Toddler Tactics

Sweet Sunday Stuff

2011-06-12T19:58:00.000-05:00

So I know what you're going to say. "WHERE IN THE WORLD HAVE YOU BEEN? DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THE SAME POST ON YOUR BLOG? GEEZ!"

I know, I know, I apologize. I have been very busy. Busy living life, busy loving my 3 men, busy training a new puppy, busy spoiling a new rescue dog, busy gardening and swimming and cooking and having water fights and eating popsicles and all that other wonderful summer stuff. For those of you who saw my last post (yes it was over a year ago, I said I'm sorry!), you know Alex was going in for surgery. His surgery was a resounding success and though he still has to have asthma medicine and rescue meds every once in a while, the difference has been amazing. The majority of the time he is your typical fun, energetic 5 year old, trying everything he can think of to get out of going to bed. Stephen is growing and it is hard to believe only 3 years ago he was a tiny newborn. He talks my ear off and makes stunning statements every day that leave me thinking "how do you know that already? how did you figure that out? You're 3!"

I can't wait to fill you in on our new dogs, Shade and Popper (pictures coming soon!), and I'll give everyone the rundown soon. For now, just know that I've missed you all and I look forward to writing much more often!

Merry Go Round, I Hate You

2010-05-17T13:10:00.001-05:00

When it comes to my oldest son's medical issues, I feel like I'm on the worlds most awful merry go round, and I want to get off. More than that, I want to be able to get HIM off the d*mn thing too. He's been through too much. He's been stuck and x-rayed and examined and iv'd and tested and essentially tortured because no one can seem to help resolve his respiratory/allergy/sinus issues. He has many, MANY days where he is your typical average 4 year old boy.

And then he'll lay down to go to sleep.

It'll start with a cough. Minimal, every couple minutes or so.

It'll stop, I'll think. He'll get his throat clear and he'll fall asleep and everything will be fine.

Then it'll get worse. And worse. And before I can say "Come on Mother Nature, give him a BREAK already!" he'll be sitting up in bed, coughing so hard he's gagging, and gagging so hard he throws up.

Then what happens? Go back up and start from the "he'll lay down to go to sleep" part and repeat continuously. Sometimes these episodes will result in him needing more asthma medicine, more breathing treatments. Sometimes it results in an ER visit when he simply can't stop and he's worn himself out from the constant gagging. ALWAYS it results in me wracking my brain, what did he do today? What did he eat? Was he around a cat? Could it have been the new juice he tried at lunch? What is it? What is it? WHAT IS IT?

Because if I have something I can recognize, I can eliminate it. I can put on my Mommy armor and completely kick the ever loving bejesus out of anything that dares to make my little guy sick. But I don't have one single thing that always causes a problem. I have no "okay yeah, this is what set him off, now we know better." Instead I'm fighting a war with an invisible foe and his sneaky behind is winning so far.

So I ranted and raved all that to tell you this. Next week, my son, my child, my blonde haired, blue eyed angel that I love more than life has to have surgery. AGAIN. They are yanking his tonsils, opening up his sinuses and replacing his ear tubes. He will be in surgery for at least 2 and a half hours and these people expect me to hold it together and not go tearing into that ER to make sure they aren't hurting my son. They expect me to be accepting of the fact that they get to torture him yet again, that he will be in pain for at least a week afterward, and that though this will hopefully help, there are no guarantees. This is a routine surgery, he will be fine and he will recover and he will forget all about it. But please keep him in your thoughts. Pray that the Lord gives him the strength to bounce back quickly and to be brave.

And while you're at it, if you could put in a "please help his mom not kill anyone", that might help too.

Need Recipe Ideas?

2010-01-13T15:18:00.002-05:00

The most horrendous knock-down, drag-out fights in your life will usually occur when trying to get your toddler or preschooler to eat the dinners that you slave over each and every day. Ask me how I know.

A friend of mine is tackling not only the eternal Get My Kids To Eat Dinner battle, but she is also making 365 new recipes while doing it. What can I say, I think she can literally channel Martha Stewart sometimes. Minus the insider stock tips of course. So check out My Year of Living in the Cuisinart!, for some great recipes and some hilarious stories on how her kids react too these new dishes!

Sweet Sunday Sidebars

2009-05-03T12:14:00.006-05:00

Time to bring back an oldie but goodie folks. The Sunday Sidebars. Ten points of note from my little corner of the universe, a place where chaos reigns supreme.

1. Big excitement on the job front. Hubby got a new position that we're very excited about. It has lots of pros, it definitely has some cons, but it's something we need to do in this economy to keep our family and our way of living safe. I'm so very proud of him!

2. Potty training. At this point Alex is essentially potty trained though he still has an accident every once in a while. He is very big on doing things himself though, and will ask for "Privacy PLEASE!" most of the time. :-)

3. Stephen is smack dab in the middle of the hitting stage. He hits anything and everything when he gets frustrated, even himself. He's not happy when he gets called on it, but he's slowly getting the message that hauling off is not the best way to get what you want.

4. Because I don't have nearly enough on my plate with taking care of a 3 year old and a 1 year old, I'm now training to be a medical transcriptionist. The training will hopefully allow me to work from home, even after the boys start school, so it seemed an ideal fit for me. I haven't studied this much since before I discovered free parties in college. But if I can get through Anatomy and Disease, I can get through anything. (If you'd like to know more about the medical transcription or the school I am training through, please feel free to email me.)

5. For the first time in a long time I have a very good story idea floating around in my head. I haven't started writing anything but set-up notes just yet, but this thing seems to be taking on a life of it's own, and I look forward to seeing where the story takes me.

6. The weather is here, I wish you were beautiful. It's gorgeous here. In the 80's during the day and mild 60's at night. We've become an open window, running outside, popsicle eating family almost overnight. Bring on the boat drinks Jimmy!

7. The swine flu is making its way across the upstate, and I am getting more and more leery of everyone I pass by over the course of the day. This thing is spreading like some kind of fungus on old cheese, and I do NOT want it in my house. Stay away pig flu, you ain't welcome here.

8. We continue on our mission to find out what is causing Alex's chronic congestion and cough. The pulminologist believes he should have his tonsils out as they may be contributing to if not causing the problem. We are on the "we call you 5 times a day and always get a recording" rotation with the ENT these days to try to get him in for a consult. If you have a child with allergies/asthma/chronic cough/chronic drainage/the-doctors-just-have-no-idea, PLEASE contact me. I'd love to hear the things you've tried and why.

9. Yard sales are back! I love yard sales. Already this season I've found tons of clothes and toys for the boys that would have cost me an arm and a leg otherwise. You can find some great deals on toddler toys at yard sales. My next mission to find a water table they can play with outside. Wish me luck.

10. The weight is slowly coming off. Thanks to my continued efforts at the Y, chasing after the boys and a little extra help from SlimQuick, those extra baby pounds are finally coming off. I won't be competing against Valerie Bertinelli in a bikini contest anytime soon, but I'm keeping an eye on her just in case. :-)

So that's it from our little piece of the cosmos. Enjoy your upcoming week and don't forget to giggle with your toddler today!

Swine Flu and Your Child

2009-04-29T15:28:00.004-05:00

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past couple weeks, you're likely to have heard about "Swine Flu" and the massive continent wide panic attack following swiftly at it's heels. So what should we believe? Should you keep your kids home from school just in case? What if there have been reported cases near you? Should we all start wearing masks to the grocery store?

Whoa. Slow down and back up (slowly so as not to run over anyone on the way). Here's the thing. Swine flu is probably not going to come knocking at your door before breakfast tomorrow. I can't tell you if it's going to start spreading like wildfire (excuse the excessively overused cliche) or if it's going to shrivel up and disappear like the Wicked Witch of the West. I'm voting for the latter, but it's best to be prepared regardless. There are some precautions you can take now. And let's face it, pre-planning never hurt anyone (except maybe all those people who bought one of those wearable blankets on TV because they were just convinced it was going to be the next fashion craze).

So some simple precautionary steps to keep your fingers-in-everything, sneeze-in-your-face, what-do-you-mean-I-can't-play-in-the-toilet toddler from picking up any unwanted germs these days:

1. Let'em wash! Make sure your toddler washes their hands before meals, after potty breaks, after coming from outside, and after sharing toys or items with others. Let them squeeze the soap or play in the sink. You can even let them get the whole front of their shirt wet. I won't tell a soul.

2. Push the politeness. Practice being polite with your toddler. "We cover our mouth when we sneeze, just like this." "We cover our mouth when we cough, see?" Toddlers are excellent mimics. Use a puppet, use a book, use Grandma Ruth, whatever works.

3. Carry reinforcements. My personal fave is this little baby - Lysol Healthy Touch Hand Sanitizer Foam. It comes out in a foam, dries quickly and doesn't leave your hands feeling like they belong on the crypt keeper. You can find it in the checkout line at most Wal-Marts, CVS, Walgreens, etc. Make it a habit to foam up whenever you can't wash your hands, or after any particularly germ-filled experience. Did I mention it comes in this super handy small size that fits right in a purse or diaper bag?

4. Go on the defensive. Start thinking like a germ. Did you know for instance that a virus can live on almost any surface for up to two weeks? That means dinner menus at your favorite restaurant, grocery cart handles, the door to the public bathroom, the treadmill at the gym, THE BOTTOM OF YOUR PURSE!! Wipe these items down with sanitizing wipes or foam up after using them.

5. Ramp up bath time. I know, I know. Bath time sucks. It kills your back, your clothes get all wet, etc. It is a well known and documented fact that toddlers are the only ones who actually enjoy toddler bath time. But you're going to have to suffer even more. Make sure your toddler gets a bath every day, or more often if they get into a particularly messy scenario. Consider buying some new bath toys to keep your little angel occupied and your sanity somewhat preserved.

Obviously if your child goes to day care or regular school, make a back up plan in case school is closed. Hopefully things won't get to that point, but one can never be too prepared. Good luck, and happy germ killing everyone!!

Cross 'Em If You Got 'Em

2009-03-06T14:44:00.003-05:00

Against all odds, we finally got a day where Alex wasn't running a fever or coughing like crazy that also worked with the doctor's schedule, so he went in and got the booster they suggested earlier today. We also got his test results back on some food allergy tests and the great news is he's not "allergic" to anything per se. He has intolerances to cows milk, eggs and wheat, that can build up and may be contributing to his upper respiratory symptoms. So our job is to basically limit those in his diet for at least a couple months to see what benefits we can get. He has absolutely NO allergies or sensitivities to the dog, the cat, dust mites, pollen, etc. *HAPPY DANCE, HAPPY DANCE* (Okay stop laughing at me, that is seriously how I dance!)

I have to say, after only two days of restricting those things in his diet I have noticed he is not sneezing or coughing or complaining of a sore tummy at all. He's also eating everything he can get his hands on faster than a offensive lineman getting ready for the superbowl. He even has the tiniest bit of color back in those pale as a baby's butt cheeks, and has definitely regained that mischevious "I am so going to get into something I'm not supposed to and there's nothing you can do to stop me" twinkle in his eyes. I am absolutely thrilled to see such a change in him already, and can only hope that this continues!

So long story short, we've done what we can with the information we have at this point. So cross 'em if you got 'em, I want all the good luck I can get!! :-)

And if anyone is wondering about food allergy testing, I can highly recommend Better Health USA, the website affiliated with ImmunoLabs, which is who did our testing. They did a full pediatric food panel as well as a huge list of airborne allergens and molds. So if you're looking that direction, feel free to visit their site and sign up to get their free info. I'm already glad we did.

I Double Dog Dare Ya

2009-02-23T09:05:00.004-05:00

Okay, so some time back (and by some time I mean could have been years, I have no real recollection) Benny's dad over at A Work of Art: Raising Our Exceptional Son posted 100 special things about his son. It gave me the idea to create a "100 List" as I call it about each of my boys. I'm currently working on one for Stephen and am trying to track down my original "100 List" that I made for Alex. It's super easy. Simply make a list of 100 unique or special things about your child. I dare ya. I double dog dare ya! It's just an easy way to remind us how truly blessed we really are.

Potty Training 101

2009-01-18T21:40:00.004-05:00

Potty Training your toddler is simple. All you need are the four following items:

1 - Lots of cute mini me sized underwear with various characters such as Snow White or Spider Man all over them.

2 - An adorable little plastic potty or potty seat.

3 - Cute little "No More Diapers" and "Potty Time For Me" books to entertain your toddler while they're spending time in the bathroom.

4 - Various treats and rewards to entice any toddler - stickers, M&M's, visits to the playground, the list goes on.

Now once you have these items on hand you begin your glorious trip into the kingdom of potty training. And soon discover you will also need the following:

1 - A heavy duty quick load washing machine.

2 - 13 gallons of carpet cleaner, industrial strength.

3 - A bag of clothespins for keeping your nose closed while cleaning with said carpet cleaner.

4 - A mountain pack sized diaper bag for carrying 3 changes of clothes (socks and shoes included!) anytime you leave the house.

5 - The patience of Job when your toddler screams "I don't WANNA GO POTTY!" for the seventeen hundredth time.

6 - Oh, and a bunch more of those mini me sized underwear we mentioned above.

Don't worry, as my great aunt always says. "They won't go to college wearing diapers!"

What Happens To Women Who Become Mothers?

2008-11-18T09:23:00.003-05:00

At some point after I got pregnant with my second child, I disappeared.

I am still here physically, but me, the basic parts of my personality and most importantly MY MIND somehow disappeared. Whether it was caused by the rough pregnancy, or by some type of hormonal overload, I have no idea. What I do know is I'm acutely aware of it, yet can do absolutely nothing about it. Rather than a post partum type of depressed, I just can't do it, I don't like my life feeling, this is simply an awareness that I am a completely different person. And yet, as strange as it may sound, the 'original me' (as I like to refer to her) is still there, she's simply an inactive bystander for some reason. And in meeting and talking with other moms with more than one child, it's come to my notice that many mothers are experiencing the same exact thing.

Some people may call it "mommy brain", some people may call it "momnesia". I call it a pain in my ass. I distinctly remember being able to hold an intelligent, INTERESTING conversation with my husband for a considerable length of time. Nowadays, when we get the chance to talk at the end of the day, there is no telling what type of gibberish may come out of my mouth. Or what terms have completely escaped my mind altogether. Simple things like dates, memories, common descriptive terms that might focus on something actually outside the house. Many of these things have deserted me for more fertile and active ground. Perhaps they've jumped ship to spend time in the brain of my labrador, who i'm fairly certain could beat me hands down in a game of trivial pursuit these days.

So what do I think is going on? Well first, I don't think, remember? Or when I do, random groupings of nonsensical words seem to flow out of their own accord. But the only thing I can figure is that somehow, somewhere along this glorious path to motherhood, a woman's brain simply reorganizes. The space previously dedicated to extending your personal knowledge, sharpening your senses, and other such non-important things is now overtaken by the "Mommy Details" section. In this section you instead have immediate recall for sock sizes, favorite desserts, best sippy cup to take on long trips, 14 different ways to cope with a bad case of diaper rash, which toys seem to instigate sibling world wars, and other such vital information.

After all, that probably really is more important than noticing the car is about to run out of gas, or that your green slacks don't actually go with the purple striped sweatshirt you grabbed out of your closet in the dark this morning. Happy thinking mommies!

Political Yes, But Oh So Necessary

2008-11-01T19:29:00.003-05:00

I'm usually not one to be very outgoing as far as my political or personal choices. I'm more of a my decision is mine, and yours is yours. That's how it is. But in this particular case, I am absolutely floored by how much this guy voices my own beliefs and concerns. Regardless of your affiliation, please give this piece the respect of reading it through. Thank you.

My name is Joe Porter. I live in Champaign, Illinois. I'm 46 years old, a born-again Christian, a husband, a father, a small business owner, a veteran, and a homeowner. I don't consider myself to be either conservative or liberal, and I vote for the person, not Republican or Democrat. I don't believe there are "two Americas " but that every person in this country can be whomever and whatever they want to be if they'll just work to get there and nowhere else on earth can they find such opportunities. I believe our government should help those who are legitimately downtrodden, and should always put the interests of America first.

The purpose of this message is that I'm concerned about the future of this great nation. I'm worried that the silent majority of honest, hard-working, tax-paying people in this country have been passive for too long. Most folks I know choose not to involve themselves in politics. They go about their daily lives, paying their bills, raising their kids, and doing what they can to maintain the good life. They vote and consider doing so to be a sacred trust. They shake their heads at the political pundits and so-called "news", thinking that what they hear is always spun by whomever is reporting it. They can't understand how elected officials can regularly violate the public trust with pork barrel spending. They don't want government handouts. They want the government to protect them, not raise their taxes for more government programs.

We are in the unique position in this country of electing our leaders. It's a privilege to do so. I've never found a candidate in any election with whom I agreed on everything. I'll wager that most of us don't even agree with our families or spouses 100% of the time. So when I step into that voting booth, I always try to look at the big picture and cast my vote for the man or woman who is best qualified for the job. I've hired a lot of people in my lifetime, and essentially that's what an election is – a hiring process. Who has the credentials? Whom do I want working for me? Whom can I trust to do the job right?

I'm concerned that a growing number of voters in this country simply don't get it. They are caught up in a fervor they can't explain, and calling it "change".

"Change what?", I ask.

"Well, we're going to change America", they say.

"In what way?", I query.

"We want someone new and fresh in the White House", they exclaim.

"So, someone who's not a politician?", I say.

"Uh, well, no, we just want a lot of stuff changed, so we're voting for Obama", they state.

"So the current system, the system of freedom and democracy that has enabled a man to grow up in this great country, get a fine education, raise incredible amounts of money and dominate the news, and win his party's nomination for the White House that system's all wrong?"

"No, no, that part of the system's okay we just need a lot of change."

And so it goes. "Change we can believe in."

Quite frankly, I don't believe that vague proclamations of change hold's any promise for me. In recent months, I've been asking virtually everyone I encounter how they're voting. I live in Illinois, so most folks tell me they're voting for Barack Obama. But no one can really tell me why only that he's going to change a lot of stuff "Change, change, change." I have yet to find one single person who can tell me distinctly and convincingly why this man is qualified to be President and Commander-in-Chief of the most powerful nation on earth other than the fact that he claims he's going to implement a lot of change.

We've all seen the emails about Obama's genealogy, his upbringing, his Muslim background, and his church affiliations. Let's ignore this for a moment. Put it all aside. Then ask yourself, "What qualifies this man to be my president? That he's a brilliant orator and talks about change?"

CHANGE WHAT?

