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Archive through November 28, 2005

The TVClubHouse: General Discussions ARCHIVES: 2005 Sep. ~ Nov.: Parenting Place: New Parents to be........Tips and advice for us (ARCHIVES): Archive through November 28, 2005 users admin

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Enbwife
Member

08-14-2000

Wednesday, October 19, 2005 - 7:11 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Enbwife a private message Print Post    
Sleep around here has not been good lately. Both kids have been sick. It seems we get 4-5 nights of very good sleep, then someone gets a tooth or a cold and it all goes to hell!!!

Danz - enjoy your sleep now (if Dylan is a good sleeper). When #2 arrives, #1 starts having "issues"!!!

Abbynormal
Member

08-04-2001

Wednesday, October 19, 2005 - 9:16 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Abbynormal a private message Print Post    
Just stopping by to admire all the pictures. We have the best looking kids here at TVCH, and I'm not even kidding. I absolutely can't believe how big everyone is getting. Wow, time flies. Enjoy it mommies. You lucky ladies :-)

Enbwife
Member

08-14-2000

Thursday, November 03, 2005 - 11:07 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Enbwife a private message Print Post    
Just dropping in to say hi and hope you are all well. We're fine and settling into fall. The weather has turned cold and all the leaves are falling, but it's a pretty time of year with Christmas and lots of snow to come very soon. Sleep has been getting better in our house and I'm feeling much more rested. Nate has started stripping in public... urghhh. It's so hard to keep that kid's clothes on. He thinks he's "captain underpants". Drives me crazy. :-)

Spitfire
Member

07-18-2002

Thursday, November 03, 2005 - 11:37 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Spitfire a private message Print Post    
Captin Underpants....love it! Was that what he was for Halloween? LOL!

Spitfire
Member

07-18-2002

Monday, November 07, 2005 - 12:48 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Spitfire a private message Print Post    
OK Enbwife we tried your method of baby girl making......I am preggers!!!!

As far as I can guess I will be 7 weeks on Wednesday and have a appointment with my GP on Thursday to confirm.

The strangest thing though.....I did a test about 2 weeks ago and it was negative and then a test on Thursday says positive. I know I had to have been pregnant for the first one cuz...well...there was no activity in between.

Skootz
Member

07-23-2003

Monday, November 07, 2005 - 12:58 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Skootz a private message Print Post    
Well I guess congratulations are in order Spitfire..sooooooo


1


Spitfire
Member

07-18-2002

Monday, November 07, 2005 - 1:15 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Spitfire a private message Print Post    
Ahh thanks Skootz. I'm excited and terrified at the same time. DS will be about 22 - 23 months when new baby comes.

Skootz
Member

07-23-2003

Monday, November 07, 2005 - 5:20 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Skootz a private message Print Post    
You will be surprised spitfire how much help the little one can be for you. They can fetch almost anything for you when you are feeding the baby. I even read to my little one when I was feeding. There was 20 months difference between my first and second and 29 between the next 2..but they are all in years 2 years apart. It is busy but nice for the kids when they get older and are able to play with one another.

Spitfire
Member

07-18-2002

Tuesday, November 08, 2005 - 6:47 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Spitfire a private message Print Post    
Great idea about the reading while feeding. I'm sure I'll eventually have it all down pat. DS is already great at getting things for me. I really don't need anything but will ask him so he feels needed and he comes back with a huge smile on his face. So far his age is the funnest for me. I can communicate with him no problem and he is understanding almost anything I talk about. He is making choices by nodding yes or shaking his head no, asking for more by saying it and signing it to, and he tries to say everything! My favorite right now is roosters......they say....doooodle dooooo.

We don't have a computer at home and I'm thinking that I may have to invest in one because I'm not sure I can handle not having one this time. It's so useful when I have a question that I can research at the touch of a button instead of having to go to the library. I live in the country to so it's not so easy and handy to just leave the house to run to the library. DH and I discussed that if and when a second baby would come I would not be returning to work because it would not be worth it for us, so even more reason to get a puter now. Now I need to find a stay at home job. Any suggestions anyone?

Enbwife
Member

08-14-2000

Tuesday, November 08, 2005 - 7:00 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Enbwife a private message Print Post    
Congrats Spitfire!! I hope your girl method worked, but if not, 2 boys will be tons of fun. As I said above, get your sleep now... hee hee. Having 2 is great, especially when you see them interact and "play" with each other. It's also exhausting, keeping your eye on every activity and little thing in the house. Keep us posted.

