Birthday Parties, for Kids or Parents?For the past few weeks, I have agonized over cake or cupcakes, pink or purple plates, brunch or lunch, balloons or streamers, gift bags for the other kids, treats for day care, confetti or flowers for the table and the list goes on and on and on. While I was contemplating my brunch order from Panera (which I consider to be only a tad overpriced, but hey they deliver), it struck me that my daughter will not remember what we had for brunch. I could put out a plate of muffins, (OK, so people might be miffed that there was not food), make some fruit punch, buy 30 cupcakes and a few balloons and she would be happy as a clam. So, why am I killing myself trying to put together a grown-up party for a 2-year-old? As I thought about it more, I decided it is OK if the party is at least in part for me and my husband. We were told we would never have kids, now we have two beautiful toddlers. I decided it is OK for me to celebrate their birthdays, to celebrate the existence of two people I would thought I would never meet. I decided it is OK to make a big deal about a birthday for a two-year-old. We have done it every year for our three-year-old and I will continue to do it until my kids want to do other things like have friends sleep over or go to the movies. This party is almost as much for me as it is for them and I’m proud of it and OK with it.
I know I am exhausted, so I can only imagine what my three-year-old is feeling.The latest bedtime battle has become a full-blown fear of the dark.The toddler who used to be the best sleeper ever has turned into a terror. I should have known that statement would come back to haunt me.
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Sesame Street Live
We are in full-blown preparation mode for Disney World early next month, so when the chance came around to take Nolan and Addison to Sesame Street Live, I took it. I figured the life-size characters of Elmo and Big Bird would be a good test of what’s to come at the Magic Kingdom.
Last year, Sesame Street Live was a disaster. While Addison was too young to go, Nolan went with Grandma and Grandpa and had a major meltdown. Unfortunately, part of that was my fault. I got tickets for the front row, assuming that would be the best place to watch the show. It honestly did not occur to me that closer was not necessarily better in the eyes of a 2-year-old.
I remember my Dad saying I heard this kid screaming and screaming and only after looking around to see where it was coming from did I realize it was coming from the child sitting on my own lap.
If you have ever been to see a Sesame Street Live show, you know it is loud. It was loud for me, so I can only imagine what it would be like for a toddler.
I am not sure if it was the fact that Nolan was a year older, or that we talked a lot about what the performance was going to be like, but this year went much more smoothly.
When the performance started, there was a bit of whimpering followed by a few cries of “I want to go home.” But as soon as Elmo and the gang started in with the Sesame Street theme song, all worries were forgotten. Addison fussed a bit at the beginning, but as soon as she saw her big brother having fun, she joined in the good time too. And by the end of the hour and a half, my husband and I were practically holding the two of them back from mobbing the characters.
While not a great show for adults, it was so fun to watch the joy through their eyes. And of course, now I am hopefully there will not be a shriekfest every time we come across the path of Mickey Mouse or Goofy in Orlando.
Dear Nolan
I cannot believe today you turn three.I am amazed that so much time has gone by.It seems like just yesterday Daddy and I brought you home from the hospital.I can still remember our first night with you.How I almost had a panic attack when friends and family left and it was just the three of us.How we listened to you breathe and snort on the baby monitor all night.How it only took a moment after you were born for us to fall in love with you.
This past year has been so much fun.You now understand almost everything we say and you speak in full sentences.You have become such a good big brother to Addison, and you are a truly kind,caring and thoughtful boy.When I look back at the year,I think of your love for school buses,city buses and garbage trucks.
We had your birthday party last weekend and you were so excited. You talked about the party for weeks and who was coming.The day was warm, in the high 60s and you and our family and friends were able to play outside.We had pizza for lunch, and your cake was made in the shape of a Rochester police car.When you found out you couldn’t eat it right away, you started to cry.Instead of getting you a gift, Daddy and I took you to the Childrens Museum in St. Paul last week.The trip was just the three of us and you knew it was special.You played for hours on the Metro Transit city bus and ran around in the ant tunnels.We ate lunch at McDonalds in the skyway.It was so nice to spend the day with you.
As I write this,I sit here thinking about how thankful I am to be your Mom.You have taught me so much about what it truly means to be happy. Seeing your face light up in the morning when I open your door or pick you up from day care are some of the most amazing things in the world.
It is with mixed emotions that I look down the road ahead.I am sad my baby is growing up so fast, but I am also so excited to watch and help you take on the world.But no matter how the years to come play out, I will love you always.
Mommy
Time Flies
Wow. Talk about time flying by. My oldest, Nolan, turns 3 in just a couple of weeks and now that the party is planned, the thought of my baby getting another year older is like a weight on my shoulders.
Believe me, I am excited about watching him grow, but I am going to miss those baby days. Just the other night, a parent educator in my ECFE class mentioned that children should have been read to from 1,000 different books by the time they reach Kindergarten.That is only 2 years away!And while it seems like we do have 1,000 different books, we tend to read the same ones over and over. Does any parent really reach the 1,000 title goal?
But, we are excited about the party. This is the first year Nolan will be old enough to really understand what is going onA couple of weeks ago, we went to a birthday party for another toddler and I thought it would be a good lesson for Nolan to learn about giving gifts instead of just receiving.
We went to Super Target and I let him pick the toy. He of course, picked a Tonka Fire Truck that he already had at home. He even seemed to understand that it was not for him. Until we actually got home and it could not come out of the box. Now, like I already mentioned, we already had the EXACT same fire truck in the toy bin. Nope, did not matter.He wanted the brand new one. So, I quickly wrapped it up and put it in the car.And it only took one M & M to distract him from.
Hives, oh my!
I am really not one of those parents who overreacts when her kids get sick, but after four days of hives I thought it was time to take Addison to the doctor.Now, let me mention that the hives were not life-threatening.Addison was not having trouble breathing nor was she acting altered in any way. And the hives were sporadic. On average, they last around 2 hours per day. But, I wanted to be on the safe side. Unfortunately (or maybe lucky for me) I was working, so my husband was put in charge of this taskIt required him to first call the nurse line at Mayo Pediatrics, then talk to the appointment desk and finally drag two toddlers downtown during nap time. I did feel bad, as that would not be a task I would enjoy either. And he did it without any grumbling!
Anyway, I thought at the very least, we wouldd be able to give Addison some Benadryl, but the pediatrician told us the hives were most likely related to a cold and if they are still around on Monday to bring her back.
On another note, when I woke Nolan up the other morning he looked at me and said, Guess what Mommy, it is my lucky day. Not sure where he heard that one, but looking back I have the feeling that maybe we should have gone right to the casino!
Glad for the weekend
The weekend is here and I have high hopes for catching up on some sleep and of course my to-do list. Frank has been out of town for much of the past two weeks and everybody is glad to have him back. While he was gone, I thought a lot about single parents how much stress they must be under. It is so hard to get your kids out of bed in the morning, get them to day care, go to work, pick them up, come home, cook dinner, do baths, put them to bed, clean up and finally get yourself into bed. Add in errands and other events (we had and evening preschool class) and I pretty much fell into bed by 9 p.m. every night. So kudos to all you single parents out there, you do an amazing job!
Now, on to the all the laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning, phone calls and emailing that I did not have time to do during the week!!
Will Spring Ever Get Here?
I may not be an outdoorsy girl, but my little ones sure are. And we are all ready for winter to be over. There are only so many trips to the mall and the indoor playgrounds one can take before it starts to drive you a little batty
We got a couple of inches of snow over the weekend and as soon as the flakes quit falling, Nolan was ready to get outside. I however, hate the cold and will do just about anything to avoid it. So, after repeated requests to play in the snow, I came up with a brilliant plan. Ask Daddy!
My husband, Frank, was not home, but that didn’t stop Nolan from pulling his little chair over to the big window in our living room to watch for his soon to be hero!
Luckily, when Frank got home, he took Nolan outside to play while he shoveled. Have you every watched a toddler try and throw a snowball? Very entertaining! Most landed on his boots, although a few did make it into the street! At least he was not aiming at passing cars or people.
Anyway, Spring cannot come soon enough. I cannot wait until we can open the windows and let fresh air inside. I cannot wait until I can stuff both Nolan and Addison into a little red wagon and take them to the park, plant flowers and eat popsicles on the deck. I have a feeling we will not be bored this summer!
Bye, Mommy!
Oh, the guilt.Every weekday morning when I wake up, I wonder what my kids will do today that I will miss.What new words and sentences will Nolan use?Will Addison finally start running? Will they even notice I was gone?
Addison is usually the one who breaks free first when I drop them off at day care.She is 13 months old, and so far she has not had any separation anxiety.When we step in the door, her gaze immediately moves past my day care provider and to the shrine of toys.As soon as I get her coat and hat off, she is off to see what she can find.There is hardly even a glance back. I am proud of her independence, but secretly would noy mind if she was a bit needier.
Nolan on the other hand usually wants to be picked up, hugged and given several kisses.He will cling to my leg and say goodbye several times.Today was different.
He had his coat and shoes off and was already asking for breakfast before I had even unwrapped Addison.I had to ask him for a hug and kiss and then when I picked him up, he wiggled away. My heart broke just a little.
But as I drove away, I thought about how lucky I am that they love day care (Nolan even asks to go there on the weekends).And I know when I pick them up this afternoon, I will be greeted with shouts of Mommy!and smothered with hugs and kisses.
Up And At 'Em!
There is no question getting the kids up and out of the house in the morning requires more work that I usually want to tackle at 6:15 a.m.This morning was really hard because nobody (including me) wanted to get up.
I am a planner. I set out all clothes the night before, including socks and shoes. I make sure I am all ready to go and my laptop, lunch, etc. is loaded in the car. Then I can (in theory) just get the kids up and go.Today took a lot longer than I had hoped.
It is the last day of the week and Nolan and Addison are exhausted. Addison was up every couple of hours last night.She was not looking for me, she was looking for Frank, who is working overnights. Before she started crying, I would hear her saying Hi da-da, Hi da-da. I think it was when she figured out he was not coming into see her, she got upset.
Her last crying fit was around 4 a.m. before she fell into what I assume is a deep sleep that I interrupted at 6:15 a.m.After I coaxed her out of bed, got her dressed and did her hair, I went to work on Nolan. He immediately burst into tears looking for his Boompa. Boompa is my Dad, and the two of them are very attached.In the end, it took a lot of time and a lot of tears to get them both in the car. And I felt pretty guilty as I dropped my off two tired, needy children at day care.
