Some good ideas here!
http://tinyurl.com/yb32gkl
Good luck!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Sleep help needed
Happy new year Moms!
On to my question. My 2nd child is nearly 8 months and is still sleeping in our room. He is also still waking 2-3 times a night to nurse. I have to admit I do this so he (and I!) can easily fall back asleep. He naps in his crib in his room during the day and does well. We tried putting him down in his room a few nights this past week and he wakes up crying - and then wakes our 3-year old daughter - and then she needs to be reassured etc. It is an ugly cycle and I am avoiding dealing with it by keep the baby in our room. I need my sleep back! Please help!
On to my question. My 2nd child is nearly 8 months and is still sleeping in our room. He is also still waking 2-3 times a night to nurse. I have to admit I do this so he (and I!) can easily fall back asleep. He naps in his crib in his room during the day and does well. We tried putting him down in his room a few nights this past week and he wakes up crying - and then wakes our 3-year old daughter - and then she needs to be reassured etc. It is an ugly cycle and I am avoiding dealing with it by keep the baby in our room. I need my sleep back! Please help!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Holidays (daze)
How do you all cope with holidays and kids? This is the first year my 3-year old daughter "gets it". She alternates between being excited and scared that a tubby guy in a beard is going to come into our house at night and leave gifts. Since we don't have a fireplace she is also asking how he is going to come in. My MIL said through the heating system (big mistake). So now every night Lindsey points to the heat vent in room and asks if Santa is going to come into her room while she is sleeping. That even seems scary to me! I also have a problem where I keep buying one more gift on Amazon for her - knowing my Mom bought her too much already. I want my kids to learn that this time is about being thankful & being with family - but I get easily caught up in the whole gift thing. It is hard not to overdo it - isn't it? Please share your holiday tips, plans, vent your frustrations etc. Oh & happy holidays! :)
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Where's My Snow Day?
I don't know why Natick did not have a snow day today - or at least a delay. It was still snowing heavily when we left the house and there was already a few inches on the ground. It was quite an adventure getting Jenna off to daycare and I'm just happy we made it there in one piece!
Here's a little problem, too. Jenna refuses to wear her snow boots. I know the kids will head out to the playground and all the other kids wear their boots but Jenna just refuses. I'm not quite sure what to do about that!
Here's a little problem, too. Jenna refuses to wear her snow boots. I know the kids will head out to the playground and all the other kids wear their boots but Jenna just refuses. I'm not quite sure what to do about that!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Your favorite books
I must admit I have a hard time focusing on reading anything more than Entertainment Weekly these days. And I read EW for the articles because God knows when I will actually go out to a movie theater again or watch any t.v. shows that come on after 9 PM. If I do read - these days I gravitate towards biographies, cookbooks & parenting books.
I just checked out this book last week - Afterbirth: Stories You Won't Read in a Parenting Magazine - it is HILARIOUS! I have laughed out loud twice so far (in public) and have held back quite a few more laughs so I don't look like the crazy lady on the train. I highly recommend it! Sadly the book has been recalled so I must return it to the library this week - so I am going to attempt to finish it on my lunch breaks & commute over the next few days. Wish me luck!
Please list your favorite reads these days - I love to add to my Goodreads "to read" list!
I just checked out this book last week - Afterbirth: Stories You Won't Read in a Parenting Magazine - it is HILARIOUS! I have laughed out loud twice so far (in public) and have held back quite a few more laughs so I don't look like the crazy lady on the train. I highly recommend it! Sadly the book has been recalled so I must return it to the library this week - so I am going to attempt to finish it on my lunch breaks & commute over the next few days. Wish me luck!
Please list your favorite reads these days - I love to add to my Goodreads "to read" list!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Halloween events (Medford, MA)
A few Friday events for the kids!
Trick-or-treating in Medford Square(s) - in Medford Square, Haines Square (Salem Street) and West Medford Square. Friday, October 30th, 3-4:30 p.m. Participating businesses are identified by orange and black balloons in front of their establishment. This event is for children
in costume, ages 9 and younger, who are accompanied by an adult.
Also - a Halloween Bash at St. Francis of Assisi Church (on the Fellsway) from 4-9 p.m. on Friday October 30th. It's a fun filled event for families and kids. Admission is $5 for children under 13, which includes a free candy bag. Parents are free. There will be free games, scary movies, candy prizes and dancing. Also, a pumpkin raffle, bounce house, halloween arts and crafts and food may be purchased for a separate fee.
Trick-or-treating in Medford Square(s) - in Medford Square, Haines Square (Salem Street) and West Medford Square. Friday, October 30th, 3-4:30 p.m. Participating businesses are identified by orange and black balloons in front of their establishment. This event is for children
in costume, ages 9 and younger, who are accompanied by an adult.
