September 2014 - Toddlers & Tantrums!

[lilone1234]

Babies are now toddlers at 18 months +, growing and learning new things all the time!

Thanks KitKat we skype as much as we can with them but wish we got to see more of them. A had a fab time and was quite upset to leave yesterday.

He is in a size 7, but has quite thin feet, so we also struggle to get shoes to fit. And he hates getting his feet measured, we also bribe with food , as for the haircut, DH does it at home with his trimmers, and I hold him down. Its not fun, but we have only had to do it a few times. Noticed a barbers with a chair shaped like a car near us the other day though, and A loves cars, so we might try him there next time.

Size 6 here...I think...he must need new shoes soon as he's been in these ones a while. My eyes always water at the price though when we get them so no doubt I will hold off a bit longer.

DS has his haircut by someone I met through NCT, she is so patient with him and he still hates it in his own home environment. I dread to think what he would be like in a salon

Now I am a sahm, DS has stopped nursery but we have just started pre school. So far so good. I find it odd I don't get as much feedback from the staff as I did at nursery but I guess that's to be expected. Today he told me there was a rabbit eating apples. That's all I've got out of him. He was there for 2.5 hours so I'm assuming he did something other than just look at the rabbit eating apples!

This place is like a tumble weed!

Hello hello hello hello ..........

Tbh not much to report here, E''s language is getting better which is nice!

Hello!

Glad E's language is getting better.

All pretty non-eventful here. We had a nice weekend away recently, and DD seemed to properly appreciate being on a "holiday" for the first time. Although now she asks most mornings if it is a holiday day

She's also clearly picked up on the names of days, but she has no idea what it all means. She woke up this morning and asked "Is it Saturday today?" Strange child.

It is so lovely here today. A blue sky and a slight feeling of warmth. Fingers crossed it lasts until Saturday!

Hello Cookie and Team.

Glad E's language is getting better Cookie, and that you had a nice break away Team.

J's language is also improving and she's putting more words together now which is progress. Sadly her behaviour seems to be nose-diving. She's been really bad recently with pushing and hitting other children if they get near her or something she's playing with, and she does it to me and DH as well when she's having a tantrum. We obviously firmly tell her off if she does this, but it's not making much difference. Any ideas?

Having a rough couple of weeks here. My Dad has been very poorly in hospital (complications from advanced cancer) and is now home but palliative care team involved etc and we know he has probably only a few months left at best (possibly less). Finding it very hard to help as much as I would like due to having toddler and young baby, and getting very emotional regularly knowing Dad isn't going to get to see his grand-daughters grow up.

Sorry to hear about your dad KitKat. I've lost both my parents (my dad from cancer) and being a parent yourself does make you feel very torn and think about things like that. I hope you all get to enjoy some more time together.

How old is your DD2 now? Can't believe my DC2 is due next month! I'm sure I was fairly newly pregnant when you had DD2.

How are you getting along with a bump again Lily?

I'm so glad to see a bit of nice weather. It's so nice to be able to play in the garden - makes me feel like I'm doing much better parenting lol!

Sorry about your Dad KitKat. My Dad died when I was 7 months pregnant with his first grandchild, so he was never a grandparent. I know it's hard, but try to see the previous nature of the coming months. Worry about what comes next, later.

How is your Mum? I remember when my Dad was very ill more of my focus was on caring for Mum, so that she was more able to cope with caring for Dad. It's hard work either way, especially so with children I would imagine.

DD' s most favourite new questions are:
What does it eat?
Where does it live?

Easy with things like dog, fish, hedgehog, ladybird etc. More tricky with inanimate objects like "what does a car eat?" Or "where does a balloon live?"

Very excited for those of you due next babies. Do we have and pink or blue news from any of you who are due?

That was meant to be a grin, not a wink

Sorry to hear about your dad KitKat. I am sure your parents know you are doing as much as you can. I think sometimes just being there helps.

Not much going on here either. A's language is improving immensely. Actually sometimes he doesn't stop talking even when we take him to bed, and he lies and talks to his bears! Its cute, but sometimes I am glad when he falls asleep

I agree its great to have some nice weather. I got slightly over excited about being able to hang washing outside today!

Kitkat it must be hard, especially having two children in tow as well.

I'm quite enjoying being pregnant at the moment, albeit starting to get a little uncomfortable. Not working has made a huge difference, I don't feel anywhere near as tired as I did first time around.

We know that this is DS2 on his way. I wasn't surprised at all. The family is full of boys, and actually I'm quite pleased. I always pictured myself with boys and I think it will be easier on DS1.

Seeing the bedroom with a cot and a bed in it has been quite overwhelming. Making it more real I think that I have actually got space for two children in my house and that they will both be mine

DS has certainly started pushing boundaries! He is a very placid child but sometimes we do end up having a stand off and I can just see it in his face that he is testing me. I'm sure it will all escalate when DS2 gets here, and I fully expect him to also give up his nap at the same time. Because that would just be Sod's law!

Same gender certainly makes life easier Lilly. How much does DS understand about his brother coming? When are you due?

I have DDs first formal preschool swimming lesson tomorrow. We're both very excited. She's very confident in the water and can now stand in the small pool (it's 0.9m) - that's been the marker for me starting each of the kids swimming lessons.

Thank you for your nice words ladies about my Dad, and sorry to hear abut your losses MyGreenSofa and Fate. We were hoping we had a few more months left but his consultant this morning thinks weeks is more likely. Am going to take the girls to see him and Mum tomorrow. Guess we just have to make the most of the time we have left but he loves the girls so much it kills me that he's never going to see them grow up.

