PS Mommy thread with toddlers 12-36 months

[monarch64]

This was going to be a quick fly-by to drop off a pic we took today because I haven't posted any for a few weeks/months? But happily, I came in and saw some new beautiful toddler shots! Yay! So many gorgeous kids here!

PT--A is still great at daycare, going on the potty, telling them when she has to go, waking up from naps dry, etc. At home is a different story. She really wants us to get her a pull-up shortly after she gets home, and does not want anything to do with the potty. We put in a potty seat in the half bath on the main floor, where one of her potties is, but she is like no way, dudes. Not interested. Must be too different from the one at daycare. Idk what to do except wait it out a couple weeks.

That's all I have time/energy to post tonight. Hope to keep hearing more from everyone...I feel like this thread kind of lurches along n fits and spurts! We need some new babies in here!

 

[JGator]

LC, hilarious about Ding Ding and his girlfriend/crush. Yes, K will be going 2 mornings a week to the co-op preschool, and DH or I will be assisting the teacher monthly.

Freke, A is a beauty. Love the curls. She sounds really intelligent. I can't wait till K understands everything. I think she is getting there though!

AMC, sounds like things are going great with potty training.

Dandi, our almost 23 month old still sleeps in a sleep sack. We will keep it till she's too long for it. She can even walk in it. I worry about her feet getting cold without it, and she doesn't mind it.

Monnie, beautiful pics of you and Alex! So sweet. Love the pig tails. That's interesting how K is fine using the potty at daycare, but not at home. We have a lot to look forward to with potty training ahead.

AFU, K is talking a lot. She is eating a little bit better (knock on wood). We went out for Korean BBQ last night, and she ate a lot of rice, some bean spouts, and a fair amount of the grilled beef. My DH and I were saying, "who are you and what have you done with K?" She is into trucks and cars now, too. We recently bought her some small soft plastic cars and a larger soft plastic dump truck, and they are the greatest thing since sliced bread. She had a little cold recently, but seems to be recovering quickly. I'm planning Halloween and her birthday party now and they may be the same theme as she's fascinated by horses/"neigh neighs", and I think she may be a cowgirl for Halloween, and then we'll do a cowgirl or barnyard theme for her birthday which is 2 days before Halloween. She is in a class offered by our county that meets at a farm every 2 weeks and she was able to pet a horse this week. Still dealing with a screamer at swimming lessons, but we'll keep trying.

 

[amc80]

I have no real update, just wanted to share that B said the F word several times on the way to day care this morning. I don't know if he meant to say that or something else. I did get it on video, though, so that's a silver lining.

 

[FrekeChild]

I have no real update, just wanted to share that B said the F word several times on the way to day care this morning. I don't know if he meant to say that or something else. I did get it on video, though, so that's a silver lining.

I laughed reading this. Hugs. A has taken to saying "crap". That's totally my fault.

 

[Dandi]

Oh amc! When toddlers swear it really isn't funny...but it's SO funny! Oscar used to sit in the car saying 'shitshitshitshitshitshit'. I have to try so desperatly hard to hide my laughter from him. He hasn't used any swear words in context (yet!), and I'm forever telling DH to watch his mouth - he works in an oil refinery where they all swear a blue streak

 

[monkeyprincess]

Hi everybody, so fun to hear what everyone's little ones are up to these days.

AMC, Ev regularly says the F word from the backseat, but in his case, I am quite certain he is referring to the trucks driving by!

JGator, sounds like a great birthday/Halloween idea. Ev's birthday is in less than two weeks, but I'm not planning a big party. My in-laws will come over for pizza (special treat for Ev) and cake I think. Maybe next year, he'll be ready for a bigger party, but for now, I'm taking advantage of the fact he doesn't know the difference As far as Halloween, I'm debating what costume to get for him. He has a Winnie the Pooh pillow/teddy bear thing my in-laws brought him back from Disney World that he is obsessed with, and he he saw a Pooh cartoon about opposites, which he loved, so I'm leaning toward a Pooh costume (although I personally am not a big Pooh fan). I want to make sure it is something he is excited about and will want to wear. What is everybody else doing?

Hi to everybody else!

