http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenloveskev/6987782311/1. We had some epic tantrums this week. I think I spent about 20 mins more than a couple times this week trying to get her car seat. Everyone that passed our car must have thought we were crazy as she was screaming at the top of her lungs and I tried to convince her to sit.
2. We also started doing small little time outs. I know people will differ on this but for us it was time. I knew full well she understood what I was saying and what she was doing. They only lasted about a minute and I guess so far so good. I hate doing it. I cringe but I guess that’s what I will always feel like as I learn to discipline her.
3. Eating this week was a big huge disaster. For the last little while I feel like we were moving leaps and bounds with eating but this week she just was not up for much of anything. I literally feel like she didn’t eat anything all week. I tried really hard to not let it bother me. The doctor has told me over and over she will eat when she is hungry but ?? that is a hard thing to let go for a mom who is very concerned with eating healthy.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenloveskev/6841673840/1. When she wasn’t having screaming fits this week she was just so bubbly. Giving these little toothy grins and hugging and kissing and tickling you every 2 seconds. She loves, loves, loves giving us group hugs. I love it too of course! I hope that never goes away. It’s just so dang cute!
2. She is getting so good about telling us when she needs to be changed. She will run out and yell “poop” then run into her room or she will bring me a cloth diaper and say “poop”. Poop just means she needs to be changed in general (wet or dirty). I am hoping in the next little while we can help her understand to tell us before she goes. Potty training here we come!
3. She is obsessed with pretending to be a little mommy. When we were over at a friends house a few weeks ago, I sat in amazement as I watched her take care of a little baby doll all night. I had no idea. We don’t have any of those kinds of toys. They had doll strollers, highchairs, fake food, a little kitchenette and tons of dolls. She feed the babies, pushed them in strollers, laid them all down and covered them with blankets saying “nap,” and carried them around hugging and kissing them. It was just about the sweetest thing I have ever seen. I have been on a mad search the last week to find the least creepiest baby doll I could and ordered it for her for Easter. I gave it to her a few days earlier and all week she has taken care of this little doll. Oh my goodness it makes my heart explode.
You are just the cutest mom ever!
Its just seems like you are really doing the best you can and that is really all the matters right?
She is just darling!!!
Kirsten
{travandkirk.blogspot.com}
Jen,
I am a mom of five (ages 18 to 7). You sound so like me when I was a first time mom. The one thing that I have learned as I became more experienced is to stop worrying or caring what others think. (Not an easy thing to do!) You know your child and what is best for her. You also know yourself and what works and doesn’t work for you. Remember each child is different and each parent is different. Keep going; you seem like you are doing a pretty amazing job. There is lots of great advice out there, you just have to find what works best for your family. Love the blog!!
oh my gosh i love her little dance! she is so precious!!
I don’t know what it is about this age and hating the car seat. My daughter has been throwing fits almost every time I have to get her in the car, so I’ve had to resort to bribing her with whatever I can think of sometimes food, sometimes a different toy-getting mixed results, toddlers can be so fickle.
The bubble video is adorable!!
So adorable! I love this post. I was smiling the whole time while reading. So relatable! Who knew getting your little ones in their carseat would be such a challenge! I have a stroller that is practically brand new because my daughter would rather get out and push it than get in.
that video is so stinkin’ cute! that’s so sweet that she’s pretending to be a little mommy!
How sweet that Rowan’s being a little Mommy. She’ll be so cute with a little sibling for sure.
We started time outs this week too. After i got slapped in the face because I said no about something. And he knew what he did and he knew when we took him out that he felt bad. I believe it’s helpful.
ps that video was adorable, she’s so u!
I’m really curious now! What doll did you end up giving her after your search? I’ve been trying to find a not-too-creepy looking doll for my children too, but gave up after a while. I’d love to know what you found!
Vang 🙂
Her little lips when she blows!!! And the little dance, love her!!
Oh boy, we have been having some major doozies with Harlow lately too. I think time outs are good, well not good. But they work, we do a minute for each year of life.. I put myself in a small time out when I’m really frustrated too, helps me and helps them understand it a bit more.
