Introducing "head of household," my toddler!

[lmintzer]

My toddler, Jack, is quite a little character. He was a colicky, unhappy, baby (trouble nursing, trouble sleeping, needed to be held all the time). I sometimes don't know how dh and I survived his first year. But, over time, Jack has become an incredibly active, spirited, funny, little guy with so much personality. He is relatively small in stature and has this little baby face with huge, shining eye, big cheeks, and a soft fine head of light-colored hair. He looks like such a little thing but when he opens his mouth, he always surprises people with how much he can express in his 4-5 word sentences and his engaging smile. He's a pied piper for adults--he just draws people in (and on those rare occassions on which he "fails", he'll make enough noise so that the person in question just has to pay attention).

Jack is very musical (he's always singing and drumming in rhythm) and loves a varied selection of adult music, thanks mostly to his daddy. He is not shy about requesting particular songs such as "Particle Man" by They Might be Giants, "Night Night Song" ("River of Dreams") by Billy Joel, or "Jack of Speed," by Steely Dan, or "Hammer Song" ("Hammer and a Nail") by Indigo Girls.

He is incredibly attached to daddy and is pretty securely attached to mommy and his nanny (who watches him 3 days/week) too. He's not a cuddly kid but finds creative ways to show affection and his feelings for us.

Jack is a PICKY eater--he's incredibly selective about what he eats. It's really hard to eat anywhere else, because we either have to pack Jack Food or think carefully about what on the menu will be acceptable to him. However, his quantities are quite large--we don't worry about him being malnurished. Jack has a lovey named "Bear Friend" who we nickname "Thread Bare". This poor bear is so loved (slept on every night and for every nap) that he threatens to fall apart any day. We live in fear of the day when we lose Bear Friend. I only wish he could be replaced (but alas, no luck--long story). We may have to try the repair approach. Edited to add: Jack also still uses a paci (which he calls his "baby" at night, for naps, and around the house when he is tired). This is a battle that hasn't felt worth fighting to us. Given that he now sleeps 11 straight hours at night (a true miracle), I wouldn't dream of doing anything to mess that up! More about Jack's sleep: he goes to bed at 7:00-7:15 p.m. and wakes up around 6:15 a.m. Nap lasts from anywhere from 1-2 hours (usually closer to 1), beginning between 12 and 12:30 p.m. Though not a wonderfully long nap, he goes down without a fuss and goes to bed almost eagerly at night. I nominate him for "most improved" sleeper. The story of where we started off sleep-wise? Too long for now.

Speaking of getting too long, this post is getting really long, so I'll stop for now. Can't wait to hear about the other toddlers and their antics. : )

Lisa
& Jack, 4/20/01
& Little Brother, e.d.d., 12/15/03

[brubeck]

My daughter Amy started out as a very peaceful baby. She would generally behave well and not fuss too much after the initial first month colicky stage. She slept well. She was a bit of a picky eater but eventually I found a way to get her to eat.

Then she turned about 18 months and the toddler time started. By this I mean the independence-loving, tantruming, attention-grabbing time. She is still wonderful but she now sucks up more time and attention than I ever imagined! When she doesn't get what she wants she whines (loudly) and occasionally lies down on the floor and kicks to emphasize her point and I've actually become deaf to it. It's amazing what you can ignore when you have to, although I sometimes get strange looks from other people for it when I am out in public!

Most of the time though Amy is still a lot of fun and is a happy girl. She loves to play with me (that's a GOOD thing, right? :) ) and even her new baby brother (although she can be rougher than she intends). We are going through potty training right now and have made some serious breakthroughs recently. I can actually see the light at the end of the tunnel.

And as if to emphasize how grown up she is, the other day when I brought home fast food for my lunch (after work) she said very sweetly, "I want french fries Mama! Say please, I need some french fries! Please Mama?". How can I refuse that? Obviously I'm a bad influence. :)

[mom2kandj]

I'm so glad that there is somewhere to go with general toddler concerns!!! I never did a formal BIO in BB, because I felt like my kids were too old to be "babies"! So, in their formal TB debut, I'd like to introduce Katie & Jack!

Katie - will be three at the beginning of December and some days it feels like she is going on 33. She is very social, coordinated, verbal, and ACTIVE! She definitely reigns as princess (though she'd rather be the queen) of our kingdom. Being the firstborn on both sides, she has had more than her share of attention! Currently she is a drama queen where everything (bugs, loud noises, dogs who get too close, new foods, etc) is yucky, ewwwwy, stinky, or scary. She also has a VIVID imagination which she uses to create new words and stories for her pet rock (ROCCO). Everything in the kingdom is also HERS! We've gotten the tantrums down to only when things are taken away from her, but the whining still lingers. She still uses a paci at night(this is the only place I can say that without feeling like a bad mom!), but is on the verge of potty breakthrough(thanks to ALL the library's potty books and a potty video). She is a beautiful, loving child who brightens every room she visits. Does she have to be so high maintenance, too? :) BTW - She is allergic to dairy, eggs, oranges, cats, dogs, and horses. She also has severe eczema on her hands and has had one asthma attack. Now that the potty training thing is happening, we can start looking for a preschool...

