How many hours of television time you should let your toddlers watch in a day? I have read in some books that you should not let them watch telly over 2 hours in a day. I am so guilty of this because I let my kids watch their show on PBS or Nick channel more than 2 hours a day. I just don't have other means of bribing them to stay away from me to do my school work.
I let them watch television once they get bored playing or doing art work in their toy room. My consolation is that they are watching educational shows anyways. I know, it's my bad but I got to give them something to occupy them. Most of the time, even if they are watching telly, they are still bothering me. If this happens, I can no longer be in front of the computer, I need to be with them because the concentration blows out of the window already.
This is why you can wish you have someone to watch your kids even if you are at home. We don't have the luxury of that here, so I need to deal with it and improvise. I know in the end I can see the fruit of my sacrifices.
Watching Television
DD1 is Back to School
I am very glad that our DD1 is already well. She's back in school this afternoon and I can tell she was very excited. I told her early in the morning she'll go back to school and she can't wait. I really don't want her to be absent but we don't want her classmates to get cough and colds from her.
As we arrived at her school she immediately hung her backpack and jacket then she went inside her classroom after kissing me goodbye. She never cried at all. I think she already outgrown that separation anxiety. I hope it will not change.
When I picked her up they were ath their school playground. She did good with the swing and not as scared of it as before. She also became confident in climbing up at the wall. While inside the playground, I saw her picked wild flowers near the fence. When her teacher called her to go home she ran to me and handed me two small yellow flower. She said it's for me and her daddy. She is very sweet and thoughtful. I wish and pray she'll stay the same for always.
Weaning to Bottle
I am an advocate for breastfeeding babies. With our DD1 I breastfed her for 22 months and I am planning to do the same with our DD2. But as early as now I am having with my milk production. The supply is somehow slowing down. Our DD2's pedia suggested to supplement my feedings with formula. Right now we started giving her an ounce of formula every three hours. I'll give it to her after I breastfeed her.
Now, our problem is she will fight when we give her the bottle. She'll cry hard and push the bottle away. It's been a week now that we fight every time we give her the bottle. She won't just take it without a fight. I may have to try another nipple for her bottle maybe she'll take it. I really felt guilty that I can't solely breastfeed her but I don't want her to be deprived of additional nutrition as well. I want to do what is best for our DD1.
Our Girls
Our Daddy is outnumbered here at home. Of course, since he's the only thorn among the roses here. He always say too many girls here. I can't imagine how it will be like when our two little girls grow up. I am picturing about us going to the salon having our girl's day out and just bonding together.
I know it's still a long way to go. But in a way I kind of scared because they are girls and we need to teach them properly on how to act outside our house. No parents wants their kids to be in harms way and it is always my prayer that they will be guided.
I am in a way conservative and so is my husband. When we are talking about our girls hubby would say jokingly that he need to buy a shotgun to protect our girls. It is his way of showing how protective he is. I believe that with proper guidance and constant communication with our kids they'll be good. We just have to continue giving them love and care. Show to them our understanding but being firm as well especially in disciplining them.
Demanding Baby
As our DD2 is growing older she became more demanding as well. She is now 20 weeks and seemed like she also developed separation anxiety from me. Right now she is still trying to adjust with Daddy being home. When hubby hold her she will look at me and then look at her Daddy and she'll cry. Even if my other friends held her she will cry also. I can't stay away longer without her crying out loud.
Her patience is definitely very short that staying five minutes in her gym mat, bouner, car seat, or just laying down with toys is like lifetime to her. She don't like being alone too. If I put her in her bouncer I have to carry her if I go to other room or else she will get upset and cry hard. She is learning to play by herself but you need to be by her side too so she will behave for even just a few minutes.
But I am enjoying now that she's growing coz she reply with gigles every time you play with her. DD1 is also enjoying the time that she gets to play with her sister. The ate is very gentle with her and she love it when her little sister laugh with her.
