Sssssss..... for Potty Training

My son is 15 months old and I have been trying out potty training. Now don’t think I am crazy, I am not looking to have him out of diapers next week, no I am just trying to get him to occasionally pee in the potty.


Nothing like a good head start.

So here is our routine….every time we change a diaper I sit him on the potty for a few minutes. While he is sitting on the potty I make a sssssss… sound to represent peeing or something like that. I think you all get the idea… LOL. Anyway now every time I sit Thomas on the potty he makes the sssssss….. sound. It is so funny that he thinks sitting on the potty means me make this silly sound. Now if only I could get him to actually pee in the potty. LOL….

Wordless Wednesday

Here is a photo from my baby from one year ago. It is hard to believe how big he is now and how much he is always getting into. Somedays I miss the simple times of just laying around on the floor together.

Go visit Angie at 7 Clown Circus for more great Wordless Wednesday post.

My Wake Up Call’s

I am a very light sleeper and I jump every time my boys even make a peep in the middle of the night. Thomas is my 12, 2 and 5 AM alarm clock. He is 13 months old and he still wakes 3 times every night. I honestly think it is a habit now. The bad part is you can’t just ignore him and force him to self sooth himself back to sleep. Oh no… we have a little house so his crib is in our bed room. So he stands up in the middle of the night, shakes the crib and cries until you get up and get him. If I could interoperate baby jabber he would be telling me to get my butt out of bed because he needs a drink and a little cuddle time with mom. He also is telling me he knows I am their so hiding under that blank isn’t going to fool him. LOL….

So three times a night with this child is exhausting and what does my 5 year old do to me…. “Mommy…..” as load as he can like there is something wrong. I rush into his room and calmly he says to me “will you scratch my back”. The worst part is he does this all the time and never when I am already awake at 12, 2 or 5 but around 3 AM. So I either get up and scratch his little back or I kick my husband out of bed and make him share in my sleepless nights.

I love my boys but they both are about to drive me to exhaustion.

My little climber

Thomas is my 12 month old. He started walking on his birthday. Well in a matter of weeks we have gone from walking to climbing. Climbing anything and everything he can. First I have a large tote next to my couch full of baby cloths. He climbs on top of the tote and then climbs up over the arm of the couch. This scared me to death and he thinks it’s a cute game. So after 20 or so times getting him down I put the tote on top of the chair. I smile at him and tell him I have out smarted him. Boy was I wrong!!! He smiles and goes over and grabs his little rocking chair and push it up to the chair that has the tote. Now he thinks he is going to climb onto his little chair, then up into the big chair and on top of the tote. But before he does all of that he has decided to stand in the little rocker and rock it back and forth. Seriously, I believe this child is trying to give me a heart-attack. The smile on his face says it all.

Fast forward a couple days and he has moved on to something new. His brother has a kid’s recliner in the toy room that he sits in to watch TV. Thomas now climbs into that chair and grabs everything he can off the desk and plays with the answering machine. I wouldn’t be surprised if you called my house you wouldn’t get baby jabber followed by a beep. It took me 20 minutes the other night to figure out where the noise was coming from as the machine was playing the 50 plus messages that I never delete off the answering machine. I was reliving the presidential election campaign all over again.

Anyway the other night Luke was sitting in the chair watching TV and this had Thomas ticked off. He kept pulling at Luke and screaming because he wanted to stand in the chair and play. I had to redirect this child 20 times. Finally all is calm. Mr. Engineer (hubby) gets Luke to take him to bed. They go walking through the room and Thomas looks up. All smiles he is walking to dad and Luke like he wants to go with them. Oh no, he rounded the couch and headed straight to that chair. The look on his face was priceless because he was so thrilled that his brother was not sitting in the chair no more. We all laughed because the boy has a one track mind. This kid is way to smart for his own good.

Now today I am sitting here at the computer while Thomas is tossing stuff off the desk from the chair and then I turn around for two seconds, turn back and he is sitting in the middle of the desk. He climbed on top of my desk. So now I have the chair turned around and shoved against the wall.
So at what age did your kids start climbing on things like little monkeys? My oldest was climbing at this age also but he started walking at 10 months so he was a lot more balanced.

