2 and 30

According to child safety advocates and the American Academy of Pediatrics, age 2 and 30 pounds is the new 1 year and 20 pounds. Did that confuse you? In the past, the general rule was that a child should be turned forward facing when they hit one year old and reached 20 pounds. Recent research has determined that children are safer if they rear face until at least two years and 30 pounds or to the full limits of their seats (Article: Stay Rear Facing). I turned the boy around when he was 18 months and just barely over 20 pounds. A couple months later I was in a car accident that totaled my car, and required getting a new seat. I went to some knowledgeable people on babycenter for advice. When I got our new Britax Marathon a month later, I put that puppy in rear facing and that is how the boy has been until this past Sunday when he truly was to close to the top of the shell to stay that way. So at 3 years, 4 months, 3 weeks, 6 days and 30 pounds I flipped his car seat. That night as I was buckling him in he asked if I was happy that he was facing forward. I had to reply that it made me sad, because it meant that he was growing up. He patted my head in sympathy.

Last day rear facing

First official day of forward facing

Soap & Sass

Disclaimer: I am a parent who occasionally swats the hinney, puts the nose in a corner and yes will use soap.

Last week, Fric and Frac were at my mom's like usual. Unusually (at least at her house), they were using their toddler chairs as launching pads (read: jumping). She warned them three times and then took the chairs away. Fric (son) grabbed on to his and wouldn't let go. My mother suggested that he let go of the chair. He looked at her and said, "No, I suggest you let go." He was fairly promptly removed to the bathroom for one swipe of bar soap on his teeth. He really didn't like it. In fact within a couple of days, Frac (nephew) was doing or saying something that Fric thought would get him in trouble. He told Frac, "Don't sass T. You don't want that nasty, yucky soap." (story as close as possible to reality as one get when one wasn't there)

Then this past weekend, I was counting to three, which I seem to do a lot these days, and he looked at me after one and said, "Momma, I don't want you to count at me."

Not sure where I was going with this except for to vent a bit of my frustration with mr. sassy pants and his cousin. Who said three year olds were easier than two year olds? And people who have horror stories about four year olds, please don't share. I am only getting through this by thinking that things will be better when he is four. I like this fantasy world.

Five Little Ducks went Reading One Day!

This video is from January 31, 2008. Shot on my cell phone, so the quality isn't the greatest. I just found it amusing. Be sure to turn up your sound.

My Boy Turns 3!!

Can't really believe that it has been three years since he came out angry at the world, hollering for all he was worth. I love the little booger with all my heart and cherish each milestone he (and we) reaches. Even when they mark the end of something special (nursing) or mark one more safe day (still rear facing) or a new illness (yay we had croup for his birthday!). So a small photo essay of his birthday. Thanks for bearing with me.

Off on our special birthday adventure that included a haircut, lunch out & a trip to the park.














His birthday cake made by yours truly. My artistic skills, which are woeful, were greatly challenged by this endeavor. Did you know that they don't currently make a mickey mouse pan? And the ones on e-bay are way overpriced?














His table of gifts!













Doing what he does best, shoveling it in!













Playing with his new Mickey Mouse piano (from the Mickey Mouse Name that Tune toy!)



















And for memory lane purposes, a trip home from the hospital, at one and then at two. The time does fly.

His blue eyes still slay me, his sweet smile makes me want to grab him up and his sloppy kisses and hugs make me forget for awhile that he has turned into a mouthy three year old.

Halloween Memories

Yesterday was fun. Got a lot of funny looks at work, but I am okay with that. Been dressing up for years & I am not stopping now. Shared growing up memories this morning with a couple of people. Favorite costumes (definitely Princess Leia), treats (mom's popcorn balls with orange & black spice drops in them), and all the excitement & preparation that goes into one night of gathering candy.

The boy has been very excited about this night and his costume. He was very polite at each car, picked one piece of candy and said thank you. Had a good time riding this year's addition to trunk or treat, a spooky hay ride. All was fine until I took away his bucket o treats. He wanted it back so much that he threw himself on the ground & screamed/cried. Incidentally, this is not the first of such meltdowns. Just the latest in a string. Anyway, here a couple of photos from our evening. Hopefully next year won't be fraught with lack of naps, over stimulation, excess sugar & meltdowns. No need to laugh. I like that fantasy.

