PS Mommy thread with toddlers 12-36 months

[lliang_chi]

NEL, what a great idea of recording K saying words (don't forget animal sounds!) and letting her watch it. It'll serve a double purpose since you can give the recordings to the EI therapist. Does K like singing songs too? Will she sing along? Since she's so musically inclined that might help too. Wow, I can't believe the time has flown by so fast with C! I hope you get to have WFH time till June. Your company seems very accommodating for maternity leave, I'm very impressed with it.
Thanks for the thoughts on the TTC front. I'm just trying to keep a positive outlook and we'll see what happens. It helps knowing so many of you ladies here and we can all talk to each other about all this stuff.

 

[mayerling]

Hi everyone, long time no speak! I read every day but haven't posted in ages.

Here are some updates on N who is 22 months today:

1. He is a great sleeper (as I write this, I hope the universe doesn't take vengeance on me). After our rocky start, and many months of sacrifices on my part, the now sleeps 11+ hours at night (without sleep-training), and takes at least 2-hour-long naps in the day.

2. He eats pretty much everything (self-feeds) but still not using cutlery. This is probably my fault for not giving him enough practice.

3. He can count to 10 and names the numbers in both languages.

4. He knows the colours in both languages.

5. He knows most of the letters but only in English.

6. He throws tantrums but only some times. Generally, I can't complain but he is full of energy (which I'm not).

7. We haven't considered potty-training yet. He hasn't shown any signs (telling me when he's ready to go or after he's gone, waking up dry from nap, etc), and I'm determined not to push him. I don't want to push before he's ready.

Our other news is that we're going to California next week and we'll be there for two months. I'm really not looking forward to going through the jet-lag again so soon after the last time. Also, I've been trying to find playgroups to take him to when we're there but all my google searches have come up with zero...

 

[lliang_chi]

Mayer, where in Cali are you? I'm sure you would be able to find few Cali PS moms here for a PS playgroup at least a few times. Otherwise maybe look up a Mom's Group. Glad N is doing so well

Ugh, the past two mornings Ethan has woken up at *4 AM*. The sun isn't even up yet! This morning he was actually poopy so I changed his pull up and read some books and went back to bed. But this 4AM crap is gettin' old! Mama's TIRED As a result Ethan has *not* gotten his favorite DVD during breakfast the past 2 mornings. I really want to up the stakes for him, since not having "Teacher" (what he calls his DVD) doesn't seem to phase him.

 

[amc80]

Mayerling, wow! I can't believe you have a 22 month old who can count to 10 (in two languages!) and knows all the letters. That is amazing. Or maybe B is a slacker? Ha. I'll second LC's question- where abouts in CA will you be? I've lived all over the state so maybe I can recommend some things to do.

LC- I'm right there with you. B didn't sleep well at all last night and I'm freaking tired. How did we ever survive with newborns?

AFM- Proud mama moment. B is getting so good with his please and thank yous. He always says it for us but I had no idea if he would say it for anyone else. We were at the doctor this morning and he got a sticker, and sure enough, he said "thank you." The doctor was really impressed, as was I.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

LC, is E in his toddler bed yet? If not, what happens if you leave him in his crib? K is having some sleep regression right now. Two nights ago she screamed for over an hour when we put her in her crib. She's sick so I thought she might have an ear infection. The screaming was so bad I almost took her to the ER. We went to the doc the next morning and her ears were fine, so I have no idea why she was miserable. She's also been waking up between 5 and 6am when she usually sleeps until 7. The first morning this happened, I took her to the guest bedroom and tried to get her to go back to sleep. No dice. She just wanted to play. Second morning I left her in her crib and she cried and yelled "mama" for 45 minutes until I came in (the earliest I'll go in is 6:45 unless I think something is really wrong). This morning she sat quietly for an hour while I got ready. To be honest, when I'm working I don't have time to entertain them because I have to shower and get ready, so both girls just need to cope until I can get them. When K is in her toddler bed, we'll have to figure something out.

 

[mayerling]

Amc, we'll be in San Diego.

 

[amc80]

Amc, we'll be in San Diego.

Oh, so much to do! I used to live there. I'm sure you've heard a lot of these, but don't miss: Sea World, the zoo and wild animal park, Lego Land, Old Town, and Balboa Park. San Diego has so much fun stuff.

 

[mayerling]

Amc, we'll be in San Diego.

