today that you can download videos on an ipod touch?? we have one of those so i''m going to look into it. also just perusing amazon for some cute toys and i think i''ve found some good ones... i''ll post reviews in the toddler toy thread if they work out!

CHINA: i''ll let you know how it goes flying with coby now. as i said, he''s about 15 mo. our flight is only 3 1/2 hours or so, but then we have another 2 1/2 hour drive, i think... flying international would be TOUGH...but doable i think, especially if o had his own seat. or at least a place to lay down for naps!! pasta is a pretty universal food and seems like most toddlers like it! and like tandogmom said, if he let''s you wear him in an ergo or something, it could work well. coby LOVES being worn, so that is how i plan to carry him around most of the time. we have a kanga-xt which is a back (or front) carrier made especially for toddlers and it''s GREAT!!

hope everyone is doing well!!
xo,LIA

 

[Burk]

China~Well at least you don''t to make a decision on traveling with a toddler since you aren''t invited!

mrss~Hope the kids are back at school. Honestly I think I''d rather make up a whole day on a holiday or even take one day off spring break as opposed to these ridiculous long days....I''m so tired by the end of the day and I am only here half the day. I can''t imagine how the kids and other teachers feel! We''re above 30 here finally and our kids are getting to go outside and they LOVE it. I think it helps them not to be stuck inside all day long!

Tacori~Hope you got some sleep!

LIA~Do let us know how the toys work out!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I thought of some more travel tips. There was a period of time where T thought ripping up duct tape was the funniest thing in the world so I remember bringing a roll on board once. Sometimes you gotta be creative. Also (if you don''t mind getting a little wet) a cup of ice can keep them entertained for at least 30 mins.

 

[MustangGal]

Thanks for all the traveling tips ladies! And LoverinAthens, I''d love to know how the trip to Vancouver goes, we''ll be doing a 3 hours flight to Seattle when Kyle''s about the same age.

I hope all hte sick moms and toddlers are doing better.

And I have a couple questions... On the traveling, am I totally optimistic to think I might get Kyle to conk out in the stroller at a wedding? He''ll be 14.5 months at that point. The ceremony doesn''t start until 6pm, and his usual bedtime it 7:30pm, which will probably be the middle of dinner. This is likely going to be the most over-the-top wedding we''ve ever been to, so I don''t want to have to spend the whole evening in the hotel room while Kyle sleeps.

And, at what age did your LOs start walking? I know it can be different for eveyone. Kyle has taken a couple steps a few times, but he won''t do it again. He stands on his own all the time, cruises like crazy, and pushes his walking toys all over the house, yet won''t try taking a step. He''ll be 1 next Friday.

 

[Blenheim]

I know that you ladies were discussing toy storage ideas a few weeks ago. If any of you are handy with tools or have a husband who is, you may be interested in checking out this blog I found: Knock off Wood. I think we''re going to try to use some of their plans when we have our own place again.

 

[mrssalvo]

blenheim-that''s a cool site! my dad is actually building Jake an activity table like the one PBK sells. he wants to build something for each of my girls too so I will send him some of those ideas!


so, my son woke up at 5:00am this morning. we are going on days and days of 5-5:30am wake-ups. and to top it off, he won''t nap. I put him down and he played for an hour. I got him out, we played, snacked and tried again and nope, he just hangs out in his crib. I do not know what''s up with him but hubby and I are just worn out. we do take turns getting up with him but geez. If he''d at least make it until 6:00 I''d be happy. no snow day today but they did still have a 2 hour delay

. I was able to make it to the grocery so we can all eat normal meals again.

 

[puffy]

hi mommies....i am way behind but wanted to come by and say hi!!

things have been NUTS around here. we have been having non-stop visitors from DH''s side who don''t know how to leave. and even worse is when i go to nurse noah, they sneak B some candy!!! i told them no sweets for him, and they wait until i leave the room and fill him up with sugar. i am so annoyed. i only know they did cause B told me. what a good kid huh? after they left, i asked what they did while i nursed noah and he told me they gave him candy and watched him play and let him climb all over the furniture which is another no-no in my book. according to B, they told him it was ok to get on the couch and jump all over it. and they tried to feed him coke as well but he knew he can''t have coke. he sees DH drink soda and we tell him it''s only for adults, so at least he listens with that. i was a bit upset with B but he apologized and kept insisting that he didn''t want to jump around but they told him mommy said it was ok. all i know is those members of DH''s family are on my sh!t list now.

noah is still a dream...he smiles ALL the time esp when B gives him kisses. it is the cutest thing! he is already in 3-6 month clothes...kid grows like a weed! and B still loves to help out with everything. he was just helping with the laundry this morning when he woke up. i love that he tries to make my life easier. i am just so in love with my boys.

sorry for the me-centric post...hope all the kids are doing better!!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

MGal, T walked really young. She was around 10.5 months when she was taking steps. I don''t know your kid but mine won''t SIT in the stroller let alone sleep in one. With everyone around, all the excitement, it is risky. Can you get a babysitter?

Blen, I am one of her FB fans. Amazing site. I love her ideas.

MrsS, glad they are back in school. Both T and I were so excited. She really does love school and has talking about it since Sunday.

puffy, I would be angry too! I HATE it when people cannot respect your boundaries. So rude. How sweet is B. Hope the visitors all leave soon!

So today was a rare day where T would NOT nap. I was so tired and wanted to nap too. I left her in there for 90 mins before I finally gave in. When I got her out she asked for a diaper change and then was talking about a book. So as soon as she was free she ran over and got a book she was obviously staring at while in her crib. She said "I got you!" It was pretty funny. Her teachers love her at preschool and told me she is the life of the classroom. Sings all the songs, dances, plays with everyone. Then they asked if someone in our house speaks Spanish b/c they had Spanish class today and the teacher was teaching them numbers and T was shouting out the answer before the teacher even had a chance to ask. Must be Dora or some toys she has that switch into Spanish b/c I am not teaching her. Made me proud to have someone compliment my girl on her brain

 

[curlygirl]

Hi everyone!

