Parenting Check-in (Jan 4th)

[kh826]

Happy New Year!!!

Parenting Roster
healz413
Manada
kevinandjesse
foodislove
megd893
calsurb
andstilltrying
jazibel
kh826
karlamo
jgy
sherminator
mahler5
wittyandwaiting
kona
strings
mrsnorris
2mrsks (mrs&mrsk)
jennicole
amberreva
shemarie82
officerofthelaw
ionaerebor
firstcomeslove2013

*If you would like to be added to the list, just let us know!

So, tell us about your parenting experiences this past week? Any new milestones? Anything exciting in your house?

QOTW: Tell us about 1 big parenting goal you have for 2016! Also, what was your favorite parenting moment of 2015?

[karlamo]

The kids are growing. Over the past week R has been talking up a storm in full sentences. Every time he speaks in sentences my wife and I look at each other in shock and amazement. Mostly because who knew he was capable of this. It's been great getting to have a real conversation with him. The other day he was playing trains and he ran to grab his sippy cup and said "I need some milk" and then then we hung new curtains in our dining room and he told us "I like them". WOW! Now if I could get him potty trained it would be the best.

L has his 4 month apt last week. He is topping the growth chart at 99%. He weighed in at 19lbs 9 oz and 26 inches long. He still seems flaccid to us but his core is getting stronger and he will probably be sitting up in the next month. Rolling over should be happening any day now, he's starting to rock when on his back. We have started the slow transition of putting him to bed in his room and in his crib. He doesn't last long in there but our hope is that he'll get used to it over time. I have to laugh when I type this because this never worked for R but a mom can dream.

QOTW: 2015 proud moment: Seeing R and L interact.
2016 Goal: Supporting R and L in becoming the best they can be.

[jgy]

karlamo, if you get R potty trained I'm calling you in for a consult. G has slid backwards on his PT-ing efforts and while I know it's mostly our fault, I'm still really frustrated with it and with him. I'm hoping that his recent move into the Preschool room at daycare is going to help push him back in the right direction.

G is a ton of fun and a huge challenge all at once. This is truly a rough time, and we feel like we're in the weeds a lot. But hopefully we'll get through it quickly and manage to look back and laugh. That seems to be what has happened with every other difficult stage, so I'm optimistic.

Little g had his 4 month check-up last week as well. He is 26.6" long and roughly 16.5lb. He has reliably slept in his bassinet for the most part, but he's really getting too big for it now and I'm at a bit of a loss as to what we're going to do next. Our Pedi (who is awesome) kind of chuckled and basically kicked me in the ass and said I needed to get on it and figure that out. Oops.

In terms of little g's CMV, we continue to do his meds twice a day. His hearing checks are good and I'm still procrastinating bringing him back in for his eye checks (oops). His laryngomalacia seems to have gotten a lot better all of a sudden, so that's exciting! Maybe some day soon I can move back into the bedroom and see my wife again, without the fear that g is going to wake everyone else up with his breathing? Ha ha ha ha ha. That'll be the day.

QOTW: 2015 Proud Moment - Putting my toddler to bed successfully while already in labor, then going and having a successful unmedicated VBAC 3 hours later, then welcoming a happy and secure toddler at the hospital the following day for a visit that didn't end up in tears.
2016 Goal - Continuing to develop my parenting toolbox so that we avoid/diffuse meltdowns rather than having to parent through them so much. Also, mastering the art of daycare drop-off and pick-up with 2 instead of 1.

[mahler5]

C is 22 months. I'm planning to try the 3 day method of Potty training again soon. It's been almost 2 months since the initial try that was sort of half-ass and stopped after things didn't seem like they would go much better halfway into the first day. I think C may be a little more ready. I am feeling better too with more energy so I think I can better do it now too!

I'm thinking about starting it again tomorrow. Although next week there are three days she won't be with me during the day. And the following week we are going to Atlanta. So maybe I should just wait until we get back from Atlanta. I can't decide.

C is a lot of fun now, but we still have our trying times. She still takes awhile to get to sleep on her toddler bed ( I.e. Mattress in floor) but it's gotten a little better. She still wakes up crying about every other night but goes back to sleep ok. It's really not that bad. It just seems like it because she rarely woke up before and would go to bed right away. We may get a real toddler bed so she doesn't roll off. That is occasionally why she wakes up.

