May 2019 Moms
kvh22
member
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STM+ Check In - New Year's Edition
kvh22
member
Sorry for being MIA with this. I'm horrible at bumping - especially starting new threads - when I don't have my laptop open and we traveled over the holidays. We haven't had a check in for quite a while so let's hear it!
How many kids do you already have? Ages?
How are your other kids doing this week?
Rants/Raves? Concerns/Questions?
GTKY: Best/worst gifts received - can be from this holiday season but can also be from past holidays, birthdays, etc.
How many kids do you already have? Ages?
How are your other kids doing this week?
Rants/Raves? Concerns/Questions?
GTKY: Best/worst gifts received - can be from this holiday season but can also be from past holidays, birthdays, etc.
Re: STM+ Check In - New Year's Edition
How are your other kids doing this week?
He's good. I've started doing some workbooks with him. He's started lying this week, which sucks. I don't really know how to handle it. We're going to be starting some in home sessions with ABA so we can do more in depth parent training. He's been amazing with her in clinic, but his behavior isn't much different with us and she thinks it would help if we did sessions at our house so he gets used to following the same rules at home as everywhere else.
Rants/Raves? Concerns/Questions?
Not much really, aside from the above. He was a sweetheart yesterday. He said hi to my belly "hi baby brother" and gave it a hug. It was the sweetest. I seriously cannot wait until the baby gets here.
GTKY: Best/worst gifts received - can be from this holiday season but can also be from past holidays, birthdays, etc.
I'll just do this year. Best was an eyeshadow palette H got me, and the bath set I got from Yankee swap. Worst was a butter dish. But the butter dish was funny because it's been an ongoing argument between H and I. I have a bad habit of just setting the butter on the counter or in the cabinet and he has been hounding me to get a butter dish if I'm not going to put it in the fridge. 🤷😂
How are your other kids doing this week? Pretty good, nothing much to report
Rants/Raves? Concerns/Questions?
GTKY: Best/worst gifts received - can be from this holiday season but can also be from past holidays, birthdays, etc. I just get kitchy things sometimes that I hate. And then people expect me to display them in my home and I don't want to so I hold onto it for a year and then throw it out. I'm not a true minimalist but I am kind of minimalist and do not appreciate receiving clutter.
How many kids do you already have? Ages? DD is 15 months
How are your other kids doing this week? Good! She has a molar that came in, which might explain why she was a grumpy grump grump. She's trying to run, which is really cute, and she learned to play Peek a Boo - she will crouch down on the side of the couch and pop up. It's so stinkin adorable.
Rants/Raves? Concerns/Questions? None at the moment!
GTKY: Best/worst gifts received - can be from this holiday season but can also be from past holidays, birthdays, etc. I'm not sure how to describe this without sounding super petty, because a lot of it lies in the background relationship with my aunt. My aunt on my dad's side is not a nice person. She has caused a lot of family heartache because she felt she deserved the entirety of the estates from my grandparents after their passing. This led to drawn out probate proceedings, YEARS of her crap. If my grandfather had known her actions, he would have rolled over in his grave. It makes me sick to think about. She's also someone that marries for money, and cycles through husbands this way. We are no longer in contact. Anyway, when I was a senior in high school she got me this horrid felt sweater. FELT. It was red. Also, a pair of reindeer horns. She made some comment about being able to see me traipse around my college campus wearing that. Like I said, I'm struggling with not making that sound petty, but she sucks and it was a crap gift - coming from someone else I wouldn't have minded it, though.
then 3 failed IUIs, and finally a successful IVF FET.
Due with #2 5/2/19 after HIO once in my FW,
because apparently that's how life works now. Team Blue!
How are your other kids doing this week? DD is good. Of course, she is constantly sick with a runny nose or teething or something, but she is doing fantastic otherwise- exceeded all her milestones at her 18-month well-child visit.
Rants/Raves? Concerns/Questions?
We are starting to think about how the transition of the new baby will affect DD. At her well-child visit, we asked the pediatrician about getting rid of the pacifier and potty training. She said to wait until after the baby is here for both. She also is going to be moved to the 2-year-old room at daycare around the time the baby is born, so we are thinking about that too. I'd like to have DD is her new room (the baby will take her room) by late February or early March so she doesn't feel like the baby took her room. We are looking for toddler furniture and will get her a big girl bed, but I am not sure whether we should transition her before the baby comes or not. He will sleep in the bassinet until at least 4 months and a friend is giving us a "mini-crib" so I think we could maybe make it until she is almost 2.5 to transition her, but I do worry that she is going to see the bab as taking her bed.