The eating!! Always up and down with that, I try to hide the good stuff in everything so even if they don’t eat the visible good stuff they still get some in their tummies without even knowing.
I love the little mommy stage, it’s so adorable…please let me know if you find a non creepy one!! (sorry for the super loooong comment). XO
I love these posts!!!:):)
Please take pics of Rowan and her baby doll!!!!:):)
Happy Easter!
Rowan is so adorable! And I love that you’re an honest blog mom…that you don’t just talk about the wonderful, perfect things, but also the really messy, frustrating things!
Please share where you found a not creepy baby doll! I am shocked and amazed one exists!
I was a picky eater as a child (my mom said all I wanted to eat was cake cake cake)… but when she expressed her concerns to my pediatrician he told her not to worry– there has never been a child in all of history that has willingly starved themselves to death. If she’s hungry, she’ll definitely eat! Even if she’s picky! 🙂
The cuteness that is her sweet face can even be counted as an up for me today. 😉
As a preschool teacher and babysitter, I can tell you even telling you that she needs to be changed is MAJOR! I have 3-year-olds in my class who still don’t do that!
And on the time-outs, I know I’m not a mommy yet, but I am around a LOT of kids, and I am a believer in a time-out matching their age in minutes (so 1 minute is just right for Rowan!) when they purposely do something they aren’t supposed to is a-ok!
I really appreciate that you share your ups & downs with us each week! <3
That video is so adorable! She is such a daddy’s girl! Also, the way she treats the babies is her way of mimicking you-so obviously you’re doing a great job!
Oh the joys of disciplining and feeding toddlers. The bubble blowing video is terrific.
Ashley @ http://www.thestorkandthebeanstalk.com
That video was FUN. (Do you prefer Vimeo to Youtube by the way?)
As for feeding, I totally get it–Levi barely eats, no idea what keeps him alive and full of energy.
And the car seat: When I just had only one son, someone suggested I bring the car seat into the house, and “train” there…where you can teach them what “get in the car seat” means. Then you can practice, and use consequences so that it’s easier when you are in public. Just an idea. I think I used it once.
Now I just wrestle Levi into his seat, saying the whole time “I AM stronger than YOU…” 🙂
hehe.
aloha!
that video just made my day. thanks for sharing.
We recently had a play date with a new friend and her sons (one turned turned 2; the other is 3 months). Her 2 year old was so well-behaved and I just loved how she handled “time outs” or “sit downs,” as they call them. I hadn’t started doing anything like that yet, but knew it was getting to be time b/c Griffin was really testing me and I was starting to REALLY lose my patience with him. Anyhoo…what this mom does is, when Wyatt does something wrong, he is told to sit down no matter where he is. He has to stop everything and sit for just a couple of minutes. She says something like, “Sit down! NO, NO!” Then when the time is up, she picks him up, they have a chat about what he did and why it was wrong, then he has to apologize. I HATE the idea of a time out chair, etc., and this just seemed so simple and effective. I’ve only had to use this technique with Griffin three times and already he has stopped throwing/hitting!!! I also feel bad every time, but know it’s the best for all of us (especially if it means I’m not being pushed to lose my cool!).
The lads are ALSO not eating lately. Actually, Quint has started eating sort of ok, but not Griffin. I started doing protein shakes for lunch last week (their current nap schedule has them taking one 3-hour nap from 11 to 2, so I think they were eating too much lunch, too late in the day). They sort of ate better dinners, but then started getting a little sick at the end of the week/weekend, so it’s hard to say for sure. The good news is, I’m drinking the shakes at lunch, too, so it’s kind of like being on a healthy version of SlimFast. lol
Aw, I always love reading your parenting ups & downs! My daughter is about the same age as Rowan I think, she’s 19 months, and a lot of our ups & downs are similar! We started short little time outs for hitting, and I’m glad to know you are doing something similar. It’s been working, the hitting has stopped (for now!)