Also - a Halloween Bash at St. Francis of Assisi Church (on the Fellsway) from 4-9 p.m. on Friday October 30th. It's a fun filled event for families and kids. Admission is $5 for children under 13, which includes a free candy bag. Parents are free. There will be free games, scary movies, candy prizes and dancing. Also, a pumpkin raffle, bounce house, halloween arts and crafts and food may be purchased for a separate fee.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Big Weekend
Well, we had a big weekend. Jenna woke up on Saturday and decided she wanted to wear big girl underwear. She did have a few accidents each day but overall she did very well.
Then, after a long talk in the car yesterday, Jenna decided she was ready to throw her binkies away! She tossed them in the trash as soon as we got home and we went back out to get her a prize. She was very proud of herself . . . until bedtime, that is. Suddenly her Belle doll didn't seem so soothing and she spent a LOOONG time hollering for her binky. She eventually fell asleep, though. She cried for the binky again this morning, then moved on to something else.
I'm hoping there will just be a few more days of crying and then she'll forget all about them. I hope!
Then, after a long talk in the car yesterday, Jenna decided she was ready to throw her binkies away! She tossed them in the trash as soon as we got home and we went back out to get her a prize. She was very proud of herself . . . until bedtime, that is. Suddenly her Belle doll didn't seem so soothing and she spent a LOOONG time hollering for her binky. She eventually fell asleep, though. She cried for the binky again this morning, then moved on to something else.
I'm hoping there will just be a few more days of crying and then she'll forget all about them. I hope!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Disney Tour Train
This is going to be at South Station tomorrow (Fri. 9/25) if anyone is interested:
http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/christmascaroltraintour/#/tour/
http://calendar.boston.com/boston-ma/events/show/88518150-disneys-a-christmas-carol-train-tour
http://disney.go.com/
http://calendar.boston.com/
Monday, September 21, 2009
All about mom
Okay mom friends. I need some advice. Mia is going through a phase where it is all about Mom right now. It is as if I went away for a month and she missed me and doesn't want me to go again. Of course this is not the case. I know it is not unusual for kids to go through this, but it sort of came out of no where. I have been back at work for almost two months and this has been going on for a week or two. It could be that or it could be the novelty of a new baby (4 1/2 months now) is wearing off. She is starting to act up when I have to tend to Anna is another room to get attention. Anyway, I guess it doesn't matter why, but what do I do?
I feel really bad for Ben (my husband) because he is so involved and she is basically "giving him the hand." She will let him do things for her (read, help brush teeth, etc.), but she gives him attitude and brushes off affection from him and says she just wants hugs or kisses from me. One funny example is he went to sing her "Hush little baby" and said "daddy's gonna buy you a mockingbird" and she said "No, mommy buys me a mockingbird." She won't even take a gift from him!
Anyone been through this? Recommendations on how to handle it?
I feel really bad for Ben (my husband) because he is so involved and she is basically "giving him the hand." She will let him do things for her (read, help brush teeth, etc.), but she gives him attitude and brushes off affection from him and says she just wants hugs or kisses from me. One funny example is he went to sing her "Hush little baby" and said "daddy's gonna buy you a mockingbird" and she said "No, mommy buys me a mockingbird." She won't even take a gift from him!
Anyone been through this? Recommendations on how to handle it?
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Killer Vocabulary
Okay Julie, here's an anecdote for you:
Matt has been working with Addy (almost 5 and learning to read and write) on playing hangman. Yesterday she comes out with a piece of paper with a game all set up and the blank lines for a word ready to be filled in.
She and Matt sit on the couch and he starts guessing letters. It appears that she has rigged the game so that he will guess incorrectly so she can draw more of the hangman and he's getting a bit confused.
Finally they are down to all but one letter. The paper reads CU_T. He shoots me a bemused look and guesses L for cult. Nope. He starts running through every letter of the alphabet and starts to look a little panicked. He gets to M and Addy tells him, "Nope! But you're close!" So he, prudently skips N and says "O?" "No, Dad! It sounds like "M!" Finally, he looks a little afraid and says, "N?" Addy's eyes light up, "You guessed it!!" Now more afraid than ever, Matt asks her, "and what word is that?" "Conut, Dad! It's COnut!! I invented it so you could guess it!!"
That's a page for her scrap book that ought to amuse her in about 15 years...
Matt has been working with Addy (almost 5 and learning to read and write) on playing hangman. Yesterday she comes out with a piece of paper with a game all set up and the blank lines for a word ready to be filled in.
She and Matt sit on the couch and he starts guessing letters. It appears that she has rigged the game so that he will guess incorrectly so she can draw more of the hangman and he's getting a bit confused.