Jack - is an adventurous, sensitive, happy go lucky, little guy who will be two in April. He's a climber who has had more than his shares of bumps, bruises, and stitches. He loves books and having mom sing to him. He also has a short temper that sends him into a tantrum whenever he is told no or his sister takes his toys away. He has been acting out(pushing, screaming, tantrums, etc) and I think that it all stems from his lack of words. He currently only has 8-10 words and our ped doesn't consider him speech delayed. It is very difficult to NOT compare my kids as Katie had 40-50 words at the same age. Jack is a beautiful boy who sleeps and eats well! Thank god! Jack is also very interested in Katie's potty training and he loves TP!

Rose - I'm a 32 year old SAHM(left the HR dept at Disneyland in Feb) in South Orange County, CA. We are very active in our local parish and I'm the webmom for our moms' group. I recently passed the CA Real Estate exam and will be getting my Real Estate license in October. I don't plan on working until the kids are in preschool and that will be part time at best. I love garage sales, bargain hunting, shopping, and crafting. I'm currently in Christmas prep mode! :)

BK(before kids), I skied, scuba'ed, and jetskied. We just got back from Palm Springs last night and my recap of our week long, hot vacation could be summed up as, "Wading pool, lunch, nap, wading pool, video, dinner, bathtime, lots of sleep! EVERYDAY!" I did manage to get away for a four hour block to do some outlet shopping by myself! Almost better than a massage! LOL! DH got TWO five hours blocks to play golf! :( We did hire a babysitter one night so that we could have dinner in an adult restaurant. What did we talk about? the kids! :)

Now, the rest of the cast of characters. DH works for GE and deals with commercial financing. He is a hockey fan which makes us a hockey family! My parents live in Las Vegas and adore our kids. They gladly babysit if DH and I want to go on vacation. The only stipulation is that the kids come to their house(big side trip!). MIL lives 10 minutes away, but hates to drive. She watches SIL's DD 2-3x per week for 6-8 hours at a time, but says that Katie & Jack just tire her out way too much and that 3 hours with them is too long! SIL and BIL(DH's side) are known as Champagne taste on a beer budget! If you've read any of my posts on them, SIL is the one who bought a VOLVO when she was nesting and then complained about $$$ when she had to return to work 10 weeks after Paige was born. Alas, they can't afford childcare so they ask me(they are limited to ONE six hour request per week :), as I don't intend to raise their child) or make MIL do it! Another SIL(my brother's wife) who doesn't always get it. Thank god she is a BB devotee and avid book reader. The weird thing is that she almost memorizes the parenting books rather than digesting and taking the good advice to be used. They have a toddler and are expecting #2. I've also got a nice single brother in the Bay Area who needs to find a nice girl and settle down. Wow, this has been reallllllllllly long! If you got this far and don't think I'm too weird, we must be a lot alike! :)


Rose
mom 2 katie (33 months)
& Jack (16 months)

[egoldber]

Well, Sarah just turned 2 about three weeks ago. I can't believe my "baby" is two years old!!!! She has always been a relatively easy baby. Slept through the night at 10 weeks, with a few exceptions has always napped well and slept well, been a good eater, self-entertained easily, etc. She's making up for all that time with a vengeance lately though! She has virtually stopped napping during the day. I thought we had made a breakthrough yesterday, but it was only a 50 minute nap today. Sigh.

But generally, she's adorable (in my unbiased opinion :) ). She loves to "sing" and dance. She adores all music. She also loves books, puzzles, and all types of "art". And her pretend play is just too cute! Today I had the Swiffer out and she insisted on swiffering after I was done, including demanding new cloths when the swiffer was "full", and you should have seen her going after dust bunnies under the coffee table. It was a riot!!!

As most of you probably know, she has some speech delay. Her receptive vocabulary is very large, but she only has the expressive language of a 14 month old (we just had her re-assessed). She has slight hypotonia (low muscle tone) and oral motor delay. She was always slow to meet gross motor milestones (crawled at 11 months, didn't walk until 19 months) so this is related. We also had tons of breastfeeding difficulty which we now know was related to her low muscle tone. We are working with a speech pathologist, but her lack of vocabulary is starting to make her very frustrated. We've had some bad days lately.

I just enrolled her in preschool at my local Jewish Community Center two mornings a week, because, frankly, I need a break. I adore being home with her, but all day every day with a toddler is starting to wear on me. And with my DH's travel schedule (he's gone about 30% of the time) some days I just do not get a break. But we visited the school yesterday and met other students and the teachers, and I really think this will be good for her.

