November/December '02 --the latest incarnation - Page 2

[Brayg]

mamafern! Sounds like something Owen would do--he's a climber! We were out in the backyard playing today and he was trying to climb up the slide on Jacob's wooden playset (ya know...the ones that have the tower and stuff...) and he made it all the way up! Now I have one more thing to worry about! There's 3 "exits" off that tower--the slide (which isn't a huge deal) and 2 others that he'd fall straight to the ground out of--it's about 5 feet off the ground! Ugh!

We are getting a fence installed in about 2 weeks. I'm so excited--very very happy about it. We have a busy road behind us and it scared the carp out of me that he could get out there. I was thinking this summer would bite because I really couldn't do much in the yard w/Owen--I'd be too worried he'd escape somehow. Now we'll have the fence and *most* of my worries will go away.

[DecemberSun]

Hi ladies, I've missed you all! (Glad you joined us again, Max'sMami!!! Can't wait for Max and Zach to play on Sunday!)

We've been dealing with chicken pox and a nasty sore throat virus in our house. Everyone's tired and irritable. Zach is nursing constantly it seems, but I know he doesn't feel good so I'm giving in...

We're in the midst of a "gentle weaning" process right now, which has been tweeked due to our illness... I'm trying to distract him when he wants to nurse out of boredom. I'll offer him a drink of water, a snack, a toy (phones seem to work ), or tickle him or something. 80% of the time my distraction will work, but when he's dead-set on nursing, there's no stopping him! He has recently started referring to it/them as "bobby", and he likes to switch back and forth a lot for some reason (probably not making as much milk?). I know he won't be weaned completely for a LOOOONG time, but I'm trying to get him to comfort himself in other ways.

DH and I are going to a Heart concert in August and I'm afraid DS will scream his head off for my bro and SIL... He has only ever been left with his daddy at nighttime, and he only does so-so with him. He can fall asleep by just being rocked, and he'll stay asleep for a few hours, but man-oh-man when he wakes up and can't have the boob for comfort to get back to sleep it's a nightmare! (Or so I've heard, LOL) I'm crossing my fingers that he'll be ok for them so we can enjoy a night out. You'd think by 20 months he'd be fine to be left for the night, but he's still so much of a baby... Nursing constantly and barely 20 pounds... It has it's good and it's bad points, I guess!

[**guest**]

Ah ha!...Chicken Pox! Even though my ds was vaxed, I just noticed (yesterday) that he has a spot on his cheek and his hand. It looked peculiar to me...and I couldn't quite place it but now I realize it looks a LOT like cpox! Can they catch a mild case of it even if they've been vaxed?
I know that I, personally, went against the 'textbook' and I got cpox TWICE. Once as a child and then again at about 28.

Question for you all. My ds knows his alphabet. Not just the song, he REALLY knows it! He can recognize letters AND he knows what sound it makes. On Sunday, He surprised the heck out of me by sounding out the word Dog. I've been trying to teach him to put his phonics to work but I really didn't think he would understand for quite some time! I've worked with children for most of my adult life but I've NEVER seen a child that even really knows his alphabet at this age.
Anyone elses child know their alphabet with sounds?
I just don't know how normal this is. rofl. Oh, he knew his alphabet completely by 16 months old (he's almost 17m now).

peace,
Liz

[*solsticemama*]

Leah, "bobby" that's pretty cute. Ds calls it bouf and also likes to play switcheroo. He'll nurse for a bit on one side and then look up at me and say 'oh side?' Sometimes he'll do this 2 or 3 times in a row, I think just because he can YK.

All this talk about school. I have to admit I'm sitting here thinking ...school? homeschool? unschool? is a long way away from my moment to moment of diapering, nursing, slinging and toddling with etc. My day is full to overflowing with just staying present with these wonders. School in whatever form or unform is a distant galaxy.

I bought ds a sling the other day. He's toted "Bear" around every now and again looking so pleased with himself. Adorable

[majazama]

*solsticemama*~It seems like you have the "Be here Now" think down pat. Not me... I'm thinking ahead.

lizc~My daughter can wipe her own bum after she uses the potty, I can just sit in the other room and watch T.V. *And* she can say the alphabet backwards, in french.... I'm pretty proud, might I add.