Oh, so much to do! I used to live there. I'm sure you've heard a lot of these, but don't miss: Sea World, the zoo and wild animal park, Lego Land, Old Town, and Balboa Park. San Diego has so much fun stuff.

I know it does. I'm not worried about finding things to do with N. I'm concerned with finding playgroups so he can actually interact with other children on a regular basis. I can't seem to be able to find any…

 

[amc80]

Amc, we'll be in San Diego.

Oh, so much to do! I used to live there. I'm sure you've heard a lot of these, but don't miss: Sea World, the zoo and wild animal park, Lego Land, Old Town, and Balboa Park. San Diego has so much fun stuff.

I know it does. I'm not worried about finding things to do with N. I'm concerned with finding playgroups so he can actually interact with other children on a regular basis. I can't seem to be able to find any…

What part of SD will you be in? One of my good friends lives in North County (Vista area) and has a 4, 2, and 1 year old. I'm sure she knows of playgroups.

 

[mayerling]

Hillcrest. Don't know where that is in relation to what you just said...

 

[amc80]

Hillcrest. Don't know where that is in relation to what you just said...

Okay that's right by Balboa Park. Let me ask to see if my friend has any resources for you.

 

[mayerling]

Hillcrest. Don't know where that is in relation to what you just said...

Okay that's right by Balboa Park. Let me ask to see if my friend has any resources for you.

Thank you!

 

[qtiekiki]

Mayerling - Have you seen this list from Red Tricycle yet? http://redtri.com/socal/san-diego-moms-clubs/. I would just take your DS to local parks while you are in SD, so he can interact with kids there.

 

[monkeyprincess]

Mayerling, good luck on finding groups. If nothing else, I'm sure you'd be able to go to some mommy and me type classes or just let him play with other kids at a park and get some interaction that way. Sounds like N is doing great after you early struggles.

NEL, wow, you impress me with your ability to keep those little ones on a schedule or maybe they are easy schedulable kids? We are only able to manage a very vague, flexible schedule at our house, and I sometimes feel like Ev has the ability to hold us hostage to his desired schedule because he is so strong-willed. Also, I'm sorry to hear that EI is not turning K into a chatterbox overnight, but I know it doesn't work that way. I think your idea to record her and have her watch the videos is a really good one. Ev LOVES watching himself and he will always imitate himself and laugh as if he is the most brilliant performer in the world. I'm betting a lot of K's reluctance to "perform" for her therapist has to do with her personality because I think you have said she is pretty reserved? I'm betting a lot more is sinking in than you realize, and I hope that you are able to see some results in the near future. But I hope you feel confident that you are doing all you can to help her communicate.

amc, so cute about thanking his doctor. We took Ev in for his 18 month check-up not too long ago, and he cries whenever the nurses or doctors touch him and says "all done, all done" which is his way of saying please stop I think. I blame it on the fact he's had so many appointments because we had that dermoid cyst issue and now he has to have x-rays and follow ups on his hemivertabrae every 3-4 months, so he's had more than his fair share of appointments. Anyway, when the doctor left the room, DH and I both said thank you to him, and Ev, through his tears, yelled "Thank you! All done!" It was hilarious.

LC, yuck on the 4 am wakeups. That's way too early. Ev was sick over the weekend, so he ended up sleeping really fitfully and in our bed because we couldn't get him to down in his crib for the past few nights. I was awake so much the past few nights that I seriously felt like I had a newborn again. Thankfully, he slept from about 8 pm to 7:30 am in his crib last night, and I think we are back into a good routine. I love that he calls his DVD "teacher."

MLK, your little guy is getting so big. And he looks like such a little daredevil monkey! Sorry to hear about the feeding and growth issues. That must be stressful. Hoping you get some good information from your providers to help him overcome some of those issues.

This is getting long, but hi to everyone else! JGator and Jfo, hope your little ones are doing well. I always think of them and wonder what they're up to because they are around Ev's age

AFU, things are going well. Ev had a stomach bug over the weekend and Monday, which really wiped him out. He slept pretty much all day Monday until all of a sudden at like 3:30, he stood up and said "puppies' and ran to the door and wanted to go outside to see where the barking was coming from. Kids are funny how quickly they get sick and feel better. He is really increasing his vocabulary lately and soaking up words like a sponge. It's funny when they start saying a word you didn't teach them or hadn't heard them say before. I had him with me at Target buying cards yesterday, and I was trying to pick out a cute one for his grandma and nana for Mothers Day. Well, he had different ideas because he saw an Elmo card and started yelling "Elmo! Elmo!" We've never had Sesame Street on or have any Elmo things, so I have no idea where he learned it, but it must have been daycare. I reluctantly got the stupid Elmo card because I figured it was cute that he had picked it out himself.