Picky Eater
I am having problem with our toddler when it comes to giving her food. Lately she is very difficult to feed. She know how to feed herself but if I let her be she will not touch her food. So I ended up feeding her and use different tactics just so she will eat. What I do is letting her choose what she want to eat. I give her options or choices of foods. She can choose and then if she finished eating it she will get a choice of dessert. She liked it but sometimes I have a hard time too coz she will not chose the food that I have for her instead she will go to the pantry and try to choose one from there.
I find it funny at times but I swear it is hard too. As a mother we need to go down to their level and understand everything that our toddler wants and also explain in their language everything as well. When she was two years old I was very happy that it wasn't terrible two years. She's very behaved and seldom that she will have tantrums. I am so proud of her because ever since she became a toddler I did not experience or see her having a meltdown inside the store or anywhere else. Hopefully I will never see it ever.
But back to my picky eater, I am trying to research on different food that I need to offer our toddler. Good thing there are websites that gives information about it. I also bought a recipe book for toddlers. I just hope in the days to come her love of food will improve.
Our DD @ 34 Months
Our 34 month old like playing pretend now and loves to dress up. When she wake up in the morning she will go to her closet and get a dress or anything that she fancies to wear. I left her yesterday at my friend's and when I got there after doing my errands our DD and her friend AJ both were in a dance wear. My friend said that their playing dress up and were dancing. I guess this summer I may have to enroll her back in a dance class. At least hubby will be here already.
Another thing I need to look into is looking for pre-school for her. I already checked out the ones nearby but I have to wait for hubby's decision in April if we are going to move or not. We both wanted her to be enrolled this September so hopefully there'll be a decision by then. As to her preparedness for school, I think she'll be okay. She loves to be with other kids, love to learn new things, she can identify all the letters in the alphabet and she can count 1-10. She also like to read now than before. I need to bring her more to the library and make her love books more. I am doing my best of reading to her everyday not only at night before bed.
By next month she'll be a big sissy and I hope she can easily adjust of having another baby in the house. Right now she is very sweet and every morning when she wake up she don't forget to say good morning sissy and touch my tummy. She love kissing my tummy as well. I know there will be sibling rivalry but I am praying she'll be cooperative to me since it will be the three of us after two weeks when their Dad return overseas. I am now looking at how handful everything will be but I know everything will be alright :-)
Am I Not Ready?
Last night was supposed to be the night our DD to sleep alone in her room and in her big bed. But around two in the morning the Mommy, that's me :-), decided to join her since she can't sleep knowing the darling daughter is alone in her room.
I think it is me who developed the separation anxiety. Around ten last night I put our DD to bed. Most of the time she sleeps at ten because she wakes up late from her nap. It didn't take long for me to put her to sleep coz she's already sleepy. After few minutes of cuddling together and telling her story she drifted off to la-la land. I left her room but had the night light on. Both doors of the bedrooms are open in case she cries.
For an hour me and hubby switch turn in checking her out. Hours passed and I still can't go to sleep. Hubby told me earlier that he's pretty sure I will join our DD in her bedroom. I did not reply to it but true enough, when two am struck I was still wide awake and I can't count anymore how many times I got up and check her in her room while hubby was already sound asleep. So I decided to go to our DD's room and sleep beside her. We both woke up at 9:30 this morning.
This then lead me to thinking that maybe I am not ready also to let our DD sleep alone. I need to stop this and be firm. She will not learn to sleep independently if I am not ready to let go. I guess I watch too much HLN where they air and discuss missing kids taken out in the middle of the night while sleeping. Hopefully tonight I can dare to let the night go by without being paranoid and melancholic :-)
Sears Presents - Busted Moms
I am not the only Mom who is getting thrifty at this time of economic crisis. All Moms that I had talked to share the same thoughts as I am when it comes to spending. Honestly, when we go shopping for food or for clothing I am not thinking of myself anymore but for the needs of our child. I also changed my way of buying things. I wait until the goods go on sale and that is the time I go to get it. The present economy is really teaching us to change our ways. This being said, I am very happy that there are still stores that we frequent that give customers some breathing space financially. One of these stores that we like going to is Sears. Last weekend we went to one of their stores near us and I was able to buy two pairs of shoes for our daughter that was on sale. Sears is also offering 75-80% OFF ORIGINAL PRICES ON FALL & WINTER APPAREL that will end until April 18th. This is the best time to stock up on winter stuffs for all the family.