This weekend, we are celebrating the 60th Birthday of Boompa and his retirement from IBM.Nolan is beside himself with excitement. Of course, most important is the cupcakes we will be having.Nolan never met a cupcake he did not like and I can only assume Addison will feel the same way! TGIF, have a good weekend.
Picture Perfect
My husband and I always think we have planned our picture-taking events perfectly. Everybody has been bathed, everybody has napped, we have snacks, extra outfits, toys, suckies (pacifiers) and unfortunately foolish determination. I imagine everyone looking at the camera, smiling and snap, the perfect family picture has been taken. More often than not, it goes like this:
1.Arrive at the studio to find out they are running behind and we have to wait.So, there go my snacks and my kids use up all of their patience (sitting nicely) in the waiting room.
2.Nolan, who normally loves to pose for the camera, pretends like he has never seen one before.Getting a good picture of him usually involves the photographer flapping her arms while making kissing noises and shaking a feather duster.
3.Addison stares at the camera with her mouth open and is afraid of the feather duster.
4.We attempt individual pictures and then a family picture.
5.By that time Frank is glaring at me with his we would better be leaving soon look and both kids are on the verge of a meltdown.
6.Finally we give up and order something. After all, if we did not, then all the work would be for nothing.
However, I must say this time was finally different. Maybe it was because I did not attempt 3 outfit changes for the kids and we only did individual pictures of Addison. But whatever the case we finally made it through without any meltdowns. Both kids were amazing and we got a great 12-month picture of Addison and a great family picture for above our fireplace. I was so proud of both of them! Next up: Nolan and his 3-year pictures in April!
The week of croup
It is Friday and I am just now starting to catch up on a week without sleep. OK, I did sneak in a few hours, but nothing that would pass as a full night. Addison had a cold, which turned into croup. It started last Saturday morning and just kept going and going.
And while it was not serious, the poor thing did have a hard time sleeping between the wheezing and the coughing.I tried a cool mist humidifier, sitting in a steamy bathroom and then going out in the cold, but it did very little to ease Addison. Eventually, she just started to get better and Thursday night I was finally able to turn off the humidifier.
Unfortunately I had a very busy week at work, which included a visit from corporate and the judging of www.kttc.com in the Best Web Site Contest by the Associated Press. My husband, Frank, is a police officer and just happened to be working overnights.And I hate to admit it, but sometimes in the middle of the night when it is just me and child that will not sleep, I silently curse him for being able to get 8 uninterrupted hours during the day.
Nolan had a very serious case of croup that required a visit to the emergency room when he was almost 20 months old.He did not have much coughing, but he had stridor and was gasping to breathe. After two rounds of steroids and a six hour observation, we were allowed to go home.
But, as I head home from work today, I am thankful everyone appears healthy for the weekend. We are going to try and have one-year pictures of Addison taken at Kiddie Kandids on Saturday. Keep your fingers crossed there are no bumps or bruises before then and I will let you know how it goes.
A Great Check-Up!
Honestly, I hate taking my kids to the doctor. I hate it because my heart breaks if we are there because they are sick. I hate the waiting room where I know a million germs are just lying around ready to infect the little hands that get in the way (Yes, I am a bit of a germ-a-phobe).And most of all, I hate watching my babies scream while they get vaccines.However, I must say Addison is a trooper.She had her 12-month well baby visit this week and she was amazing.
She did not cry when I had to undress her or force her to lie on top of a cold scale. She just giggled as we stretched out her legs for a length measurement and did not even notice the measuring tape around her head. We found out she weighs 27.9 lbs. and is 32 inches long - well above the 90th percentile in both areas. Frank and I both get a lot of comments about how solid Addison is.But, as long as the doctor still thinks she is well proportioned, we are just thankful she is healthy.
The rest of the visit went by fairly quickly and before I knew it, it was time for the dreaded shots.This time around, she only had three.One in each arm, and one in her left leg.Now, anyone who knows Addison knows that she is tough.When there is a pulling match between her and Nolan, she can easily take him down.When she had a flu shot in December, she did not even notice when the needle stuck her.This time around Addison did notice the needles, but the whole thing was not as bad as I had imagined.She cried for about 15 seconds and then proceeded to stare down the nurse with her teary, squinty eyes.Yes, Addison is not someone you want to mess with!Oh my, just wait until she is a teenager!
Wow.In just the last week, I have discovered life with two toddlers.Nolan is 2 and a half, and my baby, Addison just turned 1! And while, it is fun watching them get bigger, I sometimes miss the days of quiet snuggling.
Now, as Addison becomes more independent and the infatuation Nolan has with the baby wears off, I find I spend a lot of my time breaking up fights.And these are well planned out fights.Who knew a 12 month old could actually come up with a strategy to annoy her older brother?
In the midst of these screaming, pulling, pushing toy battles, which usually revolve the Little Tikes Cozy Coupe or one of the 500 Matchbox cars in my family room, I sometimes find myself resorting to the cliche I swore I would never use: If you cannot play nice, nobody is playing with it!And then that banished toy takes up a special spot in my basement.
A few months ago, I learned about toy jail from a Hearts at Home (link to www.hearts-at-home.org) mommy conference I went to in Rochester.The particular toy in question goes into jail (the basement, a box on top of the refrigerator or in a closet) and then the offending child or children have to do something to get it out.For one mom, it was chores.
Another mom said her child really liked money. So, that child had to give up a nickel or a dime every time one of his toys ended up in jail.The point is to pick something your child values.
While obviously a child who is one is too young to understand toy jail, Nolan definitely gets the idea! For him, a threat of not having a Nemo fruit snack is many times more powerful than the threat of temporarily losing a toy.
However, just when the bickering seems like it will last forever, there is a quick moment when they give each other hugs and kisses and my heart melts. It is on those days, I am thankful my children are only 22 months apart. When I look into the future, I see Nolan sticking up for his sister at school. I see Addison giving Nolan advice about how to talk to a girl. My dream is for them to one day be not just brother and sister, but actual friends.
We are in full-blown preparation mode for Disney World early next month, so when the chance came around to take Nolan and Addison to Sesame Street Live, I took it. I figured the life-size characters of Elmo and Big Bird would be a good test of what’s to come at the Magic Kingdom.
Last year, Sesame Street Live was a disaster. While Addison was too young to go, Nolan went with Grandma and Grandpa and had a major meltdown. Unfortunately, part of that was my fault. I got tickets for the front row, assuming that would be the best place to watch the show. It honestly did not occur to me that closer was not necessarily better in the eyes of a 2-year-old.
I remember my Dad saying I heard this kid screaming and screaming and only after looking around to see where it was coming from did I realize it was coming from the child sitting on my own lap.
If you have ever been to see a Sesame Street Live show, you know it is loud. It was loud for me, so I can only imagine what it would be like for a toddler.
I am not sure if it was the fact that Nolan was a year older, or that we talked a lot about what the performance was going to be like, but this year went much more smoothly.
When the performance started, there was a bit of whimpering followed by a few cries of “I want to go home.” But as soon as Elmo and the gang started in with the Sesame Street theme song, all worries were forgotten. Addison fussed a bit at the beginning, but as soon as she saw her big brother having fun, she joined in the good time too. And by the end of the hour and a half, my husband and I were practically holding the two of them back from mobbing the characters.
While not a great show for adults, it was so fun to watch the joy through their eyes. And of course, now I am hopefully there will not be a shriekfest every time we come across the path of Mickey Mouse or Goofy in Orlando.
Dear Nolan
I cannot believe today you turn three.I am amazed that so much time has gone by.It seems like just yesterday Daddy and I brought you home from the hospital.I can still remember our first night with you.How I almost had a panic attack when friends and family left and it was just the three of us.How we listened to you breathe and snort on the baby monitor all night.How it only took a moment after you were born for us to fall in love with you.
This past year has been so much fun.You now understand almost everything we say and you speak in full sentences.You have become such a good big brother to Addison, and you are a truly kind,caring and thoughtful boy.When I look back at the year,I think of your love for school buses,city buses and garbage trucks.
We had your birthday party last weekend and you were so excited. You talked about the party for weeks and who was coming.The day was warm, in the high 60s and you and our family and friends were able to play outside.We had pizza for lunch, and your cake was made in the shape of a Rochester police car.When you found out you couldn’t eat it right away, you started to cry.Instead of getting you a gift, Daddy and I took you to the Childrens Museum in St. Paul last week.The trip was just the three of us and you knew it was special.You played for hours on the Metro Transit city bus and ran around in the ant tunnels.We ate lunch at McDonalds in the skyway.It was so nice to spend the day with you.
As I write this,I sit here thinking about how thankful I am to be your Mom.You have taught me so much about what it truly means to be happy. Seeing your face light up in the morning when I open your door or pick you up from day care are some of the most amazing things in the world.
It is with mixed emotions that I look down the road ahead.I am sad my baby is growing up so fast, but I am also so excited to watch and help you take on the world.But no matter how the years to come play out, I will love you always.
Mommy
Time Flies
Wow. Talk about time flying by. My oldest, Nolan, turns 3 in just a couple of weeks and now that the party is planned, the thought of my baby getting another year older is like a weight on my shoulders.
Believe me, I am excited about watching him grow, but I am going to miss those baby days. Just the other night, a parent educator in my ECFE class mentioned that children should have been read to from 1,000 different books by the time they reach Kindergarten.That is only 2 years away!And while it seems like we do have 1,000 different books, we tend to read the same ones over and over. Does any parent really reach the 1,000 title goal?
But, we are excited about the party. This is the first year Nolan will be old enough to really understand what is going onA couple of weeks ago, we went to a birthday party for another toddler and I thought it would be a good lesson for Nolan to learn about giving gifts instead of just receiving.
We went to Super Target and I let him pick the toy. He of course, picked a Tonka Fire Truck that he already had at home. He even seemed to understand that it was not for him. Until we actually got home and it could not come out of the box. Now, like I already mentioned, we already had the EXACT same fire truck in the toy bin. Nope, did not matter.He wanted the brand new one. So, I quickly wrapped it up and put it in the car.And it only took one M & M to distract him from.
Hives, oh my!
