 |
| tantrum on the kitchen floor |
 |
| crying because we scolded him for putting too much broccoli in his mouth |
 |
| Sweet Girl |
Friday, August 27, 2010
Aaron's New 'Tude & sweet sister
Aaron has been asserting himself more lately... in the form of tantrums. He also gets hurt feelings & cries if we scold him sternly.
Twin Update
As many of you know, my friend Molly had twins a week after Lauren was born. She posted a great update about them today. In case you were wondering how they are doing or want to see some pictures of adorable three week olds:
http://mollypiper.com
http://mollypiper.com
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Pee-update
It has been 14 days since Ian ditched daytime diapers. We've had a LOT of success! He has only had pull-ups (at naptime) and diapers at bedtime since then and probably fewer accidents than I can count on my fingers.
He is getting much better about staying dry while leaving the house and agreeing to use the potty while we are out.
He still tries to "get away" with wearing a diaper/pull-up... for instance, we had to be out of the house earlier than usual yesterday morning & in my rush to get everyone washed & dressed & out the door, I didn't immediately take Ian's night diaper off. He pooped in it while I was in the shower. :-( The other day, without thinking, Roger put a diaper on him while getting ready for our morning outing and Ian took full advantage of it, peeing several times before we remembered & had the opportunity to take it off.
But the conclusion among all involved is that we are NOT going back to diapers with him. Accidents or not, he's officially a big boy now.
Interesting tidbit: He refuses to use the little potty in the living room now. He decided early on in this attempt he was only using the big potty in mommy's bathroom. He gets on it by climbing on a little chair & he is so proud to do his business there.
We tried for awhile to do a potty chart where he checked off spaces & got prizes from a prize basket and for awhile it worked, but after several weeks of that he lost sight of the goal and we couldn't take the multiple daily tantrums about not getting prizes every time. We finally gave it up. Now we randomly reward him with bigger prizes and he gets a hershey kiss for poops... and sometimes pee if he asks for it. He got a real soccer ball for being 1-week diaper free. He'll get another something (like another ball or something else in the $7-10 range that we've been thinking of getting him) for 2-weeks dry. Perhaps we'll keep the weekly prize up until 1-month, then we'll wait until he's day AND night trained for the big reward that we've been telling him about: a bike.
Anyway, that's where Ian stands on the potty training.
He is getting much better about staying dry while leaving the house and agreeing to use the potty while we are out.
He still tries to "get away" with wearing a diaper/pull-up... for instance, we had to be out of the house earlier than usual yesterday morning & in my rush to get everyone washed & dressed & out the door, I didn't immediately take Ian's night diaper off. He pooped in it while I was in the shower. :-( The other day, without thinking, Roger put a diaper on him while getting ready for our morning outing and Ian took full advantage of it, peeing several times before we remembered & had the opportunity to take it off.
But the conclusion among all involved is that we are NOT going back to diapers with him. Accidents or not, he's officially a big boy now.
Interesting tidbit: He refuses to use the little potty in the living room now. He decided early on in this attempt he was only using the big potty in mommy's bathroom. He gets on it by climbing on a little chair & he is so proud to do his business there.
We tried for awhile to do a potty chart where he checked off spaces & got prizes from a prize basket and for awhile it worked, but after several weeks of that he lost sight of the goal and we couldn't take the multiple daily tantrums about not getting prizes every time. We finally gave it up. Now we randomly reward him with bigger prizes and he gets a hershey kiss for poops... and sometimes pee if he asks for it. He got a real soccer ball for being 1-week diaper free. He'll get another something (like another ball or something else in the $7-10 range that we've been thinking of getting him) for 2-weeks dry. Perhaps we'll keep the weekly prize up until 1-month, then we'll wait until he's day AND night trained for the big reward that we've been telling him about: a bike.
Anyway, that's where Ian stands on the potty training.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Someone Asked *ME* for Sleep Advice
LOL LOL.
First of all, to think that someone would ask ME for advice on toddler sleep makes me both smile and roll my eyes. (to myself) If she ONLY knew.
Obviously she doesn't know me well and totally missed my first two babies' sleep issues. So what she sees is me, with my newborn in the moby wrap, my two well-rested sons playing on the playground, using good manners, etc. And then she hears my 3 year old come and ask to go home because he is tired. Then she hears me say that we have to go as soon as Lauren is done nursing so we can get home to have lunch and take naps.
She turns and says, "How on earth do you get them all to take naps?!"
So I gave her the short answer about the same routine every day. (We get up, eat, play, go out of the house for errands or to play, come home, eat lunch, have milk and tv time, go read a story in the bedroom and lay down for naps.) And that was not satisfactory.
She wanted the full Monty about how I got them to sleep while they were still toddlers that nursed. How did I get them to sleep all night? To go to sleep on their own? To let someone other than me put them to bed? To *gasp* have my husband attend to them at night.