AFU, Ev is so hilarious lately. He keeps practicing having conversations. He'll say to me, "Hi Mommy. How are you doing?" And I'll say, I'm doing well, how are you? And he keeps giving me the completely random response of, "I see red fox." No idea where that came from. The other day, he was reaching for something on his bookshelf and knocked over his alphabet puzzle, and he looked at the letters and said, "Are you okay, guys? L, are you okay?" And we were chatting with a new neighbor that has a really little harmless dog named Penny. Ev wanted to see the dog, but then he was too scared to touch it and would freak out. This happened about 4 times. (He likes dogs from a distance). When they walked away, he started crying and yelling, "My Penny, my Penny. Where she going?" Ahh, toddlers This morning, we brushed his hair and teeth, and he said, "Everett so handsome."

 

[monkeyprincess]

Question - Do any of you use a toddler seat in the bathtub or do you just have your little ones sit directly in the tub? We have been using our First Years infant bath that converts to toddler seat, and it worked great until last week. Ev has always LOVED bath time and never wants to get out. But the past few times, he says he doesn't want bath time and cries when we put him and asks to get out the whole time. We noticed he has been clinging to his seat, like he's worried it will tip over. DH remembers the tub kind of tipped up a bit one night last week (after DH turned on the whirlpool jets on, which Ev usually loves), and we think he might be worried because of that (although that is definitely not the only time that has ever happened). That's the only explanation we can think of his new-found fear. He doesn't like sitting directly in the tub for some reason, so I'm just curious if anyone has any toddler bath seat recommendations. Thanks!

 

[lliang_chi]

MP, we've been putting Ethan in big the tub since he was about 11 or 12 months. We just make sure he has one of those non-slip tub mats. But lately he's been loving the shower. We have a handheld hose and he likes that over the bath. Fine with me since a shower is so much faster than the bath and takes less water. LOVE the costume idea since Ev's totally into Pooh Bear now. You should do old school Pooh and not the modern one. Ev's so hilarious I love your little stories about what he says. I'm trying to etch this age into my memory forever because it's my FAVORITE (when he's now throwing tantrums that is). Although (knock wood) Ethan's been getting better with the tantrums lately.

JG, what a great party for K! I hope she loves it. Ethan *hated* swim lessons too, but over time we used to go to the pool every few weeks and now he loves going "swimming." I haven't tried actually teaching him anything and he still clings onto me. I've been thinking of doing one of those ISR classes, but they're few and far between here in Chicago. Glad K's eats have been getting better. Hope it keeps up.

Monnie, hooray that PTing is going so well at school, but frustrating it's not clicking at home yet. Give her time. It must be the peer pressure at school, since everyone else is doing it she does too.

AMC go B with the peeing in the potty! Ethan took a LOOOOOONG time to poop in the potty (about 5 months). But he's FINALLY doing it now and WHEW! Hope B's sleep has been getting better.

AFU: Let's see.... We converted Ethan's bed to a toddler bed! The first week he was a champ! Then the next 2 wks he'd get up and come into our room anytime between 5am and 6am. I'd have to walk him over to his room and lie down with him. He wouldn't sleep but he'd stay in his room and maybe lie down wide awake. That's fine, I just want him to learn he can't get out of his room until the sun comes out on his clock. Now he's sleeping in again, and I *really* hope it continues. Does anyone use a pillow for their kid? I'm thinking of getting Ethan one....

Ethan's going ot be a knight for Halloween. Quizas, our dog, is going to be his dragon. That way he can chase her around and they'll still be in character. I bought all the stuff to make their costumes yesterday and will be working a little bit at a time each evening. Not sure if the DH and I will dress up along with him. Maybe...

Ethan's also been picking up "conversation cues" like MP's Ev. "How's your day?" is a big one during dinner time. Except he never answers when we ask, he just asks us again... The other day he picked up the phone and had an imaginary conversation: "Hello? It's Ethan. Wanna Skype? Okay." (We Skype with the grandparents).

Lastly, Ethan's been collecting girlfriends. And there are days that he chooses not to give Mommy bye bye kisses, he gives his kisses to the other girls now. I keep telling him Mommy always gets kisses, but he's apparently "too cool for school" for that stuff. Mommy kisses are for babies.

 

[amc80]

Question - Do any of you use a toddler seat in the bathtub or do you just have your little ones sit directly in the tub? We have been using our First Years infant bath that converts to toddler seat, and it worked great until last week. Ev has always LOVED bath time and never wants to get out. But the past few times, he says he doesn't want bath time and cries when we put him and asks to get out the whole time. We noticed he has been clinging to his seat, like he's worried it will tip over. DH remembers the tub kind of tipped up a bit one night last week (after DH turned on the whirlpool jets on, which Ev usually loves), and we think he might be worried because of that (although that is definitely not the only time that has ever happened). That's the only explanation we can think of his new-found fear. He doesn't like sitting directly in the tub for some reason, so I'm just curious if anyone has any toddler bath seat recommendations. Thanks!