DD2 is now 4 months already and had her first proper giggle this morning when I blew raspberries on her tummy. I agree with Fate Lilly that having two the same sex helps in many ways.

Swimming lessons sound good Fate. I haven't taken DD1 swimming in months. DH hates swimming pools and refuses to go in them most of the time, and I can't manage both DDs in the pool on my own.

Well he knows that there is a baby. And we have been talking about how the baby will live with us and I will be the baby's mummy and daddy will be the baby's daddy. We also put DS into a bed this week so that the cot is free, but I mainly wanted him to be able to choose where to sleep for a while and not be kicked out of his bed by his new brother. But I don't think he really understands the implications of there being a baby in mummy's tummy to be honest. My SIL is also pregnant so he also thinks that everyone has a baby in their tummy I'm due 21st May, so another 10 ish weeks but DS arrived at 37+3 so in my head I've only got 6-7 weeks to go. I soooo hope I don't make it to 40 weeks!!!

We are trying to swim as much as possible as the moment as I know once I have two we won't be able to go due to ratios unless we are with someone else.

Kitkat I'm sorry you are finding it hard, I can't imagine how difficult it is. Neither of my parents are around, my Dad died when I was 20 and I'm NC with my Mum. So DS only has one set of grandparents. It will get easier, but most likely worse before it gets better unfortunately.

DD and I do swimming lessons every Monday and have done for nearly a year. Although she is very confident and enjoys being in the water, she doesn't like the structure of the lessons (we had to wrestle with her to get her to go swimming at center parcs because we walked past their little playground and she thought swimming was just like swimming lessons and would rather play in playground but of course loved it once in!) We will have to cancel once new baby comes anyway until she can restart them going in the pool on her own.

I'm having a boy this time so interested to see what one of each will be like. 36 weeks tomorrow!

Lily - we moved DD into a bed a few weeks ago but also moved her in to a new bedroom. She was great with it as thought she had 2 bedrooms but now we are redecorating her old bedroom she's not so keen and keeps climbing in the cot to play lol. Confusing for her as we still use the changing table in there for her too!

I foresee much the same issue with swimming GreenSofa. DD loves being in the water, but not great at taking instruction. Loves free play, not so much doing what she's told to when she's told to do it.

That kind of structure and formality is ultimately necessary, is the way I see it. She's got to be able to take instruction when she gets to school age. Swimming is the first situation where she's faced it. It was hard work at her first lesson today. I wouldn't describe it as "fun". But we got through without any crying, so I'll take that.

Hi ladies, have not managed to write much although I have been reading from time to time, the work on our house project is going fast, causing lots of stress and it is just getting too much; can't wait until it is all finished

Kitkat I am so sorry to hear that, I can't even begin to understand how difficult it is... hope you could make the most of the time you have together and wish you all well

it is so nice to hear about the second Childs, I am following up with much interest ; and hoping to hear about the new dynamics of family and your little ones interaction with a little baby ...

So how long are your little ones allowed to have screen time ? I am struggling to meaningfully limit this being extremely busy with everything ...

I'm so sorry to hear about your Dad kitkat, my fil passed away almost 4 weeks ago so I feel for you. I almost posted to ask how to deal with it for DS but I lurked for a bit instead.

We gave up on swimmng lessons a few months ago, it was costing us a fortune and he wasn't enjoying it. We try to go every few weeks for fun now instead and he is enjoying it much more.

The side has come off the cot now and been replaced with a bed guard (it needed a bit of extra securing to the slats of the bed), so far, so good.

Screen time - far far too much of it in our house. I'm hoping to cut it drastically as the weather improves but I do rely on it too much right now.

Thank you for the support ladies re: my dad. It's appreciated.

Far too much screen time here probably too! Sometimes I just need J to be entertained for a while whilst I sort the baby out or do some housework. My compromise is that I try to do something meaningful in the day too (toddler group or something).

Oh and sorry for your loss Polka.

kitkkat so sorry to hear about your dad, it must be awful to know he won't be there to see the dc''s grow up!

polka sorry for your loss as well!

My dad went under the knife to remove a brain tumour when E was a month old, he isn't the same man he was before it happened and it has been a long tough road for all of us, but he is thankfully still with us! I can't imagine him or my mum dying! I want them to live forever!

E has waaaaay to much screen time, however he is bright and engaging and cute as a button, he is a social butterfly and loves going places and doing things so I am not worried by it!

He is really into technology and finding out how things work just like his dad!!

Hi all! Just popping on to let you all know that DC2 made a slightly early arrival on Monday at 36+2 at 3:14am weighing 6lbs 8oz. His name is Logan it was a failed induction & VBAC unfortunately so another EMCS. He's in the neonatal unit as he's needed antibiotics and breathing help. He then had a pneumothorax so has two chest drains in but is breathing without help now and hopefully chest drains will be out soon. He's a good boy and coping well with his rough start!

Wow Green congratulations! Sounds all rather stressful but you do sound upbeat and you have a new baby eeeeeek!
Can I ask the reason for the early induction?

My head is filled with birth at the moment, and I'm only 31+5!

My waters broke on Saturday morning and nothing had happened after 24 hours so no choice but to be induced! It certainly wasn't the plan!

Oh my! Well it sounds like he's doing wonderfully 😊 Logan is a great name too, hope you all get home soon x