We’re Ready! (Finally)

I’ve blogged before that we haven’t been as prepared as early as we were with Brody.  By 36-37 weeks we had everything ready to go and I sat around impatiently waiting for Brody to make his arrival.  With Aedan, I figured we had time, so why rush it?

A couple weeks ago, I got to the point where if I went in labor, I knew we’d be fine.  Jason would have to go home to do a few things while I was in the hospital, I wouldn’t have had a hospital bag packed…but we had all the necessities, so we’d be fine.

Now?  I can actually say, we’re officially ready!  About 8 days before Aedan’s anticipated due date, I finally feel like we’re ready.

Car seats – installed. 
Hospital bags – packed. 
Pack n play – mostly set-up. 
Nursery – stocked (with teeny tiny diapers!). 
Maternity leave plans put together at work.
Baptism date – tenatively planned. 
Eliminate dairy from diet – 1 week in.
Toddler potty-trained??  – Close.  We’re getting there.  Just keeping my fingers crossed that when his world is turned upside-down, he doesn’t regress.

Now, are we mentally prepared for this baby?  The jury is still out on that one.  But I don’t think I’m ever going to be prepared for the challenges of two little boys.  I’m just praying that Aedan takes after his brother and is an awesome go-with-the-flow baby.  A girl can wish, right??

Tough Twos?

All the posts about the new baby, there hasn’t been a lot of posts on how Brody is doing these days.  I hate to call them the terrible twos, but he’s definitely full of challenges as he’s making his way to three.  So, I’ll call it the good, the bad and the ugly of the twos.

The Good

 
There are so so many good things about this stage, that I am sure I won’t do it justice when I get to the “bad” and the “ugly.”  For starters, the independence of a two year old is great.  He’s great at playing by himself, listens to directions and can even climb into his booster seat on his own.  This allows us to do a whole lot more as parents, which is great, but it’s also amazing to watch your baby’s personality develop even more by watching what he does when you’re not right there next to him.  I LOVE sneaking up on him when he’s playing and watch what he does / what he’s playing with.  Some of his favorites these days are: his Little People Zoo toy (listening to animal sounds), legos, playing baseball (his absolute favorite) and singing with Elmo.

Communication is also great.  He can tell us what he wants, how he feels and remembers things he’s done.  This is absolutely the best thing about this age.  The phrase “kids say the darndest things!” is so true.  Especially at 2.  He sees the world so differently that it often opens my eyes to how innocent and impressionable he is.  I often have to remind myself that he’s absorbing everything I do and to be careful about what I say.  My favorite though? “I love you mama”  Best words ever spoken by a sweet little boy.

Leading me to my little boy’s developing personality.  He may be rough and very much a boy, but he also has the biggest heart.  And he definitely loves his mama.  Last weekend he was being a little crazy and jumping on me.  When I said “ow! you need to be more careful, you’re hurting mommy.”  He said, “I’m sorry! I’ll get you some ice!”  With purpose in mind, he went straight for his stool, opened the freezer and then realized he couldn’t reach the ice.  So then of course he asked for help and held the ice up to my arm.  So sweet.

The Bad

Remember how great I said it was that he can communicate?  It’s also the “bad” of two year olds.  He can be stubborn, defiant and downright sassy.  He’ll argue with us over the silliest things (the difference between fog and smoke, whether or not his food is hot, etc), but it’s just how he is discovering and interpreting his world.  He’s also learning to push our buttons and is real good at it.  No one should be surprised by any of this though, he comes from two very stubborn parents and his Mom definitely has a sassy streak to her.

In typical boy fashion, he’s messy, high-energy and can get a little crazy at times.  But these are all things we’ve learned to love about him.

The Ugly

Here is where I would insert a super-cute picture of Brody posing in his big-boy underwear…but since it’s not something I think should be posted on the internet, you’ll just have to picture him in super-cute Nemo underwear.

So, the ugly?  Potty-training!!

**If you don’t want to read about a toddler’s toilet habits…you can stop here** 

He’s been amazing at peeing in the “potty” and has been wearing underwear for over a week with only 1 accident where he didn’t make it to the bathroom in time to pee.  He’s doing great and even started to tell us when he needs to go (as opposed to us reminding him to go).  The 1 M&M reward system worked great at home and daycare uses a sticker reward system that has been awesome.  Truly a peeing super-star.

However…he REFUSES to poop in the toilet.  We thought underwear would help motivate him to go, but so far it hasn’t.  Instead, at least one pair has ended up in the garbage and several pairs have had to be cleaned & sanitized.  Ick!  We’ve tried bribing him with absolutely everything (treats, toys, the party he gets to have at school).  I’ve tried pulling the “big-boy” card: “Only babies poop in their diaper.”  I’ve even tried making him feel guilty (not my best parenting moves) by telling him that Mickey Mouse is sad that Brody pooped on him (he was wearing Mickey underwear). 