GTKY: Best/worst gifts received - can be from this holiday season but can also be from past holidays, birthdays, etc. My ex-bf got me a bottle of wine one year for Xmas. And then DH got me a bottle of brandy a few years later. Even though I LIKE both and they were not cheap bottles, I feel like alcohol requires SUCH little thought from a partner. DH is the sweetest guy, but he puts like no thought into gifts and it drives me crazy! Best gift was a week-long trip to Mexico that MIl got us a few years ago. I hope she emulates that gift soon for us again.
How are your other kids doing this week? He’s doing pretty good. Finally over his ear infection and back on track with sleep. He’s talking sooo much, it’s a lot of fun interacting with him.
Rants/Raves? Concerns/Questions? Stressing a little bit about getting him moved into a new room and getting all the furniture done before baby comes, but I’m sure it will all work out.
GTKY: Best/worst gifts received - can be from this holiday season but can also be from past holidays, birthdays, etc. I agree, I hate clutter gifts that aren’t my taste and I have moral arguments with myself about getting rid of them immediately so I hang on to for a while and then finally get rid of them. I got an Apple Watch this year so that’s been fun to get back to tracking my activity and everything.
How many kids do you already have? Ages? 1 ds, 17 mo
How are your other kids doing this week? Great! I think he’s happy to finally be in a solid routine after the holidays.
Rants/Raves? Concerns/Questions? I mentioned it on a/s thread, but my baby has an echogenic bowel. Likely everything is okay, but it’s really got me thinking about raising a child with special needs.
GTKY: Best/worst gifts received - can be from this holiday season but can also be from past holidays, birthdays, etc.
My aunt is so so sweet to my son, but she got him this ugly turtle with lights so that he has a light show on his ceiling. I’ll have to put it in his room every time she visits! Or not. 😕
@chloe97 we're in the same boat with the transitions but a couple months younger so know she's just not ready yet. She wants to sleep in a big girl bed and I foresee us having to make that transition earlier than we'd need to for this LO to take the crib (but DD was in our room for 11 months) since she climbs on/over everything. I've spent a lot of time researching and thinking about it and my current plan is to see what happens as she won't be ready to change beds or potty train before this LO is born anyways.
@aels12 and @DuchessOfCambridge I also hate clutter gifts. MIL does stockings which is a sweet thought but she fills them with absolute JUNK. She got this weird, hideous wide brim visor thing that she said just was too good a price not to get even though she knows it's weird. She reminded me about it since I'd left it out when we packed and I told her I already have a wide brim straw hat I bought when pregnant with DD and it doesn't fit in our suitcase with all of DD's gifts taking up space. Like, seriously, lady, I'm not taking things you admit are stupid on a plane to throw away - you can use it or throw it away yourself but that's honestly just rude in my opinion.
How many kids do you already have? Ages? DD is 16 months
How are your other kids doing this week? She's great! It's so fun to see her change so much with time off. 2 of the 3 vacations we've taken have aligned with major jumps in her development and it's so fun to watch. The amount she seems to have "grown" mentally over the holidays has been soooooo much fun!
Rants/Raves? Concerns/Questions? Rave: There was this kid who was about 1 1/2 when DD started daycare at 6 months and his little brother just started today!! The daycare is a small center, only has 2 rooms, so the "infant room" is 12 weeks-2 years and I've been waiting for them to get a baby. Kids have joined but it's pretty normal for moms to take time off or do nannies and then send their kids to daycare around 1 1/2-2ish so DD has had lots of new kids join (then graduate to the next room) but no actual babies have started since she was 1yo.
GTKY: Best/worst gifts received - can be from this holiday season but can also be from past holidays, birthdays, etc.