Friends, I'll be forthright with you I believe the American voters who are supporting Barack Obama don't have a clue what they're doing, as evidenced by the fact that not one of them - NOT ONE of them I've spoken to can spell out his qualifications. Not even the most liberal media can explain why he should be elected. Political experience? Negligible. Foreign relations? Non-existent. Achievements? Name one. Someone who wants to unite the country? If you haven't read his wife's thesis from Princeton, look it up on the web. This is who's lining up to be our next First Lady? The only thing I can glean from Obama's constant harping about change is that we're in for a lot of new taxes.

For me, the choice is clear. I've looked carefully at the two leading applicants for the job, and I've made my choice.

Here's a question - "Where were you five and a half years ago? Around Christmas, 2002. You've had five or six birthdays in that time. My son has grown from a sixth grade child to a high school graduate. Five and a half years is a good chunk of time. About 2,000 days. 2,000 nights of sleep. 6,000 meals, give or take."

John McCain spent that amount of time, from 1967 to 1973, in a North Vietnamese prisoner-of-war camp.

When offered early release, he refused it. He considered this offer to be a public relations stunt by his captors, and insisted that those held longer than he should be released first. Did you get that part? He was offered his freedom, and he turned it down. A regimen of beatings and torture began.

Do you possess such strength of character? Locked in a filthy cell in a foreign country, or would you turn down your own freedom in favor of your fellow man? I submit that's a quality of character that is rarely found, and for me, this singular act defines John McCain.

Unlike several presidential candidates in recent years whose military service is questionable or non-existent, you will not find anyone to denigrate the integrity and moral courage of this man. A graduate of Annapolis, during his Naval service he received the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross. His own son is now serving in the Marine Corps in Iraq . Barack Obama is fond of saying "We honor John McCain's service...BUT...", which to me is condescending and offensive - because what I hear is, "Let's forget this man's sacrifice for his country, and his proven leadership abilities, and talk some more about change."

I don't agree with John McCain on everything - but I am utterly convinced that he is qualified to be our next President, and I trust him to do what's right. I know in my heart that he has the best interests of our country in mind. He doesn't simply want to be President - he wants to lead America, and there's a huge difference. Factually, there is simply no comparison between the two candidates. A man of questionable background and motives who prattles on about change, can't hold a candle to a man who has devoted his life in public service to this nation, retiring from the Navy in1981 and elected to the Senate in1982.

Perhaps Obama's supporters are taking a stance between old and new. Maybe they don't care about McCain's service or his strength of character, or his unblemished qualifications to be President. Maybe "likeability" is a higher priority for them than "trust". Being a prisoner of war is not what qualifies John McCain to be President of the United States of America - but his demonstrated leadership certainly DOES.

Dear friends, it is time for us to stand. It is time for thinking Americans to say, "Enough." It is time for people of all parties to stop following the party line. It is time for anyone who wants to keep America first, who wants the right man leading their nation, to start a dialogue with all their friends and neighbors and ask who they're voting for, and why.

There's a lot of evil in this world. That should be readily apparent to all of us by now. And when faced with that evil as we are now, I want a man who knows the cost of war on his troops and on his citizens. I want a man who puts my family's interests before any foreign country.

I want a President who's qualified to lead.

I want my country back, and I'm voting for John McCain.

Out Of The Mouths Of Babes

2008-09-26T09:50:00.004-05:00

I have to admit, Nick and I make pretty babies!! :-)

Got a cute email earlier I thought I'd share some of it with you. Kids say the best things.

DID NOAH FISH?
A Sunday school teacher asked, 'Johnny, do you think Noah did a lot of fishing when he was on the Ark ?'
'No,' replied Johnny. 'How could he, with just two worms?'

MOSES AND THE RED SEA
Nine-year-old Joey was asked by his mother what he had learned in Sunday School.
'Well, Mom, our teacher told us how God sent Moses behind enemy lines on a rescue mission to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. When he got to the Red Sea , he had his army build a pontoon bridge and all the people walked across safely. Then, he radioed headquarters for reinforcements. They sent bombers to blow up the bridge and all the Israelites were saved.'
'Now, Joey, is that really what your teacher taught you?' his mother asked.
'Well, no, Mom. But, if I told it the way the teacher did, you'd never believe it!'

BEING THANKFUL
A rabbi said to a precocious six-year-old boy, 'So your mother says your prayers for you each night? That's very commendable. What does she say?'
The little boy replied, 'Thank God he's in bed!'

ALL MEN / ALL GIRLS?
When my daughter, Kelli, said her bedtime prayers, she would bless every family member, every friend, and every animal (current and past). For several weeks, after we had finished the nightly prayer, Kelli would say, 'And all girls.' As this soon became part of her nightly routine, to include this at the end, my curiosity got the best of me and I asked her,'Kelli, Why do you always add the part about all girls?'
Her response, 'Because we always finish our prayers by saying 'All Men'!'

You just gotta love kids. Give yours a snuggle today, and take time to have a tickle fight. They'll be all grown up before you know it.

Unable to Say Goodbye

2008-09-04T18:48:00.002-05:00

It hurts that I'm unable to say goodbye. It breaks my heart that my grandfather is here in body, but is no longer the person he used to be. Alzheimer's does that to a person. What hurts the most is that I know he would absolutely hate what has happened to him. There is nothing anyone can do but what is already being done, but it's painful nonetheless.

But instead of focusing on the part that makes us cry sad tears, I'd rather focus on that which makes us cry happy ones. As a child these are the memories I recall the most:

Age 5:
My Pop Pop is the smartest man ever. He knows math and science and every answer to every question I can come up with. He must be friends with God, because he knows EVERYTHING. Someday I'm gonna be just as smart as him.

Age 11:
Pop Pop is teaching me to play checkers. Today I got just as good as him, because he taught me what he called the most important lesson ever ... if you get to where you know you're going to lose (and in this case HE was going to lose!), accidently knock the board over!! Heee hee. Pop Pop makes me laugh.

Age 17:
Pop Pop always treats me as an equal. At the point where I feel like everyone is treating me like a kid, he talks to me as an adult would, he asks my opinion, wants to hear my reasons and my thoughts. Even when I'm wrong about something, he takes the time to listen, appreciate, and then explain why that might not be the correct response. I respect him more than I could ever explain.

Age 25:
Every holiday the whole family gets together. It's a tradition I absolutely love. But I especially look forward to the time I get to spend with Pop Pop, talking about everything from Virginia Tech football, to why my latest boyfriend didn't deserve me in the first place. How often I wish I had his absolute wisdom when it comes to life.

Age 30:
I love the way Pop Pop's face lights up when he sees my son. His first great grandson is a constant source of enjoyment for him, and I only wish I could get the two of them together more often. I see so much of myself and my husband in my son, but Pop Pop is there too, in his quick perception, his amazing absorbtion and retention of everything he sees. In short, his very intelligence and that quick smile that goes with it gives me flashes of Pop Pop every day.

Age 32:
I hate what has happened to my Pop Pop. And yes, he is my grandpa, but his name will always be "Pop Pop" to me. And instead of remembering this horrible disease that is stealing him slowly and painfully from us, to me he will always be that quick smile, that quicker wit, that handsome gentleman with that eternally comforting embrace.

I love you Pop Pop. I always will.

Helpful Household Tips For Busy Moms

2008-08-04T21:21:00.002-05:00

Just some tips I've compiled from various magazines, websites, etc. Time savers for us busy moms!

1. When folding sheets, keep sets together by putting the folded sheets and one pillowcase in the other pillowcase that goes with the set. When you need to change a bed, everything is in one place, no more searching for random peices.

2. For kids that take a while to decide what to wear, let them help choose two outfits the night before and lay them out. The next morning let your little one pick out which they prefer in the light of day. The same idea works for what to have for breakfast!

3. Too many toys? Box up seldom played with toys (if you have a possessive toddler, during nap time might be ideal) in a rubbermaid type container. Every 2 to 3 months, bring out the boxed up toys and replace them. Helps with keeping toys organized and fosters new interest in older, cast aside playthings!

4. Cut your dryer sheets in half. They work just the same, last twice as long, and it's one less thing you have to add to that grocery list every week! You can also use "used" dryer sheets to clear dust. Use one to quickly swipe over the tv screen or to pull pet hair off furniture.

5. Make one night a week a casserole/freezer night. Mix up a casserole or other freezable dinner and set it in the freezer. Make it a habit to do this the same night each week, then when Friday or Saturday comes around, dinner is a breeze!

6. Set up a lost and found location or basket. When you find something random sitting around - husband's sunglasses, teenager's cell phone case, toddler's single red crayon, toss it in the lost and found. It makes clean up much easier and your loved ones know where to check before starting the "Honey where's my ...?" "Mom, where did you put my ...?"

7. For baked on foods in your saucepans, add dish soap and cover the bottom of the pan with water, then boil. Crusted food is loosened and cleaning is a breeze. The same idea works for microwaves - before scrubbing at the caked on peices, bring a cup of water to a boil in the microwave. The steam will help loosen cooked on particles.

8. If your little one gets a splinter, try using tape before pulling out the tweezers. Lay the tape over the splinter, pat down and pull off. Most splinters come out easy with much fewer tears involved.

9. Use a lint roller or pet hair pickup sponge to dust lampshades. Use a duster or swiffer rag to dust tabletops with your other hand as you go.

10. Make time to relax and play with your kids. No one ever sat back once they got older and said "Man I wish I had kept my house cleaner!!" :-)

Olive Oil For Cradle Cap

2008-08-01T19:19:00.004-05:00

OLIVE OIL??? ON THIS HEAD FULL OF HAIR??

That's right. I said it. Grease 'em up like a pig, let them sit around smelling like a french fry for ten to twenty minutes, then rinse. And rinse again, and wash with baby shampoo, and wash again, etc. I didn't say the clean up process would be easy, but it is certainly worth it.

I read about using olive oil to help with cradle cap in a parenting magazine and as Stephen has been battling this particular affliction since birth (there are some downfalls to having all that beautiful hair straight out of the ... well, you know), I decided to give it a shot.

So while we were all hanging out in the kitchen, discussing our day as Nick marinated our steaks for the grill and I slaved away over 5 minute in the bag steamed veggies we dribbled a little bit of everyone's favorite cooking aid on our infant's head and gently rubbed it in. Twenty minutes later during our bath (the boys, not mine) the cradle cap was already noticeably improved. I used a soft bristled brush to gently massage his scalp, and then washed his hair (three times I think before I got the oily feel out). After drying he still had some flaking, but feeling he'd had enough I left it alone and the next day ALL of the cradle cap was gone.

That's been over a week ago, and still no return on the cradle cap. Instead he has a beautiful head full of hair and NO icky yellow flakes.

So if you're battling the scaly head demon, look to your countertop or cabinet and fix it with no pain, no medicines, and very little fuss!

Son of a ....

2008-07-20T19:07:00.002-05:00

Well, it was too good to be true. Alex woke up this morning coughing and wheezing. He's been on breathing treatments today and seems to be running a slight fever. I'll be on the phone to the ENT first thing tomorrow to see if we can get him on reflux meds to see if that helps. If not, then we're back to the pediatrician and on to the pediatric pulmonologist to get a better handle on what exactly is going on here. I'm seriously thinking of taking up kickboxing just so I can pound on something to vent my frustrations. WILL THEY JUST FIGURE OUT WHAT IS GOING ON WITH MY KID ALREADY!!!!

10 Things My Toddler Taught Me This Week

2008-07-17T20:14:00.003-05:00

1. Fruit snacks are all powerful. The offering of said snacks can illicit the best behavior to be had all day.

2. Getting as close to your baby brother's face and saying "Hi Baby!" in super happy voice can create uncontrollable laughter in both parties.

3. A person can never watch Monsters Inc. or Ratatouille too many times in one day.

4. Having Elmo all over your underwear gives you much more motivation to make it to the potty on time.

5. Bath time is always more fun with a buddy. (Okay, I already knew this one, I admit)

6. When at first you don't succeed, go ask grandma.

7. Ice cream fixes all boo boos, and pretty quick too.

8. A good hour long hot wheels ride does wonders for helping you get a good nights sleep.

9. Some meals really should be full body experiences.

10. "Come here Mommy," followed by a gentle hug and kiss can melt any mom's heart.

A Sigh of Relief

2008-07-14T07:45:00.001-05:00

Okay, so for the first time in a long time I've taken a big sigh of relief. We MAY have figured out what's going on with Alex. I say MAY because I've been here before, and thought we had the answer only to have the asthma/upper respiratory issues continue. So for now I'll keep my fingers crossed and just hope this works.

Last Friday Alex had his ear tubes put back in, and a camera was put down his throat and then up into his sinuses. His sinuses look fine, his throat is irritated and he may well still be having reflux. The problem with Alex is, as he started with reflux after his surgery at one month old he is literally so used to it he doesn't show any symptoms. Because his throat stays irritated, his sinuses constantly drain in an attempt to soothe his throat. This constant drainage causes mucus, which then builds up in his lungs and results in an asthma attack. Complicated isn't it? Regardless, the ENT is pretty confident that we can get him on reflux medicine and fix ALL these problems, even the asthma attacks.

On the one side I am a little peeved that we've been struggling with this for so long and something as simple as reflux medicine might fix it all. But on the other, at this point, I don't care what it is as long as it works!! I'm so tired of hearing my little one wheeze and cough and say "Mommy owwie, Mommy owie" while patting his chest. I'm tired of the way my heart hurts looking at the dark circles under his eyes because he just can't rest well while pumped up on asthma medicine.

So I am obviously thrilled that he is currently doing great, sleeping great, breathing fine, and playing hard like any normal 2 year old should be. With any luck he'll even be back to getting into mischeif any time now!!

Just For Fun

2008-07-05T10:00:00.004-05:00

Bring On The Info!!

2008-07-05T08:33:00.004-05:00

Happy Day after Fourth of July everyone. Hope you all had a day filled with fun, ice cream, fatty foods, and more fireworks than you could stand. For the first time in a long while Alex was feeling well enough that we went out downtown and enjoyed the fourth of July festival. We didn't last long enough to see the fireworks down there, but caught some once we got back home so all was not lost. Alex also had a blast, and I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with my three men.

We are still in the midst of numerous tests to determine what exactly is going on with Alex's health. He appears to have RAD (or asthma, whatever you choose to call it) but has tested negative in his allergy tests, thus has no apparent trigger. He's had essentially a chronic upper respiratory infection since about February, and though he's "okay" day to day, he's certainly not at 100%. We found out on Thursday after a visit to the ENT that his ear tubes have come out and both ears are infected. Poor little guy showed no signs of an ear infection whatsoever! So we're back in next Friday to get his tubes put back in (and absolute necessity according to the ENT as his ears currently do not drain any fluid when they should). They will also be putting a camera up into his sinuses and down into his larynx to try and figure out why he's having the chronic cough, runny nose, wheezing, fatigue, etc.

Stephen on the other hand is healthy as a horse these days, and is almost 20 pounds already!! He's finally down to getting up only once a night, and usually just giving him the pacifier knocks him back out until about 6 in the morning. A welcome change from 3 and 4 times a night, that's for sure!

I missed my blog friends over the past month, and am excited to see that Anita over at Did We Survive Hurricane Katrina or Not? tagged me! Thanks Anita!!

Here's the meme:

“The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.”

1) What were you doing 5 years ago?

I was dating my husband, living in Myrtle Beach, helping to run a no-kill animal rescue, and working as a receptionist for a large law firm. It was a very good time in my life, but a time full of changes as well.

2) What are 5 things on your to-do list for today?

Take a nap
Finish the laundry
Go buy new pillows for everyone's bed
Pick up a new memory card for the camera since I broke the last one
Maybe take the boys out for lunch

3) What are 5 snacks you enjoy?

Popcorn
Anything dark chocolate
Spinach dip
Garlic Hummus
Mozzarella Caprese (Fresh mozz with sliced tomatoes drizzled with balsamic vinagrette)

4) What are five things you would do if you were a billionaire?

Hire a top of the line respiratory specialist to help Alex
Start and run a no-kill animal rescue
Pay people to call my phone company multiple times per day and hassle them about buying new services (payback is hell!)
Buy my parents and in-laws houses nearby so they could come stay whenever they wanted
Buy Nick a Z06 Corvette

5) What are five jobs you’ve had?

Veterinary Technician, Receptionist, Paralegal, Store Manager, Mommy

Now for the tagging part.... I tag:

Leslie at My Mommy's Place Blog

Wendy at Adoption and Fire

Sheri at My Minivan is Faster than Yours

Audrey of Mom Generations at Audrey's Blog

Can't wait to see everyone's responses!!

The Sunday Sixteen May 18, 2008

2008-05-18T14:04:00.003-05:00

1 - Happy Sunday everyone! Welcome to the latest edition of the Sunday Sixteen!

2 - Summer is officially here. Time to break out the baby sunblock and swim diapers!

3 - Alex is spending lots of time playing with his good friends Eli and Elise lately. I love the fact that he's developing relationships. He asks about Eli or Elise at least once a day, and usually wants to know when we'll see them again.

4 - Packing for a trip involving a toddler and an infant is easier said than done. I have no idea where all the kid gear is going to go, and I'm pretty sure I'll just have to wear the clothes I have on for the entire trip because there will be no room for my suitcase.

5 - A visual comparison:

Alex at 4 and a half months.

Stephen at 4 and a half months.

6 - Favorite Toddler Book these days - Alex Did It by Udo Weigelt a gift from Eli and Elise.

7 - Favorite baby product this week - the Hotsling - this makes it much, much easier to get the prep work done for dinner, to calm the baby when he's fussy, and to basically get anything at all done around the house.

8 - Best Mommy only product this week - Dove's SkinVitalizer - made for cleaning your face and revitalizing tired skin, you just replace the pads every so often, hit a button and you get a quick mini facial while in the shower. As someone who never has time to wash her own face, much less pamper herself, I absolutely adore it.

9 - Quick Food Tip for the week - Croissants! Lately we'll get ready made croissants from the bakery at our local grocery store and heat them up in a few seconds in the microwave. Drizzle it with honey for a quick breakfast on the run, or coat with melted butter and sprinkle with garlic for a great addition to dinner.

10 - I'm gettin' off my butt this week. Joined the Y last week and am making it a point to go and work out at least an hour a couple days a week. What's even better is the free childcare while I'm doing it and the friendly nursery staff who already love both the boys.

11 - Memorial Day is coming up. If you can speak your mind without fear of persecution, thank a veteran. If you can worship whichever religion you choose, thank a veteran. If you are here and didn't have to risk your own life to protect your many freedoms, stand up and shake a veteran's hand. They put their lives on the line for us and many, many more have lost their lives to allow us our freedoms. We don't give them nearly enough respect, so make it a point to show your appreciation and heartfelt gratitude this Memorial Day.

