February 2013 Chit Chat - Page 14 « Back to Group Discussions

[dashley111]

Christina that is awesome about the potty learning! And Rhyko seems to have an amazing vocabulary. Being a premie didn't slow him down a bit!

I found a potty on clearance today and bought it, it's funny the conversation came up! My ODD learned by 18 months but she seemed much more advanced than B is. I figure I will keep it in the bathroom just to have it be a fixture.

[CDsMom1031]

Okay. I'm in Newnan, south of Atlanta. PM me if you want to get together.

Super jealous of the potty training. I want Conner to be trained by the time this next kid gets here sooo bad.

[TalkToMeNow]

I think I'm going to buy a potty just to introduce the concept. Who knows?

I had the night from hell with dd1. She started out by trying to attack dd2 first thing. Then, when I told her to go to her room, she pushed me with her book bag and refused to leave the kitchen. Dh had to step in. She never calmed down after that. We kept giving her chances to come out of her room when she was calm, but she'd just freak out again. Also, when she is in her room, she blows a whistle or screams. The. Entire. Time. Finally, dh took her whistle, which sent her over the edge. She was hyperventilating, screaming, crying for like an hour. She finally calmed down around 8. Btw, and I am not kidding here, the entire thing started because her bedroom door was open when she got home from school (dd2 was home sick with dh and used the bathroom in dd1's room to avoid the stairs).

I guess the good thing about dh losing his job is that I will get everyone on my insurance and get dd1 some help. She is miserable and so are we. She has good times, but the bad times are tough.

Thank goodness for wine. For real.

[dashley111]

Oh that sounds really tough. I'm sorry. Sounds like you deserve that wine!

[CDsMom1031]

I bought a potty and introduced him to it awhile back. He sits on it and stuff, but he doesn't cue me at all before he goes, so I know he's not ready.

Enjoy your wine. I hope you're able to find help for her soon. Sorry you had a bad night.

[birdhappy85]

Does anyone know if it's *always* necessary to treat strep with antibiotics? There is something bad going around Sora's daycare, and I think I need to bring her to the doctor today because she keeps getting worse. Her DCP has strep and a double ear infection. My DH thinks he has strep now too. I swear we've gotten EVERYTHING this winter. Ughhhh.

[Mal85]

Oh man, do I really have to think about the potty yet? No really, Greta wakes up dry most of the time and I keep thinking I should just take her to the toilet in the mornings. It's really pure laziness that has kept me from doing it. 

More freaking snow here today. Just as much as last time and it's heavier/wetter snow so lots of local people are losing power. Praying we don't lose power. I do not want to get out with these girls, but we don't have any other source of heat and my ILs have a wood burning fireplace. So, if we do lose power, we'll probably need to go visit them. And all my local facebook friends keep posting about how their husbands can't get to work or are being sent home... Mine works for the electric department, so in bad weather I'm on my own always. He's out there helping us keep power, which is great for everyone, but I sure wish he could share a snow day with us!

[seraf]

Way to go Rhyko. We're not quite there yet, but Shay's been moving forward very quickly again and I assume he'll be PT by 20 months without really changing anything. He is in training pants now and consistently tells me when he goes if he has pants on, just sometimes refuses to sit. He will grow out of that pretty soon.

Amanda, holy crap, that sucks. I'm glad you can get some help soon. I've heard good things about the book "raising an emotionally healthy child" and I'm about to check it out for my anxious 9 year old.

Mal, ugh. Stay warm and electrified.

The boys have a pair of fevers. Shay puked on me a dozen times last night. That's what I get for saying everyone's been healthy lately.

[dashley111]

Originally Posted by birdhappy85 

Does anyone know if it's *always* necessary to treat strep with antibiotics? There is something bad going around Sora's daycare, and I think I need to bring her to the doctor today because she keeps getting worse. Her DCP has strep and a double ear infection. My DH thinks he has strep now too. I swear we've gotten EVERYTHING this winter. Ughhhh.

I don't know what everyone else will say-  but strep is one of the few things I would hands down treat with abx right away.  If strep is left untreated in such small kids it can have some pretty nasty side effects.  There are natural remedies like grapefruit seen extract, but those are more geared towards preventative or early treatment and if she already has a fever, she already has a good case of strep.