[tea olive]

mamajaza, that's cos you're pg. though you're in a really good month, and i would encourage you to enjoy your family as three.....get a massage, put a mendhi on that belly, and plan a cast at the most.....

[tea olive]

solsticemama, why are you so cool? were you well parented? are you a thousand years old?

love, casina

[Mona]

Originally Posted by casina

solsticemama, why are you so cool? were you well parented? are you a thousand years old?

love, casina

:LOL I agree casina.

wow, the alphabet.... dd doesn't even know what the alphabet is.

we had an interesting day yesterday.... i had to go to a special all day meeting for my job, which happens once a year. last year i went to two hours of it. this year i decided to try the whole day, with visits during breaks for nursing opportunities. well, when she came to visit, she wouldn't nurse. i couldn't believe it! i was so full, and i know she was hungry. but she wanted to play. and she was not in "her" space, and i she "knew" that things were not as they "should" be, yk? i was so bummed- for myself, as i was practically engorging, bc i needed the nursing chemicals emotionally, and and bc i knew that once they were gone, she would want nummers.
dh and dd did pretty well, which i was so grateful for. no major long crying episodes, except for the trip home after their last visit to me.
i on the other hand, had to hand express some milk in the bathroom onto the floor, just so i didn't get painfully engorged. that sucked.

well, i have to run. jsut wanted to check in.

oh, on the homeschooling thing... i feel similar to rose. the ideas cross my mind, but at this point i try to let them just roll off and move to something more present.

to all

[**guest**]

Originally Posted by *Mamajaza

My daughter can wipe her own bum after she uses the potty, I can just sit in the other room and watch T.V. *And* she can say the alphabet backwards, in french.... I'm pretty proud, might I add.

Er, Mamajaza, I wasn't trying to brag, I was trying to explain it completely and wanted to find out if it was normal around this age.

Liz

[MamaFern]

lizc, i think she was just being silly! i thought that my son was smart, but the alphabet? he sounds out words and says things like A dog and A ball, and lately brings me my shoes and his and says "shoes..boots.." cause he knows we always put them on before we go outside and thats his favorite place. he started to say yes and baby and bed and he is signing a lot more for things like drink and bed and change, but he sure doesnt know his letters yet. you have one smart kiddo.

we are having a much better day today-so far. elwynn is still sleeping, he doesnt climb in his sleep, thank goodness! : we are going camping for a week starting on sunday. im pretty excited. the last camping trip we went on elwynn was only about 8 months i think. i know that he will have a great time, he loves being outdoors. i made him his own little sleeping bag from a wool sweater that has a zipper down the middle. i cut off the arms and sewed up the sides and left little arm holes and sewed the bottom of another sweater onto the bottom for more length. its got a hood and he looks so cozy in it. usually i just share my blankets but he always kicks them off and i dont want him to freeze. im excited to see how my efforts work out.

thanks for all of your mamma love.

fern and elwynn

[kerc]

: mamas.

ummm on the wiping her own bum thing. erin now HAS to have a wipe and give it her best shot. Whatever. we let her try it.

she's learning new words a mile a minute. it is so darn fun. it was like she didn't say anything and then wham - an explosion of vocabulary. Like somehow she got one or two noises right and now is better at fine-tuning what she is saying.

brayg -- your boys are cute. I saw emm on the amity sewing forum and almost posted there.

mona -- sounds like your work day was frustrating. hopefully today is better for you.

leah -- is the chicken pox on its way out? and I don't think I'd worry about august yet...he'll be a whole nother kiddo by then kwim?

solsticemama -- I am trying to live more in the present too. The future is just too scary for me. Don't get me wrong, I do a little planning and whatif-ing but i can't see beyond this month.

and finally -- let's talk sandboxes. do you have em? did you build it? do you have the turtle little tykes one? give me some pros and cons for them. DD is constantly digging in the garden and playing in the rocks under the deck. I'm thinking she'll love a sandbox.

[eilonwy]

Originally Posted by lizc

Ah ha!...Chicken Pox! Even though my ds was vaxed, I just noticed (yesterday) that he has a spot on his cheek and his hand. It looked peculiar to me...and I couldn't quite place it but now I realize it looks a LOT like cpox! Can they catch a mild case of it even if they've been vaxed?
I know that I, personally, went against the 'textbook' and I got cpox TWICE. Once as a child and then again at about 28.

