PS Mommy thread with toddlers 12-36 months

[Jas12]

lili--oh goodness, J is just like Co! He is saying no to every single question. I tried to trick him tonight (he hasn''t been wanting to go to bed at 7 lately). I asked him "do you want to go to bed now"? Of course I got a huge "NO" so then i asked, "hmmm, do you want a bath"? His response "yesssssss" and then, huge eyes as he realized what the sequence of events would be after his bath and he started yelling "NOO, noo momma, noo" --poor guy realized too late he''d been tricked--haha, it''s not the first time

MrsS--I think Jake and Co are exactly the same size! Do ppl think he''s small when you''re out and about? I get comments all the time like "he''s sooo tiny" I think it is the bald head that makes Co look like a baby still.
How cute that Jake blew a kiss to the Dr. that''s adorable. Sounds like he is doing great!!

Tacori--glad you are surviving. I''ve gotta agree, 10 dyas is plenty long enough!

 

[lili]

Puffy--
That''s just too funny about you and B fighting over snacks.
J is getting to that stage of wanting my food too.
She doesn''t want her yo baby yogurt, instead she wants momma''s yogurt.
She wants "just a tiny bit" of our oatmeal cookies (not to mention that she wants a bit from each of us).
So she''ll be running back and forth from daddy and mommy to get a morsels

How are you doing? Just a few more weeks and you''ll know what you are having!
Does B want a brother or sister?

Jas12--
LOL...that''s hilarious! I wished I could have seen the expression on his face when Co realized that he''s been tricked! J still haven''t mastered "yes" just. She''ll nod or ocasionally say what I think sound like "sure" or maybe it''s something else haha.
Hehe, Co does look like a baby w/ his almost bald head -- so cute.
At least you don''t have to worry about giving him a haircut and having to comb his bed-hair ^.^

----------
Hope everyone is doing ok.

 

[mrssalvo]

Hi all. we survived the long 8 hour car ride with Jake only sleeping about an hour and a half of it

then he decided to wake up this morning at 5:00am

We went for a walk and then I drove up to McDonalds (the only place open in this little town) and he ate a breakfast burrito and I got a coffee. we''re back and everyone else is still sleeping. I think I''m going to have to take a nap with Jake later this morning

anyway...

jas, yes to people thinking Jake is small. I don''t think he''s small at all but I guess on the boy chart he really is considered big. the bald head does still make them look like babies. I don''t mind. I got a twang of sadness b/c I ordered him a backpack for "school" for this fall. he will only go to a mother''s day out one day but my baby will start looking more like a toddler

lili-is J over her cold?

 

[puffy]

lili haha, that is so cute that she runs back and forth between you and your DH to get snacks! what a cutie she is!! i''m doing pretty well. i don''t feel too tired, but boy i can sleep whenever i lay down. haha. and the belly is growing, which i am excited about so i can bring out the maternity clothes. how is J doing? 100% back to herself yet?

mrsS YIKES, sounds rough!!

hope you guys are having a great weekend. DH came home last night with a big surprise for me. i was already sleeping, so needless to say, when he woke me up, i was pissed!! then he said that he got me something, and i said i wasn''t hungry cause he is always trying to feed me since he says i look malnourished for being preggo. anyways, he said it wasn''t food and to wake up. i was just so upset at this point, i was ready to strangle him. until i saw a black chanel shopping bag sitting in the living room. i felt like a little kid on christmas!! so i opened it, and he got me a new purse!! i was so excited and thanked him to pieces. he said it''s been awhile since he went out by himself and got me something, so he did, and i LOVE it.

 

[Burk]

Hello mommies!! Fun to log on and see belly pics!

We have another crazy week coming up (volleyball camp) so I''ll probably just get caught up right now to fall behind again.