Things They Say!

Ramblings of a besotted momma!

1. Last night while watching Dancing with the Stars, one set of contestants jumped from the stairs to the floor. The boy comes over to me, and tells me they jumped from the stairs. "That's naughty!" says he.

2. At church on 9/29, the boy dropped his offering for church & had to pick it up real fast to put it in the plate. After he put it in, he looked at me & whispered, "I am so smart." Something to be said for a good self image!

3. Whenever he is upset about something & you ask him to do something else or even try to talk to him he will say, "NO, I'm sad. I go nigh-night."

4. We were in the bathroom for an attempt at using the potty, and he was telling me about how big boys use the potty for poop & pee so they can go to school. He then proceeded to tell me about the bus he was going to both ride in & drive. The bus was not something my mom had been talking about at all in reference to school. He made that up all on his own. (This was 9/28, but he has told me about it again recently)

5. Last night I was looking at his savings account statement, and told him I was reading about his college fund & that when he was great big he would use it for going away to school. In an attempt to go nigh-night in his own bed the following occurred.

• Laying on the bed stretching his arms way up in the air & pointing his toes.
• "Are you trying to grow big?" says I. "Yes, but I don't know how to grow," says he.
• "Growing is just something that happens when you eat good food & get lots of rest. It happens without you doing anything."
• "Oh, that's great!" says he.

6. Last night, we read A Child's Good Night Prayer for just the second time. I opened it up & he started 'reading' it to me. I am aware that he doesn't know how to read yet, but the fact that he had it memorized (basically) after just one reading was just very cool for this momma. (ETA: he also asks God to bless various things on the page in addition to what is written. Last night it was a fire truck & kite & balloon and the children all around)

7. He has, also, been role playing with baby Michael (my cpk) and telling him things he can't do because they are naughty or telling him that he needs to use the potty. And he doesn't limit himself to just baby Michael. He will tell Mater, Lovey, Walter the humpback whale, Theo & Scruffy as well. (The latter two are stuffed dogs)

My Handsome, Goofy Boy!

Saturday on our way to Boston

At the Boston Children's Museum

This is of him in the three story climbing structure in the lobby. He was having so much fun that I had to get an attendent to "guide" him out as he wouldn't come out on his own.

And for fun on his bed with his new Monkey Boy bedding

why I don't think weekends are relaxing

This past weekend started out alright. Nobody got hurt anyway. Sigh. Friday night was a disaster with T crying off & on, and S jumping & climbing on anything that stood in his way. We finally got to bed around 10:30. And were up again Saturday morning at 8 & 9. Luckily, I had time to pay the bills and go through the stack of mail that has been piling up for a month. We headed out for the park after a measly breakfast (actually meal provided was excellent, consumption was poor). Then we headed to my mom's for a snack & diaper change before heading home for naps. Decided to stay & help mom get ready for guests this week. Two and a half hours later both boys were asleep, and I had won my fight with T over him not needing or can't going nigh-night (with some help from grams). Forty five minutes later I heard my boy get up. All in all I wasn't very helpful. Went home for dinner after playing in the yard for a bit. We were doing real good. We had a bath & got in our jammies, read some books & headed to my room for nigh-night with our sippies of water & stuffed animal of choice. Then my boy knocked over a basket of bill paying stuff (that was theoretically out of his reach), and while I was cleaning up found the bottle of white out that had fallen out. I found him out in the living room painting his belly, legs, arms, jammies, and his new Elmo couch with the "powder". Then had to change him from the skin out & scrub him down. So much for a bath. It was after 10 when we finally got back into bed.

At 6:45 Sunday morning, T wakes up & before I can get him out of the room he wakes up S.
Breakfast of waffles & oranges & chocolate milk was followed by quick shower for this momma and the packing of the church bag, after church bag, and putting on of church clothes. Just as we are getting ready to leave, T had to have a bm. This made us late enough to church to miss part of the baby dedication ceremony. S had to go to the porch twice during service. Note this is not a good thing, and generally means said child is having a severe talking to. Headed home after church & put the boys all most immediately to bed. When I returned from the gathering of laundry (we still don't have a washer or dryer at our place & I am NOT going to the laundromat with 2 toddlers in tow by myself), I discovered that I was clearing a plot & planting green beans. Finished just about the time the boys woke up from their naps. Playtime, snacks, more time outs for various infractions for both boys, dinner (fresh lettuce from the garden), and then home for another 10 o'clock bedtime.

