Figured I'd jump in and start the new month....

Hope everyone is enjoying the weather! With the heat wave this past weekend, we bought DD an inflatable baby pool and some water toys...she loved it! Splashing around and playing while watching Daddy do yard work :)

We're approaching her first birthday in a couple weeks so I'm finalizing all the party prep. Can't believe it's almost been a year already.

How's everyone else doing?

 

We decided last minute to pack up and take the kids to the beach. We ended up in Watch Hill, RI for two nights. It was really lovely. The kids LOVED the beach. They also had a blast in the hotel room - there was a huge tub with a TV on the wall. Of course when we came home, DS said, "Mommy, our house is old. We should move." (sigh)

I'm having their fourth birthday party next week. They don't turn 4 until July but I wanted to have it before all their little friends disappear for the summer. It's at one of those gym places where they take care of entertainment and cake etc.. I just have to pay the bill at the end. Easy and hopefully fun!

DS turns 1 on Thursday!! Man how the time has flown by.  My little man this morning was crawling towards the dog food bowl and I said sternly "William".  He stopped, looked at me with a scowl and shook his finger at me, immitating my "no, no, no" hand motion.  Then smiled and crawled over to be picked up.  I'm in trouble with this one!

We have DS's birthday party on Saturday and of course they are predicting rain.  So 40 people (including 14 kids) will be crammed in my little house.  But it will still be fun!

Anyone else that's approaching the 1 year mark have a bad case of Baby Fever?  Because I sure do!  DH and I talked about waiting until this fall before we start trying again but some days I really want to go back on that!

In response to clc51510's comment:

Sometimes I get baby fever, too. I'd like to wait until  DD is at least a year and a half. I think about having her and a newborn and it terrifies me! Recently I've been thinking about it more and contemplating not waiting that long, but I recently started on meds I don't want to be on while pregnant, so I've still got to wait :(

Just to add to your baby fever - it takes 9 months to grow a baby (usually!), so if you get pregnant when the firstborn is 12 months old, the baby would be born when the oldest was 21 months old.  Of course, that's easy for me to talk, I have none!  AND.... I just realized that I was 13 months old when my sister was conceived - because we're 22 months apart.  22 months seems like a good age difference, 13 months seems like too young to be pregnant with #2 but I guess you can't have one without the other, LOL.  Also thinking about my mother 'conceiving' a child gives me the icks - didn't they just have 2 immaculate conceptions?

Things are great on our end. DD#2 will turn 1 in two weeks. I can't believe how fast a year has gone!  I keep seeing extremely pregnant ladies and thinking about how miserable I was this time last year.

I know what you mean about baby fever but I have to say, it takes me longer than a year to catch it.  DH are aiming for 3 kids but we are going to wait until DD#2 is 2 before we pull the goalie.

DD#1 is increasingly awesome as each day goes by (I'm biased, of course).  Babies are nice and all but big kids are better.  The girls are very sweet together most of the time. I hoping that continues.  I do think the wider spacing (3.25 years apart) helps with that.  It'll probably just extend the agony when they hit their teens but for now it's nice.

CLC, my daughter does the same thing as your son!  When I say "no" to her she shakes her head back and forth, big smile on her face, then continues with what she's doing. 

misslily, it doesn't seem possible your LOs will be 4 this year!!!  Love those impromptu great days like yours at the beach.  Funny about your "old house," lol.  I'm sure the party will be a blast, and what can be better than just paying at the end to entail your whole task list. :)

My friend's triplets are turning 1, and their party is next weekend, can you believe that?  I can't wait - I ususally go alone during the day to help fill the fridge with prepared food and the cookie jar with treats, but this time DH will be with me.  Fun!
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Discretion is the better part of valor.

Same here. DD turns one at the beginning of next month.  We are having her party at the end of June though to avoid the holiday weekend.  I took Monday off to run around an do all the prep - decorations, talk to caterers, etc.  I probably shouldn't have another with all the complications I had post-partum, but I am having baby "flashes" that will no doubt become full on fever when my newest niece or nephew arrives next month. 

Kar, I feel like your friend's triplets just arrived!  I can't believe they're already 1...it seems like yesterday we were deliberating on what color blankets you should make them!