I am really not one of those parents who overreacts when her kids get sick, but after four days of hives I thought it was time to take Addison to the doctor.Now, let me mention that the hives were not life-threatening.Addison was not having trouble breathing nor was she acting altered in any way. And the hives were sporadic. On average, they last around 2 hours per day. But, I wanted to be on the safe side. Unfortunately (or maybe lucky for me) I was working, so my husband was put in charge of this taskIt required him to first call the nurse line at Mayo Pediatrics, then talk to the appointment desk and finally drag two toddlers downtown during nap time. I did feel bad, as that would not be a task I would enjoy either. And he did it without any grumbling!
Anyway, I thought at the very least, we wouldd be able to give Addison some Benadryl, but the pediatrician told us the hives were most likely related to a cold and if they are still around on Monday to bring her back.
On another note, when I woke Nolan up the other morning he looked at me and said, Guess what Mommy, it is my lucky day. Not sure where he heard that one, but looking back I have the feeling that maybe we should have gone right to the casino!
Glad for the weekend
The weekend is here and I have high hopes for catching up on some sleep and of course my to-do list. Frank has been out of town for much of the past two weeks and everybody is glad to have him back. While he was gone, I thought a lot about single parents how much stress they must be under. It is so hard to get your kids out of bed in the morning, get them to day care, go to work, pick them up, come home, cook dinner, do baths, put them to bed, clean up and finally get yourself into bed. Add in errands and other events (we had and evening preschool class) and I pretty much fell into bed by 9 p.m. every night. So kudos to all you single parents out there, you do an amazing job!
Now, on to the all the laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning, phone calls and emailing that I did not have time to do during the week!!
Will Spring Ever Get Here?
I may not be an outdoorsy girl, but my little ones sure are. And we are all ready for winter to be over. There are only so many trips to the mall and the indoor playgrounds one can take before it starts to drive you a little batty
We got a couple of inches of snow over the weekend and as soon as the flakes quit falling, Nolan was ready to get outside. I however, hate the cold and will do just about anything to avoid it. So, after repeated requests to play in the snow, I came up with a brilliant plan. Ask Daddy!
My husband, Frank, was not home, but that didn’t stop Nolan from pulling his little chair over to the big window in our living room to watch for his soon to be hero!
Luckily, when Frank got home, he took Nolan outside to play while he shoveled. Have you every watched a toddler try and throw a snowball? Very entertaining! Most landed on his boots, although a few did make it into the street! At least he was not aiming at passing cars or people.
Anyway, Spring cannot come soon enough. I cannot wait until we can open the windows and let fresh air inside. I cannot wait until I can stuff both Nolan and Addison into a little red wagon and take them to the park, plant flowers and eat popsicles on the deck. I have a feeling we will not be bored this summer!
Bye, Mommy!
Oh, the guilt.Every weekday morning when I wake up, I wonder what my kids will do today that I will miss.What new words and sentences will Nolan use?Will Addison finally start running? Will they even notice I was gone?
Addison is usually the one who breaks free first when I drop them off at day care.She is 13 months old, and so far she has not had any separation anxiety.When we step in the door, her gaze immediately moves past my day care provider and to the shrine of toys.As soon as I get her coat and hat off, she is off to see what she can find.There is hardly even a glance back. I am proud of her independence, but secretly would noy mind if she was a bit needier.
Nolan on the other hand usually wants to be picked up, hugged and given several kisses.He will cling to my leg and say goodbye several times.Today was different.
He had his coat and shoes off and was already asking for breakfast before I had even unwrapped Addison.I had to ask him for a hug and kiss and then when I picked him up, he wiggled away. My heart broke just a little.
But as I drove away, I thought about how lucky I am that they love day care (Nolan even asks to go there on the weekends).And I know when I pick them up this afternoon, I will be greeted with shouts of Mommy!and smothered with hugs and kisses.
Up And At 'Em!
There is no question getting the kids up and out of the house in the morning requires more work that I usually want to tackle at 6:15 a.m.This morning was really hard because nobody (including me) wanted to get up.
I am a planner. I set out all clothes the night before, including socks and shoes. I make sure I am all ready to go and my laptop, lunch, etc. is loaded in the car. Then I can (in theory) just get the kids up and go.Today took a lot longer than I had hoped.
It is the last day of the week and Nolan and Addison are exhausted. Addison was up every couple of hours last night.She was not looking for me, she was looking for Frank, who is working overnights. Before she started crying, I would hear her saying Hi da-da, Hi da-da. I think it was when she figured out he was not coming into see her, she got upset.
Her last crying fit was around 4 a.m. before she fell into what I assume is a deep sleep that I interrupted at 6:15 a.m.After I coaxed her out of bed, got her dressed and did her hair, I went to work on Nolan. He immediately burst into tears looking for his Boompa. Boompa is my Dad, and the two of them are very attached.In the end, it took a lot of time and a lot of tears to get them both in the car. And I felt pretty guilty as I dropped my off two tired, needy children at day care.
This weekend, we are celebrating the 60th Birthday of Boompa and his retirement from IBM.Nolan is beside himself with excitement. Of course, most important is the cupcakes we will be having.Nolan never met a cupcake he did not like and I can only assume Addison will feel the same way! TGIF, have a good weekend.
Picture Perfect
My husband and I always think we have planned our picture-taking events perfectly. Everybody has been bathed, everybody has napped, we have snacks, extra outfits, toys, suckies (pacifiers) and unfortunately foolish determination. I imagine everyone looking at the camera, smiling and snap, the perfect family picture has been taken. More often than not, it goes like this:
1.Arrive at the studio to find out they are running behind and we have to wait.So, there go my snacks and my kids use up all of their patience (sitting nicely) in the waiting room.
2.Nolan, who normally loves to pose for the camera, pretends like he has never seen one before.Getting a good picture of him usually involves the photographer flapping her arms while making kissing noises and shaking a feather duster.
3.Addison stares at the camera with her mouth open and is afraid of the feather duster.
4.We attempt individual pictures and then a family picture.
5.By that time Frank is glaring at me with his we would better be leaving soon look and both kids are on the verge of a meltdown.
6.Finally we give up and order something. After all, if we did not, then all the work would be for nothing.
However, I must say this time was finally different. Maybe it was because I did not attempt 3 outfit changes for the kids and we only did individual pictures of Addison. But whatever the case we finally made it through without any meltdowns. Both kids were amazing and we got a great 12-month picture of Addison and a great family picture for above our fireplace. I was so proud of both of them! Next up: Nolan and his 3-year pictures in April!
The week of croup
It is Friday and I am just now starting to catch up on a week without sleep. OK, I did sneak in a few hours, but nothing that would pass as a full night. Addison had a cold, which turned into croup. It started last Saturday morning and just kept going and going.
And while it was not serious, the poor thing did have a hard time sleeping between the wheezing and the coughing.I tried a cool mist humidifier, sitting in a steamy bathroom and then going out in the cold, but it did very little to ease Addison. Eventually, she just started to get better and Thursday night I was finally able to turn off the humidifier.
Unfortunately I had a very busy week at work, which included a visit from corporate and the judging of www.kttc.com in the Best Web Site Contest by the Associated Press. My husband, Frank, is a police officer and just happened to be working overnights.And I hate to admit it, but sometimes in the middle of the night when it is just me and child that will not sleep, I silently curse him for being able to get 8 uninterrupted hours during the day.
Nolan had a very serious case of croup that required a visit to the emergency room when he was almost 20 months old.He did not have much coughing, but he had stridor and was gasping to breathe. After two rounds of steroids and a six hour observation, we were allowed to go home.
But, as I head home from work today, I am thankful everyone appears healthy for the weekend. We are going to try and have one-year pictures of Addison taken at Kiddie Kandids on Saturday. Keep your fingers crossed there are no bumps or bruises before then and I will let you know how it goes.
A Great Check-Up!
Honestly, I hate taking my kids to the doctor. I hate it because my heart breaks if we are there because they are sick. I hate the waiting room where I know a million germs are just lying around ready to infect the little hands that get in the way (Yes, I am a bit of a germ-a-phobe).And most of all, I hate watching my babies scream while they get vaccines.However, I must say Addison is a trooper.She had her 12-month well baby visit this week and she was amazing.
She did not cry when I had to undress her or force her to lie on top of a cold scale. She just giggled as we stretched out her legs for a length measurement and did not even notice the measuring tape around her head. We found out she weighs 27.9 lbs. and is 32 inches long - well above the 90th percentile in both areas. Frank and I both get a lot of comments about how solid Addison is.But, as long as the doctor still thinks she is well proportioned, we are just thankful she is healthy.
The rest of the visit went by fairly quickly and before I knew it, it was time for the dreaded shots.This time around, she only had three.One in each arm, and one in her left leg.Now, anyone who knows Addison knows that she is tough.When there is a pulling match between her and Nolan, she can easily take him down.When she had a flu shot in December, she did not even notice when the needle stuck her.This time around Addison did notice the needles, but the whole thing was not as bad as I had imagined.She cried for about 15 seconds and then proceeded to stare down the nurse with her teary, squinty eyes.Yes, Addison is not someone you want to mess with!Oh my, just wait until she is a teenager!
Wow.In just the last week, I have discovered life with two toddlers.Nolan is 2 and a half, and my baby, Addison just turned 1! And while, it is fun watching them get bigger, I sometimes miss the days of quiet snuggling.
Now, as Addison becomes more independent and the infatuation Nolan has with the baby wears off, I find I spend a lot of my time breaking up fights.And these are well planned out fights.Who knew a 12 month old could actually come up with a strategy to annoy her older brother?
In the midst of these screaming, pulling, pushing toy battles, which usually revolve the Little Tikes Cozy Coupe or one of the 500 Matchbox cars in my family room, I sometimes find myself resorting to the cliche I swore I would never use: If you cannot play nice, nobody is playing with it!And then that banished toy takes up a special spot in my basement.
A few months ago, I learned about toy jail from a Hearts at Home (link to www.hearts-at-home.org) mommy conference I went to in Rochester.The particular toy in question goes into jail (the basement, a box on top of the refrigerator or in a closet) and then the offending child or children have to do something to get it out.For one mom, it was chores.
Another mom said her child really liked money. So, that child had to give up a nickel or a dime every time one of his toys ended up in jail.The point is to pick something your child values.
While obviously a child who is one is too young to understand toy jail, Nolan definitely gets the idea! For him, a threat of not having a Nemo fruit snack is many times more powerful than the threat of temporarily losing a toy.
However, just when the bickering seems like it will last forever, there is a quick moment when they give each other hugs and kisses and my heart melts. It is on those days, I am thankful my children are only 22 months apart. When I look into the future, I see Nolan sticking up for his sister at school. I see Addison giving Nolan advice about how to talk to a girl. My dream is for them to one day be not just brother and sister, but actual friends.