Rosie
Member

11-12-2003

Tuesday, November 08, 2005 - 7:04 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Rosie a private message Print Post    
Hi ENB, good to hear from you and get an update on your family.

Had to laugh about Nate's antics. You just never know what they will come up with next.

How old is Starr now?

Got pics?

Have a wonderful holiday!

Enbwife
Member

08-14-2000

Tuesday, November 08, 2005 - 5:12 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Enbwife a private message Print Post    
Hi Rosie, I thought I was going to die of embarassment. The playground was full of kids and parents...
Starr will be 1 on the 29th. I can't believe it's her first b-day already. She is so sweet, walking all over and trying to talk. Here's a pic from when we were in Victoria on vacation this summer.

starr

Enbwife
Member

08-14-2000

Tuesday, November 08, 2005 - 5:14 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Enbwife a private message Print Post    
And here's a photo of Starr with my twin niece and nephew who will be turning 1 on Jan.2. Starr's in the middle.

starr

Enbwife
Member

08-14-2000

Tuesday, November 08, 2005 - 5:17 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Enbwife a private message Print Post    
Looks like Starr and Dean are twins but it's Dean and Lauren that are the twins. Lauren looks exactly like my 3 yr old niece, Ava, and Dean looks like Starr. Funny.

More pics of Starr and Nate can be found in the Oct.17 archives at top of this page... I'm a proud mama... can you tell?

Abbynormal
Member

08-04-2001

Tuesday, November 08, 2005 - 6:50 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Abbynormal a private message Print Post    
OMG! Those are delicious babies. I want them all.
Look at all those fat baby flinstone feet and those yummy little necks.

ETA: Lisa Nate's story reminds me of when Skyler was about 2 and took to peeing off the front porch. I remember talking to the new neighbor(first meeting) who had a boy the same age. They were a very proper family and he just whips it out and lets it fly. I thought I would die.

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Tuesday, November 08, 2005 - 11:12 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
LOL, just remember though Lisa, most parents have been through similar embarrassing things and just giggle when they see other people kids do that kind of stuff. Dakota's 7 and will still walk in the house and start ripping clothes off. Which, btw, is a huge improvement because when she was younger, she was the neighborhood stripper! If I turned my back on her she'd be butt nekkid in three seconds running around the front yard.

Spitfire, congratulations! Caleb and Dakota are 27 months apart (a little older than yours will be) but theres a lot of ways to involve the older one in helping. Caleb loved to hold Dakota (with supervision,) and "read" to her, he'd look at the pictures and make up a story. When she'd wake up from naps crying in her crib, he was usually the first one there trying to calm her down. Of course there were other times when she was fussy that he'd place his little fists on his hips, say, "not again!" and stomp off to find some place quiet, lol. It was such a hectic time, but it was a fun time too!

Lisa, those kidlets are too cute! How nice for your kids to have cousins so close in age to play with.

Spitfire
Member

07-18-2002

Wednesday, November 09, 2005 - 6:59 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Spitfire a private message Print Post    
Thanks for the pictures Lisa. I love the full round faces of the babies to Abby.

Enbwife
Member

08-14-2000

Tuesday, November 22, 2005 - 4:45 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Enbwife a private message Print Post    
I need Supernanny in my house I think... Nathan is a crazy, very active 3 yr old who definitely has a listening problem these days. Yesterday I wrote out the "House Rules" and posted them on the wall in our living room. They say stuff like "be kind to Starr", "no jumping on the furniture", "coat and shoes off at front door", "clothes stay on in public"... Nate stuck stickers on the poster and we read them out loud. Today was just another day of craziness. We try to be consistent with him but every day it's something new. Today I had coffee with a preschool mom and her DD, and Nate was standing on the couch at Starbucks, dancing around, climbing on little Molly... not listening at all... so I took him home. How embarrassing! This woman is a teacher too so I'm sure she was thinking it's all my fault - which it probably is. Urgghghhh. This kid wakes up at 7am, starts jumping on the bed and yelling, and doesn't stop until 6:30pm when he goes to bed. But then there's times where he'll snuggle up, let us read books to him forever, and he tells us he loves us. I only pray Starr is calm like she is now, when she gets to 3!!!