12 - Sleep is a hot button issue in my house these days. We're working with Stephen on sleeping better through the night and though we just started this he seems to be doing well with it so far. Alex on the other hand is going the other way and suddenly lays by his door and cries after he's been put to bed, be it naptime or nighttime. We go back in and tell him to get back in the bed and he does, then falls asleep.

13 - Alex is blowing us away with his vocabulary today. At lunch he looked at my sandwich and said "Mommy mayonnaise?". MAYONNAISE?? Are you kidding? I don't think I could even say that word until I was in my twenties. He's my little word sponge, it's amazing.

14 - Best Netflix this week - Resurrecting the Champ with Samuel Jackson and Josh Hartnett. As a writer and a parent this one really struck a cord with me. Higly recommend it.

15 - Well it took almost five months but we finally got all the breastfeeding issues resolved. We also found a lactose free formula that Stephen tolerates well should he need it. I have to admit, I feel pretty damn good about the fact that I'm giving Stephen the absolute best start I can.

16 - That's the Sunday Sixteen for this week, hope you all have a great one!

Fun Stuff to do with Your Toddler

2008-05-14T19:48:00.004-05:00

Remember the do it yourself Sundaes? Well it's been a while again since I did anything "out of the ordinary" with Alex. I mean we've had fun, gone to the park, gone to playdates, played outside, etc. But we haven't done those "make a point to do this" things that I promised myself as a parent I would do before my kids grow up. So today we took a sheet and covered the coffee table, making ourselves a secret fort to watch movies from. I left the toys all over the living room and we shared chicken soup (Alex has been under the weather) and apple juice and watched Ratatouille until our eyes crossed. I'm convinced there is no sweeter sound on earth than your own child's laughter.

And tonight after both the boys went to bed I realized there are plenty of fun things you can do with your kids, and many of them don't involve any extra money. I'll start a list, but please comment and add your own ideas if you have any!

1 - Make a fort using an old sheet over your coffee table or kitchen table. Stash snacks and a flashlight and a pillow or two underneath and spend the day "camping out".

2 - Pack a picnic lunch and eat it in the backyard. Since it's summertime you can do this before, during, or even after playing in the sprinklers!

3 - Create a scavenger hunt for your toddler. It can be as simple as hiding gummy bears in random places and giving your little one hints on where to find them. Or as complex as stashing things along a specific route and then taking your little one for a stroller ride in the right direction.

4 - Become a sketch artist. Draw a picture but follow your toddler's direction on who should be in it, what color they should be, etc. Alex loves doing this (funny enough every time we do this Poppy, Daddy, Alex and Stephen make it in the picture, but no Mommy anywhere).

5 - On rainy days, place a few of your toddler's favorite books in different rooms of the house. Read a different story as you go in a different room. Add props or actions that go with the stories - for a bee story, have your little one change into a yellow shirt or make buzzing noises. Better yet, let your little one come up with their own ideas of things to go with the stories!

6 - Find a zoo if you have one anywhere nearby. Toddlers adore animals and the zoo is a wonderful learning experience. Don't be afraid to make animal noises right along with your toddler. If it's one thing toddler's love, it's anything that makes mommy or daddy look silly!

Alex watching the lion at our zoo.

I'll be adding to this list as I come up with ideas but would love to hear yours as well!!

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-11T10:30:00.004-05:00

Something special from my own mother. It means more to me than I could ever express. I am the mother I am because of her.

The definition of the word, PRIDE, is to be the Mom of the Mom. Sure, there is that incredibly special relationship that you share with that gorgeous human being known as your grandson, but there are few words to adequately describe that feeling you encounter when you watch your own child mother him. After all, there have been few days gone bywhen you didn’t wonder at one time or another if you did a good job with her. “Did I give her enough of my time? Was I there for her the way I should have been?” You can’t help but constantly ask yourself if you gave her what she needed to be able to go forth and “parent” herself. I mean, it was your job to make sure that she was nurtured,fed and kept safe from harm. You know you had to be ultimately responsible to instill agood value system by giving her the opportunity to explore her own spirituality and ponder her own moral fortitude. But looking back was it all that calculated? Did you dothose things? Better yet, did you do them correctly?

The picture is worth a thousand words. You know how you did when you see what she
does and this Mother’s Day I have to give myself a great big pat on the back. Atta girl! As I always told her, “there is no greater love.” I love you, baby. Happy Mother’s Day!

Toddler Oatmeal Recipe

2008-05-04T19:56:00.002-05:00

Got a great tip from Grandma Remeta today! While Alex and Stephen were staying with Grandma and Grandpa Remeta this weekend Grandma discovered a great way to get Alex to eat his oatmeal. Try it out at home and see how it works, we all know how hard it can be to get toddlers to eat healthy!!

Ingredients:

Oatmeal (flavored or not, your choice)
Simply Fruit, your choice of flavor(can be found in the jelly/jam section of the grocery store)

Mix your little one's oatmeal, and when doing so add a spoonful or two of the simply fruit and mix together. Voila! Simple, easy, and good for them too!

I WILL REMEMBER

2008-04-15T12:15:00.005-05:00

“We will continue to invent the future through our blood and tears and through all our sadness … We are the Hokies … ”

– Nikki Giovanni, University Distinguished Professor, poet, activist

As tomorrow looms ahead of me I am once again reminded of the horrific tragedy at Virginia Tech last year. We still ache, we still bleed for those we lost. We are still shaken to the core of our soul that such senseless destruction of innocent lives could even occur.

Tomorrow I will wear my colors and support my school. I will go about my daily life just as all of us will. But as I do so I will be there in spirit with my fallen Virginia Tech brothers and sisters. And I will be there in spirit with all of us left behind. Like them I will be angry, I will be sad, I will rage against the tragedy and I will wish I could soothe the deep angry wound that my alma mater still carries.

But most of all, for the sake of 32 ...

I WILL REMEMBER.

Things My Toddler Taught Me This Week

2008-04-11T08:40:00.003-05:00

1) The words to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star really are open to interpretation. Who are we to say that it's "Up Above the world" as opposed to "Up ABBA the world". Stranger things have happened.

2)Vacuuming is fun. Especially when you run circles around the vacuum yelling "Wuum, Wuum!!" Try it, you'll see what I mean. Just don't let your adult friends catch you.

3)Having an audience gives you even more reason to act the eternal goofball. Making your little brother giggle can be the best reward there is.

4)Fevers suck. They make you feel cruddy and tired and high ones scare the be-jesus out of your parents.

5)When you are not getting the attention you feel you so justly deserve, maximize volume at all costs. It's guaranteed to get immediate results.

My Boobs Need A Therapist

2008-04-09T20:16:00.002-05:00

Okay, I don't give a flying you know what what the books, nurses or been there done that mothers say. Breastfeeding is HARD. It takes serious work. After a while it does get easier, but there are so many things that can cause issues, things that no one even thinks about on the front end. Dairy sensitivity, peanut allergy, soy sensitivity, etc. Engorgement, oversupply, oald (over active let down), mastitis, thrush, cracked and sore nipples. Nipple confusion, nursing strikes, bottle refusal. If you can think of it, it can be a problem, and then some. That's not to say I don't think it's not worth it. On the contrary, it is totally worth it. And it DOES get easier. I do think however, that breastfeeding moms deserve a lot more credit than they will ever, EVER get. It takes a strong, determined woman who is absolutely committed to the idea of breast feeding for it to ever last. And that's also not to say that those who choose not to breastfeed are wrong. Not at all. It is a personal choice, and it should not be considered the measure of a mother or how much they love their child as to whether they breastfeed or formula feed.

All I'm saying is. We deserve some serious respect because we have stood up to quite a challenge. I realized today that with everything we've gone through, back and forth with the breastfeeding, we have actually been breastfeeding for over three months now (give or take a week between trying to figure out allergies, stomach issues and such)! Three months seems pretty damn impressive to me, so I'm gonna pat myself on the back and put up my three month award from Kellymom over in my sidebar. So if you've been breastfeeding, or have breastfed in the past, feel free to brag about it!

Welcome To The Yo-Yo of My Life

2008-04-04T13:13:00.003-05:00

Back and forth, up and down, back and forth. Man I'm friggin' dizzy at this point. Stephen is determined to keep me on my toes, that's for sure! Remember the issues with breastfeeding we were having? And how we decided last weekend to throw in the towel and switch to formula? Well we're back to the boobies these days. We thought that the problems were caused by my oversupply and oald (over active let down). Some of it was, but looks like more of it was a severe reflux problem. Did your little ones have reflux? Alex had it as well, and I feel like something of an idiot since, as Stephen didn't have the same symptoms I ruled it out as a problem early. Whoops. Here were some of Stephen's symptoms:

- fussiness
- arching his back
- spitting up after every feeding (even up to an hour or more after)
- raspy breathing at times (not breathing problems, just sounded like he had a cold)
- sudden and completely random screaming

So turns out the reflux was irritating his throat and upper airway (thus the raspy breathing), AND GET THIS - this doc thinks GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), aka a fancy name for reflux and the heartburn associated with it, could be more responsible for Alex's asthma flare ups than any type of allergy. Who'd have thought? In any case, little Stephen is now on Zantac and though he's only had one dose so far, he does seem considerably happier.

Poor little guy - don't you just sometimes wish they could sit up and TELL us what's wrong?

Over Paranoid Mom

2008-04-01T10:43:00.006-05:00

Today, while worrying for hours over one little sore that Alex has I realized I am an over paranoid mom. I worry about every single little thing, I research, I ask questions, and I pray. I pray it's always just some little thing, and yet I always worry that it's something bigger.

Today I finally sat back and wondered "Why do I do this? Why am I over paranoid this way, other than the normal being a parent type of worry?" I finally figured it out. Wanna know why I am this way? Or why any parent who's been through a serious scare with their child is this way?

This is why:

Thankfully, the tiny malnourished looking child in that last picture was looking like this a few short months later:

And now, he looks like this:

So you can see, spending 10 miserable days in the hospital while doctors poked, prodded, x-rayed and examined my son, only to have them scratch their heads and say "We're not sure" is enough to make any parent paranoid. Eventually we were told he had pyloric stenosis, and surgery was performed to fix the problem. But he still came home looking like a living skeleton, and though his physical scars healed quickly, my emotional ones are going to take considerably longer.

The Sunday Sixteen

2008-03-30T12:46:00.007-05:00

1. Photo flashback:

Alex at 2 months, still skinny from his pyloric stenosis ordeal

Stephen at 2 months while Mommy is dealing with "oversupply"

2. Alex has finally figured out how to say "Stephen". But I still get funny looks when people ask him "What's your brother's name?" and he just answers "Baby".

3. We might be using the 1 2 3 Magic book for 1 2 3 FOREVER. Alex has had plenty time outs these days. God bless little boys - they just don't understand why getting mad doesn't have to equal getting physically violent.

4. Spring Break is over, yipee! Alex can now go back to MMO two mornings a week. I didn't realize what a mental break those two mornings really were!

5. Best Parents only movie this week: Beowulf. Finally saw this and the graphics are absolutely astounding.

6. Alex is back on daily Flovent to prevent asthma flare ups. I hate allergy season. I hate steriod medication. I hate inhalers. Come to think of it there's not much at all about asthma that I'm happy with these days. Leave my little boy alone before I kick your ass already.

7. My most favorite baby item for this week is the Baby Trend Snap N Go Stroller. I got one the other day and suddenly my life is oh so much simpler! Alex wants to walk everywhere. This does not work so well with having a little one who needs a stroller that can carry his snugride carseat. The Baby Trend is light enough for me to push with one hand, yet the baby can stay in his carrier and transfer is super easy. All hail anything that makes my life more convenient!

8. Best "help Mommy relax" item this week: Coffeemate Blueberry Cobbler flavored creamer. Yum!

9. Favorite Toddler Book this week: Where is Baby's Mommy by Karen Katz. We're Katz fans. Working on collecting them all as Alex loves the way he can be involved in the story lifting flaps and helping to "look" for things.

10. Best blogs this week: Husbandhood - Eric is a dad, a husband, and a certified first aid and CPR instructor. He has some absolute must reads for parents of little ones everywhere, so check it out.
AND
Sarcastic Mom - in perusing her blog I swear we are sisters in sarcasm wrongly seperated at birth. Her website makes me laugh, it makes me cry, and it keeps me coming back day after day, I'm officially an addict!

11. We've offically gone to formula feeding for Stephen. Remember how happy I was when I thought we had all the "Issues" figured out? I was wrong. After three months of constant back and forth dealing with oversupply, overactive letdown, and chronic tummy issues for my little man due to breastfeeding, I've finally thrown in the towel. I'm not happy about it, but it's what's working best for him, and that's all that matters.

12. Naptime has suddenly become a huge battle of wills. I'll post more on this later in the week, but for now I can really use any tips on how you keep your toddler taking a good nap. I'm getting really tired of the 6pm meltdown every single day.

13. Park days are here again! Thank goodness for spring and the return of decent weather so we can get back out to the parks and play outside.

14. CSI: Las Vegas starts back with new episodes this Thursday! I cannot wait. I'm literally in a state similar to a small child a week before Christams. I admit, I'm a Grissom addict. I have a problem, but admitting it is half the battle.

15. The race at Martinsville is starting in just a few minutes. As Darryl says, "pull those belts tight, let's go racin' boys!" If you want to keep up with the current Nascar happenings and point standings, check out Nascar Talk Online, and Heather will keep you up to date on it all.

16. My first Sunday Sixteen in a good long while. It's kind of like riding a bike, you just get back on after so many years, and commence to making a fool of yourself. :-)

Increasing Your Toddler's Vocabulary Every Day

2008-03-29T12:41:00.003-05:00

This is an older article I compiled at around this time last year. I've got some friends dealing with "toddler talk" currently so I thought I'd repost on the site here just to share.

I distinctly remember mentioning that the week would be gone before we knew it, and once again, I was right (It happens more often than you might think). Generally I love the end of the week, but today has not started out well. I was awakened this morning by a very insistent (and very smart) cat who determined that cleaning my hair would be the best way to get me out of the bed. Her accomplice was a very large (and NOT very smart) Great Dane, who determined standing by the bed and panting in my face was the best way to rouse me. Either way, as soon as I get up, they get fed, which is what created this desperate need to wake me up in the first place. Apparently they are worried that should they miss a meal by a fraction of a minute, they might waste away into a malnourished, delusional state.

In addition to my wonderful wake up call, I have burned breakfast (and my thumb in the process), busted the bottom out of a trash bag as I tried to take it outside, and realized, somewhere in the midst of all this, that my house looks suspiciously like a war zone somewhere in the Middle East. Needless to say, I do not have the patience to listen to Dora the Explorer's heinously high voice this morning. What I do have is a sweet, happy and adorable son who is most certainly a morning person. Every morning when I enter his room I am treated to a big smile, a pair of raised arms, and usually some sort of toddler babble. It never fails to bring a smile to my own face. Which is a good thing, because this morning I was running extremely short in the smiles department.

Lately our little man has been babbling, muttering and screeching his way into some sort of vocabulary. We have the standards of MaMa and Dada down pat, and we are working seriously on "Kitty Cat" and "Doggie". Other than that, we are in serious mimic mode, so we've started doing the following things to help Alex learn his words:

1) Books!! Books!! And MORE books!! We keep Alex's books everywhere these days. He has a large bookcase in his room (which his Grams hand painted and customized with his name) which is full of books, he keeps one or two heavier board books in his crib, and we keep a stack out in our living room so we can settle in for a good read almost anytime. We also pack one or two in his diaper bag, so if we should find ourselves waiting in line, or in the doctor's office, we can grab a a good story there too.

2) Conversation. One thing I've never had any problems with is maintaining a conversation with my son. I talk to him constantly during the day, often asking him questions like "Do you see the Kitty Cat?" "Where did we leave Bob the monkey?" Alex recognizes that I'm asking him something, and he usually has the need to answer me in some way, whether it's jibberish or mimicking one of the words I used, either way he's exercising those vocal cords and learning along the way.

3) Name it all. These days I point out the name of everything, no matter how small. "That's your BOOK. Can you say book?" We also make trips outside in our stroller or our wagon, and I name everything in sight. "See the HOUSE, Alex?" "This is called a FENCE." Naturally, those without children stare at me like I've taken some sort of mind altering drug, but their time will come. And I will be sure to return the favor when it does. :-)

4) Be consistent. Consistency is key with Alex, as it is with all toddlers. When we name something, we stick with the name. Thus our cat Pandora is Kitty Cat, not Pandora, not kitty, not pain in the --- . You get the idea. Throwing a bunch of names out for the same object is just going to confuse a new talker, and delay the learning process along the way.

I'm constantly fascinated by the words that evoke the most reaction from kids though. Alex for instance, has a special passion for monkey's. He loves watching them on tv, and almost always tries to mimic the noises they are making, or the actual word monkey. The word "cookie" however, though he knows exactly what that is, and certainly adores eating one, apparently deserves no attention whatsoever.

I gave birth to Evil Kneivel

2008-03-28T20:50:00.005-05:00

I'm not shitting you. I wouldn't do that. Mostly because I don't think it's physically possible and because it's really a pretty gross idea overall. Anyway.

I've determined that Alex has suddenly discovered the spirit of the deceased Evil Kneivel dwelling deep within his 29 pound little frame. We go to the park, we go to the zoo. We walk around the mall, we go to his MMO (Mom's Morning Out for you laymen). We walk around the block, we play in the backyard. We go to the grocery store - and if you have two small children under three I highly recommend taking both of them to the grocery store at one time, especially if you are in dire need of a migraine that would drop an elephant. To eliminate more redundancy, we do a lot of stuff.

A lot. I'm not kidding.

My ultimate goal is to keep my kids busy as much as possible so that when I have to be home alone with them they sleep like bears hibernating in the winter.

And over the course of these travels I have discovered that my eldest (which is just a funny thing to say since the boy is 2 - really in the scheme of things can that be considered "eld"?) is not only confident, he is actually missing the part of the brain that says:

"Don't do that, you could die.

Painfully.

I'm not kidding."

Instead his lanky, fast moving yet still clumsy little frame travels at twice the speed of light towards the most dangerous objects within a 10 mile radius. And if there aren't any that close, he'll go 20. He jumps off playground equipment at outrageous heights, deliberately searches out sharp objects, tries to eat unedible - potentially toxic substances, and just generally pushes his luck in all directions.

I've tried reasoning, cajoling, threatening, even pleading. Nothing seems to work. Instead I get this:

So save up your prayers, I'm gonna need them when this boy breaks his fool neck.

Happy Birthday Grams!!