I cannot believe today you turn three.I am amazed that so much time has gone by.It seems like just yesterday Daddy and I brought you home from the hospital.I can still remember our first night with you.How I almost had a panic attack when friends and family left and it was just the three of us.How we listened to you breathe and snort on the baby monitor all night.How it only took a moment after you were born for us to fall in love with you.
This past year has been so much fun.You now understand almost everything we say and you speak in full sentences.You have become such a good big brother to Addison, and you are a truly kind,caring and thoughtful boy.When I look back at the year,I think of your love for school buses,city buses and garbage trucks.
We had your birthday party last weekend and you were so excited. You talked about the party for weeks and who was coming.The day was warm, in the high 60s and you and our family and friends were able to play outside.We had pizza for lunch, and your cake was made in the shape of a Rochester police car.When you found out you couldn’t eat it right away, you started to cry.Instead of getting you a gift, Daddy and I took you to the Childrens Museum in St. Paul last week.The trip was just the three of us and you knew it was special.You played for hours on the Metro Transit city bus and ran around in the ant tunnels.We ate lunch at McDonalds in the skyway.It was so nice to spend the day with you.
As I write this,I sit here thinking about how thankful I am to be your Mom.You have taught me so much about what it truly means to be happy. Seeing your face light up in the morning when I open your door or pick you up from day care are some of the most amazing things in the world.
It is with mixed emotions that I look down the road ahead.I am sad my baby is growing up so fast, but I am also so excited to watch and help you take on the world.But no matter how the years to come play out, I will love you always.
Mommy
Time Flies
Wow. Talk about time flying by. My oldest, Nolan, turns 3 in just a couple of weeks and now that the party is planned, the thought of my baby getting another year older is like a weight on my shoulders.
Believe me, I am excited about watching him grow, but I am going to miss those baby days. Just the other night, a parent educator in my ECFE class mentioned that children should have been read to from 1,000 different books by the time they reach Kindergarten.That is only 2 years away!And while it seems like we do have 1,000 different books, we tend to read the same ones over and over. Does any parent really reach the 1,000 title goal?
But, we are excited about the party. This is the first year Nolan will be old enough to really understand what is going onA couple of weeks ago, we went to a birthday party for another toddler and I thought it would be a good lesson for Nolan to learn about giving gifts instead of just receiving.
We went to Super Target and I let him pick the toy. He of course, picked a Tonka Fire Truck that he already had at home. He even seemed to understand that it was not for him. Until we actually got home and it could not come out of the box. Now, like I already mentioned, we already had the EXACT same fire truck in the toy bin. Nope, did not matter.He wanted the brand new one. So, I quickly wrapped it up and put it in the car.And it only took one M & M to distract him from.
Hives, oh my!
I am really not one of those parents who overreacts when her kids get sick, but after four days of hives I thought it was time to take Addison to the doctor.Now, let me mention that the hives were not life-threatening.Addison was not having trouble breathing nor was she acting altered in any way. And the hives were sporadic. On average, they last around 2 hours per day. But, I wanted to be on the safe side. Unfortunately (or maybe lucky for me) I was working, so my husband was put in charge of this taskIt required him to first call the nurse line at Mayo Pediatrics, then talk to the appointment desk and finally drag two toddlers downtown during nap time. I did feel bad, as that would not be a task I would enjoy either. And he did it without any grumbling!
Anyway, I thought at the very least, we wouldd be able to give Addison some Benadryl, but the pediatrician told us the hives were most likely related to a cold and if they are still around on Monday to bring her back.
On another note, when I woke Nolan up the other morning he looked at me and said, Guess what Mommy, it is my lucky day. Not sure where he heard that one, but looking back I have the feeling that maybe we should have gone right to the casino!
Glad for the weekend
The weekend is here and I have high hopes for catching up on some sleep and of course my to-do list. Frank has been out of town for much of the past two weeks and everybody is glad to have him back. While he was gone, I thought a lot about single parents how much stress they must be under. It is so hard to get your kids out of bed in the morning, get them to day care, go to work, pick them up, come home, cook dinner, do baths, put them to bed, clean up and finally get yourself into bed. Add in errands and other events (we had and evening preschool class) and I pretty much fell into bed by 9 p.m. every night. So kudos to all you single parents out there, you do an amazing job!
Now, on to the all the laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning, phone calls and emailing that I did not have time to do during the week!!
Will Spring Ever Get Here?
I may not be an outdoorsy girl, but my little ones sure are. And we are all ready for winter to be over. There are only so many trips to the mall and the indoor playgrounds one can take before it starts to drive you a little batty
We got a couple of inches of snow over the weekend and as soon as the flakes quit falling, Nolan was ready to get outside. I however, hate the cold and will do just about anything to avoid it. So, after repeated requests to play in the snow, I came up with a brilliant plan. Ask Daddy!
My husband, Frank, was not home, but that didn’t stop Nolan from pulling his little chair over to the big window in our living room to watch for his soon to be hero!
Luckily, when Frank got home, he took Nolan outside to play while he shoveled. Have you every watched a toddler try and throw a snowball? Very entertaining! Most landed on his boots, although a few did make it into the street! At least he was not aiming at passing cars or people.
Anyway, Spring cannot come soon enough. I cannot wait until we can open the windows and let fresh air inside. I cannot wait until I can stuff both Nolan and Addison into a little red wagon and take them to the park, plant flowers and eat popsicles on the deck. I have a feeling we will not be bored this summer!
Bye, Mommy!
Oh, the guilt.Every weekday morning when I wake up, I wonder what my kids will do today that I will miss.What new words and sentences will Nolan use?Will Addison finally start running? Will they even notice I was gone?
Addison is usually the one who breaks free first when I drop them off at day care.She is 13 months old, and so far she has not had any separation anxiety.When we step in the door, her gaze immediately moves past my day care provider and to the shrine of toys.As soon as I get her coat and hat off, she is off to see what she can find.There is hardly even a glance back. I am proud of her independence, but secretly would noy mind if she was a bit needier.
Nolan on the other hand usually wants to be picked up, hugged and given several kisses.He will cling to my leg and say goodbye several times.Today was different.
He had his coat and shoes off and was already asking for breakfast before I had even unwrapped Addison.I had to ask him for a hug and kiss and then when I picked him up, he wiggled away. My heart broke just a little.
But as I drove away, I thought about how lucky I am that they love day care (Nolan even asks to go there on the weekends).And I know when I pick them up this afternoon, I will be greeted with shouts of Mommy!and smothered with hugs and kisses.
Up And At 'Em!
There is no question getting the kids up and out of the house in the morning requires more work that I usually want to tackle at 6:15 a.m.This morning was really hard because nobody (including me) wanted to get up.
I am a planner. I set out all clothes the night before, including socks and shoes. I make sure I am all ready to go and my laptop, lunch, etc. is loaded in the car. Then I can (in theory) just get the kids up and go.Today took a lot longer than I had hoped.
It is the last day of the week and Nolan and Addison are exhausted. Addison was up every couple of hours last night.She was not looking for me, she was looking for Frank, who is working overnights. Before she started crying, I would hear her saying Hi da-da, Hi da-da. I think it was when she figured out he was not coming into see her, she got upset.
Her last crying fit was around 4 a.m. before she fell into what I assume is a deep sleep that I interrupted at 6:15 a.m.After I coaxed her out of bed, got her dressed and did her hair, I went to work on Nolan. He immediately burst into tears looking for his Boompa. Boompa is my Dad, and the two of them are very attached.In the end, it took a lot of time and a lot of tears to get them both in the car. And I felt pretty guilty as I dropped my off two tired, needy children at day care.
This weekend, we are celebrating the 60th Birthday of Boompa and his retirement from IBM.Nolan is beside himself with excitement. Of course, most important is the cupcakes we will be having.Nolan never met a cupcake he did not like and I can only assume Addison will feel the same way! TGIF, have a good weekend.
Picture Perfect
My husband and I always think we have planned our picture-taking events perfectly. Everybody has been bathed, everybody has napped, we have snacks, extra outfits, toys, suckies (pacifiers) and unfortunately foolish determination. I imagine everyone looking at the camera, smiling and snap, the perfect family picture has been taken. More often than not, it goes like this:
1.Arrive at the studio to find out they are running behind and we have to wait.So, there go my snacks and my kids use up all of their patience (sitting nicely) in the waiting room.
2.Nolan, who normally loves to pose for the camera, pretends like he has never seen one before.Getting a good picture of him usually involves the photographer flapping her arms while making kissing noises and shaking a feather duster.
3.Addison stares at the camera with her mouth open and is afraid of the feather duster.
4.We attempt individual pictures and then a family picture.
5.By that time Frank is glaring at me with his we would better be leaving soon look and both kids are on the verge of a meltdown.
6.Finally we give up and order something. After all, if we did not, then all the work would be for nothing.
However, I must say this time was finally different. Maybe it was because I did not attempt 3 outfit changes for the kids and we only did individual pictures of Addison. But whatever the case we finally made it through without any meltdowns. Both kids were amazing and we got a great 12-month picture of Addison and a great family picture for above our fireplace. I was so proud of both of them! Next up: Nolan and his 3-year pictures in April!
The week of croup
It is Friday and I am just now starting to catch up on a week without sleep. OK, I did sneak in a few hours, but nothing that would pass as a full night. Addison had a cold, which turned into croup. It started last Saturday morning and just kept going and going.
And while it was not serious, the poor thing did have a hard time sleeping between the wheezing and the coughing.I tried a cool mist humidifier, sitting in a steamy bathroom and then going out in the cold, but it did very little to ease Addison. Eventually, she just started to get better and Thursday night I was finally able to turn off the humidifier.
Unfortunately I had a very busy week at work, which included a visit from corporate and the judging of www.kttc.com in the Best Web Site Contest by the Associated Press. My husband, Frank, is a police officer and just happened to be working overnights.And I hate to admit it, but sometimes in the middle of the night when it is just me and child that will not sleep, I silently curse him for being able to get 8 uninterrupted hours during the day.
Nolan had a very serious case of croup that required a visit to the emergency room when he was almost 20 months old.He did not have much coughing, but he had stridor and was gasping to breathe. After two rounds of steroids and a six hour observation, we were allowed to go home.