And I had to admit that I had to sleep train them using the graduated extinction method of Cry It Out.
As usual, I was expecting a disgusted, annoyed look on her face. Why? Because even though most moms I know have had to let their babies cry about sleep, it still seems to have a bit of a stigma. I know, back in my just-Ian-days, I used to think moms who practiced CIO were torturing their children. ("Wasn't there another way?!")
Instead of the disgusted look, she smiled and said, "and it worked?"
I said, "And it worked. And continues to work. And now both of my young boys go to sleep on their own and sleep all night long. They both lay down in their beds for their naps and most always take a 2 hour nap."
Unsatisfied, she pressed me harder about HOW I did it.
And why I thought it worked...
So I told her that as my children get older and I get more seasoned as a mother, I've come to think that hardly any children just simply lay down and go to sleep without being taught how to do it. I waited so long with Ian because I didn't want him to cry about it that I regretted it when we finally did it...regretted that we didn't do it sooner. Remember? We tried EVERYTHING to get Ian to sleep without crying about it.
With Aaron I waited and waited because he was sick so much I didn't want another ounce of crying or hard times for him. (Read about Aaron's CIO here and here)
I'm sure I'll wait with Lauren for one reason or another.
But ultimately, I know it is coming this time and I've accepted that the graduated extinction method of crying it out is not torture. It doesn't mean you don't love your child. It doesn't mean their cries don't rip you to shreds when you hear them. It doesn't mean you have given up on tender love and care. It means you need sleep and you're willing to endure a few hard nights to get it. It means you have decided that sleeping better is better for everyone in the house and that you know there are better nights ahead.
She just looked at me as I was going on and on... justifying it. I don't know why I feel I have to justify it. I guess because I still know how I felt before I had experienced the sleepless nights and exhausted days and the process of sleep training and the success.
So why am I still justifying it? Just in case someone reads this who needs to hear it is ok to let your baby cry a little bit when the goal is better sleep for everyone.
First of all, to think that someone would ask ME for advice on toddler sleep makes me both smile and roll my eyes. (to myself) If she ONLY knew.
Obviously she doesn't know me well and totally missed my first two babies' sleep issues. So what she sees is me, with my newborn in the moby wrap, my two well-rested sons playing on the playground, using good manners, etc. And then she hears my 3 year old come and ask to go home because he is tired. Then she hears me say that we have to go as soon as Lauren is done nursing so we can get home to have lunch and take naps.
She turns and says, "How on earth do you get them all to take naps?!"
So I gave her the short answer about the same routine every day. (We get up, eat, play, go out of the house for errands or to play, come home, eat lunch, have milk and tv time, go read a story in the bedroom and lay down for naps.) And that was not satisfactory.
She wanted the full Monty about how I got them to sleep while they were still toddlers that nursed. How did I get them to sleep all night? To go to sleep on their own? To let someone other than me put them to bed? To *gasp* have my husband attend to them at night.
And I had to admit that I had to sleep train them using the graduated extinction method of Cry It Out.
As usual, I was expecting a disgusted, annoyed look on her face. Why? Because even though most moms I know have had to let their babies cry about sleep, it still seems to have a bit of a stigma. I know, back in my just-Ian-days, I used to think moms who practiced CIO were torturing their children. ("Wasn't there another way?!")
Instead of the disgusted look, she smiled and said, "and it worked?"
I said, "And it worked. And continues to work. And now both of my young boys go to sleep on their own and sleep all night long. They both lay down in their beds for their naps and most always take a 2 hour nap."
Unsatisfied, she pressed me harder about HOW I did it.
And why I thought it worked...
So I told her that as my children get older and I get more seasoned as a mother, I've come to think that hardly any children just simply lay down and go to sleep without being taught how to do it. I waited so long with Ian because I didn't want him to cry about it that I regretted it when we finally did it...regretted that we didn't do it sooner. Remember? We tried EVERYTHING to get Ian to sleep without crying about it.
With Aaron I waited and waited because he was sick so much I didn't want another ounce of crying or hard times for him. (Read about Aaron's CIO here and here)
I'm sure I'll wait with Lauren for one reason or another.
But ultimately, I know it is coming this time and I've accepted that the graduated extinction method of crying it out is not torture. It doesn't mean you don't love your child. It doesn't mean their cries don't rip you to shreds when you hear them. It doesn't mean you have given up on tender love and care. It means you need sleep and you're willing to endure a few hard nights to get it. It means you have decided that sleeping better is better for everyone in the house and that you know there are better nights ahead.
She just looked at me as I was going on and on... justifying it. I don't know why I feel I have to justify it. I guess because I still know how I felt before I had experienced the sleepless nights and exhausted days and the process of sleep training and the success.