Discipline is still hit or miss. Some things are still better. Some not so much. I am trying to write rules down so I will be consistent. I have a tendency to change them or change how I do things at times. And L and I aren't always on the same page so we need to make sure we are consistent too.

Her little friend was over today and she was sharing so much better! She still talks a lot but no big changes lately. Just still adjusting to being in the crib.

QOTW-- not sure on biggest accomplishment. As far as goals, potty training is up there. That and having her mind me better. But I feel that is a goal set up for failure worded that way.

[healz413]

Ellis is 19w6d. She and I took the train from m's grandparents' to Toronto while m and Frannie drove because E screamed for 75% of the 3.5 hour trip there. The train ride went great. She slept for 2/3 of it and was happy the rest of it. I'm glad I bought her a seat on the train because it was pretty full and she's too long to sleep in my arms and not end up a little bit in the neighboring seat.
She has been having a really tough go of it recently. She's in the 19 week wonder week and cries a lot. We can always get her to stop if we completely change what we are doing and try for long enough. But with the exception of middle of the night gas pains at 6 weeks and day 3 after birth, I don't think she's ever been this cranky. I'm glad we know about the wonder weeks.

All that said, she's been a real trooper with all of the travel we have done in the last 12 days. And all the family loved having her around and loved the wonderful smiles interspersed with the crying and fussing.

Yesterday M helped E find her toes and now that's a favorite game of hers. She's desperate to move and wriggles her body every which way but she hasn't rolled in 3 weeks. She seems to want to move forward or back not side to side.

QOTW: there were so many great moments. One that stands out was when Ellis was probably 11 or 12weeks old and I ended up walking most of the way home with her from a downtown appointment. It was an unseasonably warm day in Nov and I had her in the ring sling. We stopped in the park and I breastfed her on a park bench and then put a blanket down on the grass and did tummy time and read. It was a completely unplanned day (the streetcar was just too busy so I decided to walk a little bit and then I kept going) and I loved it.
My goal for 2016 is to find a good balance when i go back to work in March b

[2mrsks (mrs&mrsk)]

R had his first major cold this week. Coughing lead to puking , overall very sad because there's nothing much you can do....
At 10 mo he's still stepping , I wonder when he will take off waking
We need to start getting him on more and more real food after this sickness is over.
Highlight for 2015 would be his birth and the time I got to spend with him at home
Goal for 2016 sit back and enjoy , stop rushing as much

[Deleted]

I just want to say that Im back in love with my kid again. A lot of transitions with gf and her tribe, have resulted in a needy sometimes beliigerent little person whose hard to relate to all his emotional breakdowns. Yes, valid, still... freaking hard. But past few days, I see glimpses of my little love where everything is not a power struggle. And I have some emotional equilibrium. the year of 2016 will see the emergence of the underreactor. I will not respond to his mighty "threats" Ill never snuggle with you again! with love and calm instead of entering into a game of one upmanship with a 5 year old. And, not coincidentally, school is back in session this week. I just cannot keep his brain and body occupied for more than a few days in a row. OMG> can I just say love? we had a great night post school yesterday. Sorry dishes unwashed and playdough in carpet. Just love.

[karlamo]

mahler5, jgy, We need to start a potty training thread where we can exchange ideas/tips. So which one of you has read a potty training book? Give me the cliff notes version:)

[kh826]

William is 19 months!

We had a really great 2 weeks as a family while I was off from work for the holidays. Going back to work yesterday was hard, but it is short term until mat leave starts, so that is the silver lining.

I feel like William and I had a lot of great bonding time while I was off from work, and I honestly feel like our relationship is the best it has ever been. He is so fun, and so loving, and everything is exciting to him, and I just love spending quality time with him. Ok, gushing over... but I feel like we are in a good place to welcome baby #2, so it is a big relief!

Super quick highlight reel:
*He is consistently telling us right before he poops in his diaper pretty much every time now (usually "I poop" or "I need poop" followed by the actual action within 30 seconds to a minute). I feel like this is progress b/c he is recognizing he is going to do it before he does it and then communicating it to us. I am thinking we will try to start potty training in the spring after things settle down with baby and see if he is ready. If he isn't ready, we won't push it though.