Whew, that's long, so I'll stop now. :)

[Kate888]

Can't believe my baby is a toddler already :) Maya will be 19 months in about 2 weeks. She was a very happy and sensitive baby who got overstimulated easily by new things. We had a hard time with her sleep schedule in the first few months. She also stopped taking bottles at about 8 weeks, so we had to BF exclusively. We tried all bottles available on the market, but nothing worked. Therefore, we pretty much planned our activities around her sleep and feeding schedules (if I went out alone, I had to come home before she got hungry).

Interestingly, at around 12 months, Maya had blossomed into a different little person. She had her first word at that time and became very vocal (LOTS of baby talk). She is passionate and shows lots of empathy with people and animals. She gives hugs and kisses to everything she likes (pictures in books, stuff animals, toys and people). A few weeks ago, we met a mom and a child (4-5 years old) who were looking for their lost toy in the library. When the girl started crying, Maya immediatly walked up to her, pulling on her dress and talking in long sentenses (baby talk) as if she was trying to comfort her. When the child didn't stop crying, Maya started crying with her really sadly. I was amazed, because it usually takes her 5-10 minutes to warm up to new people.

Maya loves books, music (especially the Wiggles), singing and dancing. She loves water and can stay in her bathtub forever. Play-doh and Sesame Street are her new favorites. She is a not a picky eater, but doesn't eat a lot. She eats most veggies, meats and fruits, but dislikes fish and milk. Her schedule is almost the same everyday. Two 2-hour naps during the day and goes to bed at 8:30 and wakes up at 6:30. There are occasionaly tantrums (when things are taken away), but it's pretty easy to redirect her attention by singing or saying something funny.

This year has been fun. I didn't realize I could enjoy her toddlerhood this much (or is it too early to say so ;) ). I didn't grow up in the States, so I feel like I'm learning together with her and experience a second childhood.


Kate
Mama to Maya 2-17-02

[stella]

Hi - I'm Claire and my children are Wade and Anna. "Stella" is our golden retriever. Before I had the babies and was working, some people in my office who had nothing better to do than worry about me started reporting that I was online by reading posts (very occasional posts - and on a different website), and I became paranoid about using my name. But now I'm out of the closet.

I am 33 now and was 31 when Wade was born. We had trouble conceiveing and used IUI w/injectable fertility drugs. So imagine my surprise when he was 9 months old and I was pregnant again. We had a very easy early babyhood with Wade and when he was about 8 months we bought a new house. It had to be entirely remodeled - down to the re-wiring and installing central heat and AC for the first time (and we're in Texas, so it was absolutely necessary). We sold our house and lived in the guesthouse on the new property - one big room and a bathroom and small kitchenette. All three of us, and me pregnant. We almost didn't make it, but 6 months later, we were finally in our new house and it's all been a lot better since then. I started sending Wade to Mother's Day Out (9 to 1:30) two days a week at that time to give all of us some away time - and to expose him to some new settings and toys. And to let me rest. Because as you know (or probably will soon), that second pregnancy is just so different. There is no time to revel in being pregnant and lie around indulging yourself.

I found Wade very difficult from about 10 months until about 20 months when Anna was 2 or 3 months old. I think it had a lot to do with his desire to explore and my having to follow him closely and keep him safe when all he wanted wasto go, go, go. And he couldn't talk at all, so he was frustrated. And I was big and heavy and tired from being pregnant. But he is a delight at 2. I even find myself wishing he'd wake up from his nap on some days so that we can play. But I don't actually wake him - I'm not totally insane.

Anna, too, is a pretty easy baby. She has only just begun crawling at 9 months. She is a BIG baby. She weighs 21 lbs and is tall. Wade is tiny. He MIGHT weigh 24 lbs, but I doubt it. They both wear size 3 diapers. He really loves her and she just adores him. In fact, if he's around, I don't have to do anything for her because she is just enthralled with him.

I'm a lawyer - a prosecutor in the DA's office in the past, but currently representing juvenile delinquents on a very part-time, flexible basis. I love my work - average 6 hours a week - some weeks not at all, some weeks I'm busy - and the main reason is that it gives me a reason to take a shower on some days. And to not throw in the towel and give it all up to being the mommy of two under two - as far as my looks go (not that I'm not overweight and now have the PMS and acne of a teenager since I've stopped nursing) and my wardrobe goes and and it keeps my brain going just a little bit.

Wade is good, but he wears me out and I do send him to mother's day out 4 mornings a week now. He loves it and I am exhausted on days when I have them both all day without some sort of break. I know I sound spoiled. But two babies is just exhausting. I am in awe of the mothers of twins!!

It's nice to be over here. I'm mostly a lurker on the stroller, clothes and lounge sites. Nice to know you all!

[Jeanmick]

My DD is 2 years, 8 months old. She enjoys music, dancing (especially in front of a mirror), "reading" books, legos, and conversing with others. Her favorite videos are from the "Baby Songs" series and her favorite TV show is "Hi-5." She'll be starting "toddler school" or what I call "pre-preschool" :) next week, going once a week for one hour.