We do a secret santa on DH's side and no gifts on mine, which is really nice. DH and I don't do gifts, we save our money for travel (booking our Hawaii trip this weekend for later this month which I'll say is my "best gift" right now!!) and go out to eat on our birthdays. I love that DH and I do this instead, personally, although I know it's not for everyone. We did gifts earlier in our relationship but at some point it just seemed silly since I'm not one to not buy what I want when I want it (within reason) and I encourage DH to do the same. When I was younger, my grandmother got me scissors for Christmas (and that's it). I was about 12 or something. They were nice scissors as far as scissors go (for sewing, which I did a little of), don't get me wrong, but wtf?
How many kids do you already have? Ages? One son, 2.5
How are your other kids doing this week? He's doing pretty well. We tried the 3 day potty training method while I was off work for Christmas break since he's showing all the signs but it was a flop. He insisted on a diaper the third day. Well
try again next month when I have a long weekend
Rants/Raves? Concerns/Questions? none really. Picking up my oldest nephews this afternoon so they can help my husband gut our back bedroom this weekend. Hopefully with the boys help they'll be able to take it down to studs, run everything to the dump and frame out the new window and door. I was hoping it would be mostly dry in the walls since we've had a few dry days in a row but it started raining again today so I doubt they'll be able to insulate and resheetrock this weekend:(
GTKY: Best/worst gifts received - can be from this holiday season but can also be from past holidays, birthdays, etc.
My husband and I got several alcohol related gifts this year from his family and a friend of his. The most ridiculous part about it, aside from being obviously pregnant, is that his family doesn't drink. We're essentially storing them for white elephant gifts next year. They'd be nice if it had, had a bit more thought. His sister got us margarita mix and glasses but we're more wine/beer drinkers than liquor.
How many kids do you already have? Ages? Two girls, 5 and 2.5
How are your other kids doing this week? DD2 has been *terribly* 2 lately. "I want Mommy I don't want Mommy", "I want pizza I don't like pizza" etc etc...all in the same breathe, it's exhausting. DD1 has been pretty good lately, I just wish she would learn to be a little less self-centered (what? A self centered 5 year old?? Nooooo 🙄) but she's generally been good. We all came back to school today, which they needed, to be around their own friends. And they start their next round of swim lessons tonight, so I'm anxious to be back on a schedule.
Rants/Raves? Concerns/Questions? I'm just really glad they both, for now, are really excited about the new baby. And they were both hoping for a brother, so I'm really glad everyone is happy with the outcome.
GTKY: Best/worst gifts received - can be from this holiday season but can also be from past holidays, birthdays, etc. Best gift this holiday would probably be the massage gift certificate from DH but I haven't used it yet so I can't say for certain 😆
4. They are 7, 5, 3, and 2.
How are your other kids doing this week?
They're fine. Bored mostly. School doesn't start back up until Monday. They keep expecting to do fun stuff everyday and thats just not how I plan to spend this week.
Rants/Raves? Concerns/Questions?
I wish my kids would play outside. We live in the the country and our house is between cow pastures. So there's lots of open field around our house. I think all the open space is a little scary. They played outside way more when we lived in town and had a tiny yard. Having them in our small house all day makes me and them grumpy.
GTKY: Best/worst gifts received - can be from this holiday season but can also be from past holidays, birthdays, etc.
Worst gift was when I didn't get one. My mother-in-law sent a Christmas gift for all the kids and for my husband. Nothing for me.
Best was this past mothers day my husband got me a kitchenaid mixer. I'd been wanting one for years.
How are your other kids doing this week? DD2 has been sick with a nasty cold and has not been sleeping well, which means DH and I have not been sleeping well. Several times I've let her sleep in the bed with us which is probably setting a terrible precident. Last night she was like a rotisserie chicken rolling and rolling and rolling and nobody really got to sleep.
Rants/Raves? Concerns/Questions? I've been enjoying being off of work these past two weeks. It has been frustrating at times with the kids at each other's throats occasionally, but I'm still not ready to go back 😭.
GTKY: Best/worst gifts received - can be from this holiday season but can also be from past holidays, birthdays, etc.
Not me, but I once witnessed DH receive canned goods/random pantry items from his mother for his birthday... not even something he particularly loved or anything, just like, baked beans or StoveTop or something just so he'd have more "gifts" to open.
@eatinwatermelonseeds Our newest deterrant to DD1 lying is that whomever was lied to gets to eat a piece of her candy. Probably not the best parenting move, but the chocolate has made the lies less frustrating.