2008-03-26T12:00:00.000-05:00

"It's such a grand thing to be a mother of a mother - that's why the world calls her grandmother." ~Author Unknown

Easter Pictures

2008-03-25T20:26:00.004-05:00

Just some cute pictures I thought you guys might enjoy!

CAUGHT IN THE ACT!!

FASCINATED WITH HIS EASTER TOYS

WE CLEAN UP PRETTY NICE!

Sweet Justice

2008-03-24T11:42:00.003-05:00

This is quite possibly the best email I've EVER read! Enjoy!

A man was sick and tired of going to work every day while his wife stayed home.

He wanted her to see what he went through so he prayed:
"Dear Lord:

I go to work every day and put in 8 hours while my wife merely stays at home.

I want her to know what I go through.

So, please allow her body to switch with mine for a day. Amen!"

God, in his infinite wisdom, granted the man's wish.

The next morning, sure enough, the man awoke as a woman.

He arose, cooked breakfast for his mate,

Awakened the kids,

Set out their school clothes,

Fed them breakfast,

Packed their lunches,

Drove them to school,

Came home and picked up the dry cleaning,

Took it to the cleaners

And stopped at the bank to make a deposit,

Went grocery shopping,

Then drove home to put away the groceries,

Paid the bills and balanced the check book.

He cleaned the cat's litter box and bathed the dog.

Then, it was already 1P.M.

And he hurried to make the beds,

Do the laundry, vacuum,

Dust,

And sweep and mop the kitchen floor.

Ran to the school to pick up the kids and got into an argument with them on the way home.

Set out milk and cookies and got the kids organized to do their homework.

Then, set up the ironing board and watched TV while he did the ironing.

At 4:30 he began peeling potatoes and washing vegetables for salad, breaded the pork chops and snapped fresh beans for supper.

After supper,

He cleaned the kitchen,

Ran the dishwasher,

Folded laundry,

Bathed the kids,

And put them to bed.

At 9 P.M.

He was exhausted and, though his daily chores weren't finished, he went to bed where he was expected to make love, which he managed to get through without complaint.

The next morning, he awoke and immediately knelt by the bed and said: -
"Lord, I don't know what I was thinking.

I was so wrong to envy my wife's being able to stay home all day.

Please, oh! Oh! Please, let us trade back. Amen!"

The Lord, in his infinite wisdom, replied:

"My son, I feel you have learned your lesson and I will be happy to change things back to the way they were. You'll just have to wait nine months, though.

You got pregnant last night."

I Need My Happy Place!!

2008-03-18T09:09:00.002-05:00

One of the biggest challenges (in my opinion) of having two small children is learning how to deal with being pulled in two directions at once. You'll find your youngest child is genetically enhanced with a special radar which will cause him or her to throw a fit, start screaming or crying and just generally demand attention WHENEVER you happen to be busy with your firstborn. It's a law of motherhood, so get used to it. Thus it is absolutely imperative that every mommy have a "Happy Place", wherever it may be. Mine, for instance, is breakfast with some other mom's every Thursday, and lunch with a friend (and NO kids!) on Friday afternoon. Between the two instances I'm usually able to recharge enough to jump right back into my full time, no breaks, no understanding, no personal time off and no sick days allowed job ... otherwise known as motherhood.

Traveling with a Toddler

2008-03-14T13:45:00.005-05:00

We're at the beach!! We're at the beach!! *Happy Dance*. Okay, never mind that it's March in Myrtle Beach and no one except the Canadians (and you know who you are!) can handle actually GOING to the beach. It's still a vacation mindset, and it's awesome, so work with me here. The boys and I came down to visit Grams and to go to the yearly St. Patty's day festival down here in North Myrtle Beach. It's something of a tradition with us at this point. Having family over 4 hours away has taught me a few things about the necessities of traveling with a toddler. So if you're planning on taking on this mind-altering challenge any time in the near future, you might want to get a pen and write this down.

Tips for Traveling with a Toddler

1 - Timing is everything. If possible, and if your child will sleep in the car, travel during naptime. A sleeping child is a quiet child, and a quiet child doesn't drive their parents to the point where they are seriously considering throwing said child out the window of a moving car.

2 - Please feed the animals. Whenever your toddler must be in a confined space for any length of time, snacks are an absolute necessity. Make them healthy, make them easy, or make them whatever the heck you want really. Low blood sugar causes crankiness in many kids, and crankiness in kids causes bald spots in parents (from massive amounts of hair pulling).

3 - Grandma's or bust. Regardless of where you are going, be upbeat. Toddlers are incredibly perceptive, and if you are ticked about having to visit Aunt Matilda for the fourteenth time this year, your toddler will pick up on that mood and often imitate it. They might even let loose with one of those "But Mommy said your pot roast smells like Daddy's dirty underwear," type comments that gets everyone in trouble. Skip the pouting and act thrilled instead.

4 - Distraction is key. Interactive toys are great for car rides. Books with lots of colorful pictures are also great. Keep a stack of random toys in the front seat and dole them out at random incriments. Bring along kid friendly CDs to play in the car. Nothing can aggravate a toddler more than playing ESPN radio for hours on end. Doesn't make Mommy too happy either (just ask my husband).

5 - Stick to the schedule. Chances are your little guy or gal is used to eating at certain times, napping at certain times, going to bed at certain times. Traveling means that a good bit of this schedule will be disrupted, but stick to what aspects you can, whenever you can. If your toddler has a bath before bed every night, give them a bath, or at least a rubdown with a washcloth before bed whenever you can. Bring a few favorite toys or books. New can be fun, but completely different is often scary for toddlers.

For example, when we travel I keep two bags in the front seat. One is full of toys that I can pass back to Alex whenever he gets bored. The other is full of not too messy snacks to be dispensed the same way. We bring along Tigger (stuffed Tigger that Alex sleeps with every night) and Alex picks out 4 to 5 books to take along before we leave. We put him down for naps and down for the night as close to the same times as possible and he is generally pretty happy while traveling. Generally. Well, at least we haven't had to throw him out the car window yet.

Colic in a Breastfed Baby?

2008-03-10T20:37:00.005-05:00

Okay this is something I found out a few weeks ago, but just had to share with everyone. Stephen has been an "evening fussy" baby since pretty much day one. Around 5 weeks it got much, much worse, and then he had a few nights where he was up every 45 minutes just miserable. The child's insides sounded like they were staging a world war, complete with machine gun sounds coming out the back end. He was clearly in pain and I was at a loss as to what to do about it. So I went to see my pediatrician, who told me in no uncertain terms that he either had reflux or colic. Now I might not be the brightest light on the Christmas tree, but as my firstborn had pyloric stenosis and horrid reflux as a result, I d*mn sure know the signs of reflux, and at the risk of sounding the slightest bit country "THAT AIN'T IT." So that left me with the C word. Colic. The professional treatment for which involves lots of sweating, swearing, swaying and praying by exhausted parents who in the end have to suck it up and deal for at least 3 months. Not gonna dew it.

The next day, feeling as if I had somehow been given the short end of the stick by my pediatrician, I called the breastfeeding helpline to the hospital where Stephen was born and left a message for the lactation consultant. My idea was to find out if there was any types of foods or drinks (teas and such) that I could take that might help settle his stomach if even just a bit. I told the lady what was going on and she proceeded to ask me a multitude of questions like ....

"Is it more lower bowel than tummy sounds?" Check.
"Does he have a stuffy nose pretty often?" What does that have to do with the price of ... yes, yes he does.
"Does he have baby acne that seems to be getting worse?" Okay this is getting scary. Yes, it seems to have really gotten bad this past week.
"Is he gaining weight quickly?" At this point I am looking around to see if this woman is actually IN my house. Yes, he's put on three pounds in 5 weeks.

"It's NOT colic. Breastfed babies very rarely get colic." Oh thank god.
"It's actually a supply issue. We can fix this." At this point I swear I saw an angel.

Turns out some women, and by some I mean yours truly and probably a ton of other women out there who don't even realize it, actually make TOO MUCH breastmilk for their little one. Foremilk (I know all the lingo now, aren't I cool?) has more proteins and sugars in it, and foremilk is what the baby gets before let-down. Hindmilk (told ya I knew all the lingo) is the fattier milk that settles the stomach and keeps the baby feeling full longer. In Stephen's case, I was essentially feeding the kid sugar filled energy bars all day and then wondering why he'd get a stomach ache at night! I got some tips from the LC (Lactation Consultant) and within a few days I had a much, MUCH happier munchkin on my hands. Since then we've actually gone back and forth as my supply seems to want to continue to increase at times, but overall things have been much easier and much happier around our household.

Now I told you all this simply because the lactation consultant mentioned to me that something like 70 to 80 percent of breastfed babies who are diagnosed with "colic" actually have this "oversupply" problem, which is usually easily fixed. The problem is very few pediatricans are also experts on lactation, and new moms tend to take the ped's word as law. Now, before I get blasted by random "ANONYMOUS" floaters let me qualify this by mentioning that I am NOT a doctor. Nor am I a lactation consultant. I am not saying that if your newborn is fussy this is definately the problem. I'm saying, if you have a fussy breastfed baby, CALL an LC!! It can't hurt to see what they say, and who knows, you might just save yourself three months or more of sheer misery!!

Chill Out

2008-03-07T17:52:00.003-05:00

The other day I found myself in a familiar routine. The baby was nursing and Alex was upset that he couldn't have my undivided attention. The laundry was piled up, the kitchen still a mess from the breakfast I hadn't had a chance to clean up. The cat was scratching at the doorjamb and the dog was shedding all over the carpet. Every time I tried to set the baby down in his bouncer or swing he'd pitch a fit. Every time I tried this Alex was also right there crying and wanting to be held. I was stuck in the middle, feeling like I was failing my firstborn because my second child needs me so much at this age. I was frustrated, Alex was frustrated, even the baby was ticked off. It was not a fun day around our house. Then my frustrated 2 year old began throwing his toys in frustration and being at the end of my mental rope I was yelling right along with him as he fussed at me. Don't act shocked, we've ALL been there. We've ALL had those days, especially with a two year old. A moment later I just stopped. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath and said God, I know you're busy, but if you could help me survive the rest of today I would really, REALLY appreciate it.

And when I opened them Alex was standing in the living room, transfixed by the TV. They were making ice cream sundaes' on Sesame Street and I realized in that moment how simple happiness can be for our little ones. I'd been spending too much time worrying about what "should" be done or what "needs" to be done and not enough time thinking about what we COULD do. Pulling out the big guns I went over and stood by the kitchen sink and let the water run while I swayed with Stephen in my arms. Running water, I have come to discover, has much the same affect on my infant as a handful of valium would on a full grown adult. Within minutes he was asleep. So I laid him down in his crib, turned on his monitor and shut the door. Then, instead of going to rush through the dishes or getting a load of laundry done I went over to my two year old who was quietly playing with his toys. I picked him up in my arms and he gave me the biggest, most beautiful grin I've ever seen. My heart melted.

We spent the next half hour making, eating and just generally playing in our own version of "fruit sundaes". He got it in his hair and even needed a bath on an otherwise no bath night. It didn't matter. I had the time of my life. And watching the sheer joy on his face as he fed me a bite of sundae and managed to smear some on my nose was worth a lifetime of piled up dishes and laundry. We all need to stop and take a breath once in a while. And remember what it's like to just be a kid. Do the silly stuff, the dirty stuff, the "we shouldn't" stuff. And enjoy every moment.

Alex's Sundae Mix Hairdo:

Quick and Easy Fruit Sundae's

2 Eggo Waffles
Sliced bananas, strawberries, blueberries and/or raspberries
Whipped Cream

Toast Waffles, top with fruit topping of choice and TONS of whipped cream. Take turns feeding each other and see who can get the messiest!! :-)

Brotherly Love

2008-01-20T19:57:00.000-05:00

Alex with Stephen at the hospital

Alex with Stephen on his second day home

Playtime together

Stephen is Here!!!

2008-01-17T14:51:00.000-05:00

Okay wow, I am so very far behind in catching up with everyone! I am happy to report that Stephen Patrick was born healthy at 37 weeks on 1/3/08 at 1:38pm via c-section. He came out screaming and yelling and weighing in at 7lbs 3oz. And I'm also happy to report that about 24 hours after the delivery my hyperemesis disappeared pretty much completely. Even though I'm obviously exhausted from the middle of the night feedings and all of a sudden keeping up with two rather than just one during the day, I actually feel somewhat human again!! Hallelujah!! I have to give big kudos to the forums at the HER Foundation (Hyperemesis Education and Research). The ladies there have all gone through HG, or are going through it at this time, and there were many days where they were literally the only ones to keep me from a total meltdown. I'll be adding a link to their website here shortly, and anyone looking for more information on Hyperemesis should definately check them out.

Our newest addition:

I also wanted to send a great big thank you to all my loyal blog visitors who sent their best wishes and concerns throughout this pregnancy. It was certainly a rough one, but now so very, very worth it. I look forward to catching back up with you all!!

Another Hospital Visit

2007-11-06T21:43:00.000-05:00

I'm tired. Dog ass dead friggin' tired. Was back in the hospital last night for IV fluids, meds and nutrients because my hyperemesis is back with a bang (so much for the third trimester reprieve I was praying for) and had me throwing up everything I so much as looked at all Sunday and Monday. To add to the ever increasing number of issues I seem to be having with this pregnancy, I also failed my glucose screening from last Friday and now have to go in next week for the three hour tolerance test. As far as I can tell this means drinking even MORE of the nasty glucose drink, and getting blood drawn not once, but FOUR times, once before and once per hour to see how your body is processing the sugar. We'll see what happens, but it honestly wouldn't surprise me to have gestational diabetes, especially since the only damn things I can keep down with this HG is sugars and carbs. Don't think they can do much about the HG, so it will just be handling the GD as much as possible if it comes back positive. I hope this child provides well for me in my old age, because I have damn sure earned it so far.

I'm ready for Nick to be home. The end of the month can't come soon enough and even though Alex is pretty much an angel most of the time, he's still an almost two year old, and with that comes some expected tantrums, getting into things, chasing the dog, trying to eat borax laundry powder (which he did this afternoon and had me in tears I was so afraid he ate some of it - thankfully he did not and as a result I avoid an UMPTEENTH trip to a hospital), rearranging kitchen furniture, climbing on tables, demanding snacks and meals at random times, screeching at the top of his lungs just for fun, and the list goes on. But more than dealing with Alex and taking care of the elderly dog and cleaning the house, I just want my husband back. He keeps me centered when the whole world seem to be swirling madly around my head, and he does, in the simplest terms, keep me strong. I don't enjoy breaking down into a hormonal, blubbering mess, and I find myself doing that a lot more since he's been gone.

The whole combination, Nick being gone, Alex being two, the baby growing, the HG, the possible GD, the exhaustion, it has me longing for my girls. And by my girls I mean my high school girls. You all know who you are. The people who would be by my side whenever I needed, holding my hair back and cracking jokes while I got sick over and over. Making mac and cheese out of a box and somehow making it taste like prime rib. Even just sitting on the couch watching a chick flick with me so I don't feel so goddamn alone in all this. I miss you guys. You guys have always been my rock.

As for now, I'm gonna do what I've been doing. Look cool and collected on the surface and struggle like hell to emotionally deal with all this behind closed doors. I don't know why I do things that way, I just do. Now if you'll excuse me I'm gonna go cry myself to sleep and recount the days until this kid is born so my life can return to a somewhat normal state of chaos.

Ding Dong the Pump is GONE

2007-10-07T12:58:00.000-05:00

Welcome to this weeks version of the Sunday Six! Big news this week!

1. The pump is gone!! That's right, weaned off it just a few days ago and so far so good! I'm not nauseous and feel fine, if a little tired (but I think the tiredness comes more from chasing Alex around all day than anything else!).

2. Alex went "pee in the potty" this week. We're still enjoying visits to the potty a couple of times of day, but aren't really PUSHING until we get a little bit better idea of what using the potty really means. Still, as a first, it was pretty neat. We cheered, we danced, we did a special snack, it was a celebration all around.

3. We're now in a "big boy bed"! Alex has a blue racecar bed and last night he spent his first night in it. Before laying him down I asked him if he wanted to sleep in his crib or in his new racecar bed and he picked the racecar (what man wouldn't?).He slept wonderfully all night long and didn't even climb out this morning when he woke up. This afternoon we also napped in our racecar bed with no problems whatsoever. I just hope it continues to be this easy of a conversion!

4. Our Pa-Pa Stacy had a birthday this past week, so happy birthday to him! We're so glad we got to share some of it with you Pa-Pa!!

5. On a more sober note, just moments ago we were watching the Dolphins football game and Trent Green was carried out on a stretcher after taking a very nasty shot to the head. Please pray for him that he is well and healthy and recovered soon. A hit like that is always scary.

6. Alex attended a playdate picnic with our mom's group this past Saturday. His Grams and I went along, and he was dressed (for early Halloween) as a tough guy greaser. I can't wait to get the pictures out for everyone to see.

Told you it's been a busy week!! Can't believe my little blue eyed angel is growing into such a big boy so fast!! How is everyone else doing? And what are your little 2 foot angels (and devils!) up to?

Growing Up and OUT

2007-10-04T07:51:00.000-05:00

What a learning experience this month has been for us! Alex is growing by leaps and bounds and getting ready to begin his journey on lots of new developmental milestones. The baby is growing too, which means I'm growing bigger and wider in the process. Let's see if I can sum up the major issues for you guys:

1 - Next week Alex will be trying out his new big boy racecar bed instead of his crib. I'm really hyping up the "big boy bed" angle here, so hopefully all will go well.

2 - The HG "may" be taking a break, I've been able to eat fairly well recently and haven't been nauseous very often. I've talked with my nurse and am going to try ramping down on the dosage from the zofran pump in hopes of eventually getting off the pump altogether. Keep your fingers crossed, I could really do with getting rid of this thing altogether!

3 - Potty training is a hot button issue right now. Alex has a potty set which he does enjoy, and hes starting to understand what "potty" is. We do sit him on the potty a couple times of day, but I refuse to push this issue for two major reasons. One, I simply don't think he's ready. Alex doesn't yet understand what poo-poo is, and pee-pee so far is a part of his anatomy, not something we do in our diaper or in the toilet. He also doesn't have any reliable signals for when he's going in his diaper. He is excellent at tricking people though! He'll pass gas or look like he's straining, or even squat down randomly, sending me running to see if I can get him on the potty or check his diaper and ... NOTHING. :-) From what I've discussed with my doctor and my other mom friends, 3 is pretty much the average age for boys to start really "getting" the idea behind potty training. And two, I'm simply not a parent to force developments on my child. Granted, should he be three or so and showing no interest I will definately be pushing this more. But right now the boy is not yet two, and his life is about to be totally turned upside down with the additional of a new baby brother. Potty training will come. I refuse to make it something Alex and I both dread.