But, as I head home from work today, I am thankful everyone appears healthy for the weekend. We are going to try and have one-year pictures of Addison taken at Kiddie Kandids on Saturday. Keep your fingers crossed there are no bumps or bruises before then and I will let you know how it goes.
A Great Check-Up!
Honestly, I hate taking my kids to the doctor. I hate it because my heart breaks if we are there because they are sick. I hate the waiting room where I know a million germs are just lying around ready to infect the little hands that get in the way (Yes, I am a bit of a germ-a-phobe).And most of all, I hate watching my babies scream while they get vaccines.However, I must say Addison is a trooper.She had her 12-month well baby visit this week and she was amazing.
She did not cry when I had to undress her or force her to lie on top of a cold scale. She just giggled as we stretched out her legs for a length measurement and did not even notice the measuring tape around her head. We found out she weighs 27.9 lbs. and is 32 inches long - well above the 90th percentile in both areas. Frank and I both get a lot of comments about how solid Addison is.But, as long as the doctor still thinks she is well proportioned, we are just thankful she is healthy.
The rest of the visit went by fairly quickly and before I knew it, it was time for the dreaded shots.This time around, she only had three.One in each arm, and one in her left leg.Now, anyone who knows Addison knows that she is tough.When there is a pulling match between her and Nolan, she can easily take him down.When she had a flu shot in December, she did not even notice when the needle stuck her.This time around Addison did notice the needles, but the whole thing was not as bad as I had imagined.She cried for about 15 seconds and then proceeded to stare down the nurse with her teary, squinty eyes.Yes, Addison is not someone you want to mess with!Oh my, just wait until she is a teenager!
Wow.In just the last week, I have discovered life with two toddlers.Nolan is 2 and a half, and my baby, Addison just turned 1! And while, it is fun watching them get bigger, I sometimes miss the days of quiet snuggling.
Now, as Addison becomes more independent and the infatuation Nolan has with the baby wears off, I find I spend a lot of my time breaking up fights.And these are well planned out fights.Who knew a 12 month old could actually come up with a strategy to annoy her older brother?
In the midst of these screaming, pulling, pushing toy battles, which usually revolve the Little Tikes Cozy Coupe or one of the 500 Matchbox cars in my family room, I sometimes find myself resorting to the cliche I swore I would never use: If you cannot play nice, nobody is playing with it!And then that banished toy takes up a special spot in my basement.
A few months ago, I learned about toy jail from a Hearts at Home (link to www.hearts-at-home.org) mommy conference I went to in Rochester.The particular toy in question goes into jail (the basement, a box on top of the refrigerator or in a closet) and then the offending child or children have to do something to get it out.For one mom, it was chores.
Another mom said her child really liked money. So, that child had to give up a nickel or a dime every time one of his toys ended up in jail.The point is to pick something your child values.
While obviously a child who is one is too young to understand toy jail, Nolan definitely gets the idea! For him, a threat of not having a Nemo fruit snack is many times more powerful than the threat of temporarily losing a toy.
However, just when the bickering seems like it will last forever, there is a quick moment when they give each other hugs and kisses and my heart melts. It is on those days, I am thankful my children are only 22 months apart. When I look into the future, I see Nolan sticking up for his sister at school. I see Addison giving Nolan advice about how to talk to a girl. My dream is for them to one day be not just brother and sister, but actual friends.
Wow. Talk about time flying by. My oldest, Nolan, turns 3 in just a couple of weeks and now that the party is planned, the thought of my baby getting another year older is like a weight on my shoulders.
Believe me, I am excited about watching him grow, but I am going to miss those baby days. Just the other night, a parent educator in my ECFE class mentioned that children should have been read to from 1,000 different books by the time they reach Kindergarten.That is only 2 years away!And while it seems like we do have 1,000 different books, we tend to read the same ones over and over. Does any parent really reach the 1,000 title goal?
But, we are excited about the party. This is the first year Nolan will be old enough to really understand what is going onA couple of weeks ago, we went to a birthday party for another toddler and I thought it would be a good lesson for Nolan to learn about giving gifts instead of just receiving.
We went to Super Target and I let him pick the toy. He of course, picked a Tonka Fire Truck that he already had at home. He even seemed to understand that it was not for him. Until we actually got home and it could not come out of the box. Now, like I already mentioned, we already had the EXACT same fire truck in the toy bin. Nope, did not matter.He wanted the brand new one. So, I quickly wrapped it up and put it in the car.And it only took one M & M to distract him from.
Hives, oh my!
I am really not one of those parents who overreacts when her kids get sick, but after four days of hives I thought it was time to take Addison to the doctor.Now, let me mention that the hives were not life-threatening.Addison was not having trouble breathing nor was she acting altered in any way. And the hives were sporadic. On average, they last around 2 hours per day. But, I wanted to be on the safe side. Unfortunately (or maybe lucky for me) I was working, so my husband was put in charge of this taskIt required him to first call the nurse line at Mayo Pediatrics, then talk to the appointment desk and finally drag two toddlers downtown during nap time. I did feel bad, as that would not be a task I would enjoy either. And he did it without any grumbling!
Anyway, I thought at the very least, we wouldd be able to give Addison some Benadryl, but the pediatrician told us the hives were most likely related to a cold and if they are still around on Monday to bring her back.
On another note, when I woke Nolan up the other morning he looked at me and said, Guess what Mommy, it is my lucky day. Not sure where he heard that one, but looking back I have the feeling that maybe we should have gone right to the casino!
Glad for the weekend
The weekend is here and I have high hopes for catching up on some sleep and of course my to-do list. Frank has been out of town for much of the past two weeks and everybody is glad to have him back. While he was gone, I thought a lot about single parents how much stress they must be under. It is so hard to get your kids out of bed in the morning, get them to day care, go to work, pick them up, come home, cook dinner, do baths, put them to bed, clean up and finally get yourself into bed. Add in errands and other events (we had and evening preschool class) and I pretty much fell into bed by 9 p.m. every night. So kudos to all you single parents out there, you do an amazing job!
Now, on to the all the laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning, phone calls and emailing that I did not have time to do during the week!!
Will Spring Ever Get Here?
I may not be an outdoorsy girl, but my little ones sure are. And we are all ready for winter to be over. There are only so many trips to the mall and the indoor playgrounds one can take before it starts to drive you a little batty
We got a couple of inches of snow over the weekend and as soon as the flakes quit falling, Nolan was ready to get outside. I however, hate the cold and will do just about anything to avoid it. So, after repeated requests to play in the snow, I came up with a brilliant plan. Ask Daddy!
My husband, Frank, was not home, but that didn’t stop Nolan from pulling his little chair over to the big window in our living room to watch for his soon to be hero!
Luckily, when Frank got home, he took Nolan outside to play while he shoveled. Have you every watched a toddler try and throw a snowball? Very entertaining! Most landed on his boots, although a few did make it into the street! At least he was not aiming at passing cars or people.
Anyway, Spring cannot come soon enough. I cannot wait until we can open the windows and let fresh air inside. I cannot wait until I can stuff both Nolan and Addison into a little red wagon and take them to the park, plant flowers and eat popsicles on the deck. I have a feeling we will not be bored this summer!
Bye, Mommy!
Oh, the guilt.Every weekday morning when I wake up, I wonder what my kids will do today that I will miss.What new words and sentences will Nolan use?Will Addison finally start running? Will they even notice I was gone?
Addison is usually the one who breaks free first when I drop them off at day care.She is 13 months old, and so far she has not had any separation anxiety.When we step in the door, her gaze immediately moves past my day care provider and to the shrine of toys.As soon as I get her coat and hat off, she is off to see what she can find.There is hardly even a glance back. I am proud of her independence, but secretly would noy mind if she was a bit needier.
Nolan on the other hand usually wants to be picked up, hugged and given several kisses.He will cling to my leg and say goodbye several times.Today was different.
He had his coat and shoes off and was already asking for breakfast before I had even unwrapped Addison.I had to ask him for a hug and kiss and then when I picked him up, he wiggled away. My heart broke just a little.
But as I drove away, I thought about how lucky I am that they love day care (Nolan even asks to go there on the weekends).And I know when I pick them up this afternoon, I will be greeted with shouts of Mommy!and smothered with hugs and kisses.
Up And At 'Em!
There is no question getting the kids up and out of the house in the morning requires more work that I usually want to tackle at 6:15 a.m.This morning was really hard because nobody (including me) wanted to get up.
I am a planner. I set out all clothes the night before, including socks and shoes. I make sure I am all ready to go and my laptop, lunch, etc. is loaded in the car. Then I can (in theory) just get the kids up and go.Today took a lot longer than I had hoped.
It is the last day of the week and Nolan and Addison are exhausted. Addison was up every couple of hours last night.She was not looking for me, she was looking for Frank, who is working overnights. Before she started crying, I would hear her saying Hi da-da, Hi da-da. I think it was when she figured out he was not coming into see her, she got upset.
Her last crying fit was around 4 a.m. before she fell into what I assume is a deep sleep that I interrupted at 6:15 a.m.After I coaxed her out of bed, got her dressed and did her hair, I went to work on Nolan. He immediately burst into tears looking for his Boompa. Boompa is my Dad, and the two of them are very attached.In the end, it took a lot of time and a lot of tears to get them both in the car. And I felt pretty guilty as I dropped my off two tired, needy children at day care.
This weekend, we are celebrating the 60th Birthday of Boompa and his retirement from IBM.Nolan is beside himself with excitement. Of course, most important is the cupcakes we will be having.Nolan never met a cupcake he did not like and I can only assume Addison will feel the same way! TGIF, have a good weekend.
Picture Perfect
My husband and I always think we have planned our picture-taking events perfectly. Everybody has been bathed, everybody has napped, we have snacks, extra outfits, toys, suckies (pacifiers) and unfortunately foolish determination. I imagine everyone looking at the camera, smiling and snap, the perfect family picture has been taken. More often than not, it goes like this:
1.Arrive at the studio to find out they are running behind and we have to wait.So, there go my snacks and my kids use up all of their patience (sitting nicely) in the waiting room.
2.Nolan, who normally loves to pose for the camera, pretends like he has never seen one before.Getting a good picture of him usually involves the photographer flapping her arms while making kissing noises and shaking a feather duster.
3.Addison stares at the camera with her mouth open and is afraid of the feather duster.
4.We attempt individual pictures and then a family picture.
5.By that time Frank is glaring at me with his we would better be leaving soon look and both kids are on the verge of a meltdown.
6.Finally we give up and order something. After all, if we did not, then all the work would be for nothing.
