Happy Birthday May '09 Babies!

[Comtessa]

It's official... it's now May!!! This may be our last month in LWAB, since most of us are pretty darn close to being parents of... shall I say it???... toddlers!!!!!!!!!!

[lil_miss_understood]

Hard to believe! It's all gone so fast! I'm still in denial that I have THREE.

[~Katie~]

We can stay in LWAB for a while for those of us who are not ready to transition to Toddlers yet, ahem, me

The night before DH came home Laine took her first steps. She's getting braver and standing unassisted for short periods of time but I think it'll be a few more weeks until she's walking.

[Kelly1101]

sub

[Punchy Kaby]

Quick hello while I eat lunch. DD is doing great, she is literally running around now! She loves being outside, she loves digging in the dirt , running with the big trucks we have, playing ball, socializing, giving hugs. A few days ago I swear she said her brother's name! She is so much fun, still hard to juggle giving attention to both kids (older brother gets jealous easily) but they do get along well.

I am finally feeling like I am getting back to normal, energy, motivation, etc. It took about a year with DS and about the same with DD. I haven't gotten ppaf yet, but my libido is coming back slowly

Hope everyone is well!

[j_p_i]

Happy Birthday may babies! We still have until the end of the month (31st) to finish Olivia's birthday plans.

No time to post at the moment, she's been running a fever for a couple days, feeling better today but not 100%. Poor girl! Hope everyone is having a great start to May!

[major_mama11]

Two more days of official babyhood! Can we say bittersweet?!

This age is so fun! DS is way more physical than DD was- he's climbing onto everything, including onto the sofa, the end tables, etc. He's very careful when he climbs down, surprisingly, and doesn't hurt himself as much as my mega-physical nephew did at this age. He's much less verbal than DD at this age, but clearly understands what we say to him, and at least points to what he wants, which helps.

PunchyKaby, I'm noticing the same thing with my energy level lately. And due to my feeling so much more human lately, suddenly the idea of a 3rd child doesn't sound as preposterous as it did a few months ago... (probably not anytime soon, though, unless DH decides to go find a more stable job rather than continuing on with his slowly failing employer ).

Dh and I were going to do the party 10 days after his actual bday, since I work this coming weekend. We decided instead to just have a close family only party (us and grandparents), on his actual bday. All of DD's parties thus far have been huge and stressful, since I always invited every.single.relative for fear of offending one of DH's aunts. Today DH pointed out that there's no way I can make everyone happy anyway, so why not just do things the way we want to this time around? Now seems like a fine time to stop trying to make everyone happy, so close family only this time! I'm glad DH is around to balance out my incessant need to people-please!

[Kelly1101]

Originally Posted by major_mama11

All of DD's parties thus far have been huge and stressful, since I always invited every.single.relative for fear of offending one of DH's aunts. Today DH pointed out that there's no way I can make everyone happy anyway, so why not just do things the way we want to this time around? Now seems like a fine time to stop trying to make everyone happy, so close family only this time! I'm glad DH is around to balance out my incessant need to people-please!

That's what I'm thinking for next year-- I have a HUGE extended family and don't want to upset anyone. *sigh* But next year I think it's just us and her grandparents.

[major_mama11]

Originally Posted by Kelly1101

That's what I'm thinking for next year-- I have a HUGE extended family and don't want to upset anyone. *sigh* But next year I think it's just us and her grandparents.

You're smarter than me- it took me four years of trying to make them all happy before I decided to make it a smaller party.

The funny thing is, there are sooo many little kids in DH's extended family, I wonder if some of them will be secretly relieved to not have to go to yet another kid party.

Kelly, will you be finding out what your new little one is?

[Kelly1101]

Originally Posted by major_mama11

Kelly, will you be finding out what your new little one is?

On Wednesday So excited

[lil_miss_understood]

Yes, very exciting, Kelly.

PunchyKaby, how do you manage with the 2 of them outside? I'm so scared to turn my back on either one for a second (we live near the highway) because it seems like whoever I turn my back on takes off running. Thankfully, DS3's not as fast as I'm sure he's going to get, but it makes going outside so stressful!

24 days until DS3's birthday, 42 until DS2's. June 5th sounds like a decent day for a party. 3 days after our anniversary.

[Blessed_Mom]

Today we conducted a test on our DD. We placed a sock, phone, ball, ring (stackable plastic doughnut) and a board book (Thomas the tank engine) spaced apart and sat some distance away from them. My husband just sat my DD in his lap and asked "Where's the phone,where's the phone" and my DD went and got us the phone. She did the same with the sock, ball and ring - without getting confused and without looking at other objects. We neither pointed nor sat her in the same direction as the object. The last was the book. In spite of asking for "thomas" repeatedly she didn't associate and didn't even get the book as a default.
Anyway barring that......

