Infant, Toddler, and Preschooler Check-in (6/27)

[oldbaylover1024]

Age: 16+ months

Milestones: LOTS of talking and new words.

Challenges: The bottle. It will be the death of me. He just doesn't want to give up the morning/night bottle. The rest of the day he's A-Okay with a sippy, but not morning/night. Ugh.

Funny/cute stories: He's been very anti-mommy lately. Obviously it's a phase, but it kind of sucks. Last night he gave me all the cuddles and kisses and totally dissed MH! He was so lovey on me and when MH went to hug me and C, C pushed MH away and said, "No, Dada," and kissed me LOL

How are you? Okay. My mom's health isn't great, so that's been weighing on me. Otherwise, just keeping busy with work and summer stuff.

Anything else? Not really.

QOTW: He loves books. All the books - cookbooks, kids books, random magazines or mail... anything he can get his hands on.

[mirabelle]

Age: 3

Milestones:

Challenges: 3 overall has been awful and I know it’s not going to get easier anytime soon so I’m buckling up. I vacillate between feeling I need to be stricter to worrying about being overly restrictive.

Funny/cute stories:

How are you? Same old

Anything else?

QOTW: I know it's been asked before, but it's been awhile; what is your little one(s) favorite toy?
He loves his alphabots and scooter right now.

[hawkward]

Age: 3.5

Milestones: Nothing too new.

Challenges: Potty. Training. Is. Killing. Me.

Funny/cute stories: He had so much fun back at my parents' earlier this week. My dad took the boys raspberry picking in his patch while I went to the yarn shop, and DS2 ate many many more than he put in the bucket. When I got back, Dad was telling me about DS2 eating them all, and as he was talking, DS2 was sneaking handfuls of berries out of Dad's bucket from behind. They really were good!

How are you? Okay. Nervous but good.

Anything else? He has his ear surgery Monday morning if y'all could send him some good vibes. Apparently this one will be a little more complicated/longer recovery than getting the tubes put in. Still routine, but I hate having him under anesthesia.

QOTW: Anything Paw Patrol. He has a little Chase figurine that goes everywhere with him.

[peaseblossom55]

Age: 20 months

Milestones: nothing in particular, other than repeating every word we say.

Challenges: None at the moments

Funny/cute stories: H said the other day- "That sucks" and E walked around repeating it for a few minutes, we were trying not to laugh

How are you? I am really tired, just tired all the time.

Anything else? not really

QOTW: I know it's been asked before, but it's been awhile; what is your little one(s) favorite toy? Nothing in particular, she is getting more into her baby doll and loves her markers

[peaseblossom55]

hawkward, I hope everything goes ok on Monday. I would be nervous too.

[mirabelle]

hawkward I hope your DS surgery goes smoothly and his recovery is quick.

[purple]

Age: 3

Milestones: This is the first time summer holidays have had any real meaning for her. Preschool broke up on Tuesday and the autumn term starts on August 21st.

Challenges: She's had a huge leap in maturity in the last few weeks, coinciding with her birthday. Most of it's great, but her new-found, genuine inability to hear when I speak is not great.

Funny/cute stories: She loves dressing up, and some of her cuddly toys have dressing up clothes, too. (Cuddly toys are much better than dollies in this house.) She's always saying things like, "Oh Peter, you're so beautiful in that pretty dress!" The other day she made crowns for us all and said, "Mummy, you like a king! Daddy, you're the queen!" I hope she keeps this lack of gender rigidity.

How are you? It's been such an odd week. Definitely a week of two halves. Tuesday was the anniversary of losing the twins. I was in pieces on Monday and Tuesday. AF arrived on Sunday so I was having bad cramps, which caused flashbacks. On Tuesday I thought I was managing, but there was a leaving event at preschool. L isn't leaving, but she did get a present. I had no idea how many of her peers have younger siblings and wasn't prepared to be surrounded by babies. L should be a big sister too. I lost it and only just managed to get home (an hour later. I didn't make L leave early).

And then on Wednesday, L was at the childminder and I managed to have a quiet recovery day. On Thursday, H took the day off work to look after L so that I could have a spa day. We talked about it a couple of weeks ago and he was keen to support me in doing something for myself to help me recover more quickly, and it really seems to have worked.

Anything else? I know I've said this before, but we're going on holiday next week and I really can't wait. We're splashing out for our tenth anniversary and having nine days in Switzerland and a week in Italy. L keeps telling everyone she's going to Italy to eat ice cream and pasta. We went to Italy in May last year and I was pregnant so I couldn't have any wine. No restrictions this time!

QOTW: I know it's been asked before, but it's been awhile; what is your little one(s) favorite toy? I don't know whether she has a single favourite! She's crazy about her Peter Rabbit figurines from the animation. They have to be hidden if we have a play date. She plays with cuddly toys all the time, but she calls them her friends, not toys. She builds elaborate Duplo constructions and then uses them as play sets. She loves her tea set, and the track for her Thomas minis. Right now she's absorbed in her Playmobil Noah's ark. She plays with lots of things!

[Speedy]

Hello! I kind of disappeared off of AL for a few weeks, but I have an outside baby now!

Age: 2 1/2 weeks

Milestones: he's going through his second growth spurt, and he was already back above his birth weight at his 2 week appointment.

Challenges: just figuring out what he wants when he cries. Luckily he doesn't cry that much.

Funny/cute stories: this kid has gas, like majorly. So we're laying on the bed snuggling and the dog is laying at Fs feet when F lets one rip. The dog sits up, looks at F with what I can only describe as a disgusted look, and slowly jumps off of the bed.

How are you? Besides being sleep deprived, I'm doing awesome.

Anything else?

QOTW: I know it's been asked before, but it's been awhile; what is your little one(s) favorite toy?
He's a little young to have a favorite yet, but he likes his doudou with the puppy head (security blanket I guess?)

[Speedy]

enchanted, thank you =)

[oldbaylover1024]

Speedy - Congrats!!!!

[mirabelle]

Speedy congratulations!

[Speedy]

Thanks ladies ^^ he had to come early because I developed cholestasis, his birth was a little traumatic (he gulped in some fluid and stopped breathing and had to be bagged), and he had a touch of jaundice, but beyond that, my rainbow baby has been a dream ❤ I just can't stop kissing him lol

[hawkward]

Congratulations, Speedy! I'm glad he's here safe now.

[hawkward]

DS2's surgery went well. He's been mostly normal since leaving the hospital, just a little quieter. He was pretty scared beforehand, but afterward, he was all sleepy and sweet, and I thought the CRNA