Finally they are down to all but one letter. The paper reads CU_T. He shoots me a bemused look and guesses L for cult. Nope. He starts running through every letter of the alphabet and starts to look a little panicked. He gets to M and Addy tells him, "Nope! But you're close!" So he, prudently skips N and says "O?" "No, Dad! It sounds like "M!" Finally, he looks a little afraid and says, "N?" Addy's eyes light up, "You guessed it!!" Now more afraid than ever, Matt asks her, "and what word is that?" "Conut, Dad! It's COnut!! I invented it so you could guess it!!"
That's a page for her scrap book that ought to amuse her in about 15 years...
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Traveling Toddlers in a Taxi
Does anyone have any experience traveling in cabs with small children?
I have a friend that is going to NYC this weekend by train with his family and will most likely have to take cabs while in the city.
His son is about 15 months old and of course would normally be in a car seat. Ideally he would bring the car seat along but if he could avoid it, that would be his preference.
Any suggestions would be appreciated!
I have a friend that is going to NYC this weekend by train with his family and will most likely have to take cabs while in the city.
His son is about 15 months old and of course would normally be in a car seat. Ideally he would bring the car seat along but if he could avoid it, that would be his preference.
Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Thinking ahead
My daughter's daycare closes July-August & I am starting to look for day camps or classes she can take next summer. She will be 3 years 10 months - so I need pre-school level activities. If anyone has experience with a program or camp - please share. Thanks in advance!
Tufts Community Day
Tufts, and the cities of Somerville & Medford pull off a great event every year on Community Day:
http://cday.tufts.edu/
I recommend it! If anyone wants to meet up - let me know - I plan on going with the kids!
http://cday.tufts.edu/
I recommend it! If anyone wants to meet up - let me know - I plan on going with the kids!
Monday, September 14, 2009
Random thoughts
Some random thoughts on this Monday evening...
Some times I catch a glimpse of myself in a mirror and think "is that what I really look like?" That happened tonight and I realized I look like... wait for it... a mom. I don't think I look like what I saw my mom as when she was my age (with three kids ranging in age from newborn to 13), but maybe I do. I have a new mom-ish hair cut, a 2nd baby has left me with a mom body (I am not kidding myself, it was pretty mom-like before baby #1) and I had on some mom knee-length shorts. Weird.
Part of this revelation came up because the girl I nannied for when I was in college is starting a graduate program at Harvard this fall (talk about feeling old). I had lunch with her last week and I realized how she sees me. She sees me as someone old with kids. And I think of us as being sort of the same (even though we are not at all). This didn't happen when I saw her last week, but I remember seeing her a few years ago and she was talking about music and movies she liked. She mentioned pretty common bands and movies and asked if I'd ever heard of them. I thought - I might be older, but I don't live on Mars (and I love music and movies). If she said that now, she wouldn't be that far off though. I went to a movie without a baby for the first time since Anna was born a few weeks back and was stunned at how many people are out on a Saturday night. They aren't home trying to Ferberize a baby or watching a 2 year old sit on the toilet.
Finally, to complete my random thoughts...I hope people can use this forum for sharing random kid stories in addition to looking for advice. So here is my funny story for the day. Two actually. Ok, not funny, but cute. Cute to me and probably no one else, but here I go anyway. The first was this morning in our chaos trying to get out of the house. I was the last one to get dressed because spit up on work clothes, while common, is not my best look. Anyway, Ben, Mia and Anna were sitting on the bed getting shoes and socks on and I come out with my shirt, which was a little fancy for me (meaning not a v-neck cotton T from Old Navy) and Mia said, "Oooooh, Mom, nice shirt" in a sweet, sincere voice. This was a simple compliment from a 2-year old in mismatched clothes, but a compliment none-the-less and it kind of made my day. Unfortunately I don’t think the people in my meeting this morning agreed when I started to leak on that lovely shirt. Why do I forget something every morning and why did it have to be breast pads this morning?
The other funny thing - my daycare sends us a daily email with what the kids have done during the day and they include "quotes of the day." My kid is a bit of a ham and some times has funny things to say (often things completely made up and not at all true). Well, today the teacher told me that during lunch a boy in the class was saying "I don't want to eat this, I don't want to eat that" and Mia turned and looked at him and said "Boy (she used his name, she didn't call him "boy")! What DO you want then?" Ok, that may not translate without the delivery, but it amazes me how she comes up with some of this stuff.
Some times I catch a glimpse of myself in a mirror and think "is that what I really look like?" That happened tonight and I realized I look like... wait for it... a mom. I don't think I look like what I saw my mom as when she was my age (with three kids ranging in age from newborn to 13), but maybe I do. I have a new mom-ish hair cut, a 2nd baby has left me with a mom body (I am not kidding myself, it was pretty mom-like before baby #1) and I had on some mom knee-length shorts. Weird.