I've been trying to keep up but I've been unbelievably sick for the past 3 days. The girls were both sick for the last 2 weeks. Lucy had a double ear infection and Lily was just a walking snot factory so clearly whatever they had was passed on to me. I thought I was immune to everything but I think there are lots of new germs out there! My one eye is actually all swollen and red and stuck together when I wake up, I've had a fever, chills, sweats, sore throat, etc. Went to the doctor and he said it's a virus and I just have to wait it out although he did prescribe eye drops. Unfortunately, I have a job and 2 demanding toddlers so "waiting it out" isn't really an option for me! I've actually stayed home from work the past 2 days which is highly unusual for me and as much as I'd like to avoid my children

that's virtually impossible! Fortunately, DH is really stepping it up so I can rest as much as possible but nighttime is the worst. That's when the fever/chills are the worst and that's when Lily just wants to snuggle with me! It's amazing how they pick up on things. I told her I was sick and she told me to go the doctor. I told her I really felt bad and she kissed my forehead and asked me if I felt better. And now both girls say I love you to me and it's just so heartwarming. Lily also tells me I'm awesome so that definitely helps me feel better!!! I just hope that we don't have the neverending cycle of reinfecting each other.

I also wanted to give the update on Lucy's accident. We're still putting Mederma on the scar twice a day and it's looking better. The thing that really kills me is this: I never got a bill from the doctor. I've been sweating it out every day, literally checking the mail and praying that it doesn't show up! Well, I checked my insurance website and I'm actually really shocked. They billed my insurance company twice under 2 different names--one was the doctor's name, the other was like a medical group name. The total for both of these billings was....wait for it............................................................$9500!!!!!!

Are you freaking kidding me?! And my insurance paid almost $4000 to them. The explanation of benefits said I may be billed for like $4000 and change but I'm hoping that they feel like they've robbed the insurance company and won't bill me at all. I mean, of course I will pay whatever I have to for my children's health but this is outrageous. So if a bill comes, I'll dispute but I'm hoping I just don't get one!

Anyway, that's my self centered post. I have no advice on traveling with toddlers except to not do it unless totally necessary! We went to Puerto Rico with Lily when she was 14 months old and it was miserable. But I agree with finding quiet things that will entertain them. Both my girls love our Blackberrys so we lock them and let them play with those and they think they're really cool. Lily is also really into calculators now. Anything that looks like a "computer". And food always helps.

MGal, the walking thing is so different for everyone. Lily started walking on her first birthday--very memorable! Lucy started at 10 months. We have other friends who have a little boy who is 2 weeks older than Lucy and he just started walking at 16 months so it really varies. It sounds like Kyle will be doing it in no time!

OK, going back to bed now! Sorry I didn't respond to everyone individually. I'll check in again soon. Hope everyone's doing well.

 

[cdt1101]

sorry to threadjack ladies..but TGAL, I just started a thread over in hangout about an issue w/ my Nikon d60. I think you have one and was hoping you could help??? TIA!!!

QT - Jaron is adorable!! Congratulations!

 

[janinegirly]

Curly: I''m sorry you are so sick--it sounds like a nasty bug. I also almost never get sick so can relate to how you must feel ("hurry up virus, I need to get on with my life!!"). People do seem generally sick all over this City, I don''t know what''s going on. I just hope I don''t catch anything--we have PTO''s so a day home is one day less I can take off and be home with C! I''ve been lucky that C still hasn''t gotten sick...but I know the day will come! And that bill is crazy!! Insurance co''s and docs are all thieves sometimes I swear! However if the insurance co only paid 1/2 doesn''t that just meant that''s what they feel is the going market rate and the doc has to suck up the rest? I hope it doesn''t mean it''s your responsibility.
I did once visit a doc for a consultation for maybe 5 mins and saw on the bill they had charged the insur company for all kinds lab tests, urine samples..none of which I had. I reported it to the insurance company and they were so blase. Anyway, I hope you work it all out soon and get better my friend!!

PS Your girls are too sweet, they clearly consider you their rockstar mom...as they should!

Mustang Gal: there is a range for walking like everyone says. I think 14 mo''s is also a really common age for most (MOST not all) to start walking by. So you have plenty of time..and even if it''s 15 mo''s or later, there are lots of LO''s here who started then but then were running soon after. C started about 13 1/2 months..very steady by 14 and by 15 mo''s was running!

 

[Burk]

Mgal~There would have been absolutely no chance of T sleeping in a stroller at 14.5 months especially with all that going on with the wedding. As for walking, my T was walking around 11 months but was cruising and taking steps around 9 months so it took a while for her to decide to use it as her chosen mode of transportation! It really varies.

Blen~Awesome website!! Thanks!

mrss~Sleep dust your way!!!

puffy~Sorry your visitors were not following mommy rules. So annoying! Cute that B told you the truth, though! Sounds like both boys are doing great!

Tacori~Isn''t it always the case that when you actually what to nap or get something done while they''re napping they chose to take a short nap or nap strike?!?! Or maybe it''s just my bad luck!

curly~Sorry you''ve been sick. Yuck. Hope that your insurance gets everything in order with the med bills because that''s absolutely insane!!

Most of you read my status on FB about how sassy my T was last night...so to add to that this morning she decided that SHE should be in charge of the radio station on the way to her school. She made me change the station 4 times before I stopped on a country station to which she then started dancing and said "this one ok mommy."