[Jaimee]

Joanie- I would likely treat strep with abx as well, but I would get a real strep test, not just a guess from the doc before treating, which I assume you're already doing!  :)

Mal- I hope you guys keep your power.  We had snow, then very cold temps, and now buckets and buckets of rain.  The frozen ground can't absorb it so our yard is a swimming pool.

Christina- awesome about the potty!  It's weird, but just two days ago, Avery started indicating the need to go or that he had just gone.  He's been doing it probably about 50% of the time.  He'll say "uh oh, poop" or he'll grab at his diaper and look at me meaningfully.  I'll scoop him up and dash for the potty and he'll generally be dry and then go.  But sometimes he'll have just gone.  If we could be more consistent, I think he could potty train the earliest of my 3, but I figure we'll start to push it a bit around the 19-20 month mark like we did with our other two.  It's nice to do it when it's warm and he can go pantless inside or out and it's nice to be done with teething so we're not working on two things at the same time.

Yeah, Avery's eyes are definitely not brown, but I'm wondering if they'll turn a bit greenish (like grandma's) or more grey (like mine) as time goes on.

[birdhappy85]

I'm having a slight freak-out moment over here... I need advice. Just got back from the pediatrician.

Sora has an upper respiratory infection and ear infection that she got from a cold virus. The doctor prescribed Amoxicillin for 10 days. I'm so anti-antibiotics that I *really* don't want to give them to her.  I've heard of ear infections going away on their own before. But of course I don't want her suffering, and I don't want it to get worse! Ugh.

That was the *good* news, that it's not worse than an ear infection. The bad news? Sora's daycare provider just called me because she took her two kids to the doctor. Her 3-year-old who is home every day has bronchitis. Her 7-year-old has impetigo. And of course, the DCP herself still has strep. Do I bring Sora back?! I'm just totally terrified of her getting something worse! They are all being treated with antibiotics... I've heard of impetigo being really bad. I don't know much about it, though. I do NOT want to be dealing with something more than an ear infection over here!

My boss is probably already fed up with me for calling out two Tuesdays in a row now, first for me being sick and now Sora being sick... just when she increased my hours. I feel like I should just throw in the towel and go back to super part time so I can avoid all of this stress. *sigh*

[dashley111]

Oh yikes!  Does she have a fever?  I wouldn't treat for the ear infection BUT, depending on the state of the URI I might consider it.  It would be hard to tell the cause of fever if she also has an ear infection.  Its also good to consider what "infected"  ear means to your doc- is there fluid build up behind the ear, and if so what does it look like (pus, clear fluid, etc)?  I would also treat if there was fluid with signs of infection behind the membrane in the ear (pus or blood), but not if there were just signs of inflammation or clear fluid build up.

It sounds like there might be some serious hygiene issues in your daycare :/  Everything might LOOK clean and tidy, but just based on what you just said I am willing to bet there is not a lot of sanitizing of toys or hand washing going on.  I wouldn't send my kids back!  From what you say it sounds like SOra is sick over and over- and while to some extent that is normal for this age and being in daycare, it really seems like the provider is lacking in some standards of cleanliness.

[ZippyGirl]

I read this discussion thread every single day, but I feel like I can never post because I am always nursing a sleeping toddler while surfing.  Am I the only human pacifier on this DDC?!?!?!?

I am so sorry that so many are dealing with crazy job situations, illnesses, tough older kids, etc., etc.  Ash, how is your husband?  I am so sorry that you've had to deal with so much.  I hope that this trying time is nearing an end for you and your family!

My DD is going on a trip with DH tomorrow to California.  I literally broke down sobbing the other day.  I have never spent one night away from her in her 6.25 years on earth.  She is so excited to go, but I am beside myself.  How will I get through this?  Especially when she's flying!?!?!?  Seriously, I don't know if I can survive without her.  Isn't that insane?  And what on earth will I do with a toddler by myself for a week?  I haven't entertained a toddler alone for years now!  I've completely forgotten how to do it!  Any ideas?
 