It’s been a little stressful, but can be pretty hilarious at times too.  The new method I tried this weekend, was staying on top of him, watch for sign that he’s going to poop and then trying to get him to do it in the bathroom.  Picture 8 1/2 month pregnant woman running (well, waddling) through the house with 2 year old held at arms reach saying “no!! poop in the toilet!!”  Only to get there and have him poop, in his underwear, 2 inches from the toilet.

His teachers assure us that he’s not going to go to college in diapers, so it has to happen eventually, but it would be real nice if it happened sooner than later!

It’s the holiday season!

I LOVE Christmastime. I love it even more now that I have a little guy to share it with. Last year was fun as his first Christmas, and he was able to do a lot since he was almost 1 at that point. However, this year, I know he’ll enjoy it a lot more and he understands a lot more.

We’ve been reading him the Christmas Story in his bible for awhile. But one of my proudest moments as a Mom (so far) was when my sister told me that Brody pointed out Jesus when they went to look at Christmas lights. It was one of those moments where you realize that what you teach them and tell them really sinks in! (He also calls the bible his Jesus-book…too cute)

Since we were on vacation for a week in December, it put me a bit behind on the Christmas spirit (though my shopping was basically done Thanksgiving weekend…woohoo!) So as soon as we got home, I kicked in the Christmas mode…

First up? Decorating Christmas cookies! A friend of ours bakes cookies with her 2 year old, and I’ve never really done that with Brody. So I though sugar cookies would be a perfect start.

He did a pretty good job putting on the icing…

Then he soon realized he could eat what he was decorating with and started licking the side of the sprinkles container (since frosting was all over it). He did a pretty good job though and loved eating his artwork!Next up? Santa Claus! Now, as I mentioned before, I was already behind on Christmas stuff…which included prepping Brody for the big Santa Claus visit. He freaked out last year…
So I probably should have been talking to him about it for at least a week ahead of time to get him excited. Instead, I really only gave him 1 days notice. He was so freaked out by Santa that I couldn’t even attempt to put him on his lap. I’ve never seen him so scared in his life, so it wasn’t worth making it worse. Get me outta here!!!

Daddy, help me!!

It went quick and then we were able to take some pictures of him in his cute outfit. Oh well, hopefully next year will be better!

Sometimes I Forget…

To remember how lucky I am…

Between the naptime and bedtime struggles as well as a preview of “terrible twos”…Brody has been a little more stressful than usual. And with a long winter ahead with less and less time outside, I imagine we’ll have plenty more stressful days ahead.

So yes, sometimes I need to remind myself…

The sleepy boy who refuses to take a nap is the same boy who loves to cuddle in the rocking chair and read books or sing a song.

The boy who can get frusterated to the point that he’ll scream or cry is the same boy who says, “love you mama.”

The high-energy toddler that loves to run around like crazy, pulling out everything onto the floor is the same toddler that will let you tickle him until he’s laughing so hard you think he’ll stop breathing. Then when you stop, he’ll yell’ “more!” because he loves to giggle.

He makes my heart melt on a regular basis with his love, smiles and personality. So — when he’s crying because I did something as simple as breaking a piece of bread in half instead of giving him the full slice — I just need a simple reminder of how lucky I am to have him.

Chatty Brody

“Between 18 and 20 months, his pace will pick up as he acquires ten or more new words each day. If he’s especially focused on learning to talk, he can add a new word to his vocabulary every 90 minutes!” –BabyCenter.Com

As much as I was surprised to read this statistic, I am also not very surprised. Even though Brody is almost 22 months, this describes him perfectly. He constantly is saying new words that I had no idea he knew! Even when we’re not intentionally teaching him a new word, he’s learning it by listening to us.

Aside from the fact that I need to watch what I say (and do!), it’s amazing watching him pick up every little thing. Somehow in the last couple of weeks Brody has learned the word “Coffee.” So every morning he points to our cups and says, “Mama coffee/Dada coffee.” And I swear we don’t drink THAT much! Then we were out to dinner and he asked for our “fries.” I think he gets fries at daycare, but he’s never had them at home or out with us before. So I had no idea he even knew what those were! Guess I should probably start watching what I eat too…

He also likes to put ownership to everything. It’s “Brody’s milk”, “Mama’s coat” etc. He also generalizes certain things. Mommy and Daddy is universally applied to anyone that looks like a Mom or Dad….in books, at daycare, at the store… It’s akward the first time your child points at a strange man and yells “Daddy!” I just keep repeating, “yep – that’s one of your friend’s dads” and hope one day he’ll catch on.

2nd Halloween

Last year we were able to do quite a few fun Halloween activities with Brody, but with each year I know it will get more fun to do new things with him as he grows older.