 

[lliang_chi]

MP, so true about kids picking up the weirdest things! Just like Ev, Ethan's *obsessed* with Elmo and we NEVER watch Sesame Street at home or at daycare. He must've just picked it up from marketing stuff like diapers, clothing etc. And can I tell you how much I *hate* Elmo. If he spoke in proper sentences like Big Bird or Kermit, I'd be OK with it, but he's always like "Elmo use the potty" (can you tell we have an Elmo potty training book). I searched high and low for boys' Elmo briefs hoping it'd help Ethan train better, but 1 could only find 4T size. Grrrr. And his DVD is by They Might Be Giants called "Here Comes Science". It's songs and animation of different science topics. It's actually pretty good, but it still gets annoying when you watch it every day for two weeks straight.

NEL, I've been thinking of just letting Ethan cry in the crib. But he *never* happily stayed in his crib and entertained himself after waking up. Even when he was a wee baby. What I do is tell him, "If I come in, you won't be able to watch Teacher. Do you want to watch Teacher, or do you want Mommy to come inside?" Sometimes that works. This morning, he was poopy, so I consider it was justified that I got him out. He can hang out in his crib and put himself to sleep We used to do the 6AM wake up also. It stopped when Ethan went through his craptastic sleeping episode earlier this year. Maybe we need to re institute it. My plan is to keep Ethan in his crib for as long as possible. I dunno how much longer it will be since

AMC, aw, so cute B's all into the Please and Thank You. "Peeeez" "Tank cue" is getting better with Ethan too. But now he says, he NEEDS something when making requests. E.g. I need ice cream.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

MP, you are right about K being shy around the speech therapist. She's just a shy kid, but I'm hoping in another week or two she'll open up a little more. She usually starts interacting with the therapist right around the half of an hour mark. And I do think K is an easily-scheduled kid. She tends to like schedules/routines. But I'm also a schedule person myself, which is probably the bigger factor. And while I hate to hear K cry, I'll shut off the sound on the monitor if I think I'm being manipulated. Cora isn't falling into a routine as quickly as K did, so she might be a tougher one. Her night routine is great--she pretty much falls asleep at 8pm on the dot every night. But I have to actually wake her up at 7:30am in order to try to fit in a morning nap. Then I have to wake her up during her mid-day nap to make sure she has time for a third nap. So I'm so schedule-oriented that I will wake my sleeping baby in order to try to get her in a solid routine.

So sorry Ev had a stomach bug, that's the worst. Poor thing. I'm always amazed at how quickly toddlers bounce back from being sick. K was also sick this week and it seemed like the minute her fever broke, she was back to her old self.

LC, I keep forgetting that E cries in his crib. I think you've told me that a few times and each time I forget. I wish I had a solution for the early wakeups. I still think the reason that K is waking up earlier is because the sun is rising earlier. E has blinds on his windows, right? I keep telling D that I'm going to get curtains so K has blinds AND curtains, but I have yet to do it.

K is up from her nap and keeps yelling "mama!" "mama!" at the camera, so I think that's my cue.

 

[Puppmom]

NEL, Nate’s in PT for gross motor delay and we had the same issue. Our PT comes once a week and for the first few visits, he spent most of the time crying and clinging to DH. Around visit 3, he warmed up toward the very end. Visit 4 was even better and now the PT can actually get an accurate idea of his ability which was pretty much impossible before. N’s a very shy kid so we’re happy with the progress and the PT is too. Hopefully, K will warm up to the therapist. What types of things does the therapist try to do with K? Speech therapy has always intrigued me.

 

[lliang_chi]

NEL, I was thinking of getting those toddler clocks and telling Ethan it's still bed time until it "wakes up." But then the cheapo in me thinks, I can just get an outlet timer and have it turn on at 6AM. Today I held him off until 5:50AM. Hoping tomorrow I can hold him off till 6AM eventually. But I think he needs to have a different reason for me to come in instead of just calling for me, e.g. The clock turned green. I'll give it a shot. You said K's really easy going. I think Ethan is very rational/practical, meaning he's compliant if I explain things to him. It gets time consuming.

Pupp, How is N2's PT going? It's good to see you in here. How are things going with your DD? I've been thinking about you guys.