I am wiped, sore and stuffed up. Whoo hoo! I get to do this again next weekend!

Escape from the Crib!

The boy has been able to get himself in and out of the crib for about six months now. Yet he never did get himself out. He was content to sit and yell for people to come and get him. That changed this weekend. Saturday afternoon, I finally got him down for a nap around 3:45. It was a joyous occasion that I celebrated by having lunch/dinner & doing some more sorting and cleaning. I was in the bathroom around 6:45 when I heard a thunk. Hurried to finish washing my hands when my little boy comes running into the bathroom. "I got myself up," he says with great pride. He repeats that again after I remind him that he is supposed to wait for someone to come and get him.

Things were good yesterday morning. Then again I forgot to transfer his sippy of water from my bed to his when I moved him, and he was hollering for it. Not so today. My mother was brushing her teeth when she heard the little feet. He appeared in the doorway briefly and then went running through the house. Not sure how to curb this or if we are going to have to convert to a toddler bed or maybe a crib tent.

Springtime

I don't have a lot to say today. Actually, I have a lot to say but none of it is coming out in any sort of rational verbage. So, I will take this opportunity to post some photos of my boy. This is my way of celebrating the life that has been given to me to watch over & protect.

Blue's Clues!

My son & nephew are finding examples of Blue's Clues everywhere. Last week it was on the dinosaur quilt their mimi had made many years ago & that lives in the crib. The back of it is lined with paw print fabric, and the blue ones look exactly like the one on Blue's Clues. On Monday when they were out with my mom playing & inspecting the yard (in preparation for the growing season) they started yelling, "A clue! A clue!" Want to know what it was? A lovely hyacinth bush. They are to funny. And if you could just see the boy doing the hand movement near his mouth that they do during the Blue's Clues song (whatever they actually call it), you would bust a gut.

That is my happy for the day as not much else has been going my way. Hey, there might be a song in that.

Baby Model

Last night my sister & I took the boys to a casting call/screening for a modeling & casting agency. My mom saw the ad in the paper & we decided why not? When we finally got our turn, S handed his paper to the lady at the computer and I placed him on the big green x in front of the lady with the video camera. I had to step away & be quiet while she asked him questions. He did really well for about 3-4 minutes, and then walked away from her. She asked him his name (name saymus), where his nose was (he contemplated her for a bit before pointing), then where his ear was (he reached across and said "it's there" and then took the same hand to indicate his second ear and said "other one"), and then how old he was. Since he refuses to ever answer that question that was when he walked away. He did come back when the lady turned the camera viewing piece back around for Thomas to see himself. So they got a cute video of the two boys together. And........

They are both so dad-gum photogenic that they made it in. However, due to the cost both my sister & I are going to start saving up for the photo & agency fee. Hopefully, when they come back in four to six months my boys will become super baby/toddler models. If nothing else maybe a few jobs to get them further along in their college savings.

A few of his pin-up poses from the infant days.

Our announcement photo taken at about one week old.


Taken at about 6 weeks old wearing the sweater & booties set from Auntie Ruth, resting his head on the rott puppy (named Theo) from Auntie Bubba, and laying on the blanket from his Annie.


Taken laying on the blanket from Auntie Jamie and clutching his elephant lovey from Miss Janet at 4 months.


And lastly the close up photo taken just before we left for church & his baptism at 6 months old. His auma made his little sailor suit for him.

Month of Illness

Seems that we no sooner get over one thing and then it is another. The boy & I are both ill with colds. Great gobs of snot & hacking coughs. It is so bad that my boy took a slightly longer than 4 hour nap yesterday. Got up and ate a huge meal (meatloaf, french fries, pizza, mozzarella stick, zucchini stick, some fruit) and shared a bowl of ice cream with auma. Less than four hours later his mimi was going to bed. Séamus looks at her from the denim recliner and says, "Mimi go bed? I go bed." When asked if he wanted to go nigh-night, he got down from the chair & husseled himself into the room with a crib. Settled down & was gone within minutes. When I got home an hour later, he woke up for the trip home, but wanted to go nigh-night cib (crib) when we got home. No nursing if you can believe it. I took that opportunity to take a nice hot, steamy shower to relax, and followed it up with pain killers & cough syrup. He slept four hours by himself & only woke up briefly to come to my bed. As far as I know, he is still sleeping. I think this might have worn both of us out. Sad part is that I have heard that this particular cold/cough thing can last up to four weeks. Man, I am so not into that.