DS was 9 months yesterday.  Like Lissa, I'm hoping to have three kids too...DD and DS are 22 months apart...thinking for DS and #3 we want a bit more of a gap, more like 2.5 years.  It's amazing to me how much more verbal DD has gotten in the 9 months since DS arrived...I feel like if she had had so much language 6 or 9 months ago, it would have been easier somehow.  Of course, contemplating going from man-to-man to zone defense and having kids outnumber adults in the house is scary enough! 

DS is pulling himself up, scooting around, jabbering away, and eating everything lately.  He's got two bottom teeth and one on top, so he looks super cute and goofy.  We go to the doctor for his 9 month visit on Friday.  I always dread the doctor for my kids because of the weigh-in...both of my kids were slow gainers and are toward the bottom of the growth charts, so it gives me a pit in my stomach before I see the number on the scale every time.  Ironically, I get the same pit in my stomach when I'm weighed, but for the opposite reason! 

DD is 2.5 and I feel like she's grown up so much, even in the last month.  She has conversations with me - she even starts them! - and she remembers everything. 

It's definitely a privilege to be able to watch these two little people grow and change.  I'm reminded how quickly it happens when I look at my goddaughter, who is now 13 and taller than me!  Where does the time go???

Hee hee hee, I know, where does it go??  For pete's sake I can't believe I'm 41, but that's neither here nor there, lol.  Gosh, I enjoyed making those blankets and getting all your input...good times.  Glad you are enjoying motherhood so much, luv - so cool.  Those friends had hoped and planned to have 2 never imagining they'd have 3 more kids at once.  It's such a crappp shoot when it comes right down to it!

I hope everyone's dream of what they want their family to look like plays out just the way you're hoping. :)

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Discretion is the better part of valor.

DS is also turning 1 in a month from today!  Cant believe it!!  We are planning his 1st bday party.  Im doing an owl theme.  I have been making owl goodie bags!  They came out so great!  I just ordered some cute owl stickers and tataoos to stuff the bags with. 

DS thinks that 2 years is to close in age since he and his brother are almost exactly 2 years apart.  They fought all the time growing up.  My sister and I are 4 years apart and growing up that was too far apart.  Now we are all best friends.  So seems like 3 years would be good for us but I am getting the baby itch again too!  what to do?!?!?!  Also in a perfect world I would not want a baby close the christmas holiday...

DS has the worst diaper rash.  Poor thing.  Thank you girls for writing about how a baking soda bath would help it.  I gave him one last night and it seemed to help but we are not in the clear yet.  Hoping the aquahor is going to help and clear it up today!

  

Pugs, try Triple Paste.  It is worth every cent!  GL!!

Is the FB page still out there/active?

Wow -- Lots of happy first birthdays! My best advice is to include ice cream with the cake and have the camera ready. DS had the best "WTH????" face ever when we gave him ice cream on his birthday :-).

MissLily - Wow -- almost 4?? That's so funny about your DD's "old house" comment. Guess there's some peril in giving your kids cool new experiences -- we're going up to VT with my SIL, BIL and their two kids this weekend. They did a Disney cruise back in January and my 4 y/o niece keeps asking SIL if there will be princesses in VT, since that's how she thinks of "vacation" now. Uh oh :-).

Glad I'm not the only one whose kid thinks chastising is funny. When DS starts throwing his food off his tray (often before he's really finished eating) we say "No throw!" and walk away for 10 seconds or so. Inevitably, when I come back, he's grinning at me. Perhaps it's time for a new strategy? Seriously, though, anyone had luck putting the brakes on food throwing/dropping?

I'm feeling a bit apprehensive about our trip to VT this weekend. I'm glad we're going with my SIL and BIL. It's my 10 year college reunion so we figured we could combine it with a fun family vaca AND trade off babysitting nights. I'm just hoping DS doesn't freak out being babysat in an unfamiliar place.

I'm also not sure how to handle being out and about with him at his current walking stage. He's walking probably more than 50% of the time now, but particularly in an unfamiliar place he'll crawl at first, and there are lots of places where that just doesn't work. He always wants to be on the move, so I anticipate a lot of times when he'll be straining to get out of the stroller but I won't want him to b/c it's not an appropriate place for crawling.