So this year, we tackled pumpkin painting. I’m not brave enough to carve pumpkins with Brody yet, but since he does a lot of art projects, I thought painting would be perfect. But first, we had to head out to get a pumpkin…

We didn’t end up finding a weekend to go to a pumpkin farm with hayrides, pick your own pumpkins and corn mazes. So instead, we headed to a farm nearby where all their pumpkins on are near the road. I also believe this is the cheapest way to go too.

Despite the low-maintenance pumpkin picking, Brody had a great time. He was able to pull around pumpkins in a small wagon, ride in a bigger wagon and pick out his own pumpkin.

Then we headed home to paint our pumpkins. Brody had a great time painting his pumpkin and my ever-so-patient Mom sat next to him to make sure paint did end up all over the floor and so Jason and I could paint pumpkins as well. The finished products:

Halloween at Brody’s Daycare is also a big celebration. Every year they host a Costume Fashion Show. Parents attend of course, but it also draws a crowd from many others in the office. By the time we got there it was standing room only!

All the kids walk (or are pushed in a stroller if they’re too little) across a stage. Walking is so much more fun, so I was excited that Brody was out walking on his own. He actually did a great job and I snapped a picture of him when he saw me. He pointed and yelled right away of course, but didn’t try to run over. Many other kids get pretty upset when they can’t run over to their parents right away, so I was glad that Brody did such a good job.

Our Little SpiderMan!

Friday night we headed to a Haunted House/Halloween party that my sister helps host every year. While it was cold, we were still able to stay for awhile, which allowed Brody to go through his very first haunted house. While it was a good/scary haunted house (which they do in a garage), when we took Brody through, we used a flashlight and all the people in the haunted house were extra nice to him. So, it wasn’t truly that scary, but we still got a chance to check out all their hard work.

Since Halloween was on a Monday this year, our city chose to do Trick-or-Treat from 6-8pm on Saturday night. At first I was annoyed that it was so late. (Brody goes to bed by 6:30!!) Then I realized that at least it wasn’t a weeknight and reminded myself that it’s not the end of the world if Brody stays up until 8pm. We were in the middle of weaning the pacifier (more on that another day), so any disruption to bedtime was worrisome.

I personally believe that a 1 year old is too young to trick-or-treat (especially since he’s not allowed to eat any candy). However, Jason disagreed, so he headed out to take Brody to a few houses. It was a great way for Brody to get the experience with some of our nearby neighbors, without doing too much. Although, he still ended up with a ton of candy! Apparently they thought he was cute.

Then they headed home and he helped pass out candy. This was by far his favorite activity. He would run down to the end of the driveway with a piece of candy to drop it in a kid’s bucket. Then when it would quiet down, he would yell, “More Kids!!”

Toddler Talk

Conversations with Brody:

Jason: “After we get a haircut, we’re going to go to Kohl’s”

Brody: “Cole!!!” (Brody’s name for Aunt Nicole)

Me: “No Brody, we’re going shopping, at Kohl’s Department Stores”

Brody: “Cole’s!!!”

Me: “Boy, he’s going to be pretty dissapointed when he realizes Nicole won’t be there and he has to go shopping for Kitchen gadgets…”

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Brody: “Ben? Where Ben?” (Ben is one of our chocolate labs)

Me: “Ben is upstairs, Cody is right there” (Cody is our other lab)

Brody: “No, Ben!”

Me: “Is Ben your favorite?”

Brody: “Yes”

Me: “Is that because you can only say ‘Ben’? “

Brody: “Yes!”

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Me: “Brody, what do you want for breakfast? Waffles?”

Brody: “No! Cereal.”

Me: “Oh, you want cereal?”

Brody: “No!!”

Me: “What do you want for breakfast?”

Brody: “Waffles!!”

Weekend Getaway

So after the craziness at work, I just wanted to hibernate with my favorite boys. So…we headed on yet another vacation!!
Over Labor Day weekend we hopped in the car and drove a couple hours north to Green Bay. We had a couple things in mind for when we got there, but the best part is that it was one of those last minute vacations where every minute wasn’t already planned.

We got there Friday afternoon for lunch at Lambeau Field and a tour through the Packer Hall of Fame. It was my first time, as well as Brody’s, and it was pretty fun. Obviously Brody will enjoy it more when he’s older, but he did a great time hanging out in the stroller while we looked around. He also didn’t sleep the whole car ride up there, so it was a miracle he wasn’t melting down. Waiting for lunch & playing his first arcade game

Checking out the Lombardi Trophy (Super Bowl Champions ’10-’11)

That night we just went out to dinner and headed back to the hotel to get Brody to bed at a normal time. There was also a pit-stop to get eye drops since Brody had developed pink-eye. Though he gets sent home on a regular basis for “pink-eye” this trip was the only time I actually think he had it. Let me tell you, classic pink-eye is actually pretty nasty. Luckily he was able to get medicated right away so that he didn’t spread it to us or anyone else.