Tayva is doing great. We''ve officially transitioned to a one nap schedule and she''s busy as always and talking like crazy. Oh, and had our first appt for new baby and everything is great. Had an ultrasound and even scheduled the big ultrasound (found out our clinic just got a new ultrasound machine that does 3D so we''ll get a 3D ultrasound. Yay) In not so great news, because of my crazy long cycle they adjusted my due date a week (Feb 17). Boo for being preggo what seems like longer since I went from being 9.5 weeks preggo to 8.5. Baby is okay and that''s all that matters though.

Okay off to see what''s new with the kiddos.....

puffy~Great belly pic. You don''t even look close to preggo.

What a sweet gift from your hubby. Good for him it was a good gift after waking you, though!

lili~I am having a few good days here and there so that''s good. Get yourself to the dentist lady so you can work on a brother or sister for J!!!

iluv~Hope all is well with you!!

QT~That is great M is enjoying herself but would have been nice to know you had a connection earlier, huh? Glad M is doing good with more whole milk. Your belly pic doesn''t qualify as a "belly pic" because there is no belly!

Tgal~yay for vacation! Glad you had a nice time with TGuy. Isn''t attitude fun? I often wonder if T has this much attitude at age 17 months, what will 17 years look like?

curly~

So stinking cute that Lily asked for a quesadilla. Sounds like the girls are doing awesome!!

Tacori~Sounds like you''re doing as well as you could be! You''ll be home in no time! Sounds like Miss Tessa is doing great. I''m worried my T won''t sleep in the car for our trip in a couple weeks.

mrss~Glad Jake''s test came back good and you made it back to Indy. Yuck to the 5am wake up call. Hope you got a nap in.

jas12 and lili~I have bad news for you guys......Tayva STILL uses "no" like it''s her favorite word and especially when it comes to bed time!

Fun times.

 

[DivaDiamond007]

I''m glad to see that everyone is doing well. Things are crazy around here as usual. James had his 1 year appointment last week and he''s 32" (95%) and 25lbs, 11ozs (85%). He''s long and lean! He''s taking more unassisted steps everyday but still crawls or cruises to get to things that he wants. He finally ate some puffs on his own! Maybe we can finally start getting him on some table foods....

The birthday party was a hit and I posted some pics on FB for those who are friends with me. Very cute and James was in such a good mood the entire time. Whew! He was good and napped and ate before guests started showing up so he was cheery during the party. He got some cool toys and a few outfits from close family.

I can''t believe I have a one year old! He is growing up so much and is such a little man! He is so much like my DH that it''s comical sometimes.

I''m personally just ok these days. My leg got really bad on Friday after "walking" on it for a week. I ended up staying home from work, much to my boss'' chagrin, and loaded up on Percocet and tried not to move at all. The pain has subsided but my leg is unusable. I''m seeing a specialist for the leg first thing tomorrow morning to see if I can get some relief. I''m thinking there''s going to be some extensive therapy needed to get me moving again

Sorry to be more of a lurker these days....

 

[neatfreak]

Sorry to butt in and out like this-but when do you know that it''s time to transition your kids out of the infant carseats? My boys are almost 7 months and although they still are well under the weight limit their feet stick over the edge now and get a bit cramped up when we install them in the car.

Does this mean we should move up? We''re going to get either the Maxi Cosi Priori or a Britax something-so I know they are fine for smaller kids too if you rear face them.

Any insight is greatly appreciated! Great to "see" you all!!

 

[mrssalvo]

neat-I moved Jake into his bigger seat around 6-7 months. His legs went over too and it bothered me but he was under the weight limit. I was torn b/c I liked the convenience of being able to take him places even if his fell asleep in the car without waking him but he was getting so heavy in that seat it was time to switch. He loved moving into the bigger one and didn''t get as hot or sweaty either.

heading back home early tomorrow...not looking forward to the 8 hours back in the car but at least we don''t have to go anywhere for a long while.

burk-bummer about getting the due date moved but I"m so happy everything else is right on track. How''s the MS?

diva-I cannot believe James is 1 and he is long and lean!!!

puffy-yay for such a special surprise gift from your hubby!!


also, i just realized that my earlier post said jake was big on the charts...I''m meant small...just 25% tile.