The Bottle is the Enemy…

My baby has declared the bottle his enemy.

I have been nursing my baby since the day he was born and I had the ultimate goal of nursing him until he turned one year. I am proud to say I reached my goal when my baby turned one on October 26th.

He nursed the first four months solid and I never really gave him a bottle because I was at home with him. I think this was a huge mistake on my part. When I returned to work this child refused to eat a bottle for anyone. This was a nightmare. I cried because my baby wasn’t eating and I felt like this awful parent. Then I was up all night feeding baby because he was eating at night to make up for what he wouldn’t eat during the day. Finally after a couple weeks he changed his mind and started eating from a bottle. My sitter found lots of ways to trick him and get him to eat. She was great, the grandmas were not so lucky and he still gives them a hard time when they babysit.

Since that time I have never been able to get him to take a bottle at home and especially from me. He will cry and throw a fit until he gets to nurse. I don’t get to share the night shift with my husband because he refuses the bottle. So for the past year I always do the night shift and it sucks.

Now Thomas is one and I am ready to start cutting back on the nursing and have him take a bottle and drink cows milk. Sounds simple enough right….wrong!!!!

My sweet baby thinks that the battle is his enemy and will toss it onto the floor every time. OK sometimes he plays with it a little but never drinks it. My oldest child was cut off the bottle at one and put on the sippy cup so I thought maybe we should just skip the bottle and go to the cup. I think I have bought every brand and type of cup out their and once again he refuses it.

Don’t get me wrong I loved nursing my baby and I got super thin from it but I am ready to be done. I want to enjoy an ice cold Diet Coke everyday and coffee chocked full of caffeine in the morning instead of this decaf crap I have been drinking. I am not trying to stop baby from nursing over night but I am trying to let my milk down gradually and bring this to an end at a nice pace. This child is so stubborn that I am scared I will be feeding him until he is two. My husband comment, “why get your drink out of a bottle when the tap version is so much better”. He is no help and finds it all funny.

So I need help! Does anyone have any suggestions or tips on how to get this baby to stop nursing and switch to a bottle or cup? Any suggestions or ideas are welcome because I have run out of ideas.

Babies First Birthday (The Big # 1)

Yesterday my baby turned 1. It was a wonderful first birthday and this is my tribute to his special day.

Your brother was the first one to tell you happy birthday and it just melted my heart the way Luke ran into the room and said happy birthday to you. We then went to church where everyone sang happy birthday to you and you just smiled and had no clue what was really going on. All the older ladies ooh and awed at the fact that you were already a year old.

That afternoon you had your first birthday party. Mostly family and a couple friends were in attendance. We tried to keep it small but that is hard with the size of our family. You had a little anxiety at first and wouldn’t leave my arms but you eventually got over it and were off playing with all the other kids.

You tried to stick you figures into the large cake long before we gave you your little cake. You dipped your head down into the little cake and made everyone laugh. You came up with a big smile and then were afraid to do anything else with the cake. It didn’t take long and you dived right in and loving that sweet stuff.

We opened present and you were not very interested. I believe you were a little confused by all the people watching you. All the bigger kids were stealing your new toys right after you opened them and you were getting a little mad when something seemed fun and then it was being snatched from you. It wasn’t long and they all went home and you and your big brother tested out all the new toys and were having a good time playing together.

The part of the day I loved the most was that today, on your birthday you decided you were going to walk. For the past couple weeks you have been taking two and three steps at a time and falling down. You were never really determined to walk because crawling seemed to do the trick for you just fine. But on this special day you were taking many steps all around the house. Rarely did I see you crawling anywhere because each time you fell down you got back up to try again. It was one more sign that I new my baby was turning into a toddler and growing up way to fast.

Friday's Photo Finish Fiesta

Join in for Candid Carrie's Phriday's Photo Phinish Phiesta....

A foto memory I will never 4get. In two day's my baby will have his first birthday. This is a photo of ny oldest son's first meeting with his new baby brother. I cried like a baby.