Julieboo
Member

02-05-2002

Tuesday, November 22, 2005 - 5:29 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Julieboo a private message Print Post    
ENB, don't be so hard on yourself or on Nate. He is an active 3 year old boy. I think having a relaxing cup of coffee is out of the question til he's about 8!! :-)

Spitfire
Member

07-18-2002

Wednesday, November 23, 2005 - 6:58 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Spitfire a private message Print Post    
ENB there are very few 3 year old BOYS who are not exactly the way you describe. Between 5 of my closest friends we have 7 boys total who are ages 8, 5, 5, 5, 3, 3, 16/m. Everyone of them, in their own way has had these moments of craziness. Some are worse than others of course and I do think in some situations it's lack of parenting. They simply don't care to do anything about behaviour except keep making hollow threats.

This is not the case for you. You seem to be doing what you can to keep the situation in your control even though it feels like he may be controlling you. You are trying to set rules and bounderies.

Like Julie said don't be so hard on yourself. You are a great mom who tries hard and is dealing with a crazy 3 year old who is only testing you.

Secretsmile
Member

08-19-2002

Wednesday, November 23, 2005 - 7:17 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Secretsmile a private message Print Post    
Enb, I agree with Julie on this one. Consistency and manageable tasks are the key. He's so normal it's not even funny, when he tests the boundaries by misbehaving in public. Kids can sense when your not completely on your game such as going out for coffee with a friend. He knew you wanted that time and so minor infractions weren't going to get you to pack them up and take them home to the time out chair, so he pushed to see how far he could take it.


I took a lot of crap from friends and relatives when my children were young. (This was pre- Super Nanny) Many of my peers in parenting were using a much more laid back approach. I had 3 kids 18 months apart each. I just had to maintain strict rules or my life would have been chaos. When I had a rule it was always the rule, it was never ok to stand on furniture, (basically because I was sure someone would take a header and prompt a trip to the ER for stitches, but we won't tell them that, LOL), so standing on furniture was always met with me packing up and taking everyone home, the offender to time out.

It wasn't easy, especially when we'd take them home from the grandparents' house. Mainly, I adored my children so much I wanted everyone they were around to enjoy them as much as we did and nobody had fun if they were out of control.

My children are in their early 20's now, but something happened a few weeks ago that showed me it all paid off. We were at an in-law wedding, and one SIL mentioned how when she thinks about all the kids growing up, mine were always the most social and well behaved, and they still are. I'd love to know what the look on my face was since this is the same SIL that used to have critical comments about me taking them home from family events just because they were "acting like children."

Raising kids is hard work. Just remember that nobody gets it perfect, nobody knows your kids as well as you, and that you are the best mother those children could ever hope to have.

Buttercup
Member

09-10-2000

Wednesday, November 23, 2005 - 8:52 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Buttercup a private message Print Post    
Secretsmile--you're the kind of mom I strive to be

Enb, it sounds like you're on the right track and that Nate is a perfectly normal and happy little boy spreading his wings

Oh, and I love the photos above...too cute!

Enbwife
Member

08-14-2000

Thursday, November 24, 2005 - 11:20 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Enbwife a private message Print Post    
Thanks guys. You all make me feel better. I keep telling myself it has to get better. Some days I'm so calm, offering choices, and showing no emotion, and other days I feel like he's driving me to the brink of lunacy!!! Like I'm going to FREAK OUT and lose it completely. I guess this is all very normal but I have days where I feel like a "bad" mother. Every day I strive to do better than the day before. I think for us we need to give him tons of positive attention and more one on one time. I took him out to buy winter boots this morning, just the 2 of us, and it was good. It's hard having 2 kids I find.

Spitfire
Member

07-18-2002

Friday, November 25, 2005 - 9:52 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Spitfire a private message Print Post    
I hear you about feeling like a "bad" mom sometimes to. Lately I am last on Sam's list of the people he wants to be with. He is happy with everyone else, plays, smiles, interacts, kisses, hugs, etc. When it comes to me he is whiny, clings to me but wants nothing, will not show me any affection and want's none in return. Most people tell me that children like to do this to their mothers sometimes but it makes me so depressed. I feel like I have done something wrong and cannot figure it out. I try not to let it show that it hurts me but sometimes I just want to cry.

Spitfire
Member

07-18-2002

Monday, November 28, 2005 - 1:21 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Spitfire a private message Print Post    
We had a great weekend. We hung out a home and did a whole lotta nothin except play and spend time together. I'm hoping that was what he needed to get over the hump.