So why am I still justifying it? Just in case someone reads this who needs to hear it is ok to let your baby cry a little bit when the goal is better sleep for everyone.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Day 7 of 21 is just beginning
Day 6 of Potty Training for Ian was great. He did excellent! He got up in the morning, took his pants/diaper off when I asked him to (first thing) and then went on the potty all morning.
We left to go to Sam's Club and then to the playground. Ian used the potty before we left and then had an accident-free outing!
He used the potty when we got home, after his nap, and all evening...including another trip to the store.
It was great.
On the other hand, Aaron woke up from his nap with a snotty nose. It literally came out of NOWHERE. He was fine all morning. During his nap I heard him cough a couple times, but that's not unusual for Aaron. By bedtime he was miserable!
I just don't understand because we haven't been around anyone who was (visibly) sick, we sanitize our hands like crazy people, etc. Of course, it is next to impossible to keep Ian and Aaron from sharing their germs so now we just start praying that it doesn't last long and that nobody else gets it.
*sigh*
I guess I just start praying that very soon Aaron will be like Ian and won't really get sick much. But we've had enough colds this SUMMER to make me really fear the winter.
We left to go to Sam's Club and then to the playground. Ian used the potty before we left and then had an accident-free outing!
He used the potty when we got home, after his nap, and all evening...including another trip to the store.
It was great.
On the other hand, Aaron woke up from his nap with a snotty nose. It literally came out of NOWHERE. He was fine all morning. During his nap I heard him cough a couple times, but that's not unusual for Aaron. By bedtime he was miserable!
I just don't understand because we haven't been around anyone who was (visibly) sick, we sanitize our hands like crazy people, etc. Of course, it is next to impossible to keep Ian and Aaron from sharing their germs so now we just start praying that it doesn't last long and that nobody else gets it.
*sigh*
I guess I just start praying that very soon Aaron will be like Ian and won't really get sick much. But we've had enough colds this SUMMER to make me really fear the winter.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Day 5 of 21 is more than half over!
 |
| Ian and Lauren on August 14th |
The "experts" say it takes 21 days to form a new habit. We are currently trying to change Ian's poop and pee habits. We are on day 5 of 21.
Ian had a poop accident at the playground this morning, but before and after he's done fine. He didn't even pee in his pants at the same time as the poopcident, so that's good. I think we really are making progress.
Ian hasn't worn diapers except at night since last Wednesday.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
August 14, 2010
So far today Ian has peed in his pants twice. And in the potty not at all. :-( He hasn't worn diapers at all since Wednesday except at night, but he's also just peeing in his pants. How long is this going to go on? We're not going back to daytime diapers so I guess we just deal with the peepeepants for awhile. Ian also moves too fast for the camera right now. Almost all the pictures we take of him are blurry.
*edit* Since I posted this an hour ago Ian has pooped and peed in his potty. *sigh* The ups and downs. And the Hershey Kisses. I've started giving him a hershey kiss after each poop/big pee before he gets a chance to ask for a prize... potty training sucks.
Aaron is being cute, but also learning some of his brother's naughty tricks.
Lauren hates her car seat. And looks adorable in this little romper.
*edit* Since I posted this an hour ago Ian has pooped and peed in his potty. *sigh* The ups and downs. And the Hershey Kisses. I've started giving him a hershey kiss after each poop/big pee before he gets a chance to ask for a prize... potty training sucks.
Aaron is being cute, but also learning some of his brother's naughty tricks.
Lauren hates her car seat. And looks adorable in this little romper.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Potty Talk (II)
Remember last March? When Ian was daytime potty trained?
I never updated again. Perhaps because I was so annoyed and frustrated by the situation.
Just after I wrote that post, Ian got a stomach bug and had diarrhea. No, it isn't a pretty subject, but in order to understand where we stand today, you have to know. He got sick and didn't want to wear underpants. We couldn't blame him. It was dis-gust-ing to have a just-barely-potty-trained 3 year old, who struggles to successfully get his pants off in time to sit on the potty, have diarrhea. I'm sure you're getting the idea. It was a mess. To say the least.
So Ian was asking to wear diapers again and we let him... we didn't want to be cleaning up that mess either.
But after he started feeling better, he decided he was not going in the potty any more. He just refused. And the one thing we've learned from others' experience is the bigger an issue you make of it and the more you "force" them, the harder it is to train in the long run. So we didn't force him. And he was back to wearing diapers full time.
It wasn't really a problem until yesterday. We happened into Ian's old school (because he's signed up at a different preschool this year... because he wasn't potty trained) to sign Aaron up for Kids Day Out. Miss Kelly, the preschool director, said, "oh how funny that you're here! I was just about to call you. There's a spot for Ian this fall for preschool."
Dun dun dunnnnnnnnnn.
Ian *has* to be potty trained to go to preschool there. (You don't have to be PT'd to go to Kids Day Out, you do have to be PT'd to go to preschool.) They kick kids out for not being potty trained. That's why a spot has opened up for Ian.