Okay, eye color...  Bode's eyes are definitely brown.  His sister's eyes are hazel green.  My eyes are brown (though my dad's eyes are green), and DH's eyes are blue.  Here's a photo from October:

[Mal85]

Joanie: I wouldn't be too quick to pull her from daycare just yet. This has been a rough winter for infections no matter where you are. I would have a chat with your DCP and find out what she is doing to be proactive in stopping the spread of germs in her home. If it were me, I would be sanitizing like crazy. I had times like that in my home when I did daycare and I was big on making sure the toys and surfaces got sanitized regularly. Illnesses are bound to spread, especially in the winter when they can't get outside as much. I would probably wait a couple of days before sending her back though and make sure no one in her house is contagious anymore. If she and her kids are being treated, they shouldn't be contagious anymore. I'd be comfortable sending my kids back after everyone in her house has been symptom free for 24 hours. Personally, I'd give her the antibiotics.

[Jaimee]

Originally Posted by ZippyGirl 

My DD is going on a trip with DH tomorrow to California.  I literally broke down sobbing the other day.  I have never spent one night away from her in her 6.25 years on earth.  She is so excited to go, but I am beside myself.  How will I get through this?  Especially when she's flying!?!?!?  Seriously, I don't know if I can survive without her.  Isn't that insane?  And what on earth will I do with a toddler by myself for a week?  I haven't entertained a toddler alone for years now!  I've completely forgotten how to do it!  Any ideas?

I felt this way when Avalon went on her first trip with dh without me.  I cried when I watched her with her little pink back pack on her back disappear through the airport crowds, away from me.  But, then it was fine.  It was good even.  She had some dedicated time with dh, a special trip just for her, away from her little brother.  And I had dedicated time with the baby.  She's been away on trips with dh a few more times since then (she was 3 at the time) and it's been easier each time.  ((HUGS))  These big milestones are hard!

[Jaimee]

SARAH...  a friend of Avalon's has the chicken pox and we're considering exposing the kids.  Can you sum up your experience in terms of incubation period, duration of illness, etc.?  Would you recommend this route?

[seraf]

Mal said it perfectly.

Anthea, it's pretty interesting to hang out with a toddler alone when they are used to playing with sibs. You may get to see a whole new side of him. I wouldn't call myself a human pacifier, but I usually post from my phone while nursing a baby whose mostly asleep. The boys being sick today, I am dry as a bone but they just want to nurse and sleep on me. They're on their third nap when they would normally just be laying down for their second. I have tried sneaking away, but it fails every time.

[Jaimee]

Originally Posted by birdhappy85 

I'm having a slight freak-out moment over here... I need advice. Just got back from the pediatrician.

Sora has an upper respiratory infection and ear infection that she got from a cold virus. The doctor prescribed Amoxicillin for 10 days. I'm so anti-antibiotics that I *really* don't want to give them to her.  I've heard of ear infections going away on their own before. But of course I don't want her suffering, and I don't want it to get worse! Ugh.

I would probably give her the abx for the URI.  Ear infection, no, unless it was a severe infection with risk of drum rupture.  So you'll need to judge how severe you think these illnesses are vs. the cons of the abx.  Definitely get her some probiotics!

[seraf]

Jaimee, cross post. I would prob vax them if I was going to do it again. All 4 kids have scars still. Vain? Maybe. Shay has 2 on his face. My older kids were exposed 6 times before they got it. The first and 4th exposures were accidental. The others were because, well, they had already been exposed. So, every time they were in a window where they could break out, we avoided babies. Because the kids didn't catch it from the first kid they were exposed to, we avoided babies for a long time. All out friends have babies. That sucked. O got it first. 19 days after his last possible exposure. Very mild case. Maybe 2 dozen spots. He was cranky, exhausted and achy for about 24 hours, intensely itchy for 3 days then fine. He said he would rather have had the vaccine. Scar on his leg. The spots took over a month to fade from his face. 17 days later, A broke out. The next day S2 broke out. A had been exposed to her brother for his whole duration and 2 friends. Her immune system had been inundated and she easily had 300 pox. She was down about twice as long as O. She lived in oatmeal baths and felt crummy. S2 had only a few spots (he was exposed to O only, when he was barely contagious) but a 104 fever. This was before thanksgiving and he still has several dark pox scars on his bum. He slept and cried quite a bit.

[seraf]

Crap, finger slipped. S got them at least 2 weeks after Soren broke out, he got more pox, a 102 fever and he was up screaming for 3 nights. He has 2 shallow, flesh color craters on his forehead.

I forgot, they each had at least one night where they were up crying. Even the big kids.

When other people wanted to expose their kids to mine, I allowed it, but felt bad (infection control is my professional goal!). At least 7 kids were exposed to mine but not one got it.