 

[Puppmom]

So nice of you think of us, LC! N2's PT is going well. We're so pleased with his progress. He's walking beautifully. His coordination is improving and we focus a lot on strength and stamina where he still struggles. He's such a sweet boy so cheering him on is so fun. DD is well. She just came home from college yesterday actually. She's planning to move in with her BF soon. I'm not thrilled. She's lacking motivation and drive but we're trying to remain positive and supportive.

 

[mayerling]

AMC, I was wondering if you have any leads for me. Thanks!

 

[amc80]

AMC, I was wondering if you have any leads for me. Thanks!

Not really My friend doesn't know of anything in that area. She suggested going to Gymboree classes to meet other mamas. Sorry I couldn't be more help.

 

[Loves Vintage]

Mayerling - Have you tried meetup.com?

 

[JGator]

AMC, B's eyes and eyelashes are stunning!

NEL, love the picture of Katie and Cora for Easter! Priceless. It sounds like things are going really well with their schedules and your sleep!

Dandi, how is the teeth brushing coming along? Any new techniques to share?

LC, thanks for the link on learning colors. K still calls every color Blue or Boo. I am trying to remember to name the colors after the noun as the article suggested. That's too funny that Ethan is needing ice cream!

MP, that's great the Ev repeats colors. K doesn't do that. She does know her body parts in English and French, but doesn't say them. She just points if we ask where they are. Sorry to hear about entering the terrible 2s. I think we are right there with you. K flips over on her changing table all the time and also fights us on getting into her high chair. She hasn't had a kicking/screaming on the floor tantrum yet though!

MQ, great to hear from you, and congraulations on your pregnancy. That's a beautiful family photo!

MLK, great to hear from you. Lucas is looking adorable in the photos you posted. Good luck with the feeding and speech therapy. How are things going with your DH's family in Ireland?

Mayerling, good luck with your trip to San Diego. That's great that N is sleeping so well now! It is amazing isn't it? Our pediatrician said not to worry or consider potty training until 2.5 so I don't think you need to rush into anything.

Pupp, thinking of you and your daughter. Glad to hear N2's PT is going well also.

LV, how goes it? We miss you around these parts!

AFU, K turned 18 months old about 2 weeks ago. She is signing a lot more and making a lot of sounds/words. She still is a picky eater. Ie, she refused frozen yogurt recently! What kid won't eat sweets? We went to the beach in NC with my in-laws this past week. We just got home yesterday. K did well in the beach house. She was up around 6am every day - I think due to the light in the room, but she would go back to sleep in our room for another hour every morning. She really LOVED the ocean and sand. She had to be held back from running directly into the waves/water. Her new words are book, chips which sound like Cheaps, balloon/boon, blue/boo, eat, and sausages. She touches her head for hat and signs more, bird, and dog all the time. She also says two or 3 when we count. And, seems to sing something that sounds like the ABC song. She did really well on the car ride to/from NC - it took about 7 hours with 2 stops each way. She didn't sleep at all on the way there, but did take 2 naps on the way home. I think she has 11 teeth now - we have an appt for the dentist this week, but I think I will have to re-schedule due to a work meeting. She still gets rocked to sleep at night and for her naps on the weekends/vacation with me. I need to work on that, but I just don't have the energy to deal with it! K is really chatty when it's just us at home or with her grandparents, but she seems super shy around others particularly lately. We had some friends over today with twins who are almost a year older, and she was clinging to me and a lot less chatty.

 

[mayerling]

LV, not a big fan of meetup because it seems to require payment before it gives you any info on where playgroups take place.

AMC, what's gymboree?

 

[amc80]

LV, not a big fan of meetup because it seems to require payment before it gives you any info on where playgroups take place. AMC, what's gymboree?

Gymboree is basically gymnastics classes for toddlers. They also have music classes. Check out gymboreeclasses.com.