And if you are shopping a lot in Sears, they are presenting this cool contest called Busted Moms. The rationale of this contest is to pamper Moms that are being busted by the recent economic situation. If you have a Facebook account you can become a fan of Busted Moms and nominate there a Mom you know that is now feeling busted with our economy and you will have a chance to win a $2500 Mommy Makeover Package. If you do Twitter, you can also follow @bustedmoms there and they are giving away Sears gift cards plus first hand access on hot deals updates and cool contests. I have account in both Facebook and Twitter and is following Busted Moms already. This is really very aptly to give Moms a boost in this bad economy. To all the Moms out there, check out this Sears contest and who knows you will be the recipient of this fabulous reward!
I Feel Queasy
I am not sure yet how far I am with my pregnancy. My first OB-GYN check up will be on the 4th but based on my last period I am now on my 8th week (unofficial though). This pregnancy is definitely different with my first one. Right now I feel queasy all the time. The sickness that I am feeling is all day long. Accordingly, 80% of pregnant women experience this 'morning sickness' while others are spared and doctors can't really explain why this is so. I've read also that the nausea and vomiting that expectant Moms are feeling is due to the increased level of estrogen earlier in the pregnancy. Estrogen stimulates part of the brain that triggers this dizziness. This however will wind down during 13 to 14 weeks. I do hope so because it is awful not to be able to eat good.
My ex-boss told me before that saltine crackers does helped a lot and avoiding spicy, oily or fatty foods. So now I have my saltine crackers and bottle of water all the time at my side. Portioning my meals into smaller ones but frequently will get me through the day. I think I also need more exercise to at least boost up my energy daily. I guess not being active is also the reason why I am sluggish :-) Oh well I can blame it to the weather too. It's still dang cold here and walking outside will entail me and our DD to bundle up before we can step out of our door.
Weaning Story
It has been five days that I started weaning our DD. As soon as I learned that we are expecting, I decided to wean her. I read articles about breastfeeding while pregnant that it is okay but as a mother I need to make sure that my nutrient intake is more than enough to support both. My mother advised me to wean our DD so it will not be hard for me and it is what I am also planning of doing so. The first two days was really hard on my part. I felt like I am going to have fever and my back started to ache. In the morning and before I go to sleep I take a shower and press out the milk to relieve the pain. It helped a lot.
As with our DD, I pity her until now because she is still trying to reach out to be breastfed. I almost gave in but I have to make a firm decision for it to be successful. At night time she wakes up at 12am, 3am, and 6am to ask for breastmilk. She wakes up and cry and even if I don't feel like getting up I need to since hubby is not here yet. I give her milk in her sippy. Sometimes she will take it but sometimes won't. It is really hard as of this time since I feel morning sickness. I am just glad that the sickness I feel is not the worst kind. I can still handle it :-) The good thing though, if she asks for milk I also get some crackers because I can also feel hunger a little bit. After my first trimester I know our life will be a bit easier (fingers crossed).
I was Gonged
It was very funny, yesterday our DD was watching her favorite Nursery Rhymes on TV. I always turn it on when she is up and if my show comes on I will switch the channel. After my show ends hers will be on again. While she was watching and dancing I also sang along. She suddenly stopped dancing, looked at me and put her pointer on her lips saying "shush". Can you believe that? I think she don't like me singing. I was laughing of what she did that I called hubby at work telling him what her daughter did. Hubby was laughing too.
She is really growing up and fast too. She can already determine what she wants and likes. She can't speak out what is it but she will do it with her action. She is also willing to learn and if it interest her she gets it right away. If she don't like it, you really have to exert more effort. Sometimes I get to wonder if she is learning accordingly but I just let it go now. I realized that she will learn in her own pace with proper guidance.
