To the mama's with newbies and toddlers

[mighty-mama]

Do you try to prevent outings w/ your toddler and newborns..

I hate running errands w/ the two kids.. Maybe it's me, and maybe it's because DS1 is adventerous and needs to explore, but I would rather not leave the house..

DS1, normally does okay in public, but I dread it, he's actually been better since the baby has been born, as he's very protective of his "peanut" and the baby's whearabouts at all time.. But on the other hand, dealing w/ a toddler meltdown, or a screaming baby who needs to NIP, even though he just nursed for an entire hr at home, 10 min earlier. ANd then trying to follow an exploring toddler, while NIP, while walking, while watching my bags, gets draining..

Anyway I usually get rattled... Am I alone?

[sunshine's mama]

par the course, i deal with this too....

dd1 has become more adventerous lately though....i almost lost her in penny's the other day picking up baby pictures bc we blinked, said no and she ran....luckily, dp was meeting me there and found her by the halloween display, frozen (larger than life witch that talked) about 15 feet away....she went one direction, i went the other....quite the zig zag runner she is....(why did i tell her that that's how alligators run???)

i try not to go out with both of them at this stage but there are days where i just need out...amongst ppl....but that isn't going to happen for awhile bc the clutch is going in our car and the only other vehicle is dp's motorcycle....

i never got the hang of nursing in a sling with dd1 and i've tried with 2 but...maybe when i get a wrap one of these days.....it will be eaiser than in a MT (she hates pouches...)......

dd1 melted down in the grocery yesterday after daddy dropped us off with baby and man oh man....i wanted to crawl under a rock (i think it was over cheese....) and then that woke the baby so she started fussing.....not fun.....would've rathered stayed home.....

so, there are days i try to prevent but it doesn't happen and we all have to go out...maybe it would be easier if dd1 still napped but she stopped those around 28 months......HOLY MOLY, SHE'S ALMOST FOUR (brain had a moment of clarity......holy moly!!!!) but naps are few and far btwn these days......i was going to say something else but that moment of clarity wiped all thought from my brain......

i am sure it will get better right?????

too bad we aren't closer to each other (i think? ohio here) or we could get the kids together to play and wear themselves out.....

[sunshine's mama]

I remembered......yay brain!!! must be the lemonade

Amazingly, she's been very good when we've gone the past week to see mom at the hospital.....esp if i call ahead and we can go see the babies (if a friend of mine is working, she'll come down and bring her up to see them in their special window (what she calls the nursery) and then bring her back down.....it helps.

[Daisie125]

I haven't left the house without dh yet... I am terrified to. I don't even know how to begin.

[Plaid Leopard]

I haven't left the house since Yann was born. My two older kids are no problem, it's my almost 4yo that often refuses to walk that has me worried. I don't know what I will do if he sits down in the middle of the sidewalk somewhere and refuses to move and I have Yann in the wrap carrier... Just wait I guess.

[mighty-mama]

Originally Posted by Daisie125

I haven't left the house without dh yet... I am terrified to. I don't even know how to begin.

Oh mama, I was the same way.. But your eldest is a yr younger than my eldest, so I couldn't imagine the fear of tackling them in public..

I tried grocery shopping first.. (actually we went to buy like 3 items).. It wasn't bad, since DS1 was stapped into the cart..

[mighty-mama]

Originally Posted by Plaid Leopard

I I don't know what I will do if he sits down in the middle of the sidewalk somewhere and refuses to move

we had this incident yesterday, only my 2.5yr old was a standstill in the parking lot. Apparently I was in the wrong for bringing him to the playground

[sunshine's mama]

Originally Posted by Plaid Leopard

I haven't left the house since Yann was born. My two older kids are no problem, it's my almost 4yo that often refuses to walk that has me worried. I don't know what I will do if he sits down in the middle of the sidewalk somewhere and refuses to move and I have Yann in the wrap carrier... Just wait I guess.

Same thing happened yesterday with dd1...ON OUR WAY TO THE POOL...

She begged and begged to go so I got us all ready, dug through boxes for the solarveil sling for baby and we got 2/3 of the way there and she sat down and woldn't get up!!

