Alrighty Sept '10 Toddlers thread! I still can't believe it. - Page 6

[MsDolphin]

Originally Posted by MaerynPearl 

Well, looks like I'm going to the July 2012 DDC!

Congratz!

I am jealous too! We've been trying all year, but my age is probably working against me. Hopefully we will be blessed with one more.

[MsDolphin]

Originally Posted by JulieInChicago 

I still have yet to STTN, even just once.  It's such a struggle.  I have a feeling our only possible solution is night weening and maybe CIO or a long process of No Cry/Pantley.  I just want my sanity back, but I keep telling myself that his comfort and trust is so much more important.  He's down at 7, then up at 11, 3, 5, and 6.

Anyone else still in the sleepless boat?

I have no real advice, just thought I'd share where we are at.

I don't have the heart for CIO, our doctor suggested it around 6 months and we tried it for a few nights. I just could not do it. For me, I can sacrifice my sleep for him. I just started trying to night ween him (he is bottle feed and I now mix the bottle with half the recommended amount of formula and plan to ween it to all water - in hope that helps stop the night feedings).

Currently he goes down around 8:30 - 10:00pm, depending on his nap schedule for the day. He normally gets up once a night around 2am. He then gets up anywhere between 5 - 8am, if it's before 6am, I give him another bottle and he will go back down for 1-2 hours.

In the last week, he STTN 4 nights, so I am hoping this is a trend.

Do you think it would help if you kept him up a little later? Maybe the later bed-time would help him sleep longer? Good luck! I hope your nights get better, I don't miss the nights of getting up 3-4 times a night.

[MaerynPearl]

Thanks Yall!


I'm EXHAUSTED lately, likely because I'm about 6 weeks into this pregnancy, but waking up a couple times a night doesn't make it easier. My husband has been a sweetheart lately though and will split the baby duty, go get her one time and bring her to my breast, then take her back to her crib, then the other time she wakes up i get her. if she wakes up again after he gets up to get ready for work he brings her to me and we wake up together.

[Laurski]

Congrats, Mae!  That's so exciting!

ROM--Your daughter is so gorgeous, and you take lovely pictures!

Ellie finally has some words--started saying "mama"  (usually meaning me, but sometimes just when she wants something), "dada," "ba" for ball and "baba" for banana.  And lots of emphatic head nodding and shaking.  It's funny--I posted on here about being worried, then a week later she had 4 words in a weekend..I think she just wanted to make me stress out. 

She is currently OBSESSED with balls, balloons, and dogs.  Balls and balloons get a loud "BA!" with finger-pointing, and dogs get finger-pointing with a sound that sounds like a mix between a monkey and a dog. 

What about your LOs?  What are their current obsessions?

[MaerynPearl]

Mae is very much into the nodding and shaking, too. She does it with such conviction that its hilarious. Nodding is accompanied with an excited or happy look, shaking her head is accompanied with a stern or upset look.

This morning we got a wave and "BYE DA!" when dada left for work.

She also gets into chattering with hand motions and everything and looking at me like "you understand what I mean, right? Because this is VERY important."

[Amanda_Reyasmom]

DD's current obsession!

And one that shows she does get her hair brushed!  Which is her second obsession.  If she is mid meltdown I can say "Want Mama to do your hair?" and she is instantly happy!

[MaerynPearl]

Jealous! Mae's hair still isn't long enough to do anything with :( I did get it in a Pebbles ponytail the other day but only a few millimeters of it lol

[Amanda_Reyasmom]

Originally Posted by MaerynPearl 

Mae is very much into the nodding and shaking, too. She does it with such conviction that its hilarious. Nodding is accompanied with an excited or happy look, shaking her head is accompanied with a stern or upset look.

This morning we got a wave and "BYE DA!" when dada left for work.

She also gets into chattering with hand motions and everything and looking at me like "you understand what I mean, right? Because this is VERY important."

omgosh yes! Lila has figured out shaking her head no!  she thinks it is hilarious to reject our requests for kisses, but will eventually come around.  She giggles every time she shakes her head.  

[Amanda_Reyasmom]

ohh and na-nas.  anyone else's baby still nursing a lot?  Breakfast was 1/4th a turkey sausage patty and 1/4 of a scrambled egg.  She might eat that much at dinner.. if I'm lucky.  