4 - The new baby gave us a tiny scare at the ultrasound a few weeks ago. One of his kidneys is dilated larger than it really should be. According to the doctor though, this is not all that uncommon with little boy babies at this stage, and it usually corrects itself by the next ultrasound (which will be in November for us). So, send us all your "normal kidney" vibes, since another medical issue is just NOT what this family needs right now. :-)

5 - I want my husband back. I hate that he has to be away from us at times and I'm not afraid to whine about it. There I've said it. It SUCKS. But, we're hopefully getting near the end of that stressor too, and I'm looking forward to us being able to be a real family during the week again.

That's about it for me everyone. I'm sure there are tons more things I've forgotten, and I'm going to try to get back on here and update a lot more often now that things have settled down for the fall for us. Hope to see all of you around the magical world wide web sometime soon!!

What Hyperemesis Taught Me

2007-09-12T08:55:00.000-05:00

So I always give you guys the fun little "What My Toddler Taught Me Today" blurbs. But today I'm just not feeling that great, so I thought I'd go a different route with "What Hyperemesis Taught Me".

WHAT HYPEREMESIS TAUGHT ME

1. Crackers and Sprite aren't gonna cut it.

2. The next person to suggest crackers and Sprite just might get punched in the nose.

3. This isn't just morning sickness and it's not the worst hangover you ever had. It's MUCH, MUCH worse than that.

4. This is damn near debilitating some days.

5. A constant battle is waged between what you need to do for your unborn child, and what you need to do for your existing child.

6. You have never known true anger at your own body until it takes every last ounce of energy you have to lift your toddler into his crib at night.

7. It takes at least 24 hours to get fully hydrated again after getting sick. On the opposite side, it only takes about 2.5 minutes to get dehydrated in the first place.

8. You'll learn more about testing your own urine than you ever wanted to know.

9. Sticking yourself with a needle goes from a dreaded event to a relief on the bad days.

10. The misery on the bad days will more than pay off with the final reward of holding your child in your arms.

Okay, I'm guessing at the last one, but I already refer to this little one as my
"special" baby, or my "challenging" little man. I can only imagine the sheer joy (and let's be truthful, sheer RELIEF) once he's born and in my arms. :-)

Punting the Pacifier

2007-09-08T09:18:00.000-05:00

Don't mention the P - A - C - I word to Alex, but it is officially a thing of the past. We're going on our second completely pacifier free day and so far it's been relatively easy. Alex has never really had much issue with crying for a paci or "needing" help self soothing. On the one side this makes things like getting rid of the paci relatively easy. On the other hand, the child is so independent and secure he has NO FEAR WHATSOEVER! How do you explain to a 19 month old that climbing to the top of the bookshelf is not safe? How do you show him that walking straight into the pool anytime he wants could result in an unfavorable outcome?

Every day I am reminded of how much my little man is growing up. He is the epitome of a rough and tumble little boy at this point. Yesterday he was running across the driveway after his ball and literally went SPLAT onto his hands and knees. I winced, waiting for the screeching to start. After all, I was a kid once too. I remember well the sting of scuffed knees and palms. But my son, ever on the go, decided he had no time for such trivial things as comfort, what's a little sting anyway? And like a shot he was up and on the go again, never losing his constant grin.

Men. I don't think I'll never understand them completely.

Don't Forget to Vote!!!

2007-09-03T18:32:00.001-05:00

Don't forget to vote for Alex this week and next in the Evenflo Baby You're a Star Contest!!! Here's the link:

VOTE FOR ALEX!!!

As for me, things are starting to look up. The baby is doing fine, in fact I'm starting to believe he may be a professional soccer player or a riverdancer at some point the way he wiggles and kicks around. He is particually fond of dancing around on my bladder these days, sending me to the bathroom on a regular basis. The Zofran pump is doing it's job, and I've had less nausea in the last few days than I've had in months. Sticking yourself with a needle every day and being attached to a medicine pump subcutaneously (ie: under the skin) has it's low points, but I'll take them any day over continuous vomiting and dry heaving. If anyone is having issues with HG and would like more info on the pump, feel free to leave me a comment and I'll get back with you. HG is rare, so most of you will never have to deal with this hassle, but for any of you that have, or might end up suffering from this misery, finding someone to talk to is key. There's a lot still to learn about this condition, but mutual support is the greatest tool we have. Don't be afraid to question anything and everything, after all, it's YOUR life, YOUR body, and most importantly, YOUR baby!!

Alex helping Mommy feel better.

A Zofran Pump?? Are You Serious??

2007-08-30T18:31:00.000-05:00

That's right, I am officially a superhero. You can just call me Vomit Girl. I can deflect the usefulness of any antiemetic without hardly breaking a sweat. The sweating comes afterward while I worship at the porcelain altar.

So, this superhuman power of mine has now earned me a new addition to my superhero attire. A Zofran pump. Basically (from what I understand right now, I have yet to see the home health care people who will teach me all there is to know about this thing), this handy dandy little thing sticks under my skin and is connected to a little beeper looking device that gives me a slow steady dose of medication throughout the day and night. This steady dose supposedly makes it damn near impossible for me to feel nauseous. In my doctor's words "you'll be amazed at how good you feel."

Okay, I can deal with that. Feeling good. NOT feeling nauseous. BRING IT ON!!

Making Some Changes

2007-08-27T13:33:00.001-05:00

So you may have noticed that things are changing a bit around here. I'm playing around with the layout a bit and trying to find a semi-customizable template to use. So far, Blogger itself has been a bit of a pain in letting me add my own pictures and graphics and such, but I think I'm finally figuring out how to work around that. So bear with me, the changes might be random over the next few days but I promise I'll get it all ironed out! I'll also be getting all my links back up as soon as I can.

Vote for Alex!

2007-08-27T07:30:00.000-05:00

Morning friends and neighbors! Feeling better around here slowly, and taking it easy on a mini-vacation of sorts this week. No toddler, no household chores, nada. I'm sleeping in, reading good books, playing on the computer, eating what I can and just generally taking it easy. The little peanut is growing like crazy and has decided that he enjoys doing gymnastics in there whenever I try to lay down and relax, but luckily he wears out pretty quickly. :-) Alex is visiting with his grandparents and having a great time (who wouldn't being the center of attention and spoiled rotten 24 hours a day?), here's one of his latest pictures:

I have to say, I do pretty good work in the adorable kid department!

Speaking of, Alex is also in the Evenflo "Baby You're a Star!" contest! Check it out! He is an August contestant, and voting will start on September 1st and go through September 15th. I'll repost this on the first as well, but please bookmark the link for us and vote for him as often as you can! Winners get $10,000 towards scholarships and will be in print ads for Evenflo. Here's the link:

VOTE FOR ALEX!!!

I Really Don't Need This

2007-08-17T09:07:00.000-05:00

Hyperemesis gravidarum.

AKA hyperactive vomit and hydration issues.

Yours truly now has "a condition". This was added to my wonderful medical record after I spent an evening in the hospital getting IV fluids for dehydration due to excessive vomiting. Apparently, when your body is determined enough to start occasionally ignoring the anti-nausea medicine that you take, you get rewarded with a condition. So everyone keep your fingers crossed for me that I stay on the "mild" end of this thing, and don't end up on the severe end.

On a good note, though I am pretty much miserable, the baby seems absolutely fine. He also may very well become a soccer player when he gets older!

Best Idea EVER!!!

2007-08-14T08:57:00.000-05:00

Okay, so you guys know that one of my favorite blogs to read is the PinksandBlues Girls. They always have something fun or thought provoking posted. So as I was perusing my updates through email I found an email from them highlighting what I think is THE BEST IDEA EVER!!!!

Any of you who have had a c-section have probably enjoyed either the crude "tape a maxi pad" to the incision bandaging methods, or even better the little net undies that, let's face it, stick to the friggin' staples like crazy. And later, once you get home, your pre-pregnancy undies either sit RIGHT ON the incision, or catch every time you try to sit up or sit down. But my ever so smart girls over at PinksandBlues have just the answer. Check these out!!

"Czela Bellies CesareanWear™ is specifically designed for women who have recently undergone a delivery by c-section. Czela Bellies' patent pending design provides for a level of comfort never before available. Internal ultra soft padding provides a layer of luxurious comfort between binding waistbands and your recent "ouch area".

The light padding provided by this uniquely designed undergarment allows you to wear your old pants, shorts and skirts (or maybe even some well deserved new clothing!) more quickly and confidently after delivery."

They've got different designs, and sizes, so check out the webpage at http://czelablue.com/czelabellies.htm Unless you're in a few select California areas you can't buy them retail, but should be able to order them straight from the company. (Something I prefer to do anyway.)

Is that just nifty or what? I personally am going to be ordering myself some here in the near future (or better yet, getting hubby to buy them for me, because I'm worth it). Just had to give the girls a big shout out and a way to go on this one!!

Gut Wrenching

2007-08-12T11:20:00.000-05:00

Today is NOT a good day. I'm currently out of Zofran and have to wait until Monday to get anymore thanks to a wonderful snafu somewhere with my refills. For those of you who don't know, Zofran is basically the only thing that keeps me from getting violently ill all day, every day. So, no Zofran, then ... you guessed it. Vomit central around here. This morning I even got sick in the kitchen sink IN FRONT OF MY SON. I hate that. Hate it with a passion. I hate it even more that it scared him and I couldn't go immediately to him and assure him everything was okay because I was too busy wondering if I actually would vomit up my entire stomach and random other internal organs this time around. Luckily, Daddy was still here, heard the goings on and came out to both help me and soothe Alex. I still hate it. I'm just in one of those crappy mindset's right now where I just want this baby to be born already so I can be DONE with this sickness mess. I have no more energy whatsoever, and have NO idea how I'm going to handle tomorrow when I know it will be even worse and I won't have Daddy around to help. Lord give me strength, it's got to come from somewhere and right now I just don't have it.

Help! I Need Somebody, Help! Not Just Anybody ...

2007-08-11T07:38:00.000-05:00

A VERY SPECIAL HAPPY BIRTHDAY (AUGUST 10TH) TO MY FAVORITEST AUNT EVER, AUNT MELANIE!!! SHE ALWAYS MAKES ME GIGGLE! LOVE YOU AUNT MEL!!

Just a little Beatles flashback in the title there for those of you who might be too young to catch it (And lord knows I never thought I'd be old enough to say that, especially since I was at one point considered "too young" to catch it myself). August has brought all sorts of interesting things to our neck of the woods. First and most important perhaps, is the fact that Alex has gotten to a point where he's starting to understand simple directions and requests for help. This is uber-exciting for me, as a few months from now I'm likely to need all the help I can get!! We've recently started helping mommy put away toys, putting dirty clothes in the dirty clothes basket, and even throwing away certain things in the trashcan. For those of you who might currently be in the "wish I could get some help around here" mindset (otherwise known as any day that ends in Y for a wife and mother), here are some tips to get your little one to start pitching in.

1. Believe it or not, most toddlers love to help. Doing "big kid" tasks helps them feel grown up and helpful.

2. Keep the tasks simple. Don't ask your 2 year old to wash a sink full of dishes. It's just not going to happen. Instead, choose simple tasks like putting things into a pile (books or videos for example), handing Mommy the laundry peice by peice to put in the washer, or putting toys away in the toybox.

3. Give very easy, step by step instruction. Let's face it, with toddlers, repetition is EVERYTHING. The first 15 or so times, you'll need to give directions step by step. "Pick up the t-shirt. Pick it up. GOOD JOB!" "Now bring it in your room. Follow Mommy. That's right." "Put the t-shirt here. In the dirty clothes basket. Great Job!! What a big help you are!!" Don't get discouraged if you have to repeat this step by step process for a while. Next time you turn around, your little one will be handling the task all by themselves, and you'll wonder where the time went!!

4. Be LAVISH in your praise. Toddlers love feeling like they're helping out. Use phrases like 'what a great helper!' 'you're such a big help to Mommy!' and even just 'way to go!' At this stage, every toddler is looking for a return on their investment of taking the time to pay attention to what you asked them to do in the first place!

5. Just enjoy. Expect to find the dirty clothes in the dishwasher occasionally, or the trash stuck in the drawer. The important thing is that they're trying. And sooner or later, they really will get there.

Big News!

2007-08-10T14:42:00.000-05:00

Guess what? We had our 16 week (okay, almost 17 week) ultrasound today and found out some exciting news:

We are super excited, now we just need some great little boy names, so feel free to leave your suggestions!

Too Funny

2007-08-07T18:06:00.001-05:00

Go Dog Go!!!

Update Central

2007-08-05T19:10:00.001-05:00

First and foremost,

so go check it out!

Also, I got an email from my aunt the other day that had this nifty bit of information to share:

To stop night time coughing in a child (or adult as we found out
personally), put Vicks Vaporub generously on the bottom of the feet
at bedtime then cover with socks.

Even persistent, heavy, deep coughing will stop in about 5 minutes
and stay stopped for many, many hours of relief.

Just happened to tune in A.M. Radio and picked up this guy talking about why cough
medicines in kids often do more harm than good due to the chemical
make-up of these strong drugs so, I listened.

It was a surprising finding and found to be more effective than
prescribed medicines for children at bedtime, and in addition, to
have a soothing and calming effect on sick children who then went on
to sleep soundly. Lolly tried it on herself when she had a very deep
constant and persistent cough a few weeks ago and it worked 100%! She said that
it felt like a warm blanket had enveloped her, coughing stopped in a
few minutes and believe me, this was a deep, (incredibly annoying!)
every few seconds uncontrollable cough, and she slept cough free for
hours every night that she used it.

So, if you have children, pass it on, if you end up sick, try
it yourself and you will be absolutely amazed by the effect.

Has anyone actually had any experience with this? I remember Vicks always worked great for me when I was a kid, plus I just loved the smell for some reason. But I'm wondering if this is a for real helper or just one of those random bogus emails?

Busy, Busy Bee

2007-08-01T14:30:00.000-05:00

We have come to a few realizations this past month.

1 - We are firmly entrenched in the Mommy, Mommy, Mommy and ONLY MOMMY phase. This is not the best timing as Mommy is wishing we were at the Daddy, Daddy, Daddy and ONLY DADDY phase instead. When Mommy simply must get up to do something, or dare to be seen without giving the proper attention (namely picking up), then enraged screaming usually results. We are discouraging this as much as we can, but I am open to any and all suggestions on this one.

2 - I am starting to believe even more so that Alex's asthma issues are in fact, RAD (reactive airway disease). A fancy way for saying when he gets a chest cold or cough, his lungs go into panic mode and bring on an asthma flare up, complete with grunting and heaving shoulders. Unfortunately there is simply no way to prevent a toddler from catching colds. Luckily, I am getting better on the draw and this past weekend's episode is the shortest we've had to date. (Go me!)

3 - The belly is most certainly not getting any smaller. We are almost at 4 months along, and the belly continues to grow at breakneck speed. I'm just hoping I can still fit sideways in the shower by nine months. And next Friday we should get our first glimpse at whether we have a little taco or a little hot dog growing in there.

Things My Toddler Taught Me This Week

2007-07-30T14:03:00.000-05:00

Time for the weekly wrap up of what my toddler has taught me. Been a busy week for my little teacher!

1. "Boo" can mean book or box. Context is key.

2. A small hand caressing my cheek speaks volumes more than the loudest I Love You.

3. The dog is getting fatter and the toddler is staying the same weight. There is a conspiracy going on somewhere.

4. Even the music in commercials in fun to dance to.

5. My keys are suddenly good for hours worth of entertainment.

6. Everyone has a "Neewse" (aka Nose) and they are all super fun to point out.

7. If you say "HI" at the top of your lungs, people are much less likely to ignore you.

8. Snot gets all over everything, but funny enough is like superglue when trying to get off a toddler's face.

9. Even stuffed animals need to be rocked to sleep sometimes.

10. Doctors, even pediatrician's, don't know everything. Half the time they're just tossing out their best guess.

11. Asthma sucks even when you expect it.

12. A child's ability to bounce back from sickness is a truly beautiful thing.

Mind Your Own Beeswax

2007-07-25T19:12:00.000-05:00

We've all met THOSE people. The ones who have an opinion about your life or your child and are determined to share with you whether appropriate or not. I had a run in with one of those people today. Someone from my neighborhood whom I had never met face to face before. And despite the fact that I didn't know this person from Adam, they were determined to tell me that "That's enough. Two little ones is plenty."

Now, I agree that I probably look like warmed over toe lint somedays, and lord knows I feel that way often. But to me, that still doesn't give anyone the right to attempt to "direct" the size of my family. Never mind the fact that two kids is all we plan to have, it is still not this person's place to say anything about it. Quite frankly, if I want to have ten children (though Lord knows I'd never survive)that is between me and my husband and no one else.

Don't you sometimes just wanna tell people to mind their own beeswax?

Poop and Circumstance

2007-07-25T11:57:00.000-05:00

We've had some poop explosions before. Each were directly related to either faulty diapers or an upset tummy. But yesterday Alex discovered poop as it's own entity. And began what I can only explain as a one man full frontal attack upon his entire crib. It was not a pretty site.

Apparently my smarter than is good for him son figured out a way to get the ... you know ... out of his diaper without actually taking OFF the diaper, giving him plausible denial later on. Or at least it would have if I hadn't walked in and found him smearing it all over the crib rail, completely red, or I guess, BROWN handed.

Now if you ask anyone who knows me, they'll tell you I am most certainly NOT a germaphobe. I'm a firm believer that little boys (and girls) are going to get dirty, and that life is more fun that way. I myself was a champion mud pie maker in my heyday. But this was poop. Did you hear me? I said POOP!! Go directly to the bathtub, do not pass go, and DO NOT collect any more poop along the way. After I got Alex scrubbed to within an inch of his life, I set him just outside the bedroom door with one of his favorite playthings, a metal pot and a wooden spoon to knock it around with. Abby (our lab) was put on strict babysitting duty and I set up the baby gate so I could see Alex while cleaning out his crib.

Now to correctly set this scene I have to ask. Have you seen the commercial where the woman goes to clean her bathroom and the dog starts barking because she's so covered with gloves and goggles and aprons and such he doesn't recognize her? THAT was me. The rest of the operation went a little something like this:

Me - disinfecting the entire crib with Chlorox All Surface Bacterial Spray.

Alex - showing Abby the pot and the spoon.

Me - disinfecting the entire crib AGAIN with Lysol.

Alex - bopping Abby on the head with the pot. Firm reprimand from mom and the bopping discontinues.

Me - seriously considering disinfecting the crib AGAIN with Chlorox.