 

[Jas12]

Lili, Tgal, MrsS--are your kiddies fwd facing in their carseat yet? I haven''t switched Co yet, He still has leg room, but it would be nice to be able to see him...

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 7/12/2009 11:15:45 PM
Author: Jas12
Lili, Tgal, MrsS--are your kiddies fwd facing in their carseat yet? I haven''t switched Co yet, He still has leg room, but it would be nice to be able to see him...

I''ll write more tomorrow, but no, I still have her rear facing and the girl is tall. I''m keeping her for a bit longer...maybe 18 months. She''s really looking cramped, but the officer who checked our seat said better a broken leg than a broken neck.

 

[Jas12]

Tgal--ya, i figured i''d keep him rear facing as long as he fits that way. I remember you mentioned the leg vs neck thing months ago and it has stuck with me. Of course, for commuting it would be great to have him fwd. But convienice doesn''t win out over safety.

 

[janinegirly]

Interesting on the rear facing larger car seats--is this common practice (to face it rear until 1 year +)? I need to buy a new car seat soon as well--even petite chloe is outgowing hers!

C pulled herself up to stand this weekend meanwhile, only happened once when she was really annoyed I wouldn''t let her see something that was on the couch (sharp picture frames)--so I guess she had to take matters into her own hands. A relief that she can actually stand, although didn''t see it again all wkend. She seems much more obsessed with crawling..going long distances with her fisher price donut rings in her hands (DH calls them horseshoes, haha).

Also was curious if anyone had recommendations for barretts for those wisps of hair in the front. I tried the clips from BRU (fall off) and Goody ones (look painful and fall off). I saw some of you ladies had some cute ones in photos...

Diva: yay for James, he''s a big boy now!
Lili:/Jas cute that their fave word is "no", but not so cute for mommy I''m sure!

 

[TravelingGal]

Janine, check out www.giddygiddy.com. That''s where a lot of us have been buying (I bought my mine through reseller mom4life.com and check retailmenot.com for a 10% coupon link if they still have one). They are expensive, but for us uncrafty moms, they''ve been worth it.

Re: carseat the minimum is 1 year AND 20 pound minimum to forward face. However awhile back I posted a video of the difference in protection and I could not imagine forward facing my kid at a year old. I put Amelia in the Britax at 7 months.

Jas, it would be fun to have her forward facing, but yeah, I''m going safety over fun. She does not realize what she is missing and is happy rearfacing, so I am not going to mess with it. I may keep her in it that way until she hits the weight limit, which might be a long time. You should see her...legs all scrunched up. Doesn''t look comfy to me but she seems not to mind at all.

 

[curlygirl]

Quick check in! We survived our car rides to DC and actually, the girls were quite impressive! We made it down there in about 4 hours with only one stop--they both slept for about 2.5 hours. On the way back, there was some traffic so it took about 4.5 hours including one stop and they both slept for 3 hours! So they can handle being in the car which was great for us. They were actually entertaining each other in the back seat. NOt sure what was gong on but they would break out into giggles quite a bit! Super cute.

Regarding car seats, they need to be one year old AND at least 20 lbs. before letting them face forward but it''s best to keep them rear-facing for as long as they''ll put up with it! neatfreak, it''s totally fine to move them to a convertible seat now as long as they continue facing rear. We moved Lucy into a Maxi Cosi Priori at around 7 months as well and honestly, I think she''s been much more comfy in it. Those seats are made for 5 lbs - 40 lbs so it shouldn''t be an issue. The only downside is that you won''t be able to put them in a snap n go or carry them in the seat anymore.

 

[neatfreak]

Thanks ladies for the input! I think I am going to get the new car seats as soon as we move in a few weeks. It is to the point where I can''t lift both of them in their infant seats easily anymore and nevermind trying to lift both of them! So I think it is time...sounds like a lot of you moved at around 7 months too.