Pugs, I meant to reply to you, too. I second triple paste. I think it was Nov who suggested it to me, too, and combined with baking soda baths it helped us clear up a super-angry rash a couple months ago.

Also, on the baby fever topic, I get hit with waves of it, though I'm still content most of the time. I hung out with a good friend her 4 m/o last week, and during the minute that I was allowed to hold him before DS started whining and pulling at my legs, I just melted. We're planning to "pull the goalie" (Lissa, I love that phrase :-)) around the holidays. I'm nervous about the logistics/cost of two kids in daycare and if I stayed home I wouldn't want to just pull DS out abruptly, but I don't think we'll let uncertainty about that stop us.

Did you or are you getting your 1yos bday gifts?  We gave DD a few small things at Christmas and let the grandparents go wild.  I'm not sure what to do about her birthday.  I know my parents are getting her a sand table and my ILs will want to get something "big" so I am thinking of suggesting a wagon.

For those of you with 1 year olds and baby fever, wait until they are 18 mo and see how you feel! I swear 18 mo is the hardest time! DD 20 mo is surely giving us a run for our money! DS was the same way, I kept saying to myself "who would have a second child!?" Then 2.5 came and he was so much better.

We just got back from NYC, and man, it was exhausting with DD! (not to mention my in-laws that speak no english.)  DS at 4.5 was just amazing-he packed his own clothes, even picking out nice shirts and shorts to wear, folding them nicely, and picking out a few toys to play with at the hotel. When leaving the hotel he even made sure he packed up his sister's toys.

Nov-for DS we did get him gifts, then I saw how spoiled he was when everyone else got him things and he has no idea who gave him what at that age. So for DD we actually didn't get her anything for her 1st birthday party. After if there was anything I felt she needed I got her after-and honestly there wasn't anything!  

I will try the triple paste!  Thank you for the suggestion!

I was thinking about getting DS a water table but the wagon idea is a good one too!

In response to Novembride's comment:

We got  DD a personalized toy box with her name on the front. DH still needs to assemble that...I sense a rainy day project coming up!

I also suggested a wagon to my parents, who asked what they could get her. She rides in a wagon frequently at daycare and loves it.

Wow, lots of first birthdays, fun!  Pugs, I got DS a water table recently and he has fun with it (as do I, it has a little catapult thing that I play with more than he does...)

Anyone remember how old their child was when they started talking? At DS's 15 month appt, the pedi suggested I get his hearing checked because he didn't have a few consistent words.  He understands everything and dances anytime music comes on so I wasn't concerned. He's 16 months now and, although he babbles, he still doesn't talk much.  From what I remember of my nieces and nephews, I think there was a range of anywhere between 16 months and age 2 before they really started with a bunch of words.  Would appreciate any thoughts on this. Part of me thinks no harm in checking his hearing but the other part thinks it's probably not necessary. thx!

We got DS a walking/push toy and a couple small things for his birthday. I also did a photo book of his first year -- more a sentimental gift for DH and me than DS at that point :). As predicted, the grandparents got him a ton of stuff. Christmas was my first lesson in "You have to manage all the crap you buy for this kid," so I'm getting better at holding back :). 

TC, I wouldn't worry, but if you're more comfortable going w the pedi's advice, no harm in it. My DS is 15 1/2 mos and doesn't talk much. He has a few words but babbles the vast majority of the time, and up until very recently you might argue he only had one word ("Daddy", of course, though he seemed to say "doggie" although they soundEd the same). What I remember of my past experience with other kids is the same as yours -- if they're under 2 I don't expect to hear many -- if any -- words, but I'mnot an expert of course!

tc, it will probably take 3 to 6 months to get a hearing test done by an audiologist who specialized in children (seriously, don't use an audiologist who doesn't do kids, as that won't work for such a young child).  Hate to say it, but there is always a wait for those specialists, so make the appt now.  You can always cancel the appt if he starts speaking and you're not concerned when it's a week or so away, but in 6 months if he's still not speaking you'll want to have his hearing checked, and then you'll have to start the 3-6 month wait! 