I settled for wiping it down with Lysol wipes instead and letting it air dry before putting all new bedding and toys in. The previous bedding has been destroyed, the previous toys (which didn't appear to have come under direct attack) are nonetheless currently going through their THIRD turn in the washer.

Ahhh the glories of poop. Pray for me people. Pray that this discovery has lost it's appeal and will not repeat itself.

Love for Parker

2007-07-21T12:47:00.000-05:00

Slurping Life is holding a one of kind contest, with some awesome prizes, including a top of the line Hewlett Packard Digital Camera Package. All benefits go to help a very special little boy named Parker who has some big medical needs and an even bigger heart. So you know that extra tiny bit of love you have just sitting around today? Go check out Slurping Life's online love offering for Parker, and put that love to good use.

If you'd like to help precious Parker even further, please add the link to Slurping Life's online love offering to your own blog page. And if you'd like to include the adorable Love for Parker button on your sidebar or within your post, you can get the code at Slurping Life's Asking for a Little Help page.

Michael Vick the Dog Fighting Monster

2007-07-19T12:52:00.000-05:00

I never would have guessed that my school would be such a hot topic in the news this year. Granted, the first issue (I'm sure you all remember the senseless massacre of April 16 committed by one seriously off his rocker student) was a horrific tragedy, and far outweighs the latest news, but nonetheless my normally quiet and happy to hang in the wings of the public eye college is back in the headlines again, albeit this time completely indirectly.

When I attended Virginia Tech I had the privelege of watching Michael Vick play. Yes I am that old, and yes, at the time I mistakenly assumed it was a privelege. Nowadays, Michael Vick is doing much, MUCH more to embarass the rest of us who call Virginia Tech our alma mater. Obviously, our school holds no control over the idiotic, immature, and completely revolting actions of this current NFL star.

I think my anger actually comes more from the standpoint of an animal lover and animal owner. In my mind, Michael Vick has to be one sick, twisted (insert your choice of nasty cuss word here) to have been as involved (or involved AT ALL IN MY OPINION)with this disgusting crime known as dog fighting. The phrase "dog fighting" doesn't even do it justice. It is more "dog torturing" and "dog killing". And having been involved with animal rescue previously and knowing quite a bit about what goes on in animal control and their efforts to prosecute such things, I also know you have to be caught, practically red handed in order to be indicted and prosecuted. Dog fighting arrests are notoriously hard to prosecute and even harder to acheive a conviction on. To me, the ability to indict Michael Vick on these dog fighting charges, and more to be able to confirm details such as the fact that he was consulted before an injured dog was DOUSED WITH WATER AND ELECTROCUTED, simply proves how deeply he really was involved in all this. And to be involved to this degree of cruelty, killing dogs by slamming them against concrete repeatedly, hanging them, electrocuting them ... these are not the actions of a sports celebrity who "screwed up" by hanging with the wrong crowd. These are the actions of a killer. Someone who's mind is so twisted and off balance that they see nothing wrong with killing a being simply because that being is no longer a good investment. It was apparently too much to ask that someone who makes as much money as a world reknowned NFL superstar could afford to feed and shelter an animal. Guess the price of dog food is just going out the roof these days.

What I know is this. These animals are ruined by being trained for dog fighting. They are then tortured, and when they are no longer of any use they are killed. They have been ruined to ANY potential for happiness because they have been trained to a point that they cannot be adoptable pets later on.

So as for my two cents? Do not call yourself a Hokie Michael Vick. Do not call yourself a rolemodel, and do not dare to call yourself a man. You can simply call yourself what you are. A monster.

Why God Made Little Boys

2007-07-17T18:44:00.001-05:00

God made a world out of his dreams,
Of magic mountains, oceans and streams,
Prairies and plains and wooded land,
Then paused and thought,"I need someone to stand
On top of the mountains to conquer the seas,
Explore the plains and climb the trees,
Someone to start out small and grow,
Sturdy, strong like a tree and so ...
He created boys, full of spirit and fun,
To explore and conquer, to romp and run,
With dirty faces, banged up chins,
With courageous hearts and boyish grins."
When He had completed the task He'd begun
He surely said, "That's a job well done."

-Author Unknown

Night Ravings

2007-07-08T22:27:00.000-05:00

It's 11:30, and high time I had my perpetually exhausted behind in the bed. Unfortunately that just doesn't seem to be happening. Such is my luck. I have nothing inspired to say, no glorious soapbox to stand on at the moment. I have only my beautiful son to watch sleeping, my jacuzzi tub to relax in, and a good book to read. Life could be worse I suppose!

Just Adorable Stuff

2007-07-08T21:26:00.000-05:00

Breastfeeding is Beautiful

2007-07-07T07:28:00.000-05:00

Morning everyone, happy Saturday. In a rare break, I have had hardly any queasiness this morning. (Now if you'll excuse me I'll go kick myself right in the rear for most likely jinxing the whole thing.) And over the past few days I finally had the chance to visit all my favorite blogs and catch up with some of the best writers out there. As it almost always happens, I came across one entry that really stuck with me. Kept me thinking and pondering and wondering what I'd do in the same situation. The post was over at Pinks and Blues Blog, and if you haven't read it you should definately check it out, it's called Got Milk? And it involves an entry where one of the girls saw a new mom breastfeed her child in a restaurant. A perfectly normal, beautiful event, correct? Unfortunately, some other people present turned into an ugly, vulgar activity.

I don't get it.

Contrary to popular belief, breasts were not originally created in order to provide playthings for grown men, or to give plastic surgeons yet one more area to fool with. Their entire purpose for being is to provide comfort and nourishment to children. So for those people who have an issue with breastfeeding, and especially those who feel the innane need to make nasty comments whenever they see a woman doing what is completely natural and beautiful, I have one thing to say to you.

Get over yourself.

Whatever your personal issues might be with your own body, whatever discomfort you may feel that forces you to project sexual undertones onto something as completly NON-sexual as breastfeeding, GET OVER IT.

In the simplest terms, here it is. Breastfeeding, or not breastfeeding is a completely personal choice. There is no "right" choice as every mother and every child is different. That being said, when a woman who does choose to breastfeed does so in your presence, I can promise you, she's not trying to flash you. She's not being "lazy" or "gross" or any of those other terms people throw around when they are uncomfortable about something because they simply don't choose to try and understand it.

A WOMAN WHO IS BREASTFEEDING IS ONLY, I REPEAT, ONLY SEEING TO HER CHILD'S NEEDS.

There is nothing unacceptable or dirty or vulgar about it, no matter where it takes place. And just so you know, if we should happen to be somewhere and I hear someone making a snide comment about a breastfeeding, I WILL NOT have a problem being the one to put them in their place. Call it my gift to mother's everywhere.

Comfy Easy PC - Toddler Learning System

2007-07-05T10:24:00.000-05:00

So I'm not really one to throw things out there for people to try unless I'm just crazy about them. But in this case, that's exactly the situation. Alex and I recently had the luck to try out the Easy PC learning system. It's a total blast!!

Here's some basic info:

- Toddler friendly keyboard that attaches easily to laptop or desktop

- CDs that play various activities based on age group

- Helps toddlers learn colors, shapes, the concepts of weather and of night and day, which instruments make which sounds, and more per each CD

- With a quick selection from the menu, each CD is available in multiple languages (Alex loves this part!)

I found the keyboard to be great and very kid friendly, and the CDs are easy to use and gave Alex literally HOURS of entertainment. In fact, the only problem I had was that Alex has seen me work on the computer enough that he kept trying to use MY keyboard, rather than his! Once he figured it out though, he really enjoyed it, especially the World of Colors CD which introduced him to all sorts of colors and adventures.

Personally, I think the concept is a solid one. In this day and age, kids are working on the computer in first grade, if not before. Plus, since I work from home, taking time to let Alex learn this way really makes him feel like he's involved, as he sees me on the computer multiple times a day. The Easy PC learning system simply offers little ones an early and enjoyable crash course on the whole concept of the computer. Mix in friendly characters that talk to your toddler on their very own phone, and what's not to like?

If you'd like to find out more about the Easy PC learning system, check out their website at

and Happy Learning Everyone!!

What My Toddler Taught Me Today

2007-07-03T16:22:00.000-05:00

1) Walking around at full speed with your hands above your head is absolutely hilarious.

2) Walking straight into the dog is equally as hilarious.

3) Screaming MA MA or DA DA at the top of your lungs gets a much quicker reaction.

4) No toy is quite as fascinating as the remote control.

5) If you walk around carrying a pillow, hard landings are much softer.

6) When the pillow is as big as you are, it's pretty hard to see around it.

7) Ravioli tastes much better when you acheive maximum body coverage with the sauce.

8) Open mouth kisses can help you get away with damn near anything.

9) Cats do not appreciate being shut in small areas such as closets or bathrooms.

10) Listening to the non-appreciative sounds cats make while in said areas is hilarious.

That's Quite Enough Young Lady

2007-07-03T11:24:00.000-05:00

Okay, it's time to exercise my god given right as a mom. It's time to break out the "because I said so." I am still miserable, nauseous all day, weepy, exhausted, you name it. So I decided it was time to sit down and have a little heart to heart with my second child.

So I sat down on the couch and proceeded to discuss things with my ever rounding abdomen. "Okay young lady, (I keep having little girl dreams so I'm assuming it's a girl - if I'm wrong, I'll apologize to him later)this is your mother. Now I need you to stop wiggling for a minute (and even though I can't feel her wiggling yet I saw her on the ultrasound jumping and wiggling like a little Mexican jumping bean) and listen to me. Your mommy has to be able to cook nutritious meals for you and your older brother to enjoy and to keep you healthy. She needs to be able to take care of your brother Alex without running to the potty to get sick. She also has a house and an apartment to keep up during the day. So this morning sickness thing? It's going to need to stop, and stop now."

Of course then (as I swore I heard tiny peals of laughter coming from my stomach area) I had another revalation, one which kept me from being able to use the time honored "Stop it because I SAID SO!" All this fun morning sickness isn't the baby's fault. It's mine.

That's right, it's all me. And can I tell you how frustrating it is to suddenly realize that? Yours truly is ultra sensitive to all sorts of things. Medications, mixing wine and shellfish, and apparently hormones as well. And I don't do anything halfway. It's total digestive meltdown or nothing for me. So I guess the only one I can use "Stop it because I SAID SO!" on is me. Damn, I hope I listen better than I handle extra hormones.

Walking in the Past

2007-06-27T21:36:00.000-05:00

Blast it, now I can't sleep. What were previously my early morning, enjoy my tea and ramble to the world postings are quickly becoming my late night, can't get to sleep vents of frustration. Don't you just LOVE hormones?

I was watching Alex toddle around the house today and it struck me how much he's grown in just this past year. He's no longer my little baby, but instead is now my adventurous little boy, determined to seek out new things and to get there on his own two feet. I love the way he walks around with his hands up, as if he's still holding on to Mommy and Daddy's hands. It's as if we give him invisible support that he takes with him on his travels 'round the living room, bedrooms and kitchen. The entire world is different to him now. People look exciting and different somehow, from this new angle of walking upright. Things on the ground are even more interesting as stooping down must be acheived to get a closer look. It's an entirely new perspective on the world, and I treasure the gift of watching him experience it.

And in watching his growth from baby to little boy, it also brought me back, back to when he WAS my little baby. I found something I posted on my myspace blog that I thought I share with you here. Alex was about four months old at the time:

I want to sleep. I need to go to bed, but I can't stop staring at him. My son. MY SON. Such a phrase meant nothing to me last year. Even six months ago as I carried him beneath my heart it had little impact. But now he's here. A living breathing embodiment of true passion and timeless love. When I look at his tiny face, so peaceful in sleep, I am amazed. Enthralled. Enraptured. Breathless. Those of you who don't have children will think I'm nuts and easily slide back to your sleeping in and traveling at a moment's notice. But your time will come. And then you'll be standing in the dark in your husband's faded football t-shirt, leaning ever so slightly over the side of a crib, falling even more in love every second and wondering if there is anything in the world as beautiful as your child's face.

You'll marvel as you notice he has his father's thirst for knowledge and that he has times of quiet reflection just as you do. You'll feel your stomach lurch with joy when he laughs and giggles, and your heart clench in agony when he's afraid or something hurts.

You'll do all of these things and many more. And you'll treasure every moment. I wish the soul-searing joy of parenthood upon you all.

Eight Things You Never Wanted To Know

2007-06-26T20:23:00.000-05:00

I need to play some serious catch up. I am pulling last place in the blogging race worse than the fattest, sweatiest kid from school during recess. Naturally, I have an excuse, excessive vomiting, complete exhaustion, hormonal wave riding, etc. But I have never been one to shirk my duty or my god given talent as a writer (I'm modest too in case you were wondering), so I need to get this ball rolling. Time to kick it in high gear and at least become the 2nd to fattest kid at recess.

So some time back Shawn over at Letters To My Daughters tagged me for a "Four Things Meme". For those of you who are unfamiliar with the idea of Meme's, they are basically a way for us bloggers to pick the brains of other bloggers and swap personal info and gossip as easy as if we were all sitting around getting our hair done together. (Men too, men visit salons these days after all) It's kinda fun, and pretty neat actually to find out what first pops out of your own mind when doing these types of things. Plus you get to find out all sorts of random information about me that you probably never, ever wanted to know in a million years, what more could you want? :-)

In any case, the idea behind this particular one is for me to pick four things that have been new to me in the past four years. And then I pick four new things that I would LIKE to do in the next four years. Get the idea? If not, go back and read it again, the rest of the class will wait.

So here goes:

New to me in the past four years:

1) Marraige to my wonderful husband. Marraige to anyone, for that matter, but I have to admit I picked the best one out there (sorry ladies, you'll just have to settle for second place this go 'round). He supports me in everything I do, makes me laugh on a daily basis, listens patiently whenever I whine, moan or cry (like when I'm pregnant and completely hormonal, for instance), and loves me like I'm the only woman on earth. Which I am, so the rest of you just duck if you see us walking down the street. I'm not taking any chances since I feel exactly the same way about him.

2) My son. I am awestruck on a daily basis by how powerful motherhood is. Motherhood instills a strength you never thought you could have. I can slay dragons, bring out the sun, even stop speeding cars with one hand Superman style if my son needs me to do so. There are no lengths too great, and no end to the love I have for this angel God has given me.

3) Blogging. Believe it or not, I never blogged before. I've only actually been doing this about six months or so, but it looks like I'm addicted at this point.

4) Pure and utter heartbreak. I've never felt anything quite as raw as the tragedy that took place at my old college, Virginia Tech, this past April. To have so many killed so senselessly, so many children, wives, husbands, mothers and fathers as well. I bleed inside for the hurt the entire Hokie community went through, goes through still on a daily basis.

And as for the things I hope to experience:

1) A happy, healthy second baby. I cannot wait to hold our new little one in my arms. To see my husband and that calm, soothing way he had with Alex when he was tiny, and still has when the need calls for it. Boy or girl, big or small, it doesn't matter. He or she will be ours, and as such, an embodiment of the beautiful feelings we have for each other.

2) My first book. I have so many stories, ideas, outlines, etc., all scattered and just waiting for me to get some serious work done to bring them all together. I need my words to be out there for others to enjoy. I can't explain it, I just know it calls to me.

3) A forever home. Well, perhaps not for forever, but for a good portion of our children's formative years. Our house now is nice, don't get me wrong, but it just isn't home for some reason. It just doesn't quite fit "US". I'd love to find a home, perhaps ten or so years old, with beautiful trees in the front yard and neighbors close enough to wave to but far enough away not to meddle. Something with a porch out front where hubby and I can watch the kids play in the yard at the end of the day.

4)And the last is simple. I want to go on vacation to somewhere that I've never been. It doesn't need to be exotic or far away, I just want to SEE, to experience someplace new. After all, every place has something to offer, if not, no one would be living there, right?

Rockstar

2007-06-26T19:34:00.000-05:00

I'm not afraid to admit, I ROCK. In fact, I rock so much that other people can tell how much I rock through some sort of computerized telekenetic link. Either that or I just got lucky since I just got nominated as a rocking girl blogger!! Turns out a lovely lady blogger (okay, who am I kidding, she's a ROCKING GIRL BLOGGER just like me!) named Rachel over at www.anenglishmum.com nominated me. Is that cool or what? How did she know that I not only managed to vacuum the WHOLE house today, I also did it fully dressed as opposed to in my pjs like usual? I also took my son to the pool with a friend, and we both got some aquatic exercise in whether we needed it or not. All of that activity, and I did not vomit once. So yeah, I think it's pretty damn safe to say I rock all right. I rock like crazy.

Life, or Something Like It

2007-06-23T19:44:00.000-05:00

I was totally prepared to get on here and tell everyone how the morning sickness is finally getting better, and I'm finally getting back to normal. But that was before TODAY, which has been a total bear, and if anything the morning sickness seems worse today than other days. Ah well, only a couple more weeks until the first trimester is over and I should have some relief. Notice I said "should". I've learned never to count my chickens.

On better news, we went to our first ultrasound appointment last Friday, and saw our little peanut for the first time. I love how the doctor says "there's that beautiful little baby!" while, as much as I am already attached to this little one, I am still sitting there thinking "but it looks like a shrimp to me." A big shrimp mind you, like from Red Lobster or something, but a shrimp nonetheless. At least at a little over nine weeks we could see the heart pumping fast and steady, and the little peanut was already jumping and wiggling all over the place.

Alex has been doing well, we visited Grams and Poppy and he visited the ocean for the very first time. He is hands down a huge fan of waves, sand, and everything in between. I'm fairly certain he had wondrous ocean filled dreams that night when he finally tuckered out. On the home front, he is cutting some molars, which is causing lots of extra drooling, some considerable discomfort, and necessitating some extra rest during the day. The extra rest works well for me, since I am a fan of extra rest these days myself. To help him with his discomfort though, I have used the following so far:

1) Ice water. We keep ice water on hand in a sippy cup or regular cup for whenever he wants it.

2) Tylenol. When he's having particularly bad days, I give him a small dose of Tylenol just to take the edge off.

3) Brushing our teeth. Believe it or not, Alex seems to actually find comfort in having his teeth brushed multiple times per day. I'm sure it helps massage his gums, maybe tickles a bit. Either way, it makes him happy, and that makes me happy. Which makes the world happy, since no one wants to deal with an unhappy pregnant woman.

4) Harder teething toys. For these bigger teeth in the back, the softer teething rings you can put in the fridge just aren't cutting it. Instead, the favorite item is a hard teething toy that Grandma Remeta got us at the store. I think it's an airplane of some sort, but is a harder rubbery type material. Either way, it's easy to clean, and has lots of knobs and things for Alex to gnaw on.