Now what to do without the Snap n Go at the store! Costco has carts where two kids can ride on top but nowhere else does...might have to do a Baby Bjorn with one...we''ll see I guess.


Curly Do you like your Priori? Seems like a great car seat but I don''t know anyone personally who has one.

 

[janinegirly]

thanks all--guess I should have read up on car seats rear facing guidelines first! It'll take C awhile before she hits 20lbs! I'm looking into Britax and they just seem so huge to be facing backwards, but at least they're more comfy. The Graco Snug ride is cute, but C is always a hot mess afterwards!

TGAL: thanks for the link! Very cute-are they comfy enough?

Curly: your girls are like model children, sleeping and giggling through marathon car rides! Sounds like a great family trip (best way to go on a business trip

NF: let me know what you decide with the new carseat(s)!

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 7/13/2009 11:38:31 AM
Author: janinegirly

NF: let me know what you decide with the new carseat(s)!

I think we''re getting Maxi Cosi Prioris. Gets good reviews and doesn''t seem as massive as the Britax. Plus doesn''t have the "wings" for head rests that the Britax seats have-my boys hate things close around their heads.

 

[curlygirl]

neat, we LOVE the Prioris. We have one for each girl and they are really great. I like that they are more streamlined and modern looking without sacrificing safety. They can recline and come with cup holders. The girls seem to be really comfortable in them. I did a bunch of research before buying them and couldn't find any issues and I'm pleased to say that we're really happy with them. I don't know anyone else who owns one either because I feel like Britax is the first name on everyone's lips when it comes to these seats but I think the Europeans at Maxi Cosi did a great job!

Plus, the price is right--try to buy them online at a place that doesn't charge tax or shipping. Let me know if you have any other questions!

It definitely does get more complicated when you go out to a place that doesn't have the double seated shopping carts. You might just have to break out the real stroller. Our favorite place now is the new Target that opened near my parents' house in New Jersey. They have this cool double seat contraption that attaches to the shopping cart so the girls feel like they are riding on a throne. It's kind of pathetic that I get such a thrill out of it and look forward to my trips to Target now!

 

[janinegirly]

I took a look at the Maxi Cosi Prioris and it does get great reviews and looks v. sleek. Like Curlygirl said I do feel a bit hesitant b/c it seems like everyone gets the Britax. Can''t find anything wrong with the Maxi Cosi though and I like that it''s not so huge..

 

[janinegirly]

Date: 7/13/2009 11:13:50 AM
Author: TravelingGal
Janine, check out www.giddygiddy.com. That's where a lot of us have been buying (I bought my mine through reseller mom4life.com and check retailmenot.com for a 10% coupon link if they still have one). They are expensive, but for us uncrafty moms, they've been worth it.

Re: carseat the minimum is 1 year AND 20 pound minimum to forward face. However awhile back I posted a video of the difference in protection and I could not imagine forward facing my kid at a year old. I put Amelia in the Britax at 7 months.

Jas, it would be fun to have her forward facing, but yeah, I'm going safety over fun. She does not realize what she is missing and is happy rearfacing, so I am not going to mess with it. I may keep her in it that way until she hits the weight limit, which might be a long time. You should see her...legs all scrunched up. Doesn't look comfy to me but she seems not to mind at all.

wow, you weren't kidding about the price...I thought it was $8 for 4, but it's for 1! Thanks for the coupon and mom4life tip..