Children at 15 months usually do have some words, but not always, but by 18-19 months I'd say they typically have 10-20 words.  Within a few months after that they are stringing words together "wait, Mama"  "where cookie? "want up" etc and by 21/2 years many children are using sentences although not 100% grammatically yet.  And by 3 years old children are nearly there with their grammar, they'll have a few inconsistencies yet which are very cute.

Now, that's an overview from a director of a childcare center of children from newborn to 36 months of age, I'm not a speech and language pathologist - I know they have a much more specific order of things, at what age and stage they come, the concept of consonants vs. vowels, nouns vs. verbs, etc.  There are obviously huge ranges within this, just as some children walk at 10 months (omigod!) and others don't walk until 16 months.  But if a child still isn't walking at 17 months I'm very concerned, but I probably would have seen motor skill concerns earlier than that. 

I will admit, I'm from the school of let's see if there is a problem because it's much easier to help a child earlier than later, and there are fewer long term delays if you can correct something earlier than later. 

So a child who isn't speaking on target at 2 years old can be brought along to 'target' faster, and isn't as far behind, as a child who is only intervened at 4 years old.  However, you'll never know if a child who had help at 2 years old would have progressed as far if you did nothing.  Still, I'm from the more aggressive than less aggressive school of thought. 

And if a child is tested and they are within the range, then that's fine - you know and can relax!

Has he had lots of ear infections?  Does he have chronic fluid in his ears, or even just a lot of the time?  That can affect hearing quite a bit and delay his language, but once that gets solved, children often start speaking. We had a child who had tubes at 14 months of age and now, at 21 months, he's finally speaking and babbling - later than most of the children, and they are still going to keep the audiology appt (booked 5 months ago) just to check and make sure his hearing is up to par, but it seems that he catching up - it's just for months he didn't hear all that well, and it's hard to model speech if you can't hear the ins and outs of it.  Hearing speech is different than being able to "hear" - that chlid didn't look like a child who couldn't hear, as he reacted when you called his name, heard and danced to music - it's just that he didn't all the speech tones properly, which is what a hearing problem is.  Unless you are deaf, you hear sound, it's just not necessarily distinct.

Love reading all the updates.  Happy Birthday to the almost 1 year olds!  The wonderful ones... such a great age.

I can't believe that my DS is almost 2!!  Well, 2 months to go, but the time just flies right by.  He's doing so great with his talking and understanding of EVERYTHING!  He loves letters, numbers, and is getting much better with his colors.  And cars!  What a boy!  Of course he worships his big sis and wants to do whatever she does too.  He's going to be so sad when she goes to nursery school in September.  I need to work on finding him some friends of his own!

DD is 3.1 and fully potty trained!  My pedi told us to wait until 3 because "potty training should take days and not months."  Boy was she right... again!  DD was accident free by day 3 and when we were away this weekend she went to public toilets (without a seat insert) like she's been doing it all her life.  She's still in pullups for naptime and overnight, but only wets overnight (Pedi said that's completely normal).  She's also a little chatterbox and very conversational.  She's like a real person!!  She loves to read, draw and meet new people.  She's about as far away from shy as you can get.  I think that's so great because I was painfully shy as a child.

We've been trying to find a part time babysitter and it's so hard!!  Everone on care.com seems so flakey.  I wonder if it's because we're looking at part time?  Or maybe I just have the worst luck. 

Nov, I started a thread here about a month ago about ideas for 1 year old gifts (actually, it was to get opinions on my getting the MOM a gift instead).  There were some great ideas; it shouldn't be too far down the list.

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Discretion is the better part of valor.

Happy birthday to all the LOs turning 1 (and 2!) ! Such an exciting time! I absolutely loved DD's first birthday celebration(s), and can't wait for DS's in August.

 

TC - DD had a handful of words at 15 months, but all of a sudden at 19 months started speaking in clear phrases. It was like a switch flipped. And she hasn't stopped since.

 

Trouble, that is SO exciting DD being potty trained! Good for her, and for you.

 

I have been thinking about getting a wagon. Those of you who have one and have 2 LOs, can you recommend one that two kids can fit in comfortably? Preferably with seatbelts?