Mamas W/ Toddlers & A Newborn - Page 2

[mezzaluna]

here with open ears - i'm due in a month, and DS is 27 months. he naps pretty erratically, so i fear i'm in trouble there - he needs a lot of help to go down for a nap, and i'm already too tired some days to try to get him a nap. luckily DH has been doing bedtimes with him and will continue to be able to do so.

[vegaenglit]

hi, chiming in too - havent yet gone through everyones posts.

lucien is..... great gotta go.

edit: im back. anyway just had my second on the 9th and im still getting used to it. actually i stumbled on this thread lookin for help regarding my sons more "pleasant" behaviours - primarily he does not take me (or my husband for that matter) seriously. i have to turn into this horrible monster and make him cry for him to listen to me. and it's always worse at bedtime when he's working himself into a frenzy and im already past my last nerve. like he starts thrashing about while im trying to get his night-time butt on and when i grab his legs/arms and say "no kicking/hitting. that hurts me." he laughs and does it again. it takes every ounce of my being not to just fly off the handle, ya know?

this was an issue for a while and whether or not the birth has changed it for him, it certainly has changed my ability to cope and im not sure if what i was doing was working to begin with.

[Avena]

I'm going to just die

OMG! I had the worst couple days! I feel like I want to die: : : :
DD won't nap I can't get ANYTHING DONE BESIDES CHANGING DIAPERS! I'm going beyond insaine, I'm ready to break....... All Day DD is a terror, I just don't know what to do besides cry

At night it's the worst, By the time I get the babe finally back to sleep after nursing and changing she is up then it goes on this all night and then it's light out and she's up for the day! I can't take another 16 hours every day of this.........: : : :

[miguelsmom]

I'm so glad I found this thread! Avena I just ordered some teas and I'm really happy to find teas for kids, especially one for teething! That has been our biggest issue right now. My ds is 27 months and my dd is 10 weeks. It's been such a juggling act but we are making our way. But seeming them interact together is so wonderful at the same time.
I was nervous about bedtime too since we co-sleep and in the beginning it used to take my mom and I tag teaming the kids at bedtime. We foundly remember in the beginning when it took both of us two hours 3 diaper (2 for dd and 1 for ds) to get my oldest to sleep. Now most nights are going well. My husband works night shift 5 days a week and a 13 hr shift on sundays, so I only have him to help one night a week.
My moby wrap is a life saver- if you don't wear your baby I would give it a try, it was a challenge at first but we've got it down now and without I would NEVER get anything done. Does anyone have experience nursing with a moby? I would love any tips on how to be successful at it.
Before my dd was born our ds never really watched tv but I've found myself using "toons" as a bit of a crutch on hectic days. We try to not have it happen everyday so I'm hoping it's not too bad for him.

Has anyone else had sick kids a lot this winter. My son has been sick off and on since the birth of my second; it's just seemed really bad this year.

[miguelsmom]

Avena and Vegaenglit- I hadn't read the last two post before I posted. I'm sorry it's so rough I have those days too, heck I have those weeks.

Vegaenglit-We too had a period in time after dd was born where our ds basically just laughed in our faces when we asked him to do something like I don't know....eat or drink or sleep and when we would change his clothes or diapers. It still happens a but much less. The same will happen for you.

Avena- It can be soo hard to juggle nursing and having others to look after aswell along with your own sanity. Those never ending nights seem well...never ending. Don't loose faith.

Your both wonderful mamas doing the best you can. Hugs to both of you!

[AEMOMMY]

My dd is 2.5 yo and my ds is 8mos sometimes I just cry. I nurse him while yelling at her. I totally feel like nothing is ever right. I have such guilt. I feel like this horrible human being. I feel spread too thin.

Sorry, feeling depressed today.

[miguelsmom]

I think we all could use some hugs

[Oceanjones]

Sophie is 27 mos and Jude is 3 mos and I have days where I just sit and cry off and on the whole time. Sophie just wants to hang off my boobs all day and gets upset when Jude needs to eat and it is really making me resent nursing her even though I am so committed to CLW. Believe me I have tried all the tips to cut her back or get her to respect me and she just doesn't give a rats @$$
She wants her way and that's that!

The only thing that helps us with naps and bedtime is the TV I hate using it like that but I don't know what else to do. I have a baby quilt I lay on the floor and a pillow and she knows to lay on her pillow when she is tired. Most of the time it works but not always. I NEVER lay Jude there so it's just her own special spot. She will watch Shrek or Cinderella 94 times in a row until she's too sleepy to stay awake. I just put a little tv with a dvd player in the girls' bedroom and she will go up with Bridgette to watch and fall asleep.

Sophie is also one of those that won't listen or do a thing I say unless I yell and she gets to crying and even that doesn't always work and I'm riddled with guilt constantly. I want to be a better mama and I just feel like nothing I do is working. If Jude wasn't such a content baby I would really lose it. I wish I had familyto help or even friends that have a clue. I don't know anyone well enough to ask for help.

It feels good to vent and know I am not alone. I honestly feel sometimes that I am the only one who gets so frustrated and that I'm the worst mother in the world.