The Weaning Game
On Thanksgiving day I called my Mom. We talked for more than an hour. Our topics are just about anything. While talking to my Mom, the father and daughter were also having fun playing on the floor. Yeah, hubby play wrestling with our DD. He treated her like a little guy which I really don't like. Anyways, my Mom heard them both laughing and screaming and she asked what are they doing.
Then my Mom mentioned if I already started weaning our DD. I told her I can't seem to find a good timing since she is so dependent on me. I still have breast milk and she don't drink much of Vit D milk. So literally she is getting more breast milk than cow's milk. She suggested to me to do what she also did before when she weaned us; that is to cover the nipple area with bandage.
After we talked and while the two were still playing, I went to the bathroom and put bandage on my breast. I am curious what will be her reaction. When it was time to breastfeed her she saw that I have bandage on and I told her Mama got an ouchi. She just went down to the floor and roll over as you can see in the picture above. She was crying and protesting but with no tears.
I toughened myself and did not breastfeed her even when we went to sleep. She is checking from time to time hoping I took the bandage off but didn't. Hubby told me that I am mean for doing so. He said that we will have to wait in her own terms to wean her but I doubt when. When we went to sleep I was telling her that I still have an ouchi and she can't de-de.
She kept on tossing and turning in bed but did not really cry. I gave her Georgie the monkey, her fave stuffed toy right now, and she drifted off to sleep. Around dawn, she woke up and cry. This time it's real cry and was pulling my shirt. I know I can put her back to sleep without breastfeeding but I took pity on her and hubby was bugging me not to be too mean to her so I gave in. I will still try to do the same and hopefully she will be able to get through the night without breastfeeding.
Overwhelmed Moms
I was watching Oprah show yesterday and the episode talked about overwhelmed Moms. The guest of the show was a Mom who unintentionally left her toddler in the car for hours and died. We can ask how did it happen but accordingly it was a case of an overwhelmed Mom just totally forgot her daughter sound asleep on her carseat and she rushed off to her job. She was thinking she already dropped her daughter off to daycare.
Once we become mothers our responsibilities and tasks at home multiplies. Amidst all the tasks we are also sleep deprived all the time. These will consume our energy and triggers our mind to flat out and we forget things. This is something all Mom should take important action. Once we feel overwhelmed with all the tasks at hand it is advised that we need to get help.
I myself feel overwhelmed some times especially that I am not used to take care of everything by myself. I really tell my husband that I am tired and I need him to help me out. He is helping me out but we, Moms, still feel that we carry all the burden. I don't know why. As what my husband is telling me all the time that he is always there for me and I have to hold on to him if I feel I am falling down.
What's Bugging Your Baby
There are times that I get frustrated especially if our DD is cranky and I don't know what she is feeling. The frustration is more on worry side of what could have been bothering her or what is bugging her that she won't stop wailing. As mother's instinct we tend to check right away if out babies are wet, starving, or something bit her, and other usual things that might have caused her irritation.
I have read at Parents magazine some of the usual suspects that we might have been missed, as Mommies, why our beloved sons and daughter won't stop crying:
"Would you please take off this sweater?" - Maybe they are over-dressed or under-dressed - make sure that they are not hot or cold. Dress them appropriately and consider the weather and temperature of the place.
"Can't we all just get along?" - Constant arguments of the parents can also affect them. So create a soothing environment amidst the chaos of caring for a new baby.
"I'm totally stressed out!" - Too much of noise, movement or light can stress them out. This is over stimulation to their young comprehension. Be attentive on your baby's breaking point and don't expose them to these factors.
"My tummy hurts!" - Please pay attention to what you give to your babies. Some babies are sensitive to formula, they may be constipated or have a hard time passing gas, just like our DD :-). Burping really helps in reducing stomach discomfort. If our DD have the hard time to pass gas, I play with her "criss-cross apple sauce" while massaging her tummy, this I learned in a Yoga exercise to help in digestive function.
"Ouch I'm being pinched!" - Your tiny one might feel something is pinching her like loose hair or thread wrapped in her tiny toes and fingers, clothing tag that is poking her back. So you have to undress her/his and check everything.