B was in a blow up duck/bath thing until around 10 months maybe? Since then, he's just been in the tub. He likes to lay down on both his stomach and back and "swim," so he'd likely be unhappy being contained.

I had been a bit concerned because B had been losing weight. I know it's normal for toddlers to not gain much as they grow, but losing weight just seemed weird. He dropped from the high 33s to 31 something. Well, yesterday he stood on the scale and is almost 36lbs. So apparently he hit a growth spurt or something. We also had to buy him new jeans because all of his 2Ts look ridiculous. Sad because they fit perfectly in the waist, but are about an inch above his ankles. We thought about just having him still wear them, but I just couldn't do it If anyone needs jeans, The Children's Place has them for $7 right now.

His sleep is better. We had a horrible night last week where he would wake up screaming every hour or so. In the morning I looked in his mouth and a new molar had popped up. He's been sleeping all night for the most part, but he's up by 6 at the latest every morning. So if anyone has tips for that, I would love to hear them.

What is everyone doing for Halloween? B will be Bam Bam. We were going to do that last year but found a costume we loved...so this year we are going back to that original plan. Hopefully everyone will post some pics!

 

[monkeyprincess]

LC and amc, thanks. It sounds like Ev is going to just have to suck it up and sit without a seat. I think part of the issue is that DH has gotten him used to having the whirlpool jets on, so he feels unsteady without the tub seat. Hopefully, this is a temporary phase. I hate to see him so upset when bath time used to be his favorite thing.

LC, cute costume ideas. You'll have to share pics for sure, and I'm always so impressed you find the time (and have the motivation) to make your own costumes. We ordered a Pooh costume for Ev, and it's pretty funny. When I tried it on him, he was laughing so hard at his reflection, he had to cover his eyes. Awesome on the big boy bed. I am dreading that transition, but he still hasn't made any attempt to climb, so I hope we're good for awhile longer. He sounds like such a sweetheart, but oh, heartbreaking that he's too cool for kisses. I could cry thinking about the day Ev will be too big too be carried and to cuddle and give spontaneous hugs and kisses.

amc, love the Bam Bam idea. And wow, he's such a big kid! Pants are so tricky, only we're in the 18 month to 2T transition, because Ev has most of his height in his torso, like his dad. If I put 2T pants on him, they sag way down and show half his diaper even when I cinch the waist bands. Drives me crazy!

 

[amc80]

amc, love the Bam Bam idea. And wow, he's such a big kid! Pants are so tricky, only we're in the 18 month to 2T transition, because Ev has most of his height in his torso, like his dad. If I put 2T pants on him, they sag way down and show half his diaper even when I cinch the waist bands. Drives me crazy!

What's crazy is I didn't realize how much he has grown. I remember his 2Ts being really long for him when we bought them last year. They grow up too fast!

 

[Dandi]

Oscar just sits in the bath. Well when I say sit I mean stand, walk, lie on his tummy...you get the idea. Ain't no way that kid is sitting in anything at bath time!

 

[JGator]

Dandi, too funny about Oscar and the bath tub. K hasn't tried getting on her tummy yet. She definitely will walk around though.

AMC, wow on the 3Ts. K had a pair of 18-month jeans on yesterday, and I was surprised they fit as I thought she was bigger than that! I will post pics of K's outfit. She's going to be a cowgirl, but I'm not sure if the outfit I have is going to fit as it's a 2T! I should probably try that on. We have a cowgirl hat picked out from Amazon that should fit her small head, too.

LC, yay for Ethan graduating to the big boy bed and staying in it! Sounds like a cool duo of Halloween costumes too.

MP, we just let K roam free in the big tub. The nanny sometimes gives K a bath, and she uses the Primo tub which I feel is too confining, but K likes it. Too cute about the neighbor's dog. We have a ton of dogs on our cul de sac. And, K used to only know the dog across the street and she would say her name and call all the dogs the same name. Now, she has mastered 3 of the 5 immediate dog names, and she will talk about them when she hears them barking outside. They are mostly large dogs, but there are 2 tiny big barker/yelper dogs including our next door neighbor on one side. That dog thinks she owns the street and barks at us if we are in our own yard! K is not afraid at all of her, although, I don't trust that dog around herlike I trust the big labs in the neighborhood.