Part of this revelation came up because the girl I nannied for when I was in college is starting a graduate program at Harvard this fall (talk about feeling old). I had lunch with her last week and I realized how she sees me. She sees me as someone old with kids. And I think of us as being sort of the same (even though we are not at all). This didn't happen when I saw her last week, but I remember seeing her a few years ago and she was talking about music and movies she liked. She mentioned pretty common bands and movies and asked if I'd ever heard of them. I thought - I might be older, but I don't live on Mars (and I love music and movies). If she said that now, she wouldn't be that far off though. I went to a movie without a baby for the first time since Anna was born a few weeks back and was stunned at how many people are out on a Saturday night. They aren't home trying to Ferberize a baby or watching a 2 year old sit on the toilet.
Finally, to complete my random thoughts...I hope people can use this forum for sharing random kid stories in addition to looking for advice. So here is my funny story for the day. Two actually. Ok, not funny, but cute. Cute to me and probably no one else, but here I go anyway. The first was this morning in our chaos trying to get out of the house. I was the last one to get dressed because spit up on work clothes, while common, is not my best look. Anyway, Ben, Mia and Anna were sitting on the bed getting shoes and socks on and I come out with my shirt, which was a little fancy for me (meaning not a v-neck cotton T from Old Navy) and Mia said, "Oooooh, Mom, nice shirt" in a sweet, sincere voice. This was a simple compliment from a 2-year old in mismatched clothes, but a compliment none-the-less and it kind of made my day. Unfortunately I don’t think the people in my meeting this morning agreed when I started to leak on that lovely shirt. Why do I forget something every morning and why did it have to be breast pads this morning?
The other funny thing - my daycare sends us a daily email with what the kids have done during the day and they include "quotes of the day." My kid is a bit of a ham and some times has funny things to say (often things completely made up and not at all true). Well, today the teacher told me that during lunch a boy in the class was saying "I don't want to eat this, I don't want to eat that" and Mia turned and looked at him and said "Boy (she used his name, she didn't call him "boy")! What DO you want then?" Ok, that may not translate without the delivery, but it amazes me how she comes up with some of this stuff.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Infant Nipple confusion
Anyone have any real life experience with infant nipple confusion? I have a 5 day old here who only takes the bottle(long story), and while I am not worried about his intake(he has a hearty appetite), it is a huge drag to pump all of the milk that he wants/needs. Not to mention that I have a 2.5 year old; it is tough enough to keep up with him without dragging around a pump! I have the books, I have previous experience with difficult latching, I have advice from our pediatrician. What I am looking for is your real life stories about what worked for you and what did not! I am pretty sure that I have a good plan, but it would be great to hear some encouraging words that "this too shall pass!"
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
More potty talk
Ok, we've had some major potty training developments in the last week and I need some feedback. Mia has been in "big girl underwear" all week. A big shout out to daycare because this would not be the case without them. We tried over the weekend and had a great 1/2 day Friday and a very unsuccessful Saturday and then gave up on Sunday deciding to revisit it in a month or so. However, Monday morning she wanted to wear underwear to daycare and I said fine knowing she generally does better at daycare. She had one poop accident the first two days and no accidents today and has only been in diapers at night. So, we are happy with the start, but... this is in a daycare environment that is very structured.
The catch is she is NOT telling us she has to go. We ask if she has to go or we just put her on, and she goes. But... I don't considered it potty trained until she can tell us she has to go. Right? At what point should she be telling us she has to go? I know with most kids it would be by now. Is there anything we can do to encourage her to tell us? Does this mean she isn't really ready and we are just getting lucky with her going when we ask and staying dry the rest of the time?
Also, I know for some kinds it is harder to master poop on the potty. Anyone have any experience with kids being potty trained to pee, but not to poop. I can't believe I've typed the word "poop" so much in this entry. This is my life now I guess!
The catch is she is NOT telling us she has to go. We ask if she has to go or we just put her on, and she goes. But... I don't considered it potty trained until she can tell us she has to go. Right? At what point should she be telling us she has to go? I know with most kids it would be by now. Is there anything we can do to encourage her to tell us? Does this mean she isn't really ready and we are just getting lucky with her going when we ask and staying dry the rest of the time?
Also, I know for some kinds it is harder to master poop on the potty. Anyone have any experience with kids being potty trained to pee, but not to poop. I can't believe I've typed the word "poop" so much in this entry. This is my life now I guess!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Toddler - 3T Winter Clothing
I'm looking for suggestions on where to pick up some winter outerwear for my 2 1/2 year old son. As we all know they grow out of their clothing in about 3-6 months so I do not want to spend very much.
I'm specifically looking for;
winter coat
leggings for snow play
hats/mittens
sweaters
boots
I'm open to good quality second hand shops or if anyone knows of any upcoming fall sales, please share. :)
Thank you!!
I'm specifically looking for;
winter coat
leggings for snow play
hats/mittens
sweaters
boots
I'm open to good quality second hand shops or if anyone knows of any upcoming fall sales, please share. :)
Thank you!!
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