 

[lili]

MrsS--
Glad you guys survived the long drive.
Bummer about Jake only sleeping a small portion of it though.
Yikes, I don''t think anyone would be able to drag my lifeless body up at that time!
J is doing great. It wasn''t a cold that she was fight over the past week.
I think it was teething. The pain of the molars coming was just too much for her little body to bear,
so by noon time, she was just exhausted and in so much pain that she drifted off to sleep.
That and the fact that she wasn''t able to eat normally.
Anyway, she''s back to her old self -- running around and climbing up sofas.
In fact, I think she even made up for the lost activities over the couple of days

Puffy--
How sweet of DH for the nice gift!
Hehe, don''t you just feel like crawling back into bed for getting pissed at him in the first place?
J is back to her old self. Like I was telling MrsS, she''s even making up for the lost hours of play.
Hehe, I love those initial bumps when you don''t feel too awkwardly big
Can''t wait to see you three w/ your cute bumps.

Burk--
Glad you checked in.
I was worried since we haven''t seen you on here for almost a week?
That''s great that baby is doing great.
Haha, thanks for the heads up about the "no" being the favorite word.
I''m trying to get J to say yes for once.

Diva--
Wow, James is tall and lean.
And he does look like a carbon copy of your hubby (but there is some of you that I see in him too, can''t quite put my fingers on what yet).
He''s a cutie for sure.
sorry to hear about your leg.
Hope you feel better soon, espeically since now that James is on the move, you''ll need all of your legs working to chase after him.

 

[lili]

Jas12--
Nope, J is still rear-facing since she''s not even 20lbs yet.
She did tip over 20 the other day when we went to dinner at Sizzler

DH said that we could flip her over on the way home, LOL.
We''ll probably turn her around once she''s over 20lbs.
Also, her legs are pretty cramped in the back, even after hubby wedge some towel at the foot of the carseat (I know that''s bad) to give her a little leg room.
Ideally, I''d like to keep her rear-facing for as long as I can,
but she''s just a fussy passenger, we thought maybe she''d like facing forward instead.
We''ll see. If she fusses still, we''ll keep her rearfacing til 18 months.

 

[TravelingGal]

lili, you probably know I''m a sleep nazi first, and a carseat nazi second...

Please don''t do anything with the carseat that compromises safety. For them to work, they have to be used they way it is intended. I''m not sure what you mean by the towel, but you''re scaring me if you mean it''s not where it''s supposed to be!

I''m not sure if you remember that video I posted awhile back, but it is worth looking at again. My friend switched her son around right when he turned one because she thought he would enjoy it. After seeing this video, I simply do not understand that mentality, but I guess to each parent, her own.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2DVfqFhseo&feature=related

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 7/13/2009 12:40:07 PM
Author: curlygirl
neat, we LOVE the Prioris. We have one for each girl and they are really great. I like that they are more streamlined and modern looking without sacrificing safety. They can recline and come with cup holders. The girls seem to be really comfortable in them. I did a bunch of research before buying them and couldn''t find any issues and I''m pleased to say that we''re really happy with them. I don''t know anyone else who owns one either because I feel like Britax is the first name on everyone''s lips when it comes to these seats but I think the Europeans at Maxi Cosi did a great job!

Plus, the price is right--try to buy them online at a place that doesn''t charge tax or shipping. Let me know if you have any other questions!


It definitely does get more complicated when you go out to a place that doesn''t have the double seated shopping carts. You might just have to break out the real stroller. Our favorite place now is the new Target that opened near my parents'' house in New Jersey. They have this cool double seat contraption that attaches to the shopping cart so the girls feel like they are riding on a throne. It''s kind of pathetic that I get such a thrill out of it and look forward to my trips to Target now!

Thanks for the review! I think that is what we are going to go with. I wanted to get Maxi Cosi infant seats too but then we found such a great deal on the Chicco Keyfits so we went with that. But I think MaxiCosi seems to know what they are doing here...

I think you are right that we might just have to do the real stroller! Not such a big deal but there is less room to store stuff than in my double Snap n Go.

Thanks again! I will keep my eye out for those things at Target in our new town...

 

[TravelingGal]

Also, Adventure Plex (on Marine near Aviation) has CHP come in to do free seat checks once in awhile. I did had the Britax checked there. I couldn''t believe it when the officer said NINETY percent of carseats are installed wrong. That is a ridiculous percentage. TGuy got a huge ego boost when I told him the officer said it was the best installed seat he''d seen in a YEAR.