AFU, K is almost 2. We went to a fair over the weekend, and she was able to ride a pony which she thought was a horse for the first time. She did really well. She acted shy/quiet though. Maybe because she was in awe of it or shy that someone she didn't know was pulling the horse around the circle. We also visited a petting zoo there with tons of animals and she was fearless - walking up to everything and touching everything! I got a super cute video of her in the petting zoo. She did better at swimming last weekend...maybe because I took her without DH or because we saw triplet 4-month olds! Can you imagine? They were there watching their big sister at practice. I totally cannot imagine what their life is like. The mom said one of them is always awake, and they wake up the others! OMG!

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Quick drive by post as I need to leave the office to get home!

MP, no bath seat for us, but we used to put K in a little traveling tub (small bathtub within regular bathtub). We stopped using it when C was born and we needed to bathe them together. K FREAKED out for a few days--hated being in the regular tub. But then she got over it and started loving the tub again. Really hoping your bath seat transition is fast!

LC, so exciting about E moving to a toddler bed. I bought our toddler conversion kit about a year ago, but K loves her crib so much that I haven't converted it. When I tell her it's bedtime she runs up the stairs saying "BED!! BED!" Cora might be using the crib converter before Katie, haha. Oh, and K has had a regular ol' full size pillow for about a year. She LOVES it. I also bought her a couple of super soft blankets, so between the soft pillow and soft blankets, it's no wonder she loves her bed.

amc, I feel like clothes are tough when your kid grows so fast. Last fall K was in 2T/3Ts. This year the 3Ts are too short. All of her fall/winter clothes are 4T. In fact, I've started buying her size 4s in regular kids clothes (like Lands End). She has a lot of leggings because regular pants just fall off, even with her diaper (same issue as MP)

Love the halloween costume ideas, everybody!! K is going to be Little Bo Peep and Cora is going to be a sheep. K still can't say "trick or treat", but I think I'll take her trick or treating this year, anyway. She's never been!

 

[monkeyprincess]

Well, Bathgate has officially ended at our house. Ev cried and tried to avoid a bath last night, but he was completely fine when he realized he didn't have to sit in his bath seat. Ha. Proved me wrong. When I was getting him into his pajamas, he asked for "Nother Baff? Or shower?" So I think we're good. I'm so sentimental about him turning two. I got teary-eyed when I put the baby bath seat away, along with all of our outgrown baby clothes and toys. I love watching him grow up, but oh how I wish I could slow it down a little bit, especially if he turns out to be our only child.

 

[monarch64]

Grr, I typed out a long post and didn't realize how low my battery was...lost it. Anyway.

MP, glad to hear bathgate is over. I understand the sadness of putting things away/giving them away when your kiddo has outgrown them or passed a milestone. It's bittersweet. We also don't know what the future holds as far as if Alex will be our only so I get it. I know my SIL went through the same thing with my niece, but I was lucky she (and my mother) held onto a lot of my niece's stuff so we got to use it. As Alex outgrows my niece's stuff, it is REALLY sad to let go of some of it! I was around for 2 iterations of those things so have hated to see some of them go, but there isn't enough room to keep all the things and continue to add new.

LC, whoo hoo for the big boy bed! It's good to hear that E transitioned easily. A is still in her crib, has never tried to get out of it and seems content so it has been one less thing to worry about for us so far. My parents want to buy her a big girl bed, so I think that will happen in the next few months which will make a convenient holiday gift. I'm not ready, but I know it's coming.

Clothing sizes--A hasn't had a major growth spurt since late winter/early spring, so I have been able to return some of her fall/winter stuff from last year into rotation since it has grown cooler here recently. 3T pants are still fitting, and since she is primarily wearing undies these days they are now the right length (too long last year) and still fit in the waist. Tops are a different story. She has to have 4T or 4-5 in tops/sweaters to make sure they're long enough. She's tall and I think she is also long-waisted like I am. We estimate that she will be close to 6' based on her 2 year measurement. Oh, the 3T camel wool coat she wore a couple times last year fits perfect right now, so I'm hopeful it will get her through fall, and we'll pick up something else in a 4T to get her through winter. That was a totally unexpected bonus!

Alex is on fall break this week so we each took a couple days off and it has been glorious! She's so funny--I'll ask her for a hug and kiss and she acts all coy and laughs and says "no!" So, I say "no hugs. I don't want ANY hugs or kisses." And she immediately says "I want hugs! I want a kiss!" And then says I LOVE you, Mommy! Now THIS is what it's all about!