@DuchessOfCambridge I agree that I don't want tchotchkes or "decor" as gifts. I don't like pointless things, and they will end up at Goodwill.
2 boys, 6 and 2.5
How are your other kids doing this week?
Ds2 had a breakthrough with potty training over the holidays so I need to talk with his sitter about keeping it up when he is there. He actually started to initiate here and there and had 2 dry days. Ds1 has a hockey tournament this weekend and while normally I would be excited, dh is out of town so I will be lugging both boys on my own to 5 games 30 minutes away. I am exhausted just thinking about. Especially since I am back on pelvic rest.
Rants/Raves? Concerns/Questions? Dh and I spent all night tonight discussing ds1’s lack of growth. He is below the first percentile in height and weight (has been for The last year). Lately, his eating habits have tanked so we were brainstorming ways we can get him more calories. He also has a well visit coming up and I am a little worried. Our biggest struggle is that he needs more substantial snacks and lunch during the day, especially at school, but he eats zero dairy. He won’t touch anything creamy even dairy substitutes. Also, he won’t eat avocado or eggs. I am literally just running out of food ideas to send with him. Right now his lunch is almost always something with peanut butter. If anyone has any snack suggestions it would be appreciated.
GTKY: Best/worst gifts received - can be from this holiday season but can also be from past holidays, birthdays, etc.
best gift this year probably my air fryer from dh and mil bought us a new couch. Worst gift was an ugly sweater also from mil.
How are your other kids doing this week? They are staying at my mom's for a few days before school starts again. They're having a blast but DD1 is getting pretty homesick whenever she FaceTimes with me
Rants/Raves? Concerns/Questions? Nothing really. I’m quite enjoying my couple of days “off” before I pick the girls up tomorrow. The break was nice and I know I need to do that every once in a while to stay sane.
GTKY: Best/worst gifts received - can be from this holiday season but can also be from past holidays, birthdays, etc. Best gift was last year. My mom and stepdad gifted us a gift certificate to one of our favourite mountain resorts and included a promise to babysit whenever we chose to use it.
1 DS 17 months
How are your other kids doing this week?
In general, he’s doing good. His canines are coming through but they don’t seem to be bothering him particularly. Now we just have to work on his toothbrush skills! He always just tries to suck on the bristles...
Rants/Raves? Concerns/Questions?
When did your kid show signs of handedness? DS uses both but has been favoring his left a bit more recently. His cutlery set now curves (to make it easy for him to get it in his mouth), so it is really meant to be used with the right hand. I’m wondering if I should get him one for the left hand too.
GTKY: Best/worst gifts received - can be from this holiday season but can also be from past holidays, birthdays, etc.
My brother once “gifted” me a used pair of his work gloves. He apparently didn’t know what to get me so he decided to wrap up his work gloves. Then after I opened them he took them back. We were both adults at the time, but I was actually pretty hurt by it since it was the first Christmas I’d made it home in like 4 or 5 years. It was just the complete lack of effort that got to me I think. For best gifts, pretty much anything my DH has gotten me. He’s really good at gifts. My favorite necklace is from him, as are my favorite boots.
How are your other kids doing this week? Pretty good. When we hit the year mark we really upped her finger foods and decreased her bottles, so that's still a work in progress. Daycare keeps reporting back to us that she needs more food, so it's been a a little bit of a challenge gathering more and more for her each day without really knowing what is enough. I hate the idea of her feeling hungry during the day though, so that bums me out. And probably something that is not making it that easy is that DD is not quite in the biting/chewing phase of eating yet, so it's not like we can just throw a sandwich in her bag and hope for the best. We're still cutting everything up in teeny tiny pieces, so the food prep aspect has become kind of annoying.
Rants/Raves? Concerns/Questions? My little nephew has croup, poor thing, and I'm crossing my fingers that it doesn't come our way. We saw him a few days ago right before he was diagnosed and I'm just hoping we can avoid this. I'm so tired lately and just want to relax this weekend/not deal with nasty winter illnesses!