Birthday cake dilemma….

A couple years ago I found this wonderful lady who makes these amazing birthday cakes. She doesn’t cost any more than buying a cake at Wal-mart or Kroger and it is a much better cake.
Last year I missed her for Luke’s birthday because his birthday is right after Christmas, I waited to long to order it and she was too busy for the holidays. I was mad but found somewhere else to get a cake that wasn’t nearly as good. Well Thomas’s first birthday is coming up in a couple weeks so I am planning ahead and calling early. I am not missing my opportunity for another good cake. I call her to see about getting a cake. Darn my luck she will be on vacation that week in Florida. Now I have to find someone else to do his cake. WHY, WHY, WHY…..

Anyone have any suggestions for a first birthday cake theme idea? I did Whiney the Pooh for Luke’s first birthday and then Thomas the Train for the next three birthdays. I want something different for Thomas’s first birthday. I thought about Elmo but I am just not completely sold on Elmo probably because I don’t want a cake full of red icing.

What have you done for your little ones first birthday parties? Did you go big or small, all out or did you keep it simple with just family?

Death of a Cell Phone, a Victim to Baby Drool

Explain to me why babies have such a fascination with cell phone. My 11 month old has to have my phone and it has become his “paci” so to speak. Yes, the baby who refuses a pacifier but will be calmed in a moments notice if you just give him my cell phone. It doesn’t have to be turned on or even working but it does have to be my phone. No fake or phony phone will do, oh no, we know the difference and will not except any cheap imitation. If we try to pull a fast one, the fake phone is flung across the room in a fit of rage.

I know my poor phone cries every time his tiny little hands start digging in my purse. It knows the terror that is coming. I just here it begging me “please don’t let him, stop, no, no, no…..” Then it happens, I whip it out in a moments notice to calm the baby from his fit of the moment. He sucks on it, slobbers on it and just plain soaks it in baby drool. Don’t forget the pain inflicted each time the baby flings it down on the hard floor only to burst the battery right off the back.

All the baby drool first inflicted the screen on my phone, leaving it with a line up the middle like it has slobber trapped on the inside.

Next vibration mode that is oh so important in my life, has been brought to a sad week little vibration as though the phone has no more energy to send out even a simple buzz.

Finally the keys have just stopped working. No buttons to push and no calls to be made. It will still ring in new calls but since the buttons won’t work, sorry we can’t answer. Don’t leave me a message either, it will not be received.

My poor phone has reached its timely death and will be greatly missed. It was a good little phone and deserved so much better.

Too bad the poor phone won’t even get a peaceful after life. Instead it is now going to remain baby’s phone, so now mommy can enjoy the use of her new phone without the feeling of slobber in her ear.

Raising our kids equally...haha

How different we are with our kids. I know we all have every intention of raising are kids the exact same way and in some respects we defiantly do. I however have already discovered how different I am with my second child verses how I was with the first.

1st child….
House is baby proofed to the hilt. We had every possible baby proofing gimmick and gadget. Nothing is going to cause harm to this baby.
2nd child…
Throw some outlet covers on, add a gate to the stairs and we are good to go. If he is playing in the toilet he can be washed...

1st child…
Confined to the living room by the baby gate. He will not be out of my site for a second.
2nd child…
Where is that child of mine? He just won’t stay in the room I am in. Last night he moved into the dinning room where he was pulling the knob on the water cooler and pouring water all over the floor. Lovely! Yet, I am to lazy to get the gate that is in the garage collecting dust.

1st child…
Eats everything according to the pediatrician’s guidelines. He didn’t have his first sweet snack (junk food) until he was 2. I was so strict.
2nd child…
Eating solids at 8 months old. Loves ice cream; I can’t sit down with a bowl with out sharing it with him. Yesterday I was eating a cookie and he had half of it. He is 10 months old….I am a little to relaxed with this one.

1st child….
Very structured nap schedule.
2nd child…
Oh he is getting grumpy; I guess he needs a nap.