[Monkey Keeper]

Obsessions--Trains. Trucks. Anything with wheels. My onions. The dogs' "babies" and playing fetch with them--he grabs the stuffies, says, "Udy. Etch!"  (Rudy, fetch) and throws the stuffy. He also is using nodding and head shaking to communicate verrrrrry accurately. 

Nursing vs. Food--We've definitely cut back on nursing, though I DO NOT offer. I have always nursed on demand, and I do now as well--but to me, on demand for a toddler is needing nursing, not boredom and whinyness.  He eats about 1/4 cereal or oatmeal for breakfast or a Trader Joes cereal bar or a Clif bar. Sometimes some raisins or banana or orange. He also gets about 6oz of milk in a sippy which he drinks off and on throughout the morning. Sometimes we nurse around 10, but most days we are too busy out and about. Lunch is hit or miss since he often is napping. Usually some cheese, crackers, fruit, carrot sticks. Some kind of snack in the afternoon, and he usually nurses 2x between lunch and dinner.  He often eats as much as my 5yo at dinner--everything we eat. He LOOOOVES food.  And then he nurses before bed, at midnight and at 4 usually.  

[MsDolphin]

Originally Posted by Laurski 

What about your LOs?  What are their current obsessions?

DS loves to throw and kick balls. He has been kicking a soccer ball for a few months now and I have tried & tried to get a video of him doing it, but every time he sees the camera he stops and wants the camera.

He loves-loves-loves dogs. We are dog-sitting for a friend and he is enjoying the dogs so much. It's very cute.

He enjoys bath-time and usually gets upset when it's time to come out. He also does the head shake and nod. He know the head shake is "no", but I don't think he understands the nod yet.

He loves the slow melt mini-pops. He even knows where to find them in the freezer.

[MaerynPearl]

Mae's stopped nursing so much. I now give her a bottle at naps and bedtime so it's all on demand now which seems to be a 100% comfort issue. Fall down? Nurse. Get told no? Nurse. Have big brother scare her a little too much? Nurse.

This only started yesterday though (the bottles, that is) it may change.

[RedOakMomma]

Laurski, thanks. :)  I'm loving all the cute pictures in this thread, too.  Such an adorable age!  It sounds like dd and yours have the same word for their balloon obsession: BA!  Ohmy, they are just about her favorite thing.  At a birthday party this weekend she went around gathering every balloon she could find.

Nodding and shaking for no are big, too.  She's very accurate about it...if she shakes her heads or nods, we know it's a legit answer from her.  Ds had more words at this age, but I don't remember him being so good about yes and no.  Other obsessions...writing (with a proper grip, believe it or not!), climbing everything climb-able, hiding behind furniture, and (sigh) stealing my phone and credit card out of my purse.  :p  Silly baby!

Mae~ Congratulations!

Anyone else done for sure?  Dh got his vasectomy two months ago, and we're just waiting for the 8wk test.  I had mixed feelings about him getting snipped, but now I love the idea.  Four is my LIMIT.  I actually had a pregnancy scare last month (I was late), and that confirmed it...I want dd to be the baby of the family, with no surprise additions.  I guess I've been surprised at how long it's taken me to get back in the swing of things with four.  It happened so much faster and easier with three, and it's nothing about dd that's making it harder...she couldn't be an easier baby if she tried.  I think I've truly reached my limit as a parent.

As for nursing, I'd say dd is still primarily breast fed.  She loves some foods (grapes, sliced turkey, de-hulled popcorn, and raisins especially), but mostly she wants mama milk.  Ds1, who she resembles so much, didn't really get into solids until about 17 months, so this isn't surprising to me.  I feel like I'm getting enough sleep, though...with co-sleeping it's been pretty easy to feed her while I sleep, and only wake up to switch sides.  Most nights she only nurses a couple times.  She just recently got all four molars (before getting her eye teeth!), and that led to a lot of wakeful nights.  No fun.

[MsDolphin]

One thing DS does, that I have mixed feelings about - he started spinning around. It's funny, cause it's cute. But he gets dizzy and falls down, usually it's unpredictable and I worry he's going to nail his head or face on something. He has come close a few times.