 

[FrekeChild]

JGator - we went to a Fair a couple weeks ago and A got to ride a pony too! She thought she was hot stuff. We bought some pictures that they took to give to her grandparents for Christmas.

We bailed on using any bathtub type things at 9 months when we moved. A still throws a fit about bath time sometimes though. And other times she's stripping down and getting into the bath without any water or parents. Toddlers, man.

Halloween. Somehow A ended up with three costumes. I had forgotten that we bought her a Batgirl dress last year, and we let her pick out a costume for Halloween, and I bought her a Doc McStuffins costume for dress up/back up costume. The costume she picked out and will probably wear for Halloween is Buddy the Tyrannosaurus Rex from the show Dinosaur Train. She is obsessed with Doc McStuffins. We have all of the books and she has almost all of the stuffed animal friends, plus the doctor's bag. When the Doc costume came in the mail the other day, I opened the box, and she saw what it was and started running in circles shouting "Yay yay yay! Doc costume! Yay yay yay!" for about 5 minutes.

A is between sizes at 2T-3T. Shirts are both sizes, skirts and shorts are both sizes and pants are 2T. They are a tiny bit too short, but the 3Ts don't come anywhere close to fitting her waist. Leggings are the best though.

A turns 3 next month so we're planning for her birthday. We are going to go to Disneyland for a day close to her birthday. Hopefully she loves it, buuuttt how can she not? It's Disneyland!

 

[monkeyprincess]

Hi all. We just got back from Ev's two year appointment. I cannot believe I have a two year old. We celebrated his birthday on Sunday with a trip to the zoo and then had family over for pizza and cake. It certainly wasn't a pinterest-worthy affair, but he had such a fun day, and that is all that matters to me. My in-laws way overdid it on the presents, and of course he liked the simplist thinks best. Maracas, a stuffed Elmo, and a few books. My MIL got him some ginormous track with these annoying Vtech animals on wheels that sing and talk. Has anybody seen those? It would be fine if he got the one that came with the set, but she had to get him all 8 of the animals! Ahh, they are like possessed and turn themselves on and share all sorts of facts at the same time! I think I will discretely put them away in a few weeks. (I sound ungrateful, and I really appreciate when she buys him things like clothes and books or larger things that we don't have to buy, but I'm really want to make a conscious effort to not spoil him or turn him into a completely materialistic child, and it's hard when she constantly undermines our wishes and gives him new toys every other week and then tons of presents for his birthday.)

Ev is 36.5 inches and 28.5 pounds. So he's back at the 95% for height. I have no idea why he is all over the place on the height charts from appointment to appointment. I even made them measure again, and it came out the exact same. And he does all of a sudden seem really tall and skinny, so it must have been a recent spurt.

Anyway, sorry for the me-centered post. I figured I would write this here, so I at least have it somewhere! I need to get back in the habit of documenting his milestones again. I randomly send myself emails with info to add to my "journal," but I never seem to get around to it.

Can't wait to see some more pictures and Halloween costumes in a couple weeks! Hope everyone and their little ones are doing well!

 

[NewEnglandLady]

MP, I do the same thing with milestones. Entries in Katie's baby book are sparse these days. A trip to the zoo + pizza sounds perfect for E's 2-year birthday. We always do small parties and I'm going to keep it that way for as long as possible. Heck, we only had 30 people at our wedding, I'm not throwing huge b-day parties. Our shy kid would probably cry, anyway! And we are in the exact same situation with in-laws over-buying for events. DH and I only give a few gifts for b-days/Christmas, then the in-laws show up with tons of gifts. I find it frustrating and have left it with DH to have the "less is more" conversation with them. Oh, and sounds like E just had a growth spurt. We have a growth chart for K and I take measurements every 2 months. It's interesting how she'll have months where she doesn't grow much and other months where she grows a ton.

Freke, A is turning 3! I seriously can't believe it. I feel like she's been such a chipper, happy kiddo since she was born. Seems like one of those kids who has a strong personality from the very beginning. I bet she loves Disneyland!

Monnie, those loving moments are pretty amazing, right? I've had moments through K's life where she's brought me to tears (in happiness and frustration, haha), but the first time she came up and gave me a hug and said "love you", I definitely cried some happy tears. Even knowing how overwhelming my love is for K, I guess I never realized how much it would mean for her to come up to me unprompted and tell me she loves me. She's definitely her own little person these days.

AFU, nothing exciting. We had a hearing test last week given K's significant speech delay. As expected, her hearing is completely normal. She's speaking A LOT more. Obviously still very delayed as she's only stringing 2 - 3 words together, but it's amazing how fast it's coming now. I don't expect for her to "catch up" anytime soon, but there is progress!