I could go on and on about how much different I am with child number 2 than I was with child number 1. I don’t know if I am just a little more relaxed, a little busier or child one broke me down and it is easier to give in to child number 2. My first one is 5; the second one is 10 months old. Am I going to continue to smoother my first and let the second have his way as they continue to grow?

I want to know, how different are you with each of your children? If I had a third would I be even worse?

Mastitis, how did I get that?

The pain was awful. I kept on feeding baby, biting my lip from the anguishing pain. I just kept saying I can do this.
I was having this awful pain when I was nursing my son. It was tender to the touch, my pore nipple looked deformed and twice the size it should have. I just had no clue something was wrong. I just figured it was similar to the pain that you go through when you first start nursing a newborn baby.
The other day at work I started pumping and I filled the bottle full of blood. It freaked me out. It was already hurting really bad to touch and feed or pump but now I was bleeding.
Thomas is almost 10 months old. So what was going on?
I finally called a lactation consultant. Why I waited until now I will never know. She recommended I see the doctor because I probably had Mastitis.
Mastitis, what is that and how did I get it?
This all came about from when my son got sick. He was sick last week and didn't eat like he normally does. On a few occasions I let my breasts get pretty filled up and I didn’t pump. Don't make that mistake. I must have gotten a clogged up duct that then turned into Mastitis. I had never heard of this before. It was hurting really bad every time I fed Thomas. It would burn for the first couple minutes and then the pain would ease up. This is a bacterial infection in the breasts. The doctor put me on antibiotics. I am still sore but it is getting better every day. I would have probably ended up with flu like symptoms if I would have left this go on untreated. I wish now I wouldn't have waited so long to seek advice. I was amazed that through the process I could still nurse and I pushed through the pain for my baby. It is amazing what we do for our little ones.

How I have survive 10 months of breastfeeding

When Luke was a baby I was not able to breastfeed him for very long after I returned to work. He got about 2 months of breastfeeding and that was it. It wasn’t because I was having issues with feeding him it was everything else in my life that lead me to give it up.
I made a promise to myself that I was going to have success and not make the same mistakes with Thomas that I did with Luke. I decided I can do it and I will do it!
I am happy to say I have been nursing for almost 10 months now. My goal is to hit his first birthday and then I can consider weaning him if he wants to be weaned. I am just thrilled that I have made it this far.
My husband and family have not always been the best support system but I have dealt with them. My husband says Thomas is going to be attached to me until he is 5. This isn’t true but sometimes I wonder…. He does prefer nursing over a bottle. That can create some frustration for me at times but I am committed.
I learned a few things along the way that made the experience much better the second time around. This time I bought a good Medela Pump. Don’t buy a cheap pump, don’t do it! With Luke I bought a cheap pump that burnt up really quick. It was a small hand held pump that was easy to use but it didn't pump enough milk and it didn't last long at all. I also worked at a place that did not have anywhere that I could pump. I ended up going into the ladies restroom each day and pumped. It wasn't private and I hated every moment of it. In my current job I have my own office so I can close the door three times a day, keep working and pump. This makes life so much easier.
If you do anything invest in a good pump. It will pay for itself in the first couple months of baby’s life. I know I would have spent a lot more on formula by this point so the pump was a great investment. I just wish I had done it the first time because then I could have used it for both my kids and not just for Thomas.
My second smart move is I pump whenever I can so that I can supply the sitter with milk and I have a stock of it in the freezer. I have bought one can of formula since he was born and I bought it with coupons and spent $7.00 on the one can. I actually threw it away because it had been opened and was getting old.
This time I also had a great sitter who provides such a great support system. She nursed her kids, one to 18 months and the other up to 12 months. She provides that encouragement and support that I really need. My family doesn't provide that support and they wanted me to wean him long ago. They just don't understand. I wanted to say if you want me to stop feeding then you buy the formula.
If you are a nursing mom and you need support I am here for you. I learned a lot from both of my children and I am still learning. Don’t be surprised if I am not seeking advice from other mom’s when it is time to wean Thomas. I don’t think I am going to decide when this happens but he will.