She has a baby brother who is seven months old and is very nurturing and loving towards him. Every morning when she sees him, she always lights up and gives him a kiss, saying "Good morning Baby Brother...nice to see you!"

It's hit and miss w/ DD's naps, but she's a GREAT night sleeper! She has surprised me in how she had transitioned so easily to a twin bed in a new room (we kept the nursery for our DS and fixed my DH's old music room into her bedroom). She's usually in bed by 8:30-9:00 and wakes up between 6:30-7:00. I'm very lucky; I don't really have to worry about her, since her baby brother still wakes up each night.

Like many other toddlers, she's a picky eater. She loves soy cheese (she's allergic to milk AND peanuts :(), Gorton's Fish fillets and bread...yup, she's a carb freak like her mom....oh well.

She's still in the middle of potty training...we've now got her in underwear during the day and diapers at night. She still doesn't tell us when she needs to go and as a result, we've had a couple of accidents. We're making progress, though. Any suggestions to encourage her to tell us would be most appreciated.

Right now, her favorite word is "No." To everything.

[mom2kandj]

Jeanette -

Totally OT of intros!

Which soy cheese does your DD like? Katie can instantly taste the imitation stuff and then will refuse to even touch it. Her dairy allergy is moderate(3/15), so a bit of cheese once in awhile isn't a big deal, but she really loves cheese. We're looking for a good mild cheddar flavor with good melting ability for grilled cheese! TIA!

BTW - Katie's current favorite phrase is, "NOT FAIR!" Geez! She's only TWO! :)
Rose
mom 2 katie (33 months)
& Jack (16 months)

[muskiesusan]

Nicholas will be two October 1st and is a very spirited, inquisitive, red headed toddler! He has his own way of doing things, which first revealed itself by his breech position at birth. As a baby he was colicky, rarely slept, had latching problems that persisted our entire bfing relationship due to his mouth formation, and refused all bottles. After deciding that I had completly misjudged my abilities to be a mother and was a complete failure, around 6 months I called in reinforcements to tell my what I was doing wrong. It was at this time, my mother, who raised six kids and had an in home day care, told me that Nicholas was not like most babies and I should accept that and learn how to adapt to him. It was then that I realized that even though I had read just about every child rearing book available, Nicholas hadn't, and he wasn't a car that I would find a manual for that would allow me to fix him.

Around a year things started to get better, he was sleeping through the night (napping would come around 18 months) and was finally on a schedule that we both found acceptable (and I don't dare mess with it, I pay for days when we deviate from it).

Every month it gets better and better. I love watching him discover things and mimic whatever we are doing. I definately love this stage the most, but I say that every month! He is part monkey, and can climb in and out of anything; this morning he was scaling the dishwasher to get to the fig newtons. He loves music and is constantly dancing. He only became intested in tv a few months ago, but is now unfortunately obessed by it, and the Wiggles in particular. He still won't play independently, and is a very pickly eater, but I take these challenges over the first year any day!

He gets cuter and cuter every day, and continues to amaze me with how he approaches/deals with new things.

Susan
WAHM to Nicholas 10/01/01

[Jeanmick]

Hi Rose,

We use a brand called "Galaxy (Nutritional Foods) Veggie Slices." It's in a green wrap and individually wrapped inside. They also have the cheese in shredded form. A variety of flavors like Cheddar, American, Swiss and Mozzarella are available. My DD likes to eat the Cheddar and American flavors by itself, in a grilled cheese sandwich and as a quesadilla. The slice version melts better than the shredded form. I've tasted the cheese and it tastes pretty good...it does have a slightly different taste to cheese, but when in a grilled cheese sandwich, it's pretty good.

We buy it at our local grocery store "Vons." Do you have one up there in Orange County? We live in San Diego.

Hope this helps! :)

OT to cheese: Our goal in the next couple of months is to visit Disneyland...my DD LOVES the Small World Ride (she can sing the song and both verses w/o help). My only concern is if I can do Disneyland w/ a nine-month old in tow...but that's another post. :)

[lmintzer]

Wow, Susan--our 1st year experiences are strikingly similar (Jack was also breech, he had latching and other bf problems that persisted for 4 1/2 months, he rarely slept, and was colicky). He also has reddish (well, maybe strawberry blond) hair (dh is a red head). He just now is starting to play independently a little bit--so there is hope.

Boy, oh boy, I know firsthand how tough it is to struggle through those feelings about your baby/child being different. It affects your self-esteem, your sanity--pretty much every aspect of your life. There definitely is something to what your mom said about accepting kids like this for who they are. There is some inner peace that comes with not trying to change them. Of course, there are behaviors that can be shaped/changed now that they are older and more communicative. But as babies? Like you, I believe there wasn't much to do except love them and try to wade through those difficult months. I often felt like I was the only one with a "spirited" or "high needs" baby. I took some comfort from a bb on babycenter.com called "Parenting High Needs Children". The women there were so wonderful--and everyone was going through similar challenges. I also re-read and had my husband read "Raising Your Spirited Child" (sorry--don't have author right here). It's a fabulous book. I used to use it with clients, lol. So it was kind of funny and ironic to be applying it to my own life.

