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If your toddler is anything like mine, he or she swings, tugs, rolls, and shares everything with our two dogs. He also tries to bury his face into our two cats’ bellies, pick them up by their legs, and pet them on the face. How to tame this wild toddler? A few techniques that we use in our household to keep the animals and toddler happy. I’ve written about bringing a baby home to your pets, here, but a toddler is a whole new ball of wax! He did like his birthday horse back ride, though! (He’s his mother’s son 🙂 1) Designate “safe” pet areas–free from child. When our Great Dane is on her doggie bed in the corner of the kitchen, J…
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Yes, we’re expecting baby number 2 in mid-April! Needless to say we’re thrilled, excited, petrified, and happy that SuperBoy gets to be a big brother. The biggest challenge of being 10 weeks pregnant is that I have a bad case of the all-day morning sickness and a toddler who runs, plays, teethes, and wants to go outside all the time. I was very sick with SuperBoy the whole 9 months and am praying for reprieve by 12 weeks this time around! My midwife recommended a few different ways of coping with the extreme nausea. Please add ones that worked for you! 1) Food. All the time. Any time. Anything that sounds appealing. Protein. Ice cream. Whatever can stay down (not much). Ice cream does stay…
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If you have a spiritual practice, one of the best parts of it is the gift of sharing it with your child. As he discovers the world, and is introduced to the various dimensions of it, he also discovers and learns about the spiritual side of things. We practice Roman Catholicism and it is so endearing to watch J blow kisses to crucifixes, make a kissing sound every time he hears “Jesus,” and to get excited about the beautiful icon he has in his room of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus. (The icon is a gift from our dear friend who passed away last year, the woman who shaped my sense of parenting and music as written about here.) He pages (and rips)…
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It’s been almost a week that I’ve been out here in New York helping my sister and her husband with the difficulty of their little girl being in the hospital. It has been a tough and learning experience to be away from my own child during this time. I’m so glad I have the support system back home such that my little J doesn’t appear to notice mama is gone. My parents and siblings have been wonderfully present during the day, and AA has been at work less. Our friends have been over with meals. J actually appears to have had the time of his life this past week! A few missing-your-child travel tips: 1) If you are still nursing, keep up the pumping. I…
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Why buy jarred baby food when the real stuff is so much healthier, better tasting, and better for your child? We base our little man’s diet off Super Baby Foods, but it doesn’t take a recipe to steam, puree, and freeze veggies. What you do need that Super Baby Foods provides is a very thorough guide to selecting and preparing every imaginable fruit, vegetable, and herb for babies & toddlers (especially if you’re like me and a bit veggie-illiterate). It also includes lots of toddler recipes that are healthy and natural. I still refer to it even though I’ve been reading it for over a year! I even tabbed the prep section for quick reference. We don’t recommend (nor does the APA) starting solids…
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Today was an errand day. J was a trooper in his Ergo in this heat. We don’t usually do errands together as I try to save those up for when my mom or sister can watch him. Both of them haven’t been around lately, so little man and I went out today. A few tips for errand running with a squirmy toddler: 1) Wear the child if possible. If he or she is even remotely carriable, it is way easier to peruse the aisles, pack the groceries, or make the detailed selections on fabric with a child strapped to you, versus scooting or toddling away from you. We live in our Ergo Baby Carrier, but once our Rockin’ Wrap arrives (thank you, Larissa!) with its beautiful horse…
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