5) Apple slices. Sliced apple pieces, especially those fresh from the fridge and nice and cold, are a great snack option. Alex chews on them eagerly, and I can see him rubbing the cool fruit on his gums. After this particular snack we do brush our teeth though, to clean off any leftover pieces.

So if any of you are currently fighting the Molar Wars, give some of these ideas a try. You never know, they just might work!!

I'm ALIVEEEE

2007-06-21T19:05:00.000-05:00

It's true. I am actually still alive. I didn't fall off the face of the earth or vomit myself into oblivion (though I have come close a few times). Instead, I did what every self respecting adult woman would do when faced with severe morning sickness and an active toddler.

I went and got my mommy.

I'll give the full details on our trip and the fun stuff that occured along the way tomorrow, but for now, rest easy, I have not been eaten by a pack of wild dogs after all.

Pray for Baby Kaleb

2007-06-08T10:07:00.000-05:00

I consider myself to be an incredible cynic. I'm hardened in many ways to day in and day out horror stories we all hear on the news. But today I happened to open a bulletin on my myspace page, and my heart all but shattered.

There is a little boy lying in the ICU in Florida who desperately needs our prayers.

Kaleb Schwade was a happy, beautiful five month old baby. Until he was repeatedly shaken by a day care worker who has now, thankfully, been arrested. Personally, I don't think that's nearly enough. If this person is to blame, then I have a paint can mixer with her name on it.

Kaleb is now in the ICU with numerous issues and life-threatening problems. He may never be the same child he once was. Now I know that some of you are wondering if this is just one more of those random internet posts illiciting money or concern for a child that is perfectly fine, or not missing, etc. From what I can tell, this is completely true. If you check out the Help Kaleb page on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/helpkaleb you can check out the links to the news stories about little Kaleb. You can also check out Kaleb's mommy's page at myspace.com/kristyreynolds.

I don't claim to know the fear and the exhaustion and the total disbelief this family is going through. But I do recall ten miserable days in the hospital with my own son when no one could tell me what was going on, and nothing could be done to help my failing child. We got lucky. Our prayers paid off.

Now let's all put our prayers to work for baby Kaleb. Let's show his family that we can try to even out the evil Kaleb has had to experience with a generous helping of love and support.

Misery Meet Your Match

2007-06-06T19:56:00.000-05:00

My world has effectively been turned upside down in a matter of weeks. The morning sickness I'm having has turned me from an efficient, involved mom into a sniveling, cowering ball of misery. I miss my husband, who, through no fault of his own, is having to be out of town the majority of the time right now. I hate the fact that my house looks like something out of law and order. And I despise the fact that my son has to sit outside the bathroom door calling "Ma Ma?" over and over because he doesn't understand what's going on. Despite all this, and despite my repeated gagging and coughing, there is one thing that can stop all of it in an instant. When my son needs something. When he really needs something, my mind completely turns around. This evening for instance. Alex had been in the bed asleep for about an hour when out of the blue he suddenly started screaming. Regardless of the fact that I was curled on the couch feeling sorry for myself and desperately trying to keep down the dinner I ate half an hour before, I was up like a shot and into his room, nausea completely forgotten. In a matter of moments I had him in my arms and calmed down, saved from his bad dream or whatever else may have been bothering him. And as I stood there, swaying slowly from side to side and humming that random mix of lullabies that every mom knows even though she never quite learned all the words, I finally understood something. This time next year, I'll have two little angels who need me. I'll have my husband back in my arms, my house will either be presentable or I'll simply have learned to accept the inevitable.

I laid my cheek against my son's soft hair and realized that all of a sudden, I feel just fine.

The Sunday Seven

2007-06-03T06:51:00.000-05:00

Yum, ice cream is the best!

For those of you who have graciously followed me from Parenting Toddlers here to Toddler Tactics, you'll notice the former Sunday Sixteen has been shortened a bit to the Sunday Seven. For those of you who are new to Toddler Tactics, the Sunday Seven is a run-down of all the vitally important information for this week ... more specifically, vitally important to ME. But it also touches on Alex's favorite things this week, and any behavior issues we're currently having. Which is where all you ever so knowledgable parents offer to step in and leave me a comment suggesting how I might handle said issues. So sit back, grab that cup of coffee, and enjoy!

The Sunday Seven

1. Lays Potato Chips are saving my life this week. They seem to be the only thing that soothes my morning sickness. This morning I had blueberry oatmeal with a side of Lay's Potato chips. Pregnancy makes you eat very, VERY strange combinations of food.

2. Alex's favorite foods this week, scrambled eggs with cheese, lima beans with butter, and fresh blueberries. Though he doesn't eat all his favorites at the same time like I do.

3. Having morning sickness, taking care of an inquisitive toddler, working part time from home, and doing all this without your husband during the week really sucks. I have more respect for single moms than I ever thought I could at this point.

4. I STILL can't get Alex to walk on his own. He'll take two or three steps on his own, but then is right back down and crawling around. If we try to illicit the walking, "walk to Daddy", "walk to Mommy" etc, then he simply laughs and drops immediately to a crawl. Any tips?

5. Talking however, is certainly not going to be a problem. Alex talks to everything. His toys, his grandparents, the pets, even, on occasion, the kitchen table.

6. Alex has discovered the lazy susan in the kitchen. I think he considers it toddler nirvana, since it's where I keep his sippy cups, his bowls, his snacks, cookies, crackers, and every other toddler themed food item you can imagine. Nowadays I can't so much as pee without coming out to the kitchen to find ALL of it spread out across the floor.

7. Best Blogs to read this week: Thingamababy - Neat ideas on toddler and baby products from a Dad's point of view. And An English Mum - gotta love that sense of humor. She's always got me close to peeing in my pants I'm laughing so hard!

Finding "ME" Time with a Toddler

2007-06-01T15:23:00.000-05:00

Okay, let's be real. When was the last time you went to the bathroom at home and weren't interrupted? When did you last sit down and enjoy a leisurely meal at a restaurant without worrying about the 6 inches of piled food on the floor around your toddler's high chair? When did you last have a chance to style your hair AND put on your makeup without smearing eyeliner across your face because someone let out a bloodcurdling scream?

(Just as a side note, if any of you do manage to get your hair and makeup done with a toddler underfoot, I expect you to offer me your teaching services and come to my house to show me how it's done.)

In any case, we could all use a bit more "me" time, and it's not easy to come by. So here are a few suggestions to eek out those precious private seconds.

1 - When your little one naps, forego the housework. The laundry will wait, and so will the dishes. They may eventually grow feet and walk around the house, but I promise they will continue to wait as long as necessary. Save the housework for when the kids are playing well, watching a movie, or hanging with Dad. Use naptime to recharge your own batteries. Sit on the couch and relax, take in a movie, give yourself a manicure, or take a much needed nap. Whatever YOU want to do to relax, go for it.

2 - Schedule a "Mom's Dinner Out" with some of your female friends (moms or not). Make sure your husband, babysitter, mother, sister, whoever, knows they are on duty for that night. Make this a regular event, once a month, once a week, whatever you can manage. Go to dinner with the girls and have an appetizer AND dessert. Go to a chick flick. Do whatever you like, just enjoy.

3 - Switch off babysitting days with another mom. Know another mom who needs a break? Offer to trade off babysitting days (or afternoons or mornings). You watch her kids on Tuesday, she watches yours on Thursday, you get the idea. Use your free hours to lay out by the pool, go to the mall (without dealing with the "Mommy I WANT!'s"). Get your hair done or eat lunch outside at a cafe.

4 - Make time for a bath. Every other night or so, make time for a bath. Lock the door, pull out the Calgon, and take yourself away with a good book, or just a relaxing soak. Dad can look after the little ones, and if he has a problem with the idea, go on vacation to anywhere, alone, for three days and leave him with the kids. It's amazing how fast his tune will change with a little crash course in Mommyhood.

Remember, regardless of anyone else's thoughts on the matter, Mommy's sanity is ALWAYS the most important. Without it, the entire world would fall to pieces. So go ahead, make some "ME" time. You earned it.

You Really Can Walk and Vomit at the Same Time

2007-05-30T20:06:00.001-05:00

Just try it. Well okay, Alex is doing most of the walking, and still only a step or two at a time, but it is definitely progress! He seems to be more likely to keep it up when I don't make a big deal out of it. Were your toddlers like this? Or did they enjoy praise to egg them along?

The vomiting, that's more my arena these days. Okay, I'll admit, no ACTUAL vomiting just yet, but I sure feel like any moment could be a winner. So much for hoping I'd escape with little to no morning sickness this go 'round. And by the way, WHAT MORON NAMED IT MORNING SICKNESS?? IT LASTS ALL DAY!!

The Precious Moments

2007-05-24T08:33:00.001-05:00

I'm tired. Early pregnancy does that to you. So after some serious lego playtime, drum playing and book reading this morning, I laid down on my side to watch Alex continue playing as I took a much needed break. True to his ever-loving form (and just to keep me on my toes since he was a total pill yesterday), Alex watched me curiously for a moment, then came over, reclined next to me, and laid his head softly on my arm. He laid there quietly for at least five minutes before peeking up at me, then laying back down again.

Okay mom, if you need to rest, we'll rest.

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWww!!!

Let the Battles Begin

2007-05-23T15:59:00.000-05:00

My son has declared war against me. He has even, believe it or not, convinced the dogs to side with him. I swear he's even got a flak jacket hidden under his crib.

The conflict? I WANT. I WANT to eat YOUR dinner, not mine. I WANT to dial random numbers on the phone. I WANT to chase the dogs around with my plastic mower. I WANT to kick my feet and fling poop whenever you're trying to change my dirty diaper. I WANT. I WANT. I WANT.

And in Alex' world, the ONLY thing that matters is what HE wants. I can't really blame the kid, I wish that worked in my world as well, but unfortunately, it just doesn't. Just this afternoon he decided that he WANTED to play on the computer, even though it was off, and it has been taught from day one that it is off limits.

A battle full of blood-curdling screams ensued. Alex would pound on the keyboard. I would say NO!, and move Alex over to his toys. Alex would give me the crumple face, followed by the screech of disbelief. Then a toy would take his fancy and the bloodshed would stop as quickly as it began. Until two or three seconds later when he turned to see where I was, and then commenced to hauling hieny over to the computer again and once again pounding the keys like Beethoven. Again, I say NO!, this time followed with a quick pop on the hand (which inevitably upsets me more than it even phases him), and again we move over to HIS toys. And so on and so forth. After repeating ourselves about five or six times, during which the dogs simply looked at me as if I was a massively horrendous dictator, Alex finally found something else that entertained him and the battle was won (by me, for the moment).

I have won this battle, but never the war.

Ding, Dong, The Allergist is Dead

2007-05-22T06:01:00.000-05:00

Well, alright, so he's not DEAD exactly, but as far as my son is concerned, he is now offically non-existent. That's right, we no longer have to see the allergist. Ever. Period. Unless of course Alex decides to continue on his path to single handedly ruin every medical theory on earth and develop some other sort of random allergic problem.

Until that time, we are allergist free. We are also medicine free!! Hallelujah! *insert throngs of cheering people here*

That's right, no more asthma medicine, no more allergy medicine, no more antiobiotics for ear infections. We are free, clear and 100% healthy again. I knew we could do it, we just had to get a doctor who actually listened. Thank you Dr. Goforth, you are a godsend!!

Crib vs. Toddler Bed

2007-05-21T11:05:00.001-05:00

Fruit or juice? Disposable or cloth? Toys with sound, or those without? Proper names or toddler language?

The either or's we are all faced with as parents of toddlers seem neverending. And at the heart of these is one of the biggest stepping stones we'll ever face. The toddler bed. Standing across the room like a giant insurmountable beast, some of us are simply dying to get our little ones in that bed and out of the crib as fast as possible. Still others are dreading the transition with everything we have, and are determined to keep our toddlers in their cribs as long as physically possible. So when's the right time to switch?

I have no idea. I know that an infant shouldn't go in a toddler bed, and that if your child can't lay straight and not have his feet hanging out of crib then it's probably past time to get him out of it.

Other than that, I'm just like the rest of you. Should I move him now? Is it too early? How will I keep him in the toddler bed? Should I go ahead and child proof the door so he can't get out if he gets up in the middle of the night? What if there's a fire? How is that safe? Should I try a gate instead?

And the list goes on.

What did you do when it came time for your toddler to make the big move? Did it go smoothly? Or was it more like organized chaos?

Holy Wow Batman!

2007-05-16T15:17:00.000-05:00

You could have told me that we had to move to Alaska. You could have told me that I had a rare immune disorder and would have to be on medication for the rest of my life. You could have told me that there were pink elephants wearing bathing suits and dancing around in my son's kiddie pool. ANY of that I wouldn't have batted an eyelash at. But this?

Holy Wow Batman. I'm pregnant.

On birth control, buzzing about my daily life with a busy toddler, keeping everything flowing smoothly. THIS I did not expect. That's not to say I'm not excited, on the contrary, I am very excited. Or at least I will be. Just as soon as I get over being completely and utterly shocked.

My kids will be almost exactly two years apart. Their birthday's are even liable to be in the same month. My house is going to suddenly become too small, my bills too big. But you know what, bring it on little one. We are blessed to have you. I can't wait to meet you already.

Let the fun begin!

Easing Toddler Tantrums

2007-05-08T17:11:00.000-05:00

We are starting to enter into a new phase in Alexville. Tantrums. The man knows what he wants, and he wants it NOW, regardless of whether it's the stereo, a sippy cup, or the shower curtain. And when Mommy and Daddy, for the sake of keeping him safe and themselves sane, dare to tell him no, or remove him from the situation, a full scale meltdown is usually the result.
If you've never seen a toddler tantrum, it's vaguely reminiscent of the end of the world as we know it. There is lots of screaming, screeching, flailing limbs and shaking heads. And that's usually just me.

Okay, I'm kidding, but toddler tantrums are no fun for anyone. And when I went in search of ways to ease these tantrums, I found the exact opposite of what I was hoping for. Every pediatrician, every mother, even every behavioral expert I found declared emphatically that these tantrums are completely and totally normal. They are also to be expected as a toddler usually has not yet learned how to control extremes in emotion. This was NOT what I wanted to hear. I wanted the magic trick that would immediately calm my screeching son when I have to take him away from the VCR for the fifteenth time that day. But there is no magic trick. There is however, a greater likelihood that any toddler will have a meltdown if they are tired, hungry, stressed, or somehow frustrated. Knowing this gives us all a better chance of avoiding these tantrums at certain times.

Making sure Alex has eaten BEFORE we go out to a restaurant for instance, ensures that he's not having to sit around the table, hungry and not understanding why he can't eat right away (Though in truth I have to give proper credit for this idea to Grandma and Grandpa Remeta, who gave me that suggestion WAY before I read it in any book! Thanks guys!).

Redirection also works well. If your toddler always throws a tantrum in the middle of the grocery store, try figuring out just what is setting them off. If your little one is just too overstimulated at the store (all those choices, colors, and people can be a bit much for some kids), give your spouse grocery duty, or put them on babysitting duty so you can shop alone. If that's not feasible, try redirecting your little one with specific questions. "Should we have meatloaf or chicken for dinner?" "Do you want noddles or broccoli to go with?" This often requires some quick thinking on your part, but the engaged toddler who feels a part of the decision making process is well worth the mental strain. Make sure however, to be specific in your questions, using an either or scenario, rather than "What should we have for dinner?" Open ended questions are too broad and can further frustrate your little one.

Stick to a schedule. No one can continuously stick to the same schedule, but make it a point to stick as close as you can whenever you can. Naptimes should be the same time every day whenever possible. Avoid running errands just before your toddler is due for a nap or right before mealtimes. Try to run errands around the same time every day so your toddler knows what to expect ahead of time.

All that being said, expect a tantrum every so often, just to keep you on your toes. There are a few simple and easy rules to follow when dealing with a tantrum, to prevent them escalating in the future.

- Stay calm.
- Don't react with anger or shouting.
- Don't give in to your toddlers demands.
- Do comfort your toddler as much as possible.
- Do express that you understand the problem.
- If possible, do remove your child from the situation.
- Afterwards, don't punish a toddler for a tantrum. Instead, soothe them as much as possible and work on explaining that they will not always get what they want.

Armed with this new information, I am off to stand guard over the VCR!!

Toddler Medicines

2007-05-03T16:58:00.000-05:00

Last night as I pulled up what seemed like my umpteenth syringe of liquid medicine for my son, I thought (yet again), how upsetting it is to have to medicate my child on a daily basis. It is the infinite paradox of my life at this time, being an avid believer that America as a whole generally lives in one giant over-medicated haze, and yet wanting to do what is best for my son and thus following doctors orders to the letter. It's also a constant feeding ground for the green-eyed monster. Why is MY son having these problems? Why do other kids have no problems? Why is my adorable, blue-eyed little gentleman having to choke down Flovent, Oratuss AND Zyrtec every day?

The answer chaps my motherly instincts even more than having to ask the question in the first place. They don't know. THEY DON'T KNOW. All that money spent on years and years of expensive schooling and on the job doctor training, even specialist training, and my son continues to stump modern science. Oh well, at least I know he's already an overachiever, right? :-)

So, because of that, I went in search of a site that would provide me with the mecca of medical information I was seeking. I wanted something with lists and lists of every medicine out there, something that would validate every side effect I think my son might be having, something that would print in black and white "YES, YOUR DOCTOR DOES KNOW WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT." What mother doesn't want that reassurance? Only problem is, there wasn't any site like that. Sure, I found some sites that had massive lists, but they were all in complete medical jargon, and none of them gave me the answers I was looking for. Maybe some of you will know of such a site and share it with the rest of us.

If not, so much for peace of mind.

The Great Sleep Debate

2007-05-02T16:06:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I admit, I've always been lucky with Alex when it comes to sleeping through the night. He started sleeping all the way through at about 3 months old, and hasn't had a problem since.

Until now.

Alex is now 15 months old. I know many kids will retain the two naps a day routine until they're two or even older. Alex is one of these kids. If he doesn't have a second nap during the day he literally will have a personality meltdown and become a grunting, crying mini-caveman. Apart from that, he will also simply lay down on the living room floor and go to sleep. The child knows what he wants when it comes to sleeping.

I know what you're thinking. SO?? Your toddler still takes two naps a day? And you're complaining? Shut up already.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I LOVE the fact that he still takes two naps. I'm able to get all sorts of things done (including blog posts!). The problem is that Alex is all of a sudden waking up multiple times a night. He'll simply wake up and be unconsolable until I pick him up. Once I pick him up, he simply lays his head on my shoulder and passes back out. I have literally been able to pick him up, then put him immediately back down (though that's not the norm) and he'll be sound asleep.