Oh, and K saw about a half of an hour of Frozen a couple of weeks ago. At first she was kind of "meh" about it. I left it as an option for after-dinner TV viewing and she never chose it. But we've been listening to Frozen music in ballet and now she's obsessed. She asked to watch it last night and after a half of an hour when it was time to go upstairs for her bath, DH shut it off. K freaked out. I had to put her in her crib for 5 minutes before she'd calm down. So now I'm terrified of showing it to her again!

 

[JGator]

NEL, I'm happy to hear K doesn't have any hearing issues. My DH was really worried about our K when we were in the hospital when she was born until they tested her hearing. That's scary. I'm also happy to hear she is stringing 2-3 words together - that is progress. You really have 2 beauties - I am always thinking J Crew catalog when I see them.

MP, Happy Belated Birthday to Ev! I cannot believe you have a 2-year old, and I almost have one! Sounds like you had a fun day.

Monnie, wow A is tall. I cannot believe you are buying 4-5Ts in tops! That's too cute how she does and doesn't want to give you hugs and kisses.

Freke, I cannot believe A is almost 3! Where did the time go? You will have an amazing time at Disney. I heard that children under 3 are free. Is that true? If so, we will definitely to go before K is 3. My sister lives pretty close to Disneyworld so I'm sure it's in our near future.

AFU, K is turning 2 in about 2 weeks. We were invited to her pre-school's Fall Festival this week and she was able to do some craft activities like decorating a pumpkin and looking for toys in a big pile of hay/straw. I noticed a lot of runny noses so I'm sure she will be sick all the time once she starts even though it's only 2 days/week. Most of the kids in her class have older siblings and some have them in elementary school so the germs will start flying! K's birthday party is a week from tomorrow, and it's a barnyard theme. I think we have 8 or 9 kids coming - or 10! There are a couple maybes. I'm going to make stick horse/ponies for all of the kids to take home. I have 5 heads finished so I need to get cracking. We have a cow pinata. Any ideas on games for the kids to play at the party at this age? I'm trying to think of something incorporating the horses.

 

[monkeyprincess]

NEL, I'm totally with you. We are not having any big parties until we absolutely have to. We've got at least a couple years before kids actually starting having friend birthday parties, right? I'm so happy to hear K is making progress with her speech. Once they start stringing words together, it really takes off. I sympathize with the Frozen thing. My MIL got Ev an Elmo Potty Time DVD for his birthday, and he became instantly obsessed and gets very angry when we tell him he can't watch it or we have to turn it off.

JGator, unfortunately the germs and viruses are pretty much unavoidable with preschool/daycare. Everyone keeps telling me that if he didn't get sick now, he would once he starts school. I hope that's true! Can't wait to see pics of K's birthday and horses after her party.

AFU, poor little Ev was very sick over the past few days. He went from a regular cold to pneumonia and/or bronchitis in a very short time. So scary when your little one won't eat and can't sleep because of all the coughing and congestion, and we had to give him ibuprofen every 6 hours or his fever would just shoot up. Fortunately, he is finally turning the corner after going in again on Monday and getting an antibiotic shot and a nebulizer. I haven't been this stressed out or had so little sleep since he was a newborn.

On Friday morning before all of this went down, I had him sit on his potty for awhile since he was showing so much interest in the Elmo potty video I mentioned above, and he actually went potty in it. I didn't even realized it happened until he stood up and then I started clapping and cheering for him, but apparently I went overboard because he started crying thinking he had done something wrong. Since then, he hasn't shown much interest or sat on it long enough to go. But he keeps talking about how Elmo uses the potty and doesn't wear diapers. Baby steps in the right direction at least.... I hope....

 

[monkeyprincess]

Me again with a quick question. Do any of you give your toddlers a daily multivitamin or any supplements? Is that a good idea? Because Ev was so congested earlier in the week, we were told to avoid giving him milk for awhile and stick to water or pedialyte. It just got me thinking that there are days he probably doesn't get enough calcium, and other days when he doesn't get enough fruits or veggies if he is being a picky eater or we have to feed him something convenient. I should ask our doctor, but just curious what others do. Thanks in advance.