I'm glad to hear that things are feeling better now and that you are able to enjoy Nicholas so much. We are enjoying Jack immensely. He amazes us--and cracks us up--daily. : )

Lisa
& Jack, 4/20/01
& Little Brother, e.d.d., 12/15/03

[twins r fun]

This is neat-I would love for things to get more active over here. There are so many posts on the BB board that I just don't bother reading anymore because I either can't clearly recall an answer that would help or have read the same question and answers 800 times before. It will be nice to have our own little place that is just as active!

Caleb and Jacob will turn two on October 30th. I had always heard that the first year with twins is the hardest, but I think that is wrong, wrong, wrong! So far the second year has been much more difficult, mostly because it is so high energy. Both boys were fairly easy babies and are VERY active toddlers so I guess that explains my opinion. They were born 7 weeks early and had to stay in the hospital for 2.5 and 5 weeks. We had a fairly typical babyhood-kind of rough first 3 months (including some medical problems), started sleeping through the night at 4 months but then would stop for teething, starting solids, etc. They weren't consistent with it for quite awhile longer. I thought from 4 months to 13 months were really easy. though.

Then we hit 14 months and started walking and things fell apart. Now it's constantly two boys running in opposite directions and finding something to get into! Jacob and Caleb both have a huge fondness for sports-including balls, bats, raquets, clubs, baskets, and watching any sport on TV or in person. My family always jokes that Jacob is going to make millions as a basketball star because he has a great shot from about 4 feet away at a hoop that is about 2 feet above his head. Caleb is going into golf, baseball, or tennis because he's got a swing you wouldn't believe. That is basically their main interest, though they are starting to get into coloring and playdoh now, too. Books, music, toys, etc they could take or leave but they gotta have their balls. They also like the Wiggles and the Teletubbies. Both are very affectionate, full of giggles, and curious. Jacob is slightly more calm than Caleb, more easily frightened, but more outgoing with strangers. Caleb is sillier, more demanding, and more physical. Both are somewhat language delayed, but making huge progress especially in expressive language. They get along pretty well-share with each other and with friends. We get the occasional fight over very special toys, but mostly they respect each other's space, which is a nice change from several months ago!

Though exhausting, I am definitely enjoying the transition from babies to little boys!

[SeekerMage]

Angela is more of a preschooler then a toddler, but she is still my baby! She is just about three and a half and going on thirty!
She is a motor mouth to say the least and a quiet afternoon in this house is a rare treat. Her speech is out of this world, some of the things she comes up with just make us laugh and we laugh quite a bit in this house. Just today she asked me why I pinched daddys nipples...huh? With further explaination we found out she meant pimples as I had "popped" one for him the other day that was bothering him and she must have overheard. LOL....the things kids say.

She is also a HUGE drama queen. Everything is said with such expression and feeling that she puts her whole being into all her thoughts and actions. Angela is also very caring and lovey. She loves to cuddle, she is a mommy to all her babies and our two cats whom she tortures to no end. Right now she loves taking care of me and is EXTREMELY protective of me. I was crying on the phone to my mom last night over not being able to find a crib and after calming down and having a nice conversationg Angela wanted to talk to my mom. Well she ripped my mom a new one going on and on about how she was going to take care of mommy and not to make mommy cry and on and on she went. When I explained that Noni didnt make me cry she said well I take care of you mommy and I dont care you dont cry....and on and on she went rambeling and not making sense but very direct in what she way trying to get across. She definitly has a mind of her own and will set you straight. She can be very sassy...and we are trying to work on that, but its a tough one because sometimes you cant help but laugh. Especially since we started a going joke about my mom about how all she does is bitch bitch bitch....we say mash mash mash mash mash sorta a mumble of bitch....or nag nag nag...well she knows just where to say this in all the appropriate or not so appropriate times. Like at the dinner table...she was told that was not nice...as we all laughed under our breath...its sooo hard when they are soo cute!

One of her favorite sayings is "I keep you Mommy" or "Can I keep you?" When we were going through the first custody of her we could not believe that we were finally going to be able to keep her so we always kissed and hugged her and said can I keep you and it has to this day stuck. THere are lots of I love yous...and she even reminds us if we havent said it or that she just wants to remind us.

Angela is a very old soul caught in a childs body. THere are days that I look at her and she looks so grown up, and others that I just see my little baby. She has been through so much in her young life with the whole custody issue and she has come through completly well adjusted , loving and nurturing. We have really lucked out and cant wait to add Lil'bit the mix. I know she will make a great big sister...she already talks to her baby sister in my belly...and hers for that matter LOL and everything she finds is...this will be good for my baby.