"I'm feeling lonely over here!" - This is very true when our kids is at the age of 6 to 9 months where it starts the separation anxiety stage. If you leave them alone expect a wail. So try to leave them with toys or in an activity center and if the wail won't stop get back at them and give them love plus explaining that you will not leave them and you are just doing something. Even if they don't understand you, your mere presence helps a lot in assuring them that they are not alone.
"I'm starving!" - Our baby don't know how to say they're hungry so they just cry. If they are going through a growth spurt, they always ask for food even if you just fed them an hour ago.
"This wall I'm staring at is getting a little cold." - If you put your baby in the same corner, chair, bouncer for more than an hour they get bored as well. You can encourage them to play and explore more. A stroll to the park and getting fresh air can help them recoup as well.
Very Sweaty
This is a question to all Moms, does your baby sweats a lot? Our DD is very sweaty. When she goes to sleep her head will be sweat out like there's a small leak where sweats just pouring out. I sometimes got worried coz it seems like it's too much. I asked my Mom and my cousin and they told that its normal as along as the baby do not run temperature or not feeling sick. I even asked the doctor about it too and she just said not to over dress her or what not. I think I just worried too much. I noticed this when she was less than a month old. Then I thought it was okay already because she don't sweat much anymore until lately. I think it has something to do with the weather as well. I hope this will be minimized so I will not worry a lot.
Clingy
Our DD is so very clingy now. If I will be out of her sight she will cry. Even if I put her inside her playpen and I will stand in the kitchen looking at her she will really cry. I think this is the stage where they have that separation anxiety. But if we go out and she see other people she is not scared. Even if she haven't seen them before she still got to them and smile. I hope this stage will pass fast.
Teaching a Child
We often hear or read that you can start teaching your baby even if he or she is still in the womb. When I was pregnant I was still going to school and even have a schedule final exam on my due date which of course I made pre arrangement to take my finals before the due date. But since our DD came early I was still able to take my finals on time. So while I was going to school, my classmates, some of them are Moms already, told me that my baby will be smart because I am reading and studying especially that we were taking up Anatomy and Physiology.
Now that I realize how important it is to communicate to our children even if they don't respond yet properly because they are still babies, but whatever you constantly do, read and teach them will be ingrained in them and while growing up they will develop recognition of things easily. I am now trying my best to read to her more because I am so slacking in this part. Now that she is almost a year old, she already listens to what I am telling her. I find it very fascinating teaching a very dependent individual.
Changing a Little Hyper
I am pretty sure that Mommies are also experiencing what I am going through everytime I change my little crawler. At her age from 7 months to date [11 months] it is very hard to change her. She roll over and got off my hold like a fish. I always struggle changing her diaper or changing her after bath.
When she was 7 months I can still hold her still but lately I can't hold her tightly or else I will break something. Although she know when to bring her arms up to slip on the sleeves but she keeps moving and rolling. I am not using the changing table anymore because I am afraid she will fall. I change her in the bed. I do all in my power to destruct her from moving. I found out that if I sing to her I can get her attention. But I have to sing non-stop and as much as possible an action song so she will look at me. Since baby's attention span is not that long I have to hurry in putting on her clothes. Everything is ready before I give her a bath so I can change her fast.
After I changed her I really felt the exhaustion plus backache because I have to stoop down and sometimes reach out for her on the other side of the bed. I told hubby about it and he just teased me. If he's here doing it sure he will "oh what a handful" :-)
Listening to Parents
I was watching a local news and there was this lady celebrating her 107th birthday. If I am not mistaken she is the oldest woman in Seattle. She was asked of what is her secret of long life. She just simply said listening to parents. It is a sound tip and secret. Our parents are only doing what is best for us. If not for them we will not be here. And now that I am also a parent I want to make sure that my kids will look up to me and will listen to me because I also just want what is best for them in the future. I am praying to God that they will grow up respectful and humble and not overstep on other people. It will be a great joy to see that they are growing well and successful.