 

[amc80]

Me again with a quick question. Do any of you give your toddlers a daily multivitamin or any supplements? Is that a good idea? Because Ev was so congested earlier in the week, we were told to avoid giving him milk for awhile and stick to water or pedialyte. It just got me thinking that there are days he probably doesn't get enough calcium, and other days when he doesn't get enough fruits or veggies if he is being a picky eater or we have to feed him something convenient. I should ask our doctor, but just curious what others do. Thanks in advance.

B gets 1/2 of a Flintstone Vitamin every day (more realistically- the days I remember). Our pediatrician said the best brand to use was the one he'd actually eat.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Me again with a quick question. Do any of you give your toddlers a daily multivitamin or any supplements? Is that a good idea? Because Ev was so congested earlier in the week, we were told to avoid giving him milk for awhile and stick to water or pedialyte. It just got me thinking that there are days he probably doesn't get enough calcium, and other days when he doesn't get enough fruits or veggies if he is being a picky eater or we have to feed him something convenient. I should ask our doctor, but just curious what others do. Thanks in advance.

B gets 1/2 of a Flintstone Vitamin every day (more realistically- the days I remember). Our pediatrician said the best brand to use was the one he'd actually eat.

This, exactly. Especially the part about receiving it when I remember.

 

[FrekeChild]

MP - Aralia is 2 years and 11 months and her measurements are 28 pounds and 36 inches. HAHAHAHAH!!!!!! The potty stuff comes eventually. I would just make sure he isn't afraid of the potty. THAT becomes a big problem. Aralia gets gummy vitamins. Every day she asks for one now because she likes them so much.

NEL - she's had her grouchy moments, but yeah, for the most part she's been pretty amazing. I can't believe she's about to be 3 too! You should just let K watch Frozen, just make sure it's a time where she can watch the whole thing. A got OBSESSED with it for a while, but she seems to do what I do, get really into something and overdose on it and then refuse to watch it again. Lol!

JGator - I have no idea where the time has gone. Yes! Children under three are free - which is a major reason we decided to go right before her birthday! Tickets for the age 10+ is $96 and 3-9 is $90. Sooooo....yeah. Love the Fall Festivals! We just went to one last weekend and A had a blast. Kids and germs suck. So bad.


AFU: A started to use the potty! For a while she was terrified of the toilet, but my husband came up with the great idea to give her her LeapPad while sitting on the toilet, and suddenly she changed her tune. She typically only gets to use it during road trips. So we're working on it. She tells me she needs to go, and sometimes pees on the way there (wearing training pants) but I reward her with those colored water tabs every time she tries, and she gets small toys/treats when she manages to go on the potty. Oh, and a sticker board which she's really proud of. I'm totally not above bribes, it turns out. Whatever works.

Other than that, nothing really new here. She loves talking to her grandpa on the phone and has definitely learned how to hold a conversation, although there are some things that only we understand. When we go to dinner though, she tells the waiter exactly what she wants. Especially at our favorite Vietnamese place, she will say, "Hi, this is my mommy and daddy. May I have water please? And carrots. And rice." Because she has the pickled carrots/root veggies and rice, plus usually about half of a spring roll. She already has a firm grip on the chopstick use too. We probably go there too much. The waitstaff just love her though and get a kick out of everything she does. I feel like people treat us differently now that she's around - they are much friendlier. So weird!

 

[JGator]

Freke, I love how A orders at the Vietnamese restaurant. The people at the sushi place we frequent love K. She doesn't eat much though, but she does try to use the chopsticks. Get your free Disney on while you can!

MP, Happy Birthday to Ev! Sorry he was sick. I'm glad he has shown an interest in the potty. He must be talking up a storm by now.

AMC, how's big B doing these days? Post some pics!

LC, how's Ethan?

NEL, how are K and C doing? I'm sure you will have a fun Halloween this year!

AFU, K turned 2 on Wednesday. We had her party on Sunday - 9 kids and 12 adults. It was fun, but tiring. Barnyard theme went over well. She started her part-time preschool yesterday. First day went well, but I was there the whole time so I know next week will be different. She is only going 2 mornings a week, and next Tuesday is a holiday so it will be a week from her last class before she goes again. She cried when we left because she wanted to take the baby (doll) home with her. Also, we had her 2 year pedi appt today. I suggested testing her iron as she doesn't eat much, and the doctor said it was fine last time, but if I really wanted it, they would test. I felt terrible when they pricked her foot after 2 shots, but, we found out she has low iron today. It's a 9 and the doctor likes to see it at 11 or higher. 6 months ago it was a 14. I have concluded it's because she is eating more real food (and not the right mix of it) and less baby food in pouches as those all have iron added. So, we are going to start her on a multivitamin with iron added (apparently most don't have iron), and get her checked again in 3 months. Also, we'll be more conscious of what she is eating with iron in it. Her weight (25lbs) and head are both in the 30ish% now and her height is around 50%. The doctor was not worried at all about her growth. We were told no more bottles - she gets one at night because that's the only milk she drinks, but she is having 1 yogurt a day now so we'll try to push the other calcium options and see how the bottle removal goes at night. And, we need to get her off the paci. She said we could go cold turkey or tie it to a chair and let her "have a hit" whenever she wants, but it has to be tied to the chair. I laugh thinking about that so I might just try it! Because, I can totally see K going to have her hit off the paci and/or melting down because it's tied to the chair! Attaching a picture from her first day of school with some of her Halloween costume on.