Lost weekend!

This is not in tribute to the tv show Lost, which I have never seen. It is due to my one full day & two nights spent with two (yes two!) two year olds.

Everything went fine with the pick-up Friday evening. Thomas is used to going places with Séamus and I. We started having issues when I started the shut down routine the boy & I have established. Séamus is required at the very least to put away his cars/trucks/tractors/trains in their little bucket before bed. I really don't want to be stepping on one of those hard metal things in the middle of the night. They REALLY hurt. Thomas kept getting them back out after the boy put them in. Then there was the struggle over getting ready for bed, followed by not wanting the tv off, and then the inevitable didn't want the light off issue. Granted, we go to bed about 2-3 hours before he normally does and his routine is much different. Still I didn't think we would have that many issues.

And then the crying because he wanted his mommy. I felt so bad for him. Between needing to snuggle him, and chasing down "I see an opportunity to play" boy it took us over an hour to get everyone asleep. Woke up at one point looking for T, and panicked since he wasn't readily visible. S sleepily told me, "Down there." T had crawled out from under the covers and was curled up with his head at the foot of the bed.

We spent the day going to get donuts & play with a friend of mimi's, going to Walmart for pedialyte & to see auntie bubba, and to the park for about 20 minutes of running around. We then headed to my mom's for real food & naps. Helped my mom around the house as much as possible before S woke up (less than 2 hours) and waited for T to wake up. Had dinner with auma (my mom) and mimi (Pam), then headed home for baths and bed.

Sunday I got two boys breakfast, which they didn't eat, before getting them dressed for church. Took longer than necessary as T coughed up a whole bunch of mucous on my clean jeans & the floor. We actually made it there precisely on time. And then disaster struck. S had a life is tragic moment meltdown. Everything set him off. We spent almost the entire service out in the foyer. He even got special mention from the pulpit a few times ("Sometimes our children cry & there is nothing we can do. Séamus we feel for you."-or something to that effect).

After church, S and I actually went home for his nap. Two hours into it, he woke up crying. I went in, got him and sat him down on my bed (read sofa sleeper) to fix his sippy of water. Gave it to him and sat down on the floor to continue my sorting project. Looked up to find him laying on the bed like he had just fallen over sound asleep with his sippy cup between his knees. Silly thing slept for 2 more hours like that. Good momma points for removing the sippy before covering him with a blanket.

First Stomach Virus!

My little man has only had one other real illness in his life & that was an ear infection this past fall. Wednesday night he walked into the bathroom gagging & I knew we were in for it. I felt so bad for him. Well, I also felt bad for the momma who had to clean everything up (three times, once on my bed), and then ended up being sick all night long as well. Luckily, his illness was relegated to just those three instances. I had to call my mom & best friend looking for ideas on what to feed him Thursday. How was I supposed to remember the BRAT diet when I hadn't had to use it in the whole two years of his life? I had planned on warm jello for me, but didn't think about giving it to him. duh! He did thoroughly enjoy it along with his peanut butter toast, bananas, and small scoop of yogurt for breakfast.

We are both back in mostly full health. My mom said he had a small incident this morning (can we say sitting quietly in a chair for more than 15 minutes?), and I am working food back into my daily routine. I heartily recommend not getting this recent bout of stomach virus.

ETA: Apparently he has been crying all day. Everything is just tragic. And he is calling me on his cell phone. Me who he never talks to on the phone. It is always mimi or papa or auma that he calls.

My new passion!

No, I don't have a man in my life other than Séamus. No, my new passion is car seat safety. It has been slow growing, but I think I might be borderline obssessed. I still can't believe how uninformed I was prior to my accident last July, and this after doing some research on seats. I wish everyone could have the ladies at the Car Safety Board of babycenter at their disposal. My little man will be rear facing in his seat until he is either to tall (likely) or to heavy (not so much since he is only about 24-25 pounds). He will be in a harnessed seat until he is 6 or 7, and then in a really good booster.