....we are so proud of our DD. For unwaveringly getting the right objects and giving them in my DH's hand so steadily

[Babina's Mommy]

Hi everyone...I was never really active in the DDC but definitely interested in seeing how all you guys are doing and how the babies are! I remember there were a couple of other Griffins in the May DDC last year My Griffin was born May 30th. I cannot believe that almost a year has gone by. Am I the only who is a little depressed about it? In fact, this thread is making me weepy. I have loved my time with him as an infant. He is just the best. He is so sweet. I cannot see him as a toddler yet. Even though he is quite a big boy (been wearing 12 months since he was 2 months old, haha) and walking shortly after 9 months old. I'm just kind of in denial about him being one.

Now that I have two little ones running around it is very chaotic around here and most days it is hard to get things done. But it is fun!

I keep saying how I want another but hubby wants to wait...ha

[Kelly1101]

Originally Posted by Blessed_Mom

Today we conducted a test on our DD. We placed a sock, phone, ball, ring (stackable plastic doughnut) and a board book (Thomas the tank engine) spaced apart and sat some distance away from them. My husband just sat my DD in his lap and asked "Where's the phone,where's the phone" and my DD went and got us the phone. She did the same with the sock, ball and ring - without getting confused and without looking at other objects. We neither pointed nor sat her in the same direction as the object. The last was the book. In spite of asking for "thomas" repeatedly she didn't associate and didn't even get the book as a default.
Anyway barring that......

....we are so proud of our DD. For unwaveringly getting the right objects and giving them in my DH's hand so steadily

Yay! I think at this point they understand more than they speak. Em knows simple commands like that, too ("come here" and she'll crawl over, pull up to standing on my legs, and reach her arms up to be picked up, "pants on" after a diaper change and she'll stick her leg up, haha, "where's the cat?" and she'll point to the cat in the picture, etc.).

It's made me realize I finally REALLY need to be careful of what I say and how I say it, things like that (I have a bad swearing problem that I've been trying hard to reign in). I don't turn on the TV while she's around anymore because she's at the age where even if she's not watching it (which she doesn't-- TV has never seemed to interest her), she's still hearing what goes on on it. And trying to (and encouraging my husband to) be very talky and clear when playing, like: "Is that the blue ball? Where does the blue ball go?" etc.

It's so cool seeing them develop like this. I can't wait until we're having conversations, the idea that I could be able to really talk with a baby that came out of me really blows my mind, haha.





Hi Babina's Mommy! I'm not getting the nostalgia about Em getting so old, but I think it's because I'm mentally preparing to do it all over again, haha.

[j_p_i]

Olivia has started to pick out correct objects when you say them to her "Where's the ball?" she goes and picks up the ball. It's amazing seeing this learning and development right before your eyes! She even knows the correct pets by the correct name (I say "where's Gordon?" she points to the dog, if I say "where's Stella/Fonzworth?" she points to the correct cat!) She is beginning to get the difference between herself and someone else, she will point to her nose if I say "where's Olivia's nose?" and point to my nose if I say "where's mama's nose?" (so far that's pretty limited to nose and toes though! )

She doesn't have many words yet (mama, dada, uh oh, baba - I think this means baby?? and a couple others I'm not sure have a meaning yet!) but she points to things she wants and has developed her own signs for communication. She has one for "more please/want that" and one for "all done/all gone".

We've been leaving the tv off too, she has never been interested in it until recently, when she is interested in pushing the buttons on it! She generally clicks the button a bunch of times until the tv is off, and then walks away.

Swearing - I have gotten better about it but my DH is not good about it at all! He swears often, and I think Olivia is starting to catch on. Recently the dog chewed on something, and DH said something about him being a "bad *expletive*" and pointed... and Olivia points at the dog and says "ba!"

So I will be working on cleaning up my DH's language (and my own, I slip more than I'd like)!

This is a super fun age, and I am discovering my daughter is quite determined! Since she was born in late may, she is a gemini like me, and I'm definitely seeing that dual personality. She loves giving hugs and is very sweet and loving... however I feel like I lied when my ped asked if Olivia understood the word "no" She takes redirection pretty well most of the time, though she is quite obsessed with the dog's water and there doesn't seem to be much I can do about that!

[Kelly1101]

Ha, see, Em popped out an Aries ( I think on purpose) and she is DEFINITELY an Aries. It's all about her, rotfl. I'm amused to see how she's going to handle having a sibling to steal some of the attention.

[Comtessa]

Originally Posted by Kelly1101

It's made me realize I finally REALLY need to be careful of what I say and how I say it, things like that

Us too!!! My DH thinks profanity is really distasteful, so I've had lots of practice curbing my tongue around him anyway, thank heaven. But I'm realizing that we have to be much more aware of other things - like when we argue in front of her. It's really difficult not to do sometimes (I have a really problematic temper), but then when we're in the middle of an argument I catch sight of her worried little face watching us and it just breaks my heart. So we're really working hard to get better about that. We never argue about anything important, anyway.