 

[Dandi]

Aww JGator, K just gets prettier and prettier. I love her jeans, so funky! And she's already two?! Stop it! How did that happen?? I'm interested to know more about the multivitamin you're giving her. Oscar is very up and down with food...most days he'd eat his own body weight in anything I offer him, other days it's a few handfuls of sultanas and that's it. Veggies are extremely challenging, they have to be hidden in nuggets, bolognaise etc, but he adores meat, fruit and dairy, so I hope he's getting enough from those. Is it just K's iron that is a bit low? I often wonder if a vitamin for O would be a good idea.

Freke I love the idea of a sticker chart for potty training, I might get one ready to go for Oscar and see what happens. He is fascinatied with all things toilet but just refuses to sit on one!

mp I was just reading your comment on where Ev thought he'd done something wrong when you cheered him on for using the potty, that's really very cute. I'm sorry to hear he was so sick, how awful that must have been for you. There's nothing worse!

Hi to everyone else! Just wanted to check in with you all, I love reading all the updates on your beautiful kiddos as usual. DH is away at the moment in the US so it's just me and O for a couple of weeks, and man have we been busy! I've gotten heaps of DIY stuff done around the home and yard, I seem to be more productive when DH is away, I might suggest he take another week

Oscar is nearly 23 months and has just shot up height wise, he seems to be so much bigger than the rest of the toddlers in my mother's group. I miss his fattyness, he's slimmed down a lot as well, boo. He's talking so much, most of it is just jibberish, but it's hilarious. His two year molars are making themselves known, I think they're going to be a doozy! They have been putting O off most foods other than soft cereal and yoghurt lately, which is a bit of a pill. But he's still his regular chipper old self, so I can't complain. Oh, and he recently acquired some new headwear, he insisted on wearing it to Toddler Storytime at the library today, how could I say no??

 

[amc80]

Ugh, my post got eaten. Short and sweet version-

I love seeing these pictures! What gorgeous babies we all have!

B had a good Halloween. We practiced saying "trick or treat" over and over, but in the end he would just walk up to the door and say "candy, please." At least he was polite!

He figured out how to pedal his trike. He has a trike, a balance bike, and a scooter, and would happily spend all day riding those. Pedaling makes him look so old.

His sleep had been bad for the past month or so. We realized while out of town last weekend that he grew quite a bit, so I'm guessing that had something to do with it. Of course he had to wait until after I bought a bunch of new pants to get him through the winter. So much for that; at least baby #2 can use them!

Hope everyone else is doing well. Crossing my fingers that this posts.

ETA- Nope eaten again. Third time's a charm!

 

[FrekeChild]

Hahahahah!!!! "Candy please?" I love it! He looks adorable in his shark costume!

I hear you on the whole "buying something and they grow out of it instantly" thing. I bought a ton of socks and shoes in a size 7, and I think her feet just grew super fast, because I think that they fit for about a week. So now I'm stuck with sneakers, sandals and like 20 pairs of socks that DON'T FIT.

DandiAndi - I love the bucket! A does that too, it must be a toddler thing! It's so sad when they lose their baby fat.

JGator - you've got me wondering if I should get A's iron checked....what do you have her taking now?

 

[amc80]

Hahahahah!!!! "Candy please?" I love it! He looks adorable in his shark costume!

I hear you on the whole "buying something and they grow out of it instantly" thing. I bought a ton of socks and shoes in a size 7, and I think her feet just grew super fast, because I think that they fit for about a week. So now I'm stuck with sneakers, sandals and like 20 pairs of socks that DON'T FIT.

At least you notice when she needed new shoes! We were like "hey, B is walking kind of weird" and took him to get measured. I think he was in 8.5s or 9s and actually needed 10s. Whoops, sorry kid!