Question for you all. My ds knows his alphabet. Not just the song, he REALLY knows it! He can recognize letters AND he knows what sound it makes. On Sunday, He surprised the heck out of me by sounding out the word Dog. I've been trying to teach him to put his phonics to work but I really didn't think he would understand for quite some time! I've worked with children for most of my adult life but I've NEVER seen a child that even really knows his alphabet at this age.
Anyone elses child know their alphabet with sounds?
I just don't know how normal this is. rofl. Oh, he knew his alphabet completely by 16 months old (he's almost 17m now).

peace,
Liz

My understanding is that the vaccine is the equivalent of a very mild case of chicken pox; in other words, some people will be protected, but some people won't be able to develop enough antibodies from it. I had a decent case of the chicken pox when I was three years old, and my mother bathed my brother and I together and put us in the same bed so he'd catch them too, but he never did. :LOL He didn't get them until I was 10 (he was 9) and there was a *huge* epidemic all up and down the east coast, as I recall. Both of my sisters and my brother got it, every kid in school who hadn't had it got it.. there was one day when me and one boy were the only kids to show up. It was a school of fewer than 40 kids, and only 5 of us (pre-k through 5th grade) had already had the chicken pox, so the epidemic really killed attendance for a while. :LOL

Eli recognizes all of his letters and numbers too . We, however, are freaks. Not every kid who knows the alphabet that young is a freak, but some of us definately are. It's all good Kids learn at different speeds. Nothing to worry about, just take it all in stride.

[*solsticemama*]

Casina, I might ask the same of you.

Actually each of you mamas has generously shared her unique wisdom at one time or another on this thread. In a culture that doesn't place much visible emphasis on the magnitude of our job, it's helpful and nourishing to share the day in and day out of our lives here.

MamaFern glad to hear your little one is sound and whole despite his fall. That little sleeping bag sounds great.

Eilonwy when we don't hear from you in awhile I start to wonder...labor? *Mamajaza* you sound in fine feisty form, that'll be helpful for the birth.

Lisa, a seasoned mama gave me a good tip for when I had to let my milk leak. I was letting it drip onto the concrete and she said, 'oh, don't waste it, let it drip onto the earth.' I liked that. But I realize it's not always practical.

[Mona]

Originally Posted by *solsticemama*

Lisa, a seasoned mama gave me a good tip for when I had to let my milk leak. I was letting it drip onto the concrete and she said, 'oh, don't waste it, let it drip onto the earth.' I liked that. But I realize it's not always practical.

Yes, that is indeed wonderful advice. it was the first time i had to waste my bm. i have drank it myself before rather then pour it down the drain.
My meeting was at a retirement center, so the image of me being out on the patio rubbing my breasts gave me a laugh.

[eilonwy]

Originally Posted by kerc

and finally -- let's talk sandboxes. do you have em? did you build it? do you have the turtle little tykes one? give me some pros and cons for them. DD is constantly digging in the garden and playing in the rocks under the deck. I'm thinking she'll love a sandbox.

FIL bought one of the turtles for Eli and set it up on their deck. He absolutely loves it, MIL will sit on the swing and Eli will play in and around the sandbox. It's a great thing, and if we had money and a backyard that was fenced in, I'd totally want to get one!

[eilonwy]

Originally Posted by *solsticemama*

Eilonwy when we don't hear from you in awhile I start to wonder...labor? *Mamajaza* you sound in fine feisty form, that'll be helpful for the birth.

:LOL Sorry, it's just uncomfortable for me to sit for any length of time. :LOL Seriously, though, I'm trying to enjoy my last few weeks alone with EliBean. It's difficult, because I'm so short tempered and mean lately () but I try to get in a few hours of hugs and kisses and zerberts and giggles with him because he's going to be a big brother soon and I want him to have some small memory of time alone with Mamma for love-loves. Plus, I feel guilty that I can't take him outside; the weather is fabulous, but our backyard is open on both ends so I have to chase him and that just isn't happening right now. So I try to make up for it by playing with him inside when he's awake. Don't worry, I'll let you guys know when it finally happens. I'm thinking we've got at least two or three weeks, I don't feel remotely close to delivery although I *am* tired of being pregnant and eager to meet my daughter. At this point, though, I'd rather endure the miseries than have another NICU baby.