And TV, too - we don't have any actual TV (never got a converter box), but we'll occasionally watch part of a DVD in the evening while Olive is awake. (Usually it puts her right to sleep -- this is my Lazy Mommy bedtime ritual for when I'm really worn out.) We try not to let her actually watch the TV, but she does, sometimes. Now that she's learning so much, though, I'm worried about some of the films we're watching. We don't watch violent or scary movies, compared to most adults we know, but even Spiderman has some pretty scary music and sounds for a toddler just learning about her world. Time to retire the TV until after bedtime, I think.

Originally Posted by j_p_i

Recently the dog chewed on something, and DH said something about him being a "bad *expletive*" and pointed... and Olivia points at the dog and says "ba!"

Our Olive does the same thing! We're always yelling at the cat to get off the dinner table, so now, if the cat jumps up on the table, Olive will point at her, furrow her brow into this angry face, and command "Yah!" repeatedly until one of us removes the cat.

This high-pitched, high-volume "yah" is her favorite word, it seems! She doesn't have any consistent words that I can tell (though "mama" and "dada" seem to be a bit more regular lately). But this "yah!" (accompanied by an emphatic pointing finger most of the time) is a constant. It's a bit embarrassing in restaurants, or in church, or anywhere that earsplitting noise is not exactly the Thing to Do. I'm hoping she outgrows it.

Thankfully, the baby sign language classes at the library are starting to show some results: now, instead of standing up in her high chair and screaming when she's done eating, she calmly catches my eye and signs "all done." It's a marvelous improvement. A little sad, though, too, to realize how close she is to talking. We aren't in babyland anymore!!!

She's been running a fever for the last couple of days, too, just like some of your LO's -- maybe it's just a weird 11-month sickness or something. I was up at 4 am with her in a lukewarm bath, trying to get her fever down. She didn't fuss at all, just sat there blinking sleepily at me, like she wanted to say, "Mama, are you crazy? Do you realize that it's the middle of the night?" Poor kid. And getting baby Tylenol into her is almost as bad as giving the cat a pill.

Oh, BTW, speaking of Tylenol, did you all see the recall on infant medicines this weekend? It affects infant and children's Tylenol, Motrin, Zyrtec and Benadryl. More info here. We have to send ours back. Scary stuff. One more reason to avoid medicine for the baby if at all possible!

We're at 35 people and counting at her birthday party. With 60 still not RSVPed yet. Pray for warm weather next Saturday!

[Kelly1101]

Originally Posted by Comtessa

But I'm realizing that we have to be much more aware of other things - like when we argue in front of her. It's really difficult not to do sometimes (I have a really problematic temper), but then when we're in the middle of an argument I catch sight of her worried little face watching us and it just breaks my heart. So we're really working hard to get better about that. We never argue about anything important, anyway.

This is a big issue with us. My parents fought a LOT before divorcing when I was about 9. And I told my husband right from the get-go that this is NOT happening with her. I don't care how pissed off we are, it can wait, I refuse to fight in front of her. I remember it (and remember how upsetting it is) from a younger age than people would think.

Oh, BTW, speaking of Tylenol, did you all see the recall on infant medicines this weekend? It affects infant and children's Tylenol, Motrin, Zyrtec and Benadryl. More info here. We have to send ours back. Scary stuff. One more reason to avoid medicine for the baby if at all possible!

YES. I'm so pissed. She'd been sick last week and I'd given her some Tylenol at night so that she could sleep and to take down the fever. She only got two doses out of the bottle, and she's fine, but I'm still not a happy camper about this.

[major_mama11]

Originally Posted by Kelly1101

On Wednesday So excited

Yay!

Originally Posted by Blessed_Mom

....we are so proud of our DD. For unwaveringly getting the right objects and giving them in my DH's hand so steadily

Watching them develop is so amazing!

Originally Posted by Kelly1101

It's made me realize I finally REALLY need to be careful of what I say and how I say it, things like that (I have a bad swearing problem that I've been trying hard to reign in).

I didn't reign in my swearing until DD was over age 2. One day we were walking through the woods together and she started saying, "What the he**! What the he**!" And after that I had a MUCH easier time controlling my language, bc I was afraid she would rat me out like that in public someday! (Luckily she never did).

Welcome Babina's Mommy!

[Comtessa]

Originally Posted by major_mama11

One day we were walking through the woods together and she started saying, "What the he**! What the he**!"

That reminds me of my cousin's little girl, who at 2 got angry at a party because the VCR was on the fritz and wouldn't play her favorite video and started exclaiming loudly (to everyone's quiet amusement), "da**it, what the he** is going on around here?!" My cousin was mortified.