GTKY: Best/worst gifts received - can be from this holiday season but can also be from past holidays, birthdays, etc. I hate to complain about gifts, but it's kind of irritating when people just shop for DD without knowing her size, and then I get a crap ton of clothes that we can't even use. I spread the word right around DD's birthday that she was ready for 18 month clothes and that we had none. Pretty much everyone got us some really great 18 month clothes, but there were plenty who bought us 12 month, winter-specific clothes that we really can't use. And, we really can't use it for DD #2 either since the seasons will be off. Best I can do is return it at the store for credit I guess but it's still kind of a hassle.
Married: Oct 2015
TTC #1: Sept 2016
BFP: 10/19/16 ~ blighted ovum ~ D&C 11/23/16
BFP: 3/24/17
TTC #2: July 2018
BFP: 8/26/18
- cheese quesadilla (one tortilla with shredded cheese in the microwave) with avocado or roasted veggies/chicken (I used to prep roasted veggies for the week on Sunday but stopped with morning sickness). The avocado I use right now is from Costco packs and I make myself avocado toast with an egg in the morning with the rest. I cut this into 6 strips and she LOVES it and has been getting it since before she was 1yo. Sometimes I'll do leftover chili, add some beans, etc. I mix it up. but get in phases of doing a similar thing.
- veggies with hummus (also costco packs of hummus) - despite her age, she only has 6 teeth but it's exposure to the veggies and she eats the hummus which is great - will eventually just scoop it out with her hand
- Cheese stick
- fruit (cut up pears, half a banana not cut up, sliced strawberries, sliced grapes, blueberries, orange segments, etc.)
- If she didn't eat her breakfast, I'll throw in a small yogurt but that's rare
What really helps me with the prep is either keeping it simple with the costco packs of hummus and avocado or prepping more than one days worth of veggies and fruit and having them ready to go in the fridge. I pack her lunch and snacks while she eats breakfast and DH is getting ready (he usually starts breakfast and I take over). I do work from home most days and if I go in, I rarely have to leave before 9am so it's easier for me to not have to focus on getting myself out of the house.@eatinwatermelonseeds I'm a left-handed, and I still don't have the "right" grip. I remember my elementary teachers trying to correct it, and it was just never as comfortable for me, so I still hold pens and pencils "wrong."
Also, @chloe97 I had dark furniture and lavender walls growing up and they definitely went fine together. My walls were also a light green at one point which I also really liked with the dark furniture.
@peachy13 yes to the clothing sizes. DS was born in the winter and he got a few newborn outfits that were a shorts and t-shirt set. Like, really? You couldn't even think about the month I was due when buying that? Lol.
How are your other kids doing this week? Good. But I'm sad for her because her best friend left daycare to go to school. This is the friend that we always talk about before going to bed "Did you have a fun day with all your daycare friends." And when we wake up "We need to get dressed, so we can go to daycare and play with JuJu." They would freak out to give each other hugs when they were leaving for the day. I know she'll be fine, but it's sad because I don't know how her young brain feels about it.
Also she discovered chapstick this week, so I have watch and make sure she doesn't color all over her face with her crayons.
Rants/Raves? Really starting to feel this baby being active. She wakes me up in the MOTN now!
Concerns/Questions? I started planning my maternity leave - sketching out on a blank calendar when my FMLA, PDL (paid disability leave), and CFRA (parental bonding time) would run and then marking days that I would use sick or vacation time until I return. My PDL is sucky at my new job, but at least my benefits are covered for 20 weeks which is awesome, because that's like $1500+ a month.
GTKY: Best/worst gifts received - can be from this holiday season but can also be from past holidays, birthdays, etc.
I got a cat when I was 14. Does it get better than a kitty when you're a teenager? That cat lived for 16 years (ended up staying with my parents as an indoor/outdoor cat).
BFP: 8/20/2018 - EDD 5/4/2019
I'm sure I can get it from daycare. The thing is that he's a few years older than her (hence the leaving for school). I've always thought of play dates for peers, although she plays well with her older cousins, so I don't see why it wouldn't work with an older friend.
We're also really bad about making plans though. The last time on of her friends left, we didn't make any playdates, granted she was much younger then.
BFP: 8/20/2018 - EDD 5/4/2019
Married: Oct 2015
TTC #1: Sept 2016
BFP: 10/19/16 ~ blighted ovum ~ D&C 11/23/16
BFP: 3/24/17
TTC #2: July 2018
BFP: 8/26/18