However, I must say this time was finally different. Maybe it was because I did not attempt 3 outfit changes for the kids and we only did individual pictures of Addison. But whatever the case we finally made it through without any meltdowns. Both kids were amazing and we got a great 12-month picture of Addison and a great family picture for above our fireplace. I was so proud of both of them! Next up: Nolan and his 3-year pictures in April!
The week of croup
It is Friday and I am just now starting to catch up on a week without sleep. OK, I did sneak in a few hours, but nothing that would pass as a full night. Addison had a cold, which turned into croup. It started last Saturday morning and just kept going and going.
And while it was not serious, the poor thing did have a hard time sleeping between the wheezing and the coughing.I tried a cool mist humidifier, sitting in a steamy bathroom and then going out in the cold, but it did very little to ease Addison. Eventually, she just started to get better and Thursday night I was finally able to turn off the humidifier.
Unfortunately I had a very busy week at work, which included a visit from corporate and the judging of www.kttc.com in the Best Web Site Contest by the Associated Press. My husband, Frank, is a police officer and just happened to be working overnights.And I hate to admit it, but sometimes in the middle of the night when it is just me and child that will not sleep, I silently curse him for being able to get 8 uninterrupted hours during the day.
Nolan had a very serious case of croup that required a visit to the emergency room when he was almost 20 months old.He did not have much coughing, but he had stridor and was gasping to breathe. After two rounds of steroids and a six hour observation, we were allowed to go home.
But, as I head home from work today, I am thankful everyone appears healthy for the weekend. We are going to try and have one-year pictures of Addison taken at Kiddie Kandids on Saturday. Keep your fingers crossed there are no bumps or bruises before then and I will let you know how it goes.
A Great Check-Up!
Honestly, I hate taking my kids to the doctor. I hate it because my heart breaks if we are there because they are sick. I hate the waiting room where I know a million germs are just lying around ready to infect the little hands that get in the way (Yes, I am a bit of a germ-a-phobe).And most of all, I hate watching my babies scream while they get vaccines.However, I must say Addison is a trooper.She had her 12-month well baby visit this week and she was amazing.
She did not cry when I had to undress her or force her to lie on top of a cold scale. She just giggled as we stretched out her legs for a length measurement and did not even notice the measuring tape around her head. We found out she weighs 27.9 lbs. and is 32 inches long - well above the 90th percentile in both areas. Frank and I both get a lot of comments about how solid Addison is.But, as long as the doctor still thinks she is well proportioned, we are just thankful she is healthy.
The rest of the visit went by fairly quickly and before I knew it, it was time for the dreaded shots.This time around, she only had three.One in each arm, and one in her left leg.Now, anyone who knows Addison knows that she is tough.When there is a pulling match between her and Nolan, she can easily take him down.When she had a flu shot in December, she did not even notice when the needle stuck her.This time around Addison did notice the needles, but the whole thing was not as bad as I had imagined.She cried for about 15 seconds and then proceeded to stare down the nurse with her teary, squinty eyes.Yes, Addison is not someone you want to mess with!Oh my, just wait until she is a teenager!
Wow.In just the last week, I have discovered life with two toddlers.Nolan is 2 and a half, and my baby, Addison just turned 1! And while, it is fun watching them get bigger, I sometimes miss the days of quiet snuggling.
Now, as Addison becomes more independent and the infatuation Nolan has with the baby wears off, I find I spend a lot of my time breaking up fights.And these are well planned out fights.Who knew a 12 month old could actually come up with a strategy to annoy her older brother?
In the midst of these screaming, pulling, pushing toy battles, which usually revolve the Little Tikes Cozy Coupe or one of the 500 Matchbox cars in my family room, I sometimes find myself resorting to the cliche I swore I would never use: If you cannot play nice, nobody is playing with it!And then that banished toy takes up a special spot in my basement.
A few months ago, I learned about toy jail from a Hearts at Home (link to www.hearts-at-home.org) mommy conference I went to in Rochester.The particular toy in question goes into jail (the basement, a box on top of the refrigerator or in a closet) and then the offending child or children have to do something to get it out.For one mom, it was chores.
Another mom said her child really liked money. So, that child had to give up a nickel or a dime every time one of his toys ended up in jail.The point is to pick something your child values.
While obviously a child who is one is too young to understand toy jail, Nolan definitely gets the idea! For him, a threat of not having a Nemo fruit snack is many times more powerful than the threat of temporarily losing a toy.
However, just when the bickering seems like it will last forever, there is a quick moment when they give each other hugs and kisses and my heart melts. It is on those days, I am thankful my children are only 22 months apart. When I look into the future, I see Nolan sticking up for his sister at school. I see Addison giving Nolan advice about how to talk to a girl. My dream is for them to one day be not just brother and sister, but actual friends.
The weekend is here and I have high hopes for catching up on some sleep and of course my to-do list. Frank has been out of town for much of the past two weeks and everybody is glad to have him back. While he was gone, I thought a lot about single parents how much stress they must be under. It is so hard to get your kids out of bed in the morning, get them to day care, go to work, pick them up, come home, cook dinner, do baths, put them to bed, clean up and finally get yourself into bed. Add in errands and other events (we had and evening preschool class) and I pretty much fell into bed by 9 p.m. every night. So kudos to all you single parents out there, you do an amazing job!
Now, on to the all the laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning, phone calls and emailing that I did not have time to do during the week!!
Will Spring Ever Get Here?
I may not be an outdoorsy girl, but my little ones sure are. And we are all ready for winter to be over. There are only so many trips to the mall and the indoor playgrounds one can take before it starts to drive you a little batty
We got a couple of inches of snow over the weekend and as soon as the flakes quit falling, Nolan was ready to get outside. I however, hate the cold and will do just about anything to avoid it. So, after repeated requests to play in the snow, I came up with a brilliant plan. Ask Daddy!
My husband, Frank, was not home, but that didn’t stop Nolan from pulling his little chair over to the big window in our living room to watch for his soon to be hero!
Luckily, when Frank got home, he took Nolan outside to play while he shoveled. Have you every watched a toddler try and throw a snowball? Very entertaining! Most landed on his boots, although a few did make it into the street! At least he was not aiming at passing cars or people.
Anyway, Spring cannot come soon enough. I cannot wait until we can open the windows and let fresh air inside. I cannot wait until I can stuff both Nolan and Addison into a little red wagon and take them to the park, plant flowers and eat popsicles on the deck. I have a feeling we will not be bored this summer!
Bye, Mommy!
Oh, the guilt.Every weekday morning when I wake up, I wonder what my kids will do today that I will miss.What new words and sentences will Nolan use?Will Addison finally start running? Will they even notice I was gone?
Addison is usually the one who breaks free first when I drop them off at day care.She is 13 months old, and so far she has not had any separation anxiety.When we step in the door, her gaze immediately moves past my day care provider and to the shrine of toys.As soon as I get her coat and hat off, she is off to see what she can find.There is hardly even a glance back. I am proud of her independence, but secretly would noy mind if she was a bit needier.
Nolan on the other hand usually wants to be picked up, hugged and given several kisses.He will cling to my leg and say goodbye several times.Today was different.
He had his coat and shoes off and was already asking for breakfast before I had even unwrapped Addison.I had to ask him for a hug and kiss and then when I picked him up, he wiggled away. My heart broke just a little.
But as I drove away, I thought about how lucky I am that they love day care (Nolan even asks to go there on the weekends).And I know when I pick them up this afternoon, I will be greeted with shouts of Mommy!and smothered with hugs and kisses.
Up And At 'Em!
There is no question getting the kids up and out of the house in the morning requires more work that I usually want to tackle at 6:15 a.m.This morning was really hard because nobody (including me) wanted to get up.
I am a planner. I set out all clothes the night before, including socks and shoes. I make sure I am all ready to go and my laptop, lunch, etc. is loaded in the car. Then I can (in theory) just get the kids up and go.Today took a lot longer than I had hoped.
It is the last day of the week and Nolan and Addison are exhausted. Addison was up every couple of hours last night.She was not looking for me, she was looking for Frank, who is working overnights. Before she started crying, I would hear her saying Hi da-da, Hi da-da. I think it was when she figured out he was not coming into see her, she got upset.
Her last crying fit was around 4 a.m. before she fell into what I assume is a deep sleep that I interrupted at 6:15 a.m.After I coaxed her out of bed, got her dressed and did her hair, I went to work on Nolan. He immediately burst into tears looking for his Boompa. Boompa is my Dad, and the two of them are very attached.In the end, it took a lot of time and a lot of tears to get them both in the car. And I felt pretty guilty as I dropped my off two tired, needy children at day care.
This weekend, we are celebrating the 60th Birthday of Boompa and his retirement from IBM.Nolan is beside himself with excitement. Of course, most important is the cupcakes we will be having.Nolan never met a cupcake he did not like and I can only assume Addison will feel the same way! TGIF, have a good weekend.
Picture Perfect
My husband and I always think we have planned our picture-taking events perfectly. Everybody has been bathed, everybody has napped, we have snacks, extra outfits, toys, suckies (pacifiers) and unfortunately foolish determination. I imagine everyone looking at the camera, smiling and snap, the perfect family picture has been taken. More often than not, it goes like this:
1.Arrive at the studio to find out they are running behind and we have to wait.So, there go my snacks and my kids use up all of their patience (sitting nicely) in the waiting room.
2.Nolan, who normally loves to pose for the camera, pretends like he has never seen one before.Getting a good picture of him usually involves the photographer flapping her arms while making kissing noises and shaking a feather duster.
3.Addison stares at the camera with her mouth open and is afraid of the feather duster.
4.We attempt individual pictures and then a family picture.
5.By that time Frank is glaring at me with his we would better be leaving soon look and both kids are on the verge of a meltdown.
6.Finally we give up and order something. After all, if we did not, then all the work would be for nothing.
However, I must say this time was finally different. Maybe it was because I did not attempt 3 outfit changes for the kids and we only did individual pictures of Addison. But whatever the case we finally made it through without any meltdowns. Both kids were amazing and we got a great 12-month picture of Addison and a great family picture for above our fireplace. I was so proud of both of them! Next up: Nolan and his 3-year pictures in April!
The week of croup
It is Friday and I am just now starting to catch up on a week without sleep. OK, I did sneak in a few hours, but nothing that would pass as a full night. Addison had a cold, which turned into croup. It started last Saturday morning and just kept going and going.