*He is now obsessed with sweeping the floor. To the point where it was becoming impossible to sweep in front of him because he would say "want to help" and take the broom. Well, I bought him his own little broom and cleaning set that goes next to his kitchen set, and he LOVES it. It seems to have solved the problem, because now we sweep together. It is very cute.

*Diaper changes are still the bane of my existence.

*He still hates getting out of the tub.

*He is still totally obsessed with our dog Reese, and the feeling is still not quite mutual (but she tolerates him).

*His new favorite activity is coloring with crayons. It has become a daily thing in the afternoon after naptime.

*He had never had red meat before, and I made him meatballs this week and he totally loved them and gobbled them up.

OK, gotta run...OB appointment time... will be back later, but wanted to post something now since I neglected to do this check-in yesterday!

[2brides]

Kids are back in school and homework battles have already started. Sigh. Plus, G (and we) forgot that he had a math homework packet due the day he got back ( ) of 1000 math problems so that made for a delightful evening (and no, he didn't finish it last night.)

Goal: Figure out how to avoid homework battles.

I am not sure about favorite moments...maybe going on vacation over spring break. C loves vacation, going to new places, and is always so excited. Or realizing the kids can stay home alone for short periods of time (omg, the freedom), or the kids developing new friendships with the neighborhood kids, whose parents we trust and who are nice kids...they play outside (alone) for hours giving us time to chill or get stuff done. I love seeing them grow into their independence!

[kona]

O is 17 months.

The BEST thing happened over the holidays, we got O to sleep through the night!!! I can't tell you how this has changed my life. We still have some fine tuning but she is asleep between 7 and 7:30 and has slept till 7 with no wake ups or maybe one around 5AM. It's glorious. I was so inspired I get 3 books out of the library to read!

On Christmas Day she learned the word 'no'. She really has been talking up a storm lately. She will repeat anything you say. We got her a doll for Christmas and she hugs it, feeds it her food and pushes it around in her stroller. Adorable. She has also decided she loves to play in the snow (what little we have).

We bought a museum membership for the year, I'm excited to take her. She loves it there. There is so much to do and so much space to run around. She loves the carousel, she says 'neigh, neigh' anytime we are going out now.

She's at a really fun age to watch the imaginative play develop. I'm always fascinated at the new things she does. She's always watching and learning.

QOTW. Favorite parenting moment is her sleeping. We definitely had to be involved and help her learn how to sleep in her crib. It took patience which is not one of my virtues but we did it. Such a game changer for her and us.
I'm looking forward to O being a big sister. I think she's going to be an awesome big sister. I am a little terrified of being a parent of 2 small children. I also am looking forward to seeing how she develops in the next year; how many words will she have, will she know her colors, numbers, letters, will she run, skip, jump, what will she show an interest in?

[mahler5]

Jan 5, 2016 9:29:09 GMT -5 karlamo said:

mahler5, jgy, We need to start a potty training thread where we can exchange ideas/tips. So which one of you has read a potty training book? Give me the cliff notes version:)

Haven't read it. Would love a cliff notes version as well!

Potty training thread sounds good! Although all I imagine I would be contributing right now is pretty unhelpful

[wittyandwaiting]

Happy New Year! I usually just lurk here.

DS is doing well, some cell phone drama, he brings it everywhere --example: to the kitchen when he is putting dishes away, to the bathroom, to the table when he sits down for a meal. Super frustrating. I'm really sick of saying put down the phone. I ended up taking it away for a few days, just to show him that he could survive without a phone. Sigh. #teenagerproblems

QOTW: I have a few 2015 highlights, one of them was a lunch with DS where we ended up having some great conversation about sex, puberty and relationships. As a household of moms parenting a boy I've always felt as though I might not be able to do the conversation justice and although we've had plenty a little conversations this was the first time that he had really approached me with some serious questions and we had some very good insightful conversation on these topics.

2016 goal: I'm looking for ways to bridge the gap between 14 year old DS and his new sister. He's already picked out some books for his story time with her so I think we're making good steps.