My friend (who I mentioned in the post above) also got her seat checked. It was horrifically installed (I had a feeling and that''s why I told her to get it checked in the past). It was front facing and the headrest of the seat (middle position) was causing the seat to not be at the right incline. The carseat was loose and was fishtailing everywere. The mat she had on to protect the leather seats in the car was a hazard. He actually had to reinstall the entire thing at a different position in the car because the middle was not suitable for the carseat.

It scares me to think how lucky she was that she never got into an accident during that time.

So PSA to all moms...get your carseats checked. It''s FREE and foolish not to do so. Do a hard shake test and get an idea yourself...if you an move it more than one mere inch in any direction, it is not installed correctly!

 

[lili]

TGal--

, I better check.
I do check the seat now and then to see if I can move it.

 

[janinegirly]

car seat nazi, i mean tgal

, when will you turn your car seat forward officially--I''m guessing it''s when she really can no longer squeeze in that direction. What is your opinion on maxi cosi priori?

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 7/13/2009 4:40:53 PM
Author: janinegirly
car seat nazi, i mean tgal

, when will you turn your car seat forward officially--I''m guessing it''s when she really can no longer squeeze in that direction. What is your opinion on maxi cosi priori?

Hehehe. I was initially thinking 18 months because the officer said she''s tall and that I should turn her soon. But I read another very recent article that said they should be making rear facing seats for bigger children because it''s so much safer, so my thought is to turn her when she reaches the height or weight limit. The height limit on the site says 49 inches either way, so I do think she''ll be reaching the 35 pound limit first. If you look at the video, there are kids with their legs extended way up the carseat, so I think it''s is fine to have them that way.

I''ll evaluate at the 18 month mark (where most like I will keep her rear facing) and then again at the 2 year mark. As I said, she is happy rear facing right now because she doesn''t know any better. No need to mess with it.

As for Maxi Cosi Priori, sorry I haven''t researched it, as I decided I wanted a Britax. But I trust Curlygirl as she is a smart, savvy mom and think if it''s good for her, it must be a great carseat.

lili, I''m glad you are checking! Really shake it with all your might...that''s what the inspectors do. Throw your weight into it. I realize you''re a svelte thing, but do try to bully that carseat! Hahaha.

 

[mrssalvo]

we are home...

jas12-jake is facing forward but is 23lbs. he was 1 and 20lbs before I turned him. he see''s his sisters facing forward in their boosters and did know what he was missing and ready to turn. there is a huge push here in my state to change the law that babies must be rear facing until 2. after watching tgal''s video I could support it and would follow it if it was in effect. But, I do admit to liking it so much better with Jake facing forward, especially after the 16 hours I just spent in the car with him in less than 3 days. My niece is 1 but not 20 lbs and she''s still backwards in her seat too.


I have the britax roundabout and it has the latch system which I love. that seat is so secure.

 

[sasa]

QT, little B is still under weight, and I think he is just a string bean naturally.

puffy, I don't think little B gain any weight since he is so active.
He love to run around and jump around, I get tired just looking at him...
Your DH is so sweet, post your gift if you get a chance. I will love to see it.

MrsS, so cute that Jake blew kisses to the nurse. Yay on anemia is gone

As with car seat, since little B is only 20 lbs we will keep him facing rear until he is older.

Work is crazy and home is still messy, the kid won't let us feed him when he is home with us
on the weekend. I can't even force eat since he now know to use his teeths to stop the spoon
from coming in. Don't know what is wrong with this kid, we had to ship him back to MIL to get
him feed on the weekend. MIL ask us yesterday did we try to feed him or just not feed him at all...
I got so mad and sad at the same time. We try every way we can to feed him but his mouth is just
clam shut. He doesn't feed himself, just feed the floor. I'm going nuts here....