And while it was not serious, the poor thing did have a hard time sleeping between the wheezing and the coughing.I tried a cool mist humidifier, sitting in a steamy bathroom and then going out in the cold, but it did very little to ease Addison. Eventually, she just started to get better and Thursday night I was finally able to turn off the humidifier.
Unfortunately I had a very busy week at work, which included a visit from corporate and the judging of www.kttc.com in the Best Web Site Contest by the Associated Press. My husband, Frank, is a police officer and just happened to be working overnights.And I hate to admit it, but sometimes in the middle of the night when it is just me and child that will not sleep, I silently curse him for being able to get 8 uninterrupted hours during the day.
Nolan had a very serious case of croup that required a visit to the emergency room when he was almost 20 months old.He did not have much coughing, but he had stridor and was gasping to breathe. After two rounds of steroids and a six hour observation, we were allowed to go home.
But, as I head home from work today, I am thankful everyone appears healthy for the weekend. We are going to try and have one-year pictures of Addison taken at Kiddie Kandids on Saturday. Keep your fingers crossed there are no bumps or bruises before then and I will let you know how it goes.
A Great Check-Up!
Honestly, I hate taking my kids to the doctor. I hate it because my heart breaks if we are there because they are sick. I hate the waiting room where I know a million germs are just lying around ready to infect the little hands that get in the way (Yes, I am a bit of a germ-a-phobe).And most of all, I hate watching my babies scream while they get vaccines.However, I must say Addison is a trooper.She had her 12-month well baby visit this week and she was amazing.
She did not cry when I had to undress her or force her to lie on top of a cold scale. She just giggled as we stretched out her legs for a length measurement and did not even notice the measuring tape around her head. We found out she weighs 27.9 lbs. and is 32 inches long - well above the 90th percentile in both areas. Frank and I both get a lot of comments about how solid Addison is.But, as long as the doctor still thinks she is well proportioned, we are just thankful she is healthy.
The rest of the visit went by fairly quickly and before I knew it, it was time for the dreaded shots.This time around, she only had three.One in each arm, and one in her left leg.Now, anyone who knows Addison knows that she is tough.When there is a pulling match between her and Nolan, she can easily take him down.When she had a flu shot in December, she did not even notice when the needle stuck her.This time around Addison did notice the needles, but the whole thing was not as bad as I had imagined.She cried for about 15 seconds and then proceeded to stare down the nurse with her teary, squinty eyes.Yes, Addison is not someone you want to mess with!Oh my, just wait until she is a teenager!
Wow.In just the last week, I have discovered life with two toddlers.Nolan is 2 and a half, and my baby, Addison just turned 1! And while, it is fun watching them get bigger, I sometimes miss the days of quiet snuggling.
Now, as Addison becomes more independent and the infatuation Nolan has with the baby wears off, I find I spend a lot of my time breaking up fights.And these are well planned out fights.Who knew a 12 month old could actually come up with a strategy to annoy her older brother?
In the midst of these screaming, pulling, pushing toy battles, which usually revolve the Little Tikes Cozy Coupe or one of the 500 Matchbox cars in my family room, I sometimes find myself resorting to the cliche I swore I would never use: If you cannot play nice, nobody is playing with it!And then that banished toy takes up a special spot in my basement.
A few months ago, I learned about toy jail from a Hearts at Home (link to www.hearts-at-home.org) mommy conference I went to in Rochester.The particular toy in question goes into jail (the basement, a box on top of the refrigerator or in a closet) and then the offending child or children have to do something to get it out.For one mom, it was chores.
Another mom said her child really liked money. So, that child had to give up a nickel or a dime every time one of his toys ended up in jail.The point is to pick something your child values.
While obviously a child who is one is too young to understand toy jail, Nolan definitely gets the idea! For him, a threat of not having a Nemo fruit snack is many times more powerful than the threat of temporarily losing a toy.
However, just when the bickering seems like it will last forever, there is a quick moment when they give each other hugs and kisses and my heart melts. It is on those days, I am thankful my children are only 22 months apart. When I look into the future, I see Nolan sticking up for his sister at school. I see Addison giving Nolan advice about how to talk to a girl. My dream is for them to one day be not just brother and sister, but actual friends.
Oh, the guilt.Every weekday morning when I wake up, I wonder what my kids will do today that I will miss.What new words and sentences will Nolan use?Will Addison finally start running? Will they even notice I was gone?
Addison is usually the one who breaks free first when I drop them off at day care.She is 13 months old, and so far she has not had any separation anxiety.When we step in the door, her gaze immediately moves past my day care provider and to the shrine of toys.As soon as I get her coat and hat off, she is off to see what she can find.There is hardly even a glance back. I am proud of her independence, but secretly would noy mind if she was a bit needier.
Nolan on the other hand usually wants to be picked up, hugged and given several kisses.He will cling to my leg and say goodbye several times.Today was different.
He had his coat and shoes off and was already asking for breakfast before I had even unwrapped Addison.I had to ask him for a hug and kiss and then when I picked him up, he wiggled away. My heart broke just a little.
But as I drove away, I thought about how lucky I am that they love day care (Nolan even asks to go there on the weekends).And I know when I pick them up this afternoon, I will be greeted with shouts of Mommy!and smothered with hugs and kisses.
Up And At 'Em!
There is no question getting the kids up and out of the house in the morning requires more work that I usually want to tackle at 6:15 a.m.This morning was really hard because nobody (including me) wanted to get up.
I am a planner. I set out all clothes the night before, including socks and shoes. I make sure I am all ready to go and my laptop, lunch, etc. is loaded in the car. Then I can (in theory) just get the kids up and go.Today took a lot longer than I had hoped.
It is the last day of the week and Nolan and Addison are exhausted. Addison was up every couple of hours last night.She was not looking for me, she was looking for Frank, who is working overnights. Before she started crying, I would hear her saying Hi da-da, Hi da-da. I think it was when she figured out he was not coming into see her, she got upset.
Her last crying fit was around 4 a.m. before she fell into what I assume is a deep sleep that I interrupted at 6:15 a.m.After I coaxed her out of bed, got her dressed and did her hair, I went to work on Nolan. He immediately burst into tears looking for his Boompa. Boompa is my Dad, and the two of them are very attached.In the end, it took a lot of time and a lot of tears to get them both in the car. And I felt pretty guilty as I dropped my off two tired, needy children at day care.
This weekend, we are celebrating the 60th Birthday of Boompa and his retirement from IBM.Nolan is beside himself with excitement. Of course, most important is the cupcakes we will be having.Nolan never met a cupcake he did not like and I can only assume Addison will feel the same way! TGIF, have a good weekend.
Picture Perfect
My husband and I always think we have planned our picture-taking events perfectly. Everybody has been bathed, everybody has napped, we have snacks, extra outfits, toys, suckies (pacifiers) and unfortunately foolish determination. I imagine everyone looking at the camera, smiling and snap, the perfect family picture has been taken. More often than not, it goes like this:
1.Arrive at the studio to find out they are running behind and we have to wait.So, there go my snacks and my kids use up all of their patience (sitting nicely) in the waiting room.
2.Nolan, who normally loves to pose for the camera, pretends like he has never seen one before.Getting a good picture of him usually involves the photographer flapping her arms while making kissing noises and shaking a feather duster.
3.Addison stares at the camera with her mouth open and is afraid of the feather duster.
4.We attempt individual pictures and then a family picture.
5.By that time Frank is glaring at me with his we would better be leaving soon look and both kids are on the verge of a meltdown.
6.Finally we give up and order something. After all, if we did not, then all the work would be for nothing.
However, I must say this time was finally different. Maybe it was because I did not attempt 3 outfit changes for the kids and we only did individual pictures of Addison. But whatever the case we finally made it through without any meltdowns. Both kids were amazing and we got a great 12-month picture of Addison and a great family picture for above our fireplace. I was so proud of both of them! Next up: Nolan and his 3-year pictures in April!
The week of croup
It is Friday and I am just now starting to catch up on a week without sleep. OK, I did sneak in a few hours, but nothing that would pass as a full night. Addison had a cold, which turned into croup. It started last Saturday morning and just kept going and going.
And while it was not serious, the poor thing did have a hard time sleeping between the wheezing and the coughing.I tried a cool mist humidifier, sitting in a steamy bathroom and then going out in the cold, but it did very little to ease Addison. Eventually, she just started to get better and Thursday night I was finally able to turn off the humidifier.
Unfortunately I had a very busy week at work, which included a visit from corporate and the judging of www.kttc.com in the Best Web Site Contest by the Associated Press. My husband, Frank, is a police officer and just happened to be working overnights.And I hate to admit it, but sometimes in the middle of the night when it is just me and child that will not sleep, I silently curse him for being able to get 8 uninterrupted hours during the day.
Nolan had a very serious case of croup that required a visit to the emergency room when he was almost 20 months old.He did not have much coughing, but he had stridor and was gasping to breathe. After two rounds of steroids and a six hour observation, we were allowed to go home.
But, as I head home from work today, I am thankful everyone appears healthy for the weekend. We are going to try and have one-year pictures of Addison taken at Kiddie Kandids on Saturday. Keep your fingers crossed there are no bumps or bruises before then and I will let you know how it goes.
A Great Check-Up!
Honestly, I hate taking my kids to the doctor. I hate it because my heart breaks if we are there because they are sick. I hate the waiting room where I know a million germs are just lying around ready to infect the little hands that get in the way (Yes, I am a bit of a germ-a-phobe).And most of all, I hate watching my babies scream while they get vaccines.However, I must say Addison is a trooper.She had her 12-month well baby visit this week and she was amazing.
She did not cry when I had to undress her or force her to lie on top of a cold scale. She just giggled as we stretched out her legs for a length measurement and did not even notice the measuring tape around her head. We found out she weighs 27.9 lbs. and is 32 inches long - well above the 90th percentile in both areas. Frank and I both get a lot of comments about how solid Addison is.But, as long as the doctor still thinks she is well proportioned, we are just thankful she is healthy.
The rest of the visit went by fairly quickly and before I knew it, it was time for the dreaded shots.This time around, she only had three.One in each arm, and one in her left leg.Now, anyone who knows Addison knows that she is tough.When there is a pulling match between her and Nolan, she can easily take him down.When she had a flu shot in December, she did not even notice when the needle stuck her.This time around Addison did notice the needles, but the whole thing was not as bad as I had imagined.She cried for about 15 seconds and then proceeded to stare down the nurse with her teary, squinty eyes.Yes, Addison is not someone you want to mess with!Oh my, just wait until she is a teenager!