So now the crunch is on. Can we get him to do it? Can we get him to CHOOSE to go in the potty so he can go to school at the place he loves (& is already familiar with and is SO convenient for ME?!)
If you could pray for Ian and his potty situation, we'd really appreciate it. Ian knows how to go in the potty and how to not pee/poop his underpants. He was fully daytime trained just a few months ago. He is being defiant and stubborn about using the potty. We need that to change. We need him to choose to go on the potty... for good.
I never updated again. Perhaps because I was so annoyed and frustrated by the situation.
Just after I wrote that post, Ian got a stomach bug and had diarrhea. No, it isn't a pretty subject, but in order to understand where we stand today, you have to know. He got sick and didn't want to wear underpants. We couldn't blame him. It was dis-gust-ing to have a just-barely-potty-trained 3 year old, who struggles to successfully get his pants off in time to sit on the potty, have diarrhea. I'm sure you're getting the idea. It was a mess. To say the least.
So Ian was asking to wear diapers again and we let him... we didn't want to be cleaning up that mess either.
But after he started feeling better, he decided he was not going in the potty any more. He just refused. And the one thing we've learned from others' experience is the bigger an issue you make of it and the more you "force" them, the harder it is to train in the long run. So we didn't force him. And he was back to wearing diapers full time.
It wasn't really a problem until yesterday. We happened into Ian's old school (because he's signed up at a different preschool this year... because he wasn't potty trained) to sign Aaron up for Kids Day Out. Miss Kelly, the preschool director, said, "oh how funny that you're here! I was just about to call you. There's a spot for Ian this fall for preschool."
Dun dun dunnnnnnnnnn.
Ian *has* to be potty trained to go to preschool there. (You don't have to be PT'd to go to Kids Day Out, you do have to be PT'd to go to preschool.) They kick kids out for not being potty trained. That's why a spot has opened up for Ian.
So now the crunch is on. Can we get him to do it? Can we get him to CHOOSE to go in the potty so he can go to school at the place he loves (& is already familiar with and is SO convenient for ME?!)
If you could pray for Ian and his potty situation, we'd really appreciate it. Ian knows how to go in the potty and how to not pee/poop his underpants. He was fully daytime trained just a few months ago. He is being defiant and stubborn about using the potty. We need that to change. We need him to choose to go on the potty... for good.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Lauren's First Tub Bath
& Some other random photos:
 |
| First Real Bath 8/10/10 |
 |
| Grandma Bishop & Lauren in the hospital |
 |
| First Look-from Roger's camera |
 |
| And in case anyone thought I didn't have a belly... |
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Friday, August 6, 2010
24 Hours in Room 769
 |
Lauren had a fever early Wednesday morning. In case you didn't realize, which I didn't, when you have a teeny baby and they get a fever, doctors take it very seriously.
So when I called Lauren's pediatrician expecting to just get a sick visit appointment, the nurse told me that I needed to take Lauren to the emergency room. So off we went to Children's Hospital.
We didn't even get a chance to sit down in the ER waiting room. (HUGE difference from when you go with a kid who almost poked his eye out...) They ushered us right back, skipped over triage, straight to a real room where the doctors were waiting for us and they got started right away. Got started? With?
- A urine culture (so they had to use a catheter to get a sample of L's urine... she peed ALL OVER the nurse while they were doing it. Payback for what was to come?)
- A full "sepsis workup" with about 8 vials of blood drawn
- An "LP" (lumbar puncture, to get a sample of spinal fluid)
- A chest x-ray
- A mandatory observation period as an inpatient
The LP really wasn't so bad. She didn't seem to really mind it at all. Probably because they numbed her up pretty good before getting started. The blood draw was horrifying. They couldn't get a vein and ended up poking her SEVEN times before the ER doctor ordered them to stop and to call the NICU IV team. Once the NICU IV team arrived, it was smooth sailing and they were finished with the blood draw AND the IV placement in less than 5 min.
So after they got all the fluids they needed to test and the x-ray, Lauren was admitted to CHP. We went up to the 7th floor and spent the next 24 hours there.
Lauren never had another high temperature and here BP was good, she slept most of the time, and hardly even cried!
The doctors decided that she was "low risk" for anything more than a virus, especially since Ian and Aaron both have/had colds in the last 2 weeks... so they discharged us. It was possible that we might have had to stay the full 48, but I think everyone involved really thought that was overkill based on the whole story and the initial cultures all coming back negative.
So we're home.
Goodness it is never a dull moment around here.
Sidenote: the new CHP is BEAUTIFUL and our room was VERY nice. I'm talking hotel-like, especially compared to the accommodations we had when Aaron was in the OLD CHP just before they moved operations to the new facility.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Another First
 |
| not the best photo ever, but you get the idea. |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