Thank you ladies from the bottom of my heart. The safety of my son & my beloved nephew are due to your sharing of information and your knowledge of car seat safety in unsurpassed.

Potty Training Funny!

This is actually only related to potty training in that my ds reads while sitting on the potty. In fact, he could probably sit there for an hour or two reading & not do anything else!

This past Sunday he was sitting on the potty, and we were reading his Curious George goes camping book that I got him for Christmas. At one point, George comes in contact with a skunk who sprays him. I pointed at the skunk and said, "Shoo-eey, skunk!" Since we use that phrase for him when he is smelly, he told me, "Wipe! Clean it up!"

I love the way his little mind works.

He's got rhythm!

Does that sound funny? My boy loves music. Has since he was in the womb. He could be fussy at church and the sounds of the choir singing would calm him right down. His favorite piece of music is the Rachmaninoff Vespers, which he has been listening to since he was 5 months old. My thought was that he would be musically talented. Then he became mobile & started dancing. Sigh.

He had absolutely no rhythm at all. Bouncing, swaying, moving his feet & arms all to the off-beat or in some cases in-between beat of any music he listened to. Shortly after his first birthday he started singing. Let's just say it wasn't pretty, but it was amusing as his first song was Yo-ho, yo-ho a pirate's life for me (at that time it was just yo yo yo yo yo & is now yo-yo piates me).

Monday night we were watching the closing credits of Take the Lead, and I looked up to see him doing his crazy bopping thing. Took me a minute to realize that he was actually bopping to the beat of the music. HALLELUJAH!! He is finally starting to get it. Add that to his bits & pieces of songs, which have some sort of tune I think there is hope for him yet.

Mantra for the Mother of a Toddler

In the last week, we have had some lovely times the boy & I. For an example, last Friday we had to take my father to the airport. Séamus actually woke up about 20 minutes before we had to leave while I was getting ready. He said he wanted some juice, but when I went to get the juice he cried like I had hurt his feelings & told me he didn't want juice he wanted a snack (that was a runon sentence wasn't it my English teacher friends?!). Only to start crying again when I opened the cupboard to get one of his little bowls for fruit snack or peanut butter crackers (gave him a choice). He didn't want a snack, he wanted juice. We went around like this including forays into putting on his coat & hat and the ever popular I want to play not go routine. It ended with me standing at the front door while he walked away into the bedroom crying all the while. I had to go grab him up at that point or we would have been late. He cried all the way to the car where he both did & did not want to be in his car seat and did & did not want to help momma turn on the car (what I do while I wait for him to be ready for the car seat)

This is just a sample of our interactions recently, and I have to tell you that it is beginning to drive me completely insane. I keep repeating, "He is only two. This to shall pass." Doesn't work but I keep trying especially when I want to cry out, "Will it never end?!"

We have had a pleasent couple of days, and I am waiting for my little imp to turn back completely into my screaming monkey. Fingers crossed.

Banana Bread & Other Recent Adventures in Toddlerhood

I will share the most recent good & bad from our weekend. The boy brought me half a loaf of banana bread when I was in the bathroom. When I finished and came out, I discovered the plastic cutting knife from his new play set (he says, "cut apple?") on the counter, his rocking chair pushed up against the cabinets, and tiny bites taken out of the other three loaves of bread on the counter. Obviously he was trying to cut his own slice of bread and failing that just took what he wanted. Cute but also frustrating. Good thing I wasn't intending to give the fruits of my labor as holiday gifts.

Bad or more frustrating: Toddler attitude combined with his Irish temper on Sunday at nap time. I was changing his diaper (which took 20 minutes to pin him down for that one), and he kept telling me "shoes back on play". My response was the same each time. Not putting your shoes back on since you are going nigh-night. By the third repetition he got frustrated with me (hellooo, I am the grown-up!) and just cried/threw a fit.

Sometimes I wonder why I got into this mom thing to begin with, and then I feel his head on my shoulder & his arm wrapped around my neck. Man, I love being his mom!