He does have fluid in his ears, and he is supposed to be getting tubes on March 15th. I'm just trying to figure out if the problem is seperation anxiety, or more health related. The ear, nose and throat doctor did say that pressure can build up the longer they are laying down, so this may very well clear up after the surgery.

I guess I can only wait and see, and just hope I'm not fostering bad habits in the meantime!

Toddler Seperation Anxiety

2007-04-10T16:42:00.000-05:00

We've all seen it. The toddler weeping as if her little heart will break as she clings to her mother's pant leg, absolutely determined not to let Mom out of her sight. Meanwhile, teacher, grandparent, or sitter stand by, desperately trying to coax the little Cling-On away with noise making toys, promises of ice cream for dinner and visions of "what FUN we're going to have." Mom then does one of two things. She stops, gathers her little one in her arms, and coos and cuddles her, calming her down and thus giving in completely. You can already see the wheels turning ("Well, I'll call Janice and just reschedule lunch for sometime next week. She'll understand."). Or, flushing red with embarassment at the attention the predicament is causing, she extracts her leg from her little one and flees in a panic, determined to get as far away as possible as quickly as possible.

So which reaction is the RIGHT one? Neither.

By giving in and staying with your little one, you are inadvertently teaching her to cry and throw a tantrum until she gets what she wants. In this case, Mommy to stay.

By beating a quick retreat, you are causing temporary separations to seem like abandonment in the eyes of your toddler. This only leads to a drastic increase in fear and panic whenever you must be apart.

Okay know it all, you're saying, so what am I SUPPOSED to do? How would YOU handle the situation when you have banana now smeared all over your new silk pants, you're cruising on three hours sleep,one cup of coffee, and you're not even sure you remembered to rinse the shampoo out of your hair in the shower this morning? Teach us, oh enlightened one.

Well, don't get snippy about it, but I will. (By the way, I haven't put on deodorant in over 24 hours, and I think I may currently have a hunk of half eaten pancake in my hair. Just wanted to share so you'd know we really are on the same page here.) :-)

The best way to handle these necessary separations involves a few basic steps.

- Prepare your toddler ahead of time. Remind them the night before, the morning of, and on the way in the car. "Mommy has to go meet someone, but you get to spend time with Grams and Poppy today, and you guys are going to do all sorts of neat things!" Or "Grandma and Grandpa Billy Goat (okay, this may make no sense to you, but my family understands what I mean) are going to take you to the zoo this afternoon, won't that be fun?"

- Make the 'trade-off' quickly. When you arrive at your destination, carry your child if possible. Then hand your child over to the sitter (you can do this in your living room too), or at preschool set your child down with other kids who are already involved with toys or something interesting. This is telling your child, okay, you were with Mommy or Daddy, now you're going to spend some time with Grandma, or stay here and play with these kids.

- Give your child a kiss, say something upbeat "See you later!", "Be back before you know it!", and get out. Do not stand around and discuss anything with the teacher (if this needs to be done, ask the teacher to step outside the room with you - out of sight of your little one - or make an appt for when you come back at the end of the day). Don't catch up with Grams, save that for over the phone or later on when you're together. This quick, definitive action teaches your child some key things. Primarily, that this IS happening, and there is no use getting upset over it. And secondly, that being separated is no big deal. It might even be fun.

Let's also all understand that there are going to be good days and bad days. There WILL be days where you walk out of the room to the sound of your precious, adorable little child screaming in a violent rage of protest. And that sound is going to rip your heart out with a jagged knife and shred your stomach to bits with a rusty fork. You may very well get to your car and find yourself beating the steering wheel mercilessly and smearing your mascara around to your ear. AND THAT'S OKAY. It's natural to feel upset about being separated from your child, just as it is natural for them to feel the same being separated from you.

Just remember that what you're working towards is establishing your child's independence and confidence in themselves. Your child is no longer simply an extension of you. They are their own amazing little individual, and they need the chance to understand that.

And giving them that chance is worth buying a padded steering wheel cover or reapplying as much mascara as necessary.

Easter

2007-04-10T09:57:00.000-05:00

Easter weekend taught me many, many things. For instance, I now know exactly how to handle things if Alex has a random asthma attack while out of town, something I previously hadn't had the miserable luck to experience.

I also know that ear tubes may very well end up as the answer to my prayers.

And lastly, I made the decision that as much fun as it is to get a miserably measely check once a month for pouring every literary talent that I have into a daily blog, I think I'd rather just work (and write) for myself.

That way I can be much more sarcastic, and much less stressed about the whole idea.

Toddlers and Pets - Keeping Everyone Happy

2007-03-20T16:35:00.000-05:00

For many of us, the two legged variety are not the only kids in the household. Many of us have four legged, furry kids as well. Striking a harmonious balance between the two involves some work, but done right, it can result in a beautiful friendship.

First and foremost, a couple ground rules for keeping toddlers and pets happily co-existing in the same house:
- Never leave your child and your pet together unattended. NEVER. 90% of injuries to children resulting from pet bites or scratches happen when the animal and the child are left alone together. You may have the most docile dog in the world, but if your toddler gets a firm hold on a tender ear and then decided to chomp down with his or her own new teeth, someone is coming away bleeding.
- If you think this is a great time to get a brand new puppy or kitten, think again. Better yet, go have your head examined. If you must bring a new pet into your household at this time, go through a rescue group and let them find you an adult animal who is used to small children. Now is just not the time to have to worry about taking a puppy out in the middle of the night, or keeping inquisitive little fingers out of a recently used litterbox.
- Always keep a close eye on pet/toddler interactions during the day. Praise your toddler for gentle behavior with your pet (light petting, hugging if you pet permits it, etc.). And do not forget to PRAISE YOUR PET AS WELL! Even though it might seem like Fido is doing nothing special as he sits and lets Junior pat his head, remember, this little person is still relatively new to the household, and as such, they are something to be wary of. Praising your dog or cat during this time reinforces to them that tolerance will be rewarded and gentleness is a must.
- Make sure your pet has a clean escape route. If your pet has his own crate, bed, or kitty condo, establish early that this area is off-limits to your toddler. We all need a "safe" place to retreat to when the screeching and hair pulling get to be too much.
- Don't forget to save some special time for your furry friend. Once your toddler is angelically asleep for the evening, take the time to give your pet some serious affection. Give them a brush or a rub down, or share the couch if thats allowed. It never hurts to reinforce to your pet that they are still a loved and appreciated part of the family.
-And perhaps the hardest thing to learn? Don't jump up expecting a problem every time your pet and your toddler interact. Both your "kids" will pick up on your anxiety and it only serves to complicate the situation. When your little one approaches your alert but relaxed dog, keep close by but don't automatically snatch up your son or daughter. Give your toddler guidance "Nice puppy. Be gentle." "Be soft. Sweet kitty." Give them a chance to meet on a frequent basis, and a true affection will eventually develop. Remember, as far as your animal is concerned, this new little human is simply a new member of the pack, and as the head of the pack, they are going to be looking to you to determine how they should deal with him or her.

Should you be interested in additional info on keeping your toddler/pet relationship a happy one, check out these great sites:
http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href= Children Learn From Pets
http://blog.snhparents.com/new-hampshire/23/infants-toddlers-and-dogs/

Toddlers and Veggies - It really CAN happen!

2007-03-10T17:16:00.000-05:00

I was on the phone the other day with a friend, and she could hear my son Alex babbling in the background.

"What's Alex up to?" she asked.

"Eating lunch. He's talking to his carrots at the moment."

My response was met with a stunned silence before she squeaked out ... "He eats CARROTS???" On the disbelief register it ranked right up there with me saying, "I just won the swimsuit competition for the Miss America pageant."

Well of course Alex eats carrots. Why wouldn't he? He also eats peas, ham, turkey, pasta, fruits, and occasionally a bite of dog food if I'm not quick enough, but what's so shocking about that?

"My son won't eat anything except yogurt and mac and cheese."

She confessed this is a stage style whisper, as if we were two CIA agents passing on the street and vital information on the TFO (Toddler Food Operation) needed to be exchanged in a hurry.

As a mother to a child who may not eat a LOT of one thing, but who generally tries most anything I put in front of him, this blew my mind.

"When did he start doing that?" I admit to selfish reasoning behind this question. If my son was going to soon randomly start deciding that yogurt was his primary food group, I needed to know about it. I also needed to know exactly WHEN to expect this dramatic change.

"About a month ago. He just started shaking his head and saying no to everything I put in front of him. He'll go hungry rather than eat any veggies or meat. It's killing me, but what do I do? He's got to eat, right?"

So I thought about it. And I thought about it some more.

And then I gave up and asked my pediatrician. He had no idea.

Then I got smart and asked a family friend who's been babysitting toddlers for years. She's also someone who's been a secret operative for the TFO for decades, so she clearly had the best answers.

First, and most importantly, (she said), never let them see you sweat. Convince them that it's no big deal to you if they eat or not. This eliminates the "rebelling against food gets mommy worked up and that's fun" game.

Second, use your food processor liberally. If they want mac and cheese, give them mac and cheese, but grind up some veggies to mix in with the cheese sauce. A totally unexpected, and totally CIA type move.

Third, try cooking veggies or meats differently. Try covering fresh veggies with parmesan or spices and baking in the oven. Try baked chicken instead of grilled. If all else fails, throw the meat in the processor too. Add ground meat to spagetthi sauce (even if it's for spaghetti-o's) or cheese sauce to put over veggies.

Fourth, make it fun. Now this part of the information is highly classified, so be forewarned, I'm going to tell you, but I may have to kill you afterwards if you misuse it. Kids like fun. Who knew? Dust off those cookie cutters and put them to good use. Anything and everything that you can cut out and make into fun shapes, do it. Use peas or carrots to decorate cooked chicken or fish (be sure your toddler has been cleared by your pediatrician to eat fish as it's a high allergy food). A great way to make this work is to cover the chicken with sliced provolone or mozzarella and melt the cheese a bit. This gives the veggies something to stick to. (See I TOLD you this was classified info).

And should all that fail, you have only one choice left.

Start stocking up on yogurt and mac and cheese, you're going to be in it for the long haul.

Was Your Toddler Up All Night?

2007-02-21T16:14:00.000-05:00

Really? Mine too!! We currently have some sort of fever, caused by sickness or teething, we aren't sure which. It's just a low grade however (low-grade for you laymen means under 102 degrees and treatable at home), so we enjoyed quite a few late night wake ups that required intensive rocking, singing, and canoodeling before we deigned to go back to sleep. While in the midst of my fourth trip from my bed to Alex's last night, I realized you all might enjoy a few extra tips to help get your sick little one feeling better. If we can't heal them physically, than at least we can help from a comfort level standpoint:

1) Clean bottom. My rule of thumb is, if we're awake already, we might as well be clean and comfortable. I know personally that when I wake up sick and have a wet rear end I am EXTREMELY agitated.

2) White noise. Most children are actually soothed by some sort of white noise. And in this particular case, white noise is not considered the noise your husband makes while droning on about football (though I can understand how you could make such a mistake). In our case, we have a air purifier that drones on just a bit. Essentially anything constantly humming or running that doesn't bother you will most likely soothe your little one. (P.S. Bathroom fan, if you have a bathroom near your little one's room, works great)

3) Swaddling or covering. Some kids love to be swaddled. If you don't know what swaddling is, it is, in fact, wrapping your little one up in a blanket burrito style to where they effectively cannot move their arms and legs very much at all. Think enchilada thoughts and you've got it. The trick with toddlers is, some really like swaddling when they are sick, some can't stand it. Trust me, you'll figure out rather quickly which your's prefers. If your small wonder doesn't appreciate the mexican food route, they will still be comforted by being covered with a nice, soft blanket. A small trick that also works for Alex, covering the head but not the face.

4) Last but not least, maintain a proper level of exhaustion. If you aren't tired enough, your toddler will know, through process of bionic mind-meld, that you need to be awake longer, and will thus work to make sure that you get exactly what you need. They are after all, working hard to take care of US, and we should remember this.

When your little one is under the weather, some quiet time with Mommy and Daddy under a blanket (and usually involving the Noggin channel or some deleriously silly children's video) is often just what the doctor ordered. Thank goodness this morning that is exactly what worked for us. Now as for what the video was actually about? I'm not sure. I was asleep.

Superbowl Ideas for Toddlers

2007-02-04T16:52:00.000-05:00

A few days from now the ultimate test of the Gladiator will take place. Players will bash, beat, smear, pound, and race until only a select few, battered and bruised, will remain standing. Fans will jump, shout, swear, dance, clap, and thoroughly absorb every sweat-spattered moment. Yet there, standing off to the side, a little excited and a little scared, watching their parents and relatives avidly but with slight concern as well, is Every Toddler In America.

The Superbowl is a concept that frequently isn't shared with little ones. They get an early dinner and an early bedtime, and are then expected to sleep peacefully through three hours of Mommy and Daddy's shouting, laughing and screaming.

Let's get real people.

Who says your toddler can't get in the spirit of things too? Who says your two foot tall Peyton Manning wannabe, (who doesn't understand football because, well frankly, Barney the big purple dinosaur hasn't bothered to explain it just yet), can't have Superbowl fun along with everyone else?

Here are some great tips for getting your little one involved!

1) Give up on bedtime. If you have guests over, or even if you're just watching with your Bears obsessed husband (and yes, having "DA BEARS" tattooed on any body part classifies you as obsessed), there will be noise. And worse yet it will be noise that sounds suspiciously to your toddler like fun noise. Plan on letting your little cheerleader take an extra nap the next day and just give in. Late bedtime is super exciting to a toddler in itself, so you're already established as "Awesome Mom" from the get go.

2) As soon as the game starts, let your child pick a team they want to root for. Really important factors come into this decision. Things like ... "I like the horsies", "I want red", or "Not that team, he's uggy". Picking opposite Dad's choice can actually be fun too, since, as every self-respecting toddler knows, antagonizing Dad is ALWAYS fun (plus it usually leads to being tickled and that's fun for everyone). Whichever team your child picks, identify the colors the team wears, then take your little linebacker into his room and let him pick out clothes that match those colors. (See how we snuck in a learning experience right under their nose? Go us!!)

3) If you don't have a violent opposition to wagering, "bet" your little one various things to keep them interested in the game. "Daddy will bet you a horsey ride around the living room that the blue guy throws the ball." The idea here is not to show your child how to get a bookie on speed dial, but to let them feel as if they are a part of the game too. Make sure to make a few bets that they win, and a few they lose, just to keep things interesting. Winning bets could get things like piggy back rides, a cookie at half-time, or getting to trade seats with someone for a while (keep in mind this means whoever gets picked usually ends up on the floor or in the the Tickle Me Elmo chair - you have been warned). Losing bets should have very little consequences. Giving hugs or kisses is a great one, since most toddlers secretly love kissing and hugging Mom or Dad, but making a big deal out of it is sure to elicit tons of giggles.

4) Count, count, count!! Get out blocks, balls, toys, etc. Each time a team scores, count out how many points they made. "One (red block), two (green block), three (blue block)!! Three points!!" If you've got guests over, have them join in the counting. Your little one will be thrilled to feel like the leader of the pack, and they'll be learning their numbers in the process. (See how we slipped YET ANOTHER learning lesson in there?? Damn, we're good!)

5) Let them SCREAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMM!! Okay think back really hard. When was the last time you DIDN'T yell at your toddler when they screeched or screamed? What better time to reinforce the fact that there are sometimes when it IS OKAY to scream for fun, but that doesn't mean all the time? Go ahead, let Mini Madden do his worst. After all, everyone's awake so it's not going to hurt anything right? You'll also have this to refer back to later on. A week later when your toddler is screeching in the grocery store line you can always mention "Remember when we screamed at the football game? That was okay screaming. This is not."

Obviously every toddler is different. Your toddler in particular might prefer to go to bed and completely ignore you crazy adults for as long as it takes. If on the other hand, your little one prefers being a "big kid" for a night, you can't go wrong in sharing the Superbowl addiction. Just think, twenty years from now your precious child might be the one shown on national tv painted blue and wearing deer antlers on their head.

Ahhhh. It's enough to make any mother proud.

2006-12-21T16:25:00.000-05:00

This is a subject near and not at all dear to my heart. As a matter of fact I am starting to hate the word "asthma" with every fiber of my being (and trust me, I have lots of fibers). My son has asthma. This of course was only discovered AFTER a middle of the night trip to the emergency room with a gasping, grunting, miserable eleven month old.

While doing my research to determine just what this asthmatic diagnosis was going to mean to our family, I discovered something astounding. Since 1983, the occurence of childhood asthma has increased by 160%. 160%!!! That means that 1 in 4 kids under the age of 5 have asthma! And what's worse, no one seems to know just why this is happening. We have no real answers as to why our normally sturdy, knock-around little toddlers are suddenly being stricken down with wheezing, gasping, coughing and sneezing episodes that take them out of playtime commission for hours, or even days. Some doctors suggest that it's the increased pollution in the air, but even children living in South Dakota, far, far, FAR away from any major highways are being diagnosed. Others are suggesting the additives in food may be a contributing factor, causing allergies which are in turn causing asthma. This suggestion I could believe. There are so many chemicals in our foods these days we'll soon be sucking our nutrition straight out of a self-dispensing mouthpiece connected to a large, black container marked "Bio-Hazard". Yuck.

Little boys apparently have a slightly higher risk of being diagnosed with asthma as well. The jury is still out on whether this has anything to do with the fact that boys tend to mature a bit slower than girls. A parent with asthma is obviously a red-flag, but genetics I can certainly understand. You don't get a chance to pick your parents, but it sure would be nice if you could pick and choose which health issues they are allowed to pass on!

As a parent taking care of a wonderful, beautiful (I have to get that in at LEAST once a day so you don't forget) child with asthma, I know just how frustrating this chronic condition can be. I also know first hand that doctors are not all asthma specialists, and that conflicting information is often the norm, especially after your initial diagnosis.If you are looking for more information on asthma, and more importantly accurate information on childhood asthma the experts are always the best, and the experts are at www.lungusa.com, the American Lung Association Site. If you have a little one battling asthma, I suggest you look into possible support groups in your area. Just having someone else to talk to who has been through the sleepless nights and the constant worry can really help lighten your stress load. I'm still on the hunt for some really good childhood asthma message boards to frequent, so if any of you know of any, please drop me a line and I'll check them out.

Now, strictly to make myself feel better after a long night of nebulizer treatments and listening to my angel cough and wheeze, I want to hear YOUR asthma stories. Or any toddler health scares for that matter. How did you survive feeling so helpless when your little one was under the weather?