Desperately seeking a good nights sleep

I don’t know how the rest of the world does it but I have a 9 month old who still wakes up 2 or 3 times every night.
I know a couple of the problems are from breast feeding and my milk isn’t as thick as formula so his belly is empty faster, the second problem is we have a small house and his crib is in our bedroom. I wish I had somewhere else to sleep him but I just don’t.

I have done everything I can think of and I just don’t know how to help this boy sleep. I read the book “Happiest Baby on the Block”, great book and everyone else I know loved this book and said it was a life saver. I am just not that lucky! I did everything it recommended, and it just didn’t work for me.

I have tried switching to formula at bed time just to keep his belly full longer, also doesn’t matter.

Ah yes, and the famous “let them cry” method. This does not work when the child is in your room, standing at the end of his crib staring me down, crying because he knows you are listening and he isn’t going to stop until you get up. What’s the point of crying it out when nobody gets any sleep when we try this method? Eventually I get up and get him and now instead of being up for 15 minutes it will be 45 minutes.

Now I should be able to share this duty with my husband because he is a parent also. Wrong!!! I can’t blame Eric for lack of trying, Thomas doesn’t want anyone but me. Eric will get up and get him, try to feed him a bottle and put him back to sleep. Thomas throws fits, cries, pushes away the bottle and just wants me. I have resorted to hiding under the covers but it doesn’t work, he knows I am their. Now Eric makes a joke out of it and twists Thomas from one side to the other getting him to lean one way and then the other to try and see me.

Does anyone else have any ideas? I am desperate for sleep….

Babies Ear Infections and a Natural Remedy

Thomas has had an ear infection after each tooth he cuts. The tooth will come in and one week later he has an infection. It is amazing how they go hand in hand. Thomas never pulls at his ears or is cranky but he ends up with a fever. Once the fevers start he will not eat and that isn’t any fun when you are nursing and he doesn’t want to eat. I keep my pump at work so I end up miserable most of the time.

After the last ear infection I started doing my home work about ear infections because I hate seeing him end up on antibiotics all the time. I bought an ear checker from One Step Ahead that works pretty good. The instrument has a guide book on how to identify a healthy ear from an infected ear. There are other ear and throat exam kits out their but this one doesn’t break the bank as it only cost $14.95. They have a much nice otoscope also that looks like one a doctor would use but it cost much more. I can check his ears myself to see if they are infected.

Someone at work recommend garlic drops for his ears. I found garlic drops for kids at a health food store (Mullein/Garlic Ear Drops) and bought them. The garlic is supposed to be a natural way to relieve the pressure of the ear infection.

I have not put these methods to practice until this week. Thomas has come down with a fever over the weekend and I looked in his ears and one of them is pink so I know he has an ear infection. I have been giving him Tylenol for the pain and putting the garlic drops into his ears to help relieve the pressure. He is eating normal with the infection and that is a major step forward. His fevers have not been nearly as high and his last fever was yesterday afternoon. I actually think the drops are working. I am still checking his ears to make sure the infection goes away and if in a couple more days it doesn’t I will take him to the doctor but I wanted to see if I couldn’t avoid the doctor and provide him with a natural remedy. I hate seeing the pediatrician all the time and I feel if I can resolve this with out a trip to the doctor’s office that is great.

I have read many different things on the internet when I Googled “Ear Infections in Babies” “Natural remedies for ear infections”. All the things I read brought me to my course of action today. I have read that studies have been done and most ear infections will heal themselves with out treatment. I also read a study about babies with infections that are not put on antibiotics, heal in the same amount of time as those who are always put on antibiotics and often times antibiotics cause them to end up ear infections more often because they build a resistance to the antibiotics. I wish I could remember what web sites I found all this on so I could share the link with everyone. . I also read it is very important that children see doctors when they have ear infections so that they don’t end up with permanent damage to their hearing.
I love the internet because you can find out so much information, but at the same time you can end up with conflicting information. I feel like everyone should do their homework and don’t just trust what one person has to say. I would recommend that all parents do what is right for their child and don’t just take the advice of one source. Do your homework! That is what I have done and I still haven’t fully ruled out a visit to the Pediatrician. I will keep you updated.