Wow.In just the last week, I have discovered life with two toddlers.Nolan is 2 and a half, and my baby, Addison just turned 1! And while, it is fun watching them get bigger, I sometimes miss the days of quiet snuggling.
Now, as Addison becomes more independent and the infatuation Nolan has with the baby wears off, I find I spend a lot of my time breaking up fights.And these are well planned out fights.Who knew a 12 month old could actually come up with a strategy to annoy her older brother?
In the midst of these screaming, pulling, pushing toy battles, which usually revolve the Little Tikes Cozy Coupe or one of the 500 Matchbox cars in my family room, I sometimes find myself resorting to the cliche I swore I would never use: If you cannot play nice, nobody is playing with it!And then that banished toy takes up a special spot in my basement.
A few months ago, I learned about toy jail from a Hearts at Home (link to www.hearts-at-home.org) mommy conference I went to in Rochester.The particular toy in question goes into jail (the basement, a box on top of the refrigerator or in a closet) and then the offending child or children have to do something to get it out.For one mom, it was chores.
Another mom said her child really liked money. So, that child had to give up a nickel or a dime every time one of his toys ended up in jail.The point is to pick something your child values.
While obviously a child who is one is too young to understand toy jail, Nolan definitely gets the idea! For him, a threat of not having a Nemo fruit snack is many times more powerful than the threat of temporarily losing a toy.
However, just when the bickering seems like it will last forever, there is a quick moment when they give each other hugs and kisses and my heart melts. It is on those days, I am thankful my children are only 22 months apart. When I look into the future, I see Nolan sticking up for his sister at school. I see Addison giving Nolan advice about how to talk to a girl. My dream is for them to one day be not just brother and sister, but actual friends.
My husband and I always think we have planned our picture-taking events perfectly. Everybody has been bathed, everybody has napped, we have snacks, extra outfits, toys, suckies (pacifiers) and unfortunately foolish determination. I imagine everyone looking at the camera, smiling and snap, the perfect family picture has been taken. More often than not, it goes like this:
1.Arrive at the studio to find out they are running behind and we have to wait.So, there go my snacks and my kids use up all of their patience (sitting nicely) in the waiting room.
2.Nolan, who normally loves to pose for the camera, pretends like he has never seen one before.Getting a good picture of him usually involves the photographer flapping her arms while making kissing noises and shaking a feather duster.
3.Addison stares at the camera with her mouth open and is afraid of the feather duster.
4.We attempt individual pictures and then a family picture.
5.By that time Frank is glaring at me with his we would better be leaving soon look and both kids are on the verge of a meltdown.
6.Finally we give up and order something. After all, if we did not, then all the work would be for nothing.
However, I must say this time was finally different. Maybe it was because I did not attempt 3 outfit changes for the kids and we only did individual pictures of Addison. But whatever the case we finally made it through without any meltdowns. Both kids were amazing and we got a great 12-month picture of Addison and a great family picture for above our fireplace. I was so proud of both of them! Next up: Nolan and his 3-year pictures in April!
The week of croup
It is Friday and I am just now starting to catch up on a week without sleep. OK, I did sneak in a few hours, but nothing that would pass as a full night. Addison had a cold, which turned into croup. It started last Saturday morning and just kept going and going.
And while it was not serious, the poor thing did have a hard time sleeping between the wheezing and the coughing.I tried a cool mist humidifier, sitting in a steamy bathroom and then going out in the cold, but it did very little to ease Addison. Eventually, she just started to get better and Thursday night I was finally able to turn off the humidifier.
Unfortunately I had a very busy week at work, which included a visit from corporate and the judging of www.kttc.com in the Best Web Site Contest by the Associated Press. My husband, Frank, is a police officer and just happened to be working overnights.And I hate to admit it, but sometimes in the middle of the night when it is just me and child that will not sleep, I silently curse him for being able to get 8 uninterrupted hours during the day.
Nolan had a very serious case of croup that required a visit to the emergency room when he was almost 20 months old.He did not have much coughing, but he had stridor and was gasping to breathe. After two rounds of steroids and a six hour observation, we were allowed to go home.
But, as I head home from work today, I am thankful everyone appears healthy for the weekend. We are going to try and have one-year pictures of Addison taken at Kiddie Kandids on Saturday. Keep your fingers crossed there are no bumps or bruises before then and I will let you know how it goes.
A Great Check-Up!
Honestly, I hate taking my kids to the doctor. I hate it because my heart breaks if we are there because they are sick. I hate the waiting room where I know a million germs are just lying around ready to infect the little hands that get in the way (Yes, I am a bit of a germ-a-phobe).And most of all, I hate watching my babies scream while they get vaccines.However, I must say Addison is a trooper.She had her 12-month well baby visit this week and she was amazing.
She did not cry when I had to undress her or force her to lie on top of a cold scale. She just giggled as we stretched out her legs for a length measurement and did not even notice the measuring tape around her head. We found out she weighs 27.9 lbs. and is 32 inches long - well above the 90th percentile in both areas. Frank and I both get a lot of comments about how solid Addison is.But, as long as the doctor still thinks she is well proportioned, we are just thankful she is healthy.
The rest of the visit went by fairly quickly and before I knew it, it was time for the dreaded shots.This time around, she only had three.One in each arm, and one in her left leg.Now, anyone who knows Addison knows that she is tough.When there is a pulling match between her and Nolan, she can easily take him down.When she had a flu shot in December, she did not even notice when the needle stuck her.This time around Addison did notice the needles, but the whole thing was not as bad as I had imagined.She cried for about 15 seconds and then proceeded to stare down the nurse with her teary, squinty eyes.Yes, Addison is not someone you want to mess with!Oh my, just wait until she is a teenager!
Wow.In just the last week, I have discovered life with two toddlers.Nolan is 2 and a half, and my baby, Addison just turned 1! And while, it is fun watching them get bigger, I sometimes miss the days of quiet snuggling.
Now, as Addison becomes more independent and the infatuation Nolan has with the baby wears off, I find I spend a lot of my time breaking up fights.And these are well planned out fights.Who knew a 12 month old could actually come up with a strategy to annoy her older brother?
In the midst of these screaming, pulling, pushing toy battles, which usually revolve the Little Tikes Cozy Coupe or one of the 500 Matchbox cars in my family room, I sometimes find myself resorting to the cliche I swore I would never use: If you cannot play nice, nobody is playing with it!And then that banished toy takes up a special spot in my basement.
A few months ago, I learned about toy jail from a Hearts at Home (link to www.hearts-at-home.org) mommy conference I went to in Rochester.The particular toy in question goes into jail (the basement, a box on top of the refrigerator or in a closet) and then the offending child or children have to do something to get it out.For one mom, it was chores.
Another mom said her child really liked money. So, that child had to give up a nickel or a dime every time one of his toys ended up in jail.The point is to pick something your child values.
While obviously a child who is one is too young to understand toy jail, Nolan definitely gets the idea! For him, a threat of not having a Nemo fruit snack is many times more powerful than the threat of temporarily losing a toy.
However, just when the bickering seems like it will last forever, there is a quick moment when they give each other hugs and kisses and my heart melts. It is on those days, I am thankful my children are only 22 months apart. When I look into the future, I see Nolan sticking up for his sister at school. I see Addison giving Nolan advice about how to talk to a girl. My dream is for them to one day be not just brother and sister, but actual friends.
Honestly, I hate taking my kids to the doctor. I hate it because my heart breaks if we are there because they are sick. I hate the waiting room where I know a million germs are just lying around ready to infect the little hands that get in the way (Yes, I am a bit of a germ-a-phobe).And most of all, I hate watching my babies scream while they get vaccines.However, I must say Addison is a trooper.She had her 12-month well baby visit this week and she was amazing.
She did not cry when I had to undress her or force her to lie on top of a cold scale. She just giggled as we stretched out her legs for a length measurement and did not even notice the measuring tape around her head. We found out she weighs 27.9 lbs. and is 32 inches long - well above the 90th percentile in both areas. Frank and I both get a lot of comments about how solid Addison is.But, as long as the doctor still thinks she is well proportioned, we are just thankful she is healthy.
The rest of the visit went by fairly quickly and before I knew it, it was time for the dreaded shots.This time around, she only had three.One in each arm, and one in her left leg.Now, anyone who knows Addison knows that she is tough.When there is a pulling match between her and Nolan, she can easily take him down.When she had a flu shot in December, she did not even notice when the needle stuck her.This time around Addison did notice the needles, but the whole thing was not as bad as I had imagined.She cried for about 15 seconds and then proceeded to stare down the nurse with her teary, squinty eyes.Yes, Addison is not someone you want to mess with!Oh my, just wait until she is a teenager!
Wow.In just the last week, I have discovered life with two toddlers.Nolan is 2 and a half, and my baby, Addison just turned 1! And while, it is fun watching them get bigger, I sometimes miss the days of quiet snuggling.
Now, as Addison becomes more independent and the infatuation Nolan has with the baby wears off, I find I spend a lot of my time breaking up fights.And these are well planned out fights.Who knew a 12 month old could actually come up with a strategy to annoy her older brother?
In the midst of these screaming, pulling, pushing toy battles, which usually revolve the Little Tikes Cozy Coupe or one of the 500 Matchbox cars in my family room, I sometimes find myself resorting to the cliche I swore I would never use: If you cannot play nice, nobody is playing with it!And then that banished toy takes up a special spot in my basement.
A few months ago, I learned about toy jail from a Hearts at Home (link to www.hearts-at-home.org) mommy conference I went to in Rochester.The particular toy in question goes into jail (the basement, a box on top of the refrigerator or in a closet) and then the offending child or children have to do something to get it out.For one mom, it was chores.
Another mom said her child really liked money. So, that child had to give up a nickel or a dime every time one of his toys ended up in jail.The point is to pick something your child values.
While obviously a child who is one is too young to understand toy jail, Nolan definitely gets the idea! For him, a threat of not having a Nemo fruit snack is many times more powerful than the threat of temporarily losing a toy.
However, just when the bickering seems like it will last forever, there is a quick moment when they give each other hugs and kisses and my heart melts. It is on those days, I am thankful my children are only 22 months apart. When I look into the future, I see Nolan sticking up for his sister at school. I see Addison giving Nolan advice about how to talk to a girl. My dream is for them to one day be not just brother and sister, but actual friends.