We also learned the key to success in hotel-ing it with a toddler. Separate bedrooms!! We stayed in a suite (in the middle of nowhere, this was still a pretty cheap room), which had a separate bedroom, with a fridge/microwave/sink area separating it between the living room. We were able to put Brody to bed and we could actually stay up. He slept great both nights in that hotel room and napped as well. It made things so much easier.

Then on Saturday we headed to Bay Beach. This was actually our main purpose for picking Green Bay, so I was a little dissapointed when we woke up and it was raining outside. For those who don’t know what Bay Beach is (I just learned this recently), it is an amusement park directed at younger kids that is super cheap. You don’t pay to get in and each ride is about $0.25. The most expensive ride we went on was $0.75 per person (Merry Go Round). Many of the rides are geared towards younger kids, but children up to the age of 8 could easily be entertained there. And we struggled to spend $5 in about 3 hours.

At first I was a little nervous. Brody had never been on a carnival ride and the first one I saw didn’t have a seatbelt. I really thought he might try to climb out during the ride, so we went to look for one where he’d be belted in. Though, there really was no reason to worry. Here’s his first ride…

He LOVED it!

By the end of the morning, he was a pro. Jason even yelled out to him, “put your hands in the air!” So, he did…

The best part was, he wouldn’t put his arms down until Jason told him to. It was pretty funny.

The weather wasn’t ideal, but Brody didn’t mind at all. We headed back to the hotel for lunch and nap thinking we’d go back to ride more rides in the afternoon if the weather cleared up.

Unfortunately it rained all afternoon. There was no way I was getting stuck in a hotel room with a toddler on vacation. So we pulled out the laptop, did a few google searches and found an indoor place with inflatables to bounce around in. This also was another first for Brody. He was a little hesitant at first, but quickly got the hang of it. Especially when he figured out that one of them had a basketball hoop and ball in it.

Turned out to be a great couple of days and we loved the more laid-back vacation. Definitely think we’ll head back there again in the next couple of years.

Laughing our way through Toddlerhood

It’s been way too long since I’ve blogged. First, it was because I was working ridiculous hours…I mean “ridiculous, I haven’t seen my child in 5 days” kind of hours. Then I was back to working normal hours and spending every waking minute with my son, husband, family, friends and then catching up on all the house related stuff we ignored.

Now…we’re catching our breath, so it’s time to blog again! Which is really a good thing, because, seriously, toddlers are funny. I mean babies are cute, sleepy and cuddly. But toddlers are really fun. They’re also difficult, stubborn and stressful. But very fun.

Brody is in a stage where he freaks out if anything isn’t the way he expects. Example: he likes it if you give him a cheese stick whole & he’ll take bites off of it. If you break it into little pieces for him, he doesn’t want it, and will literally cry about it. In his mind, it’s just not the same! You learn which battles to pick and move on.

So this morning, Brody and I were walking out to the car in the garage like we do every morning. However, today, I wasn’t wearing any shoes. My shoes were in the car already and I was going to put them on in the garage (my husband is probably rolling his eyes right now that I didn’t at least put sandals on and now my socks are probably dirty).

And Brody, could not handle it at all. “Mama, shoes!!”

When I reassured him that they were just in the car and I could walk out to get them, he just started picking up every other pair of shoes I had by the back door.

“Mama shoes, mama shoes” as he hands me one shoe after the other. He actually refused to walk out the back door until he saw me pull my shoes out of the car and put them on.

It’s times like this that you just have to laugh at how his little brain works. If you’re not laughing, you’re probably pulling your hair out trying to rationalize with him…so we choose to laugh.

More stories, including a catch-up on how our last 3 summer vacations went (Michigan, Green Bay, New York), coming soon!

Our little traveler

We actually have quite a few vacations planned in 2011, so it should be a year of adventure. Earlier this year, we headed to Valparaiso, IN to cheer on our nephew JJ’s basketball team. Then this past weekend we headed to Kansas City, just the three of us. Later this summer we’ll head to Michigan with more of our family for our annual trip. Then this Fall the three of us will head to NYC for a friend’s wedding, with my older sister to help take care of Brody the night of the wedding. Then to end the year off, we’ll leave Brody home for a week, while Jason & I celebrate our 5 year anniversary / the wedding of a good friend in the Carribean. At some points all the vacationing with a toddler will be stressful, but I’m excited to start these trips early. By the time Brody is two he will have slept in 7 different states.

I’m excited to share these experiences with him, but even more excited to do more once he’s old enough to actually remember them. Needless to say, a lot of the trips this year and last have been about us, more than him. But we love having him along and showing him new things. It also helps this control-freak of a mama get out of her element every once and awhile.

So the latest trip? Overall I’d say it was a success! Though it did have it’s ups and downs. Pictures and stories to come…