[Brayg]

Either you gals have been busy posting or I'm slacking (I think it's the latter, to be honest! :LOL).

Wow! The alphabet--that's amazing! Owen knows the "tune" (or is that Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star? ) and moves his body to the music. He also knows the actions for The Itsy Bitsy Spider--pretty cute. He claps even before we're done because that's his favorite part!

Thanks Kristen--I think they're cute too! I've been visiting the sewing forum over at Amity's a lot lately--I have a lot to learn. Haven't really sewn much since high school. I need to get an instructional video or something--do they have such a thing? Or maybe I could pay you to take a road trip down here and teach me! Now that I own a serger, I'm itching to make something--I have a TON of great fabric ('specially some great PRR) and I'm just not figuring out what to make. Kids' clothing is so cheap to buy at thrift shops and garage sales--seems silly to spend so much time on that. Guess I'll just keep making diapers--I'm pretty good at it so far and that was just turning and topstitching and using aplix. Now that I have a serger and I also have a snap press on its way--watch out world! :LOL

to all you with sickies or chicken pox. I hope Owen catches 'em while he's still young so we have them done and over with! Jacob got them when he was a year old, so we never had to "worry" about it.

sandboxes...we built Jacob that tower playset a few years back and there is a small sandbox underneath the tower. Owen can just use that one. I did think about getting one of those easy store sand/water tables but they are $50! Yikes! I'd love to have something like that on the deck.

So yesterday we were playing in the backyard and Owen was trying to walk UP the slide and he made it all the way. *sigh* When he gets to the top, he's in the tower, which is about 5 feet off the ground. There are 3 "exits" off the tower--2 open and one to the slide. If he fell, it wouldn't be good. Now I have to worry about that. Grrr! My little climber!

[**guest**]

HI Rynna- Ok, I feel a bit better now that I know other kids know their alphabet. Oh, I'd LOVE to be able to take the credit for teaching it to ds...I had the alphabet on his wall and have been pointing to letters while saying them, etc but it wasn't until he started playing with FRIDGE PHONICS by Leap Frog did he actually start knowing what each letter sounds like. Normally, I can't stand toys that talk, make noise, etc but I have to say I'm really happy with Fridge Phonics. It WILL drive all the adults batty though. Repitition til your ears bleed. lol.

Peace,
Liz

[majazama]

Yes, I am feeling ready for labour (bring it on). Casina, thanks for the suggestion to get a massage, I just made an appointment. OOooo, can't wait.

My baby still calls pigs dogs, and horses are dogs too, so I don't know if she could determine an M from an N. I don't have any instructional videos or the alphabet pasted on the wall. I might have sung the alphabet to her twice (?) I do have a cousin who has a little girl that's just over 2 and she coaches her on all sorts of things. I've never actually seen it, but apparently she can say the alphabet backwards (I don't think *I* can even do that, but I've never practiced, either) and in spanish. I wonder if that really accomlishes anything, though? I would love to say my daughter is sooo advanced for her age, but I don't have the time or energy to put into that. (refering to my cousin, not you, lizc)

[kerc]

sewing...whew. a serger! i have a cheapie machine that does me fine, but i lust for a serger. on the cost of sewing clothes -- it might be different for boys, but I get satisfaction out of sewing clothes that are little girl clothes (not frilly, but just not looking like some tiny hoochie, KWIM?) . I find that sewing cute outfits up gives me stress relief. I went garage saleing this morning to look for clothes and toys for e. I am reminded how much time one has to spend to find a "good deal." At this point in my life I am unwilling to spend a lot of my precious time doing something I don't really get satisfaction out of.

and a final sewing note -- anyone sewing kids clothes -- I recommend the kwik sew books: KS for Toddlers, or KS for Kids. They are fantastic and give great instructions about how to do things. Enough sewing, pm me if you want to chat about it further.

So I think I'm going to buy a turtle to put on the deck. There's a strong possibility we will move next year and that way we can take it with us. Also we have a baby gate on the deck steps so it is better than a fenced yard (close enough to the house I can run in for drinks and such).

no alphabet at all here. I'm not worried. cool that your little ones can do it. Happy end of pregnancy vibes...