Anyhow...thats my Angela...who soon I will finally be able to keep! Seems she is one of the oldest on the toddler board, but atleast there is a better place she fits rather then the baby board! I hope I will have some good advice to give and stories to share....thanks for the opportunity for the introduction! :)

[mom2kandj]

We currently have some Yves Veggie Cheese in our fridge and it is weird. The consistency and mouth feel are kinda slimey! YUCK! Oh well! I'll check at Vons for the Galaxy stuff and see if that works!

BTW - LMK when you want to go to Disneyland and I'll have my buddies sign us in for free! :) If you've got a good double stroller, the 9 month old shouldn't be a problem! Believe me, I'd rather take a 9 month old than Godzilla(Jack) who has no fear! Lucky for me, he doesn't mind riding as long as he has water and snacks! We like to keep it short and rarely go for more than 4 hours! I had thought about posting on the Baby Board and here in Toddlerland about trying to set up a LA/OC/San Diego area get together! You think we could roundup some interest? If we get my friends to sign us in, we can also visit CA Adventure in the same day, too! My kids love the Playhouse Disney show and the water fountains in Flik's Fun Fair! Katie has been asking when we are going again! We were there just a month ago! :) Please PM me so that we don't add too many replies to our cool intro thread and we'll try to set something up!

Rose
mom 2 katie (33 months)
& Jack (16 months)

[jadamom]

Jada is 20 months. She's usually pretty happy and easy-going with an occasional stubborn streak. She's very sensitive and needs time to adjust to new people and places. Once she's comfortable, she's playful, giggly, and loud. She loves to dance and color. She loves all of her books and has a strong attachment to "Bear," as well as to mama and daddy. Our most difficult times are due to her picky eating, throwing food, and reluctance to go to sleep. She also refused a bottle after 6 weeks of life, requiring me to be present at every feeding until she was 1. Now she's much more independent. She drinks from her sippy cup, eats with a fork, and plays by herself sometimes. She is truly a joy and a great source of pride.

-Lydia
mom to Jada, 12/31/01

[luvbeinmama]

I've never done a bio on the boards. I am so glad people are coming over to the Toddler boards and that they put in this new lounge!!!

DS is 3-1/2, and I think probably the oldest here (Jan '00). He LOVES his stories and his books and can sit through really lengthy stories one after another. We potty trained earlier this year, and I am SO glad we waited until he was 3+. With a combination of rewards, we were able to get through the major battle in about 6-8 weeks. Now we just have to get him to keep his pants on after he pees! He just LOVES running around naked! He really likes Elmo and Veggie Tales and lately he is a different "hero" each day. Sometimes it's Batman, sometimes it's LarryBoy, or Wolverine, Spiderman, etc. We don't watch TV at home except for occassional movies (which he really likes) and that really helped us in the potty training effort. The worst "revoked priviledge" for him is his naptime or nightnight stories. I really loved his 3rd year (age 2-3). He didn't tantrum except a couple of times before he could really communicate. And just watching his little imagination blossom was incredible! Of course, the last couple months, the tantrums have shown up, but I think they are under control after he got himself locked in his room a couple of times. We try to explain EVERYTHING to him, and he is really contrary if we ever forget. He hasn't really played by himself really well. He's always coming in to check on me every few minutes. We've started a parent education class that doubles as pre-school (I have to "work" with the kids about 1 every 3 classes, the other days DS goes by himself.). DS just loves it. I started him at 18 months at church going to class by himself every Sunday, so when we started "teacher & me" classes last winter, he was just fine, no separation problems at all. He really loves his sister, but as with a lot of older siblings, is a bit rough with her, and sometimes he goes out of his way to knock her over or play with what she has, or whatever. We are working on that. He has recently pretty much given up the afternoon nap. I could write a book, but I think I'll move on now...

DD will be one next month, and is just darling. She was a lot rougher in the sleep dept than DS, I think partially because we didn't let her cio like DS because we didn't want her to wake him up. Also, partially because instead of CIO, she would cry and get worse, and worse, until it took a while just to calm her down. I remember walking with her between 2 & 5 am daily. For a few months it seemed DH & I were only getting 4 hours of sleep a night, and not consecutive! Now that is all past, though, and she sleeps like a champ at night. Unfortunately, a mini-nap in the late morning can ruin her afternoon nap, and then she ends up getting REALLY cranky and going down early for the night. I have to say scheduling the 2nd is much harder since the 1st already has activities scheduled and you are used to doing things at particular times. Anyway, she is actively pulling-up, but not cruising yet. And right now she is mommy's girl (daddy is chopped liver!). This makes going to Bible Study on Wednesday's interesting for DH as she just screams when he tries to put her down. As soon as I get home, I rock her a bit and put her down. She rolls over and goes to sleep. LOL! Poor DH!! Of course the whole night routine always goes better when it's just me because DH works 2-10pm and it's usually just me and the kids.

I haven't taken the kids to Disneyland yet, although I think DS would LOVE it. I think we'll wait until DD is a bit older. We did go to Legoland for DS's big reward when he finished potty training (always remember a bathing suit and towel!). He has so much fun there!! A bit of a drive for us, but totally worth it!!