[mamachandi]

a big hug mama- it does get easier. My "newborn" is now 23 months and my toddler is now 4. so we made it through though it was difficult. It made it much easier that dh was helping but he does work alot so i was alone for most of the time. things are much better now

[mezzaluna]

Originally Posted by miguelsmom

My moby wrap is a life saver- if you don't wear your baby I would give it a try, it was a challenge at first but we've got it down now and without I would NEVER get anything done. Does anyone have experience nursing with a moby? I would love any tips on how to be successful at it.

i nursed in the moby some when DS was new. in the cradle hold it worked ok but he didn't like having his head confined, so i would have to pop his head out a bit, and hold it with my hand or elbow instead. clothing-wise, it took some ingenuity to figure out what to wear that wouldn't expose my whole side from having to hike up my shirt so high. i found either a button down shirt over a t-shirt, or a t-shirt over a nursing tank were fairly comfortable and easy to deal with.

as DS got older, i occasionally nursed him in the upright inward facing cross-carry position. he had to be just at the right level - sometimes i had to retie the moby to get the positioning right... and a nursing tank or a shirt you can pull down from the top seemed to work the best.

my friend who was borrowing my moby just returned it a week ago... sounds like i will be getting good use out of it again!

[AEMOMMY]

[QUOTE=Oceanjones;7581020]
The only thing that helps us with naps and bedtime is the TV I hate using it like that but I don't know what else to do.


I wanted to be this mom who always interacted with my children. I had this fantasy of sitting on the floor nursing ds while playing and reading with dd. Instead I have these huge boobs which require me to sit in a certain chair in one room to nurse while dd has full reign over the rest of the house. The only way to keep her in the same room is to watch movies. Then I get sick to my stomach seeing her glued to the TV.

I also had this fantasy of taking care of myself during naps, but my oldest takes a nap in the afternoon while the baby DOES NOT NAP AT ALL! Days go by where I can't remember when my last shower was. Then dh has the nerve to ask when will I use the Eliptical machine that I bought! I feel like tearing his heart out of his throat!

Hopefully spring will come soon, I'll strap the baby in a sling and head out doors. There's nothing like a fresh air mickey! Maybe one day we'll all take a nap.

[Avena]

Thanks mamas for the support!

Ok We'll I had a chat with DD and told her she must nap or I'll go crazy, I know she doesn't fully understand but it WORKED SO FAR!!!! She napped today, WHOOPIE!!!!!!

"miguelsmomI'm so glad I found this thread! Avena I just ordered some teas and I'm really happy to find teas for kids, especially one for teething!" THANKS , YOUR ORDER CHEERED ME UP !!! I've included a little something x-tra for ya

Things are a little better today but, whoa sometimes I feel like it's waay more then I can handle Esp. when I'm nursing the wee one, DD wants this and that I feel crazy! Esp. doing everything one handed! I don't think there isn't a thing I can't do w/one hand

We don't have a TV but let me tell ya I've been thinking of one!

[mamabear&babybear]

I'm so glad I found this thread, today. It's comforting to know I'm not the only one letting their toddler watch too much TV. :

Hope all you sleep deprived mamas get some sleep soon. DD2 is a great sleeper at night; I don't know how I would cope if she wasn't.

Our main issue right now is having a high needs toddler. Lately dd1 has wanted snuggles all the time. I do my best to give her what she needs but there are too many times that I have to tell her no. I hate that I can't always fulfill her basic need to feel loved. When I do give her snuggles, she more often than not has to share them with dd2. : Bedtime for the past few nights has also been difficult. They both want me at night. I usually have to make the awful choice of who will be crying with my dh while the other gets snuggles from me. Generally, I leave dd2 with dh and snuggle dd1 for 5-10 minutes. Once dd2 gets really going, dh brings her to me and he lays with dd1.

Dh just went back to work after having 5 weeks off, so I'm hoping things will get better as we adjust to him being gone.

to everyone. It's not easy having two young ones.

[vegaenglit]

ok. crazy thing. everyone is gone (we live with my inlaws and their adult daughter and her boyfriend also live in the house - but that's a whole other story). FIL has been without work for 3 months, jeremy and his mom took the first week off. but now everyone is at work.

ive been alone all day and i feel better than i have in months. it's so quiet - all things considered. i dont feel the need to censor and control lucien's perfectly normal toddler behaviour for fear it's bugging someone. i dont need to perform to the inlaws ideas of good parenting/SAHM-ing nor does lucien have an audience (jeremy is not convinced any of lucien's goofiness or "mis-behaviour" has anythign to do with the number of people in the house). nor do i have what i call the greek chorus trying to parent my child(ren).

i will really only get one day like this (unless mindy gets a monday off) a week but, damn, it feels wonderful. i was really dreading this day.

[miguelsmom]

Bump! So we're easier to find! Hope everyone is hanging in there!

[AEMOMMY]

Does anyone else feel like it is impossible to go to the store with both kids by themselves. Ds is 8 mos and dd is 2.5 shouldn't it be easier by now?:

[becoming]

As much as this thread scares me, I'm subbing. My DD will be 21 months when the new babe is born, and I'm already terrified.

[mmm0708]

I'm due in 3 days with baby #2. DS is 23 months old. I'll be joining your chat next week, I'm sure.

[SusannahM]

Originally Posted by AEMOMMY

Does anyone else feel like it is impossible to go to the store with both kids by themselves. Ds is 8 mos and dd is 2.5 shouldn't it be easier by now?:

I try to only go to places where I can put them both in the cart. So, places that don't have carts are out. I guess if I bought a double stroller, I could probably handle them both without a cart, but I really don't want to buy one. Going grocery shopping actually provides some relief around here. DD is worst in the house. Going on walks and to the playground helps a lot.

I'm finding I do better to get out of the house A LOT. Of course, the house suffers, it's one huge dirty mess at the moment, but my sanity is at least intact for today So, I guess it's not such a bad day.

[Motherwolf]

Don't Over Schedule

I guess I am learning this now. I had been over scheduling stuff, and burning out. Bt waking, feeding, dressing, or not dressin...it is already noon!
You are not alone Mama, hang in there.!