 

[JGator]

Mayer, here is the link for Gymboree http://www.gymboreeclasses.com/b2c/customer/findLocation.jsp?zip=92104 they have classes with music and play/obstacle courses kind of a light version of gymnastics . Here is another link I found with a list of classes in San Diego - http://voices.yahoo.com/fun-mommy-me-classes-san-diego-california-1694671.html We take K to Music Together http://www.musictogether.com/main.aspx?form=ClassLocator2,,,,, which has classes nationwide - and to My Gym which is similar to Gymboree. Most of the classes will let you try one for free before signing up for a 1-month weekly class plus you can go during certain hours for open play where you use the equipment but it's not organized or led by an instructor during the open play times. The Music Together does not have open play, but they are very flexible with make up classes as long as you make up the class before the last scheduled class in the series you purchase. You will also get 2 cds which you can play in the car and at home with Music Together. K is actually on her way to the make up class now with her nanny. I also have joined a few groups on Meetup and never had to pay - they just organize events and you can go if you want and pay at the time of the event if it something that is not free. I found this group in San Diego by doing a Google search - http://www.meetup.com/SanDiegoMoms/ Another idea is the local library story times - in our area you have to sign up online 2 weeks ahead of the next class and the spots fill up quickly, but it's free and you don't need to show an id or proof that you live in the area. They are usually age-specific and 30 - 45 mins - you will definitely meet other moms at any of these activities.

Good luck!!! I'm sure you will find fun things to occupy your time.

 

[mayerling]

Thanks for your help, everyone! We leave tomorrow. I'll let you know how we get on.

 

[monarch64]

JGator, I love that picture of K! What a beautiful baby. She looks very grown-up in that pic even though she's only 18 months! That's funny that she doesn't like sweets--hopefully that trend will continue!

LC, I think you asked me recently why A is in daycare and did I go back to work? I don't think I ever got around to answering. We put her in daycare mainly to get her some interaction with kids closer to her age (the neighbors are all at least a year older) and because the place offers a pre-school curriculum that we were comfortable with. I had a temporary position with a company and now I'm back to consulting, working from home, and volunteering, all related to one field. I actually just did a consultation with one of the daycare owners this morning. Business everywhere, lol.

As I suspected, the daycare situation has really helped with development as far as vocabulary and other skills. The first week she was there she started pointing to letters and saying their names when prompted, and the past week or two she's been bringing us those little magnetized letters and saying what they are repeatedly, which is hilarious. "UUUUuuuuuuu!!!! EEEEeeeeee!!!!" She had been stringing a few words together since pretty early on, maybe a year iIrc, like "I sit down," but now she's putting 2 words together most of the time, "OK, mom" and "Hi, Daddy!" are most common. She tells us every time she needs a new diaper, and she says "EW!" whenever we change her, so funny. She's definitely ready to potty train now, so I think we'll see about getting started at home this weekend.

Happy belated Mother's Day to all! I got a sweet card, a Starbucks treat, and a handmade potting bench with removeable planters for my herbs. We took full advantage of a long naptime yesterday and knocked out a lot of yard work. Ok, I knocked out a lot of yard work and someone else played with their new power washer.

 

[lliang_chi]

JGator, sounds like you guys had a great vacation! That's great! I'm glad K enjoyed herself and really explored the world around her. And Ethan doesn't like sweets. He likes fruit but he doesn't like baked goods and is passable on ice cream. DH jokes that he's adopted because DH has a monster sweet tooth.

Mayer, lots of luck in SD. The upside is that the weather is always perfect there, so at the very least you'll be able to turn N loose outdoors and burn off some energy.

Monnie, glad business is going so well for you. Sounds like you're super busy and can use the "free time" while A is in daycare pretty effectively. That's awesome, and I'm glad you have a lot of flexibility like that. Daycare seems like a great learning environment for A and I'm glad she gets to interact with all the other kids too. But don't knock her hanging out with kids a year older, that could also help motivate her to do "big kid" things like potty training etc. Good luck this weekend with PTing.

AFU: Lately Ethan's been helping out in the kitchen. He likes to spin the salad so now that's his job. He picks the lettuce from the water into the spinner and spins it dry. He likes to open it and watch the colander spin around and he gets the proudest grin on his face. "I doing it!" So much fun to have a helper in the kitchen, especially since I've been doing 100% of food prep and cooking ever since DH moved in with me.

 

[mia1181]

Mayer- I know I am late to this and you are already here in SoCal. I think you should double check Meetup. It should not require you to pay anything to join most groups. You have to join and be accepted to a group before you can see where the playdates are happening for the safety and privacy of the kiddos. I am a member to a group on Meetup. It's a club called "Moms Club" and they have chapters everywhere. My group is $25 annually and they are for stay at home moms and have tons of fun activities. We meet at a different park every week and then we have other fun outings throughout the month. If you find one there, it would definitely be worth checking them out. There are also a lot of less formal groups on meetup that have free membership.

Another suggestion is to look up local libraries or even Barnes and Noble for story time!

Hope you have a great time!