I'm not a "career" woman, and never really wanted to be. I'm doing now what I've always wanted to do... being a sahm. I thank God that we are able to do this on DH's salary! I volunteer my time in MOMS Club and will probably be volunteering to do things at DS's school. I may pick up some part-time work after both kids are in school, but we'll cross that bridge later. I like crafting and sewing, but hardly find time to do either right now.

That's about it for now. This could take hours if I kept going!

[Roleysmom]

Hi, everyone. It's good to "meet" you and your little ones. This post is making it not so scary for me to jump from the BBB board to the toddler board. Thank you! Roley turned 21 months last week. The time has gone by so fast. It's been hard for me to accept that my baby is growing up, especially because I think she'll be our only child. But I have to admit that I do find myself wondering what she's going to do next and am greatly enjoying all the new things she does.

She said her longest sentence to date a couple of weeks ago, "I need more ice cream now please!" It was a hoot! She is very verbal and has just started to pretend, which is a lot of fun. She puts her thumb and first finger together and comes up to you and says, "Ice cream" or "French fries." We just started playing with play dough a couple of weeks ago and she likes that too. She gives me orders about what cookie cutters to use and I make her shapes. I have a great homemade playdough recipie that's very easy to make if anyone is interested.

We also have a big dog and two cats. Roley loves them, often a little too much. We are working on being gentle.

She's always been a good sleeper (knock wood) but it is getting harder to put her down for a good long nap. I hope that's just a short phase because I'm not ready for her to stop napping!

I'm a 36 year old part-time WAHM and find it hard to keep everything in balance. I really appreciate all of the advice and support I've gotten from the BBB boards and look forward to participating in this community.



Paula - mom to Roley Julia 01-04-02

[ismommy]

I would love the hommade paydo recipe. I was just thinking of trying t make some tday.

Helene
mommy to Isabella 9/19/01

[Roleysmom]

Hi, Helene. I started a different thread with the recipe. I bet you and Isabella will have a lot of fun with it.

Paula -- mom to Roley Julia 01-04-02

[cdlamis]

Jumping in a little late to introduce myself.

My daughter, Julia, is 16 months old. And the light of our lives. She has always been and is an easy baby. She can be feisty at times but is usually good tempered. She loves to play by herself and the dogs but is a great cuddler too! She loves to give hugs and open mouth kisses. She is a riot and ske knows it. She laughs at everything. The funniest thing about Julia is that she says "HI!" to everyone we see. And loud too- especially when they don't acknowledge her. She says about 4 words and signs about 5 words.

Julia is very inquisitive and has been since birth. She doesn't imitate a lot or say a lot but you can tell she is absorbing everything. I took her to swim lessons and she would never try to blow bubbles like the other babies but loved to push my face in the water to see me do it!

She sleeps extremely well- I know I am lucky. She usually sleeps from 6:30pm-6:30am every day with a 2-3 nap. I am spoiled by her schedule and it will be huge adjustment when baby #2 comes someday.

I work part-time (only one actual day in the office) so I basically consider myself a SAHM and love it.

Glad to see there is a Toddler Board now!

Daniella
Mom to Julia 6-13-02
http://www.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=67b0de21b32dc745c42b

[sugarsnappea]

OMG- I don't know how I missed this post.

My DD Julia Grace (aka Gracie), is 27 months old. I guess I can stop counting in months soon. LOL! She was an extremely "easy" baby that slept well, nursed well and didn't have many issues. She is still a good sleeper, down to one 3 hour nap a day. But, now things are a little rougher for me. She is a wild child, who along w/ our 9 y.o. black lab, run the household. I never understood how a child could test your patience to the point of explosion and at the same time be the cutest damn thing in the world! This is really my favorite age. She mimics and repeats everything I do or say. It is so fun to be able to communicate and go on outings together. When my DD is good, she is delightful, but when she is dissatified... well you all know the rest of the story. ARGHHHHHH!

I am a SAHM during the week and "retiring" from my weekend catering business in 2 weeks. I am trying to obtain my MBA by taking weekend courses. I am happy the toddler bargain lounge was set up. Thanks! :)

[christic]

Alice is 19 months now, so officially a toddler--although more of a runabout at this point. She's always been a very easy going baby, but is starting to show a a surprisingly charming stubborn streak. We named her after Alice Roosevelt after reading this quote from her father Theodore Roosevelt, "I can either run the country or control Alice. I cannot possibly do both." That was just the sort of spirited little girl we were hoping to have, and since our own professional obligations are much less lofty than President Roosevelt's, I think we'll be able to manage just fine.

Trying her avatar for the first time too.

Chris

[lcl]

a little late to this thread...just wondering if jack is still a picky eater and how you have incorporated more foods. my DS is pretty similar. eats only a few foods. macaroni mostly and eats a lot of it when he's hungry (if we're lucky to figure that out).

he was also a colicky baby, but now a happy (always joking around) and high spirited active toddler. he loves music and dancing. he also has a lovey that he names "bear" (but it is actually a dog) which he drags everywhere. he can throws bad tantrums when he doesn't get his way.

he was a good sleeper from 3-13 months. now, the only way we can get him to sleep is to have him fall asleep in our bed and cosleep with us.