[Amanda_Reyasmom]

Originally Posted by RedOakMomma 

As for nursing, I'd say dd is still primarily breast fed.  She loves some foods (grapes, sliced turkey, de-hulled popcorn, and raisins especially), but mostly she wants mama milk.  Ds1, who she resembles so much, didn't really get into solids until about 17 months, so this isn't surprising to me.  I feel like I'm getting enough sleep, though...with co-sleeping it's been pretty easy to feed her while I sleep, and only wake up to switch sides.  Most nights she only nurses a couple times.  She just recently got all four molars (before getting her eye teeth!), and that led to a lot of wakeful nights.  No fun.

Ouch! How'd she do? Lila's bottom gums look like she's got a marble on either side.  These next teeth are gonna be a doozy I can tell.  :( My girl started out REALLY excited about food.. she's lately decided she'd rather go without.  

[Just1More]

Hi! 

It was nice to stumble across this thread.  We have been so busy the last year, that I've been hit or miss on mdc, and always feel overwhelmed by the 6 pages or whatever you all have going on.  I still do, but I have a little more time now.  :)  It's nice to read a bit about what all your babies are doing.

Mine is also doing the not sleeping teeth thing.  But, she has always been a terrible sleeper.  As a result, I kept getting mastitis, and was just generally a wreck for her first year.  She would wake up, most nights, once or twice an hour.  Blah.  I was SO exhausted.  But now she is sleeping in her own bed, and happily goes to sleep in it.  Last night was awful, but dh is helping now that she isn't so addicted to nursing.  So, I only had to deal with her 3 times between midnight and 6...yeah, that's standard around here.

She is super sweet, though.  She is full of personality, and tries so hard to keep up with the other 3.  Her big thing right now is, "BABY!"  Anything you can cuddle is a baby, and she must have it.  This morning she came in to wake me up singing, "Wheel.  Roun' an' roun'."  She'd been reading the "Wheels on the Bus" with Daddy.  She also loves baths and playing outside. 

Food wise, she's never met one she didn't like.  Around 5 to 6 months, she became desperate to eat what everyone else had.  She constantly had something in her mouth.  It was crazy.  So, we finally gave in and let her have bites of stuff around 8 months.  She gave us HUGE hugs when we finally shared.  She still loves to eat.  She eats and nurses all day and night.  Dh and I, and all but one of our kids have high metabolisms and big appetites, though. 

And, congrats Mae! 

I confess, the reason I'm on more now is because I'm vegging in bed for a few minutes...#5 is coming in May. :)

[Laurski]

Just1More: Congratulations!  That's wonderful news!

ROM: Ellie's working on molars before eyeteeth too!  She has the top and bottom molars on her left side (the bottom one coming in was horrible--painful and bloody for awhile) and she's definitely working on her bottom right molar.

As for nursing--we're down to 2x a day.  First thing in the morning and right before bed at night.  I love the pre-bedtime nursing (except for the biting, which happens when she falls asleep and clamps down...), but the morning nursing is not my favorite, simply because she likes to really stretch it out sometimes, and I need to get to work!

I think I'm going to start weaning her around 18 months or so, so that will get us through the flu season.  We're going to probably start TTCing in June, and, honestly, I'd like a few months of my body all to myself (especially if future hypothetical baby turns out to be as, um, "challenging" as Little Miss E, I'm going to need a year-plus just to fortify myself...)

[MaerynPearl]

Originally Posted by Just1More 

And, congrats Mae! 
 

I confess, the reason I'm on more now is because I'm vegging in bed for a few minutes...#5 is coming in May. :)

Congrats!

And thank you :)

[Kelly1101]

I would absolutely night-wean if I were you (we night-weaned at like 11 months).  

With both of mine I did the Jay Gordon thing.  I'd say it's worth a shot.  Hope things get better for you *hugs*

Also look into naps.  What's going on with naps right now?
 

Originally Posted by JulieInChicago 

WOW, congrats!  My best mommy friend and I both have the same outlook - we will think about #2 when this gets easier.  HA!  right?

That said... I still have yet to STTN, even just once.  It's such a struggle.  I have a feeling our only possible solution is night weening and maybe CIO or a long process of No Cry/Pantley.  I just want my sanity back, but I keep telling myself that his comfort and trust is so much more important.  He's down at 7, then up at 11, 3, 5, and 6.

Anyone else still in the sleepless boat?

[Amanda_Reyasmom]

What's the last thing your toddler (I first typed baby aww ) destroyed? 

This was Lila yesterday.. so proud of herself.  I heard this tiny little voice saying "Mom, Mom"