Before baby, her 36lbs was nothing to carry but now she feels like she's 80lbs and she's dead weight when she's like that...So, I went over under a nearby tree, IN A NEIGHBORS YARD I DON'T KNOW and sat down....and we waited....baby nursed....we waited...baby fell asleep so there was no way I was taking her in the pool, chilly, to wake her up....

Dd finally got up, no explanation when I asked and started for home....: : :

[lactivist]

I haven't tackled any public outings without dh yet. Eavan (2 1/2) weighs 35 pounds and fights like a banshee if he doesn't want to do something. We went to walmart the other night and he ran away from us four times. I would have been freaking if I was alone. I can't get past having Dahlia so far in the back of my van and not being able to see her so I haven't even tried errands with just her and I. I do have a 9yo that can sit with her in the van but he is fairly useless in helping with Eavan. Eavan is hard to deal with in public alone so I am not quite sure how I will manage once I get brave enough to try it. Luckily I have a mei tai and find it the easiest to nurse in. Dahlia seems to really like riding in it so that helps. You are definitely not alone. I think of you often when I am struggling with Eavan. I know you are going through it too and somehow that helps. Not that I want others to suffer but I always feel better when not alone.
Wendi

[jinetemx]

Yeah, how do so many people do it? My 3 year old is constantly testing and has now taken to crying to attempt to get every single thing she wants, when she wants it! I have gone out like twice with both alone, today to the BANK. THat was scary, but we survived. No one told me having toddler and NB would be so hard!

[greenmagick]

Whew! I am jealous of you mamas brave enough to go out on your own I have still only gone out with my husband so he can wrangle the toddler, she's 21 months. I guess to be fair to myself though, I am still technically healing from a surgery. Thursday is DH first day back at work and I am getting a bit nervous:

[lunamegn]

I try to avoid going anywhere I don't have to unless someone is with me. I think it'll get better with time and they're both great kids, but my little one wants to nurse around the clock. I don't have any problem nursing in public, but I would rather be at home with him. I think that hard part for me is getting us all ready and out the door.

[forestrymom]

Well, its only been a week, but NO WAY! I have figured out that if I put ds in the MT, I can carry dd, but she is still very light (20 lbs), but I just can't imagine the stress that would put on me. I see moms doing it all the time and just can't imagine doing it myself!

[sunshine's mama]

It does make me feel better though since I only have the 3.5yo and the new one.

One of my good friends had twins when her first was just about 15-16 months so she had 3 under 2...eeeek...

And she somehow managed to get them out and about all the time....with more good than bad.....I need to ask her how she did it without much fuss....She'd call me the days there was....

[abomgardner417]

I used to get out a lot when I could tote my twins around in carriers but now that they're walking it's impossible to go out alone. Even if I could keep them together, at least one of them will have a meltdown. I can't even let them run outside because we live on a busy street and they run in opposite directions (but always straight for the road). I was so glad to see this post and know that I'm not the only one stuck at home all the time!

[daceysmomma]

My DH is a football coach so he is NEVER around these days. I HAVE to go out with the two girls by myself or we would be down to eating a stash of canned goods from the last hurricane scare. Seriously though, I don't have a choice. It's hard, for sure! Thankfully DD2 is so laid-back and content, I can put her in a MT or RS and she will sleep the whole time we are out. It also helps that DD1 never has fully gotten over the cling-to-Mommy stage so she never ventures off far from me. I never go anywhere she can't be contained and try to keep our outings short. It is pretty overwhelming and frazzling at times, but again - I just have to do it!

[J-Bean]

Oh my gosh, I dread the day that I have to take my DD and the new DD out in public for anything. My DD seems to have just found her energy spurt...and it's spurting so fast and strong that most days I feel completely wiped out from just being around her. She's also got a fierce independence/separation thing going on right now. I've only been out with the DH and hope to god that I won't be needing to go anywhere (besides the park very very soon, and that via walking) soon. GOod luck mamas! This also reminded me that I've got to figure out the nursing in my sling or moby wrap. Never got it down with DD1 but will simply have to this time around. Seems like DD2 is always attached to teh boob, either that, or crying with a wet diaper...again!