[JulieL]

I too am late on this, but here it goes!

The little man in my life is Anthony, who is close to 22 months old.

As a baby he was great except when it came to sleeping. We co-slept for 4 months exclusive then he got to the crib at 6 months old full time. It was a painful experiance. I cried, he cried it was aweful. I tried the CIO senario but don't you think 3 hours straight screaming is excessive (w/lots of back rubbing, singing, you name it I did it!), it was then I would give in. DS didn't sleep through the night either until 14 months old, go figure!!! It was at 14 months that we could actually put him to bed awake! He actually would smile when we would put him in his crib!~ Where was he as a baby???

Anthony is a happy toddler and although getting more assertive each day is a joy to be around! He loves bikes, cars and trains. Also he is obsessed with the Christmas lights which now have been designated as all year round lights! He is a gentle child over all and is very good with other children.

Me, well I work part time from home so I am a WAHM. I like to read, quilt, scrapbook and socialize :D. I also love to workout and try to maintain a healthy life style! I am so glad to count all of you as friends!

[lmintzer]

Yep, Jack is still picky. We've actually had a lot less time to worry about it lately since we have a 9 week-old new baby.

We deal with it by letting him have choices (sometimes) and other times just telling him "this is what we're eating tonight". We never give him something that we know he hates without other options. It's not worth the battle.

We've found that the best way to entice him to eat new foods is to have them on our plates. He's very curious about what we're eating and often will ask to try it. He won't always be brave enough to actually eat it, but we figure that expressing an interest is a good first step.

Sounds like our toddlers have a lot in common! Our "bear friend," btw, had to got the "bear doctor" a few weeks ago for a "body transplant," lol. It was literally falling apart and leaving bear droppings all over our upstairs.

Lisa

[blnony]

I'm late to the thread as well, but here it goes anyways:

Audrey is 17 months and without a doubt she rules our household. LOL!
She is so active and very physical. She can climb anywhere, literally. She is not afraid of anything. She has had some falls and spills, that have landed us in the emergency room, and a pediatric dentist for a crown on one of her front teeth. She has destroyed so many items in my home. Things that even claim to be toddler or child proof. She will tackle kids twice her size if they try and take a toy or something away from her. Daddy's offical nickname for her is "the firecracker." She's very bright and can figure out how anything works. She has decided that she hates to wear clothes and has figured out snaps, buttons, zippers and now Duct tape! LOL! At least 5 days a week, I walk in either in the mornings or after naps to find her stark naked, and her crib and everything in it wet. She finds this quite funny. I wish I could put a camera in there just to see how she does it.
She isn't very advanced in the verbal skills department however. She only says three words. I guess all her time is spent on other projects. :)
She has very little hair and what she does have is blonde, but she has very big vivid blue eyes. She looks nothing like me at all. I have dark hair and brown eyes. She got all the looks from her dad though, and its very weird how much they resemble each other; however, her personality she got from me, so I guess she's a good combination of the two of us.
She has become a good eater though. We don't give her any fried foods or sugar, so I guess she doesn't know there is another world of food out there yet.
She is still paci addicted too...only at naps or bedtime or if something traumatic has happened, which unfortunately happens too often.

[MelissaTC]

Caught this thread a bit late as well...Not quite sure how I missed it!

My DS is Matthew, 19 months today. He is an intelligent, energetic, happy, sensitive and active little boy. He loves to play with anything that has wheels - cars, trains, and even doll strollers! Matthew has become quite the social butterfly. It is a welcomed change from his past introvert-like behavior.

Matthew is a good sleeper and always has been. If he is tired, he is off to sleep. I hope that continues into the future. He is a picky eater but is willing to try new things. I am able to sneak in some new foods every now and then.

He is overall healthy, despite being on the low end of the growth chart. His weight has been consistently low and we have had some trouble from our previous pediatrician about that. Switching peds was the best thing we could have ever done. We see an awesome ped now who thinks Matthew is fine just the way he is. I am glad that he told me not to worry.

My little guy is definitely a smart one. He has begun to count to 5 (it sounds something like it anyway!) and has learned how to operate our dvd player & vcr. :) He is picking up new words and skills every day. It is amazing to see how much he has grown over the past 1 1/2 years.

My favorite thing about my son is the fact that he is a sensitive little guy. He is quite affectionate as well and there is nothing better than little guy kisses. He loves to dote on our dogs and I hope he grows up to be as loving & kind a man as his Dad. I think my DH is a good role model. :)

Ok...enough rambling. That is my little guy in a nutshell...

[lcl]

congrats! thanks for the advice. sometimes though if my DS does not eat enough for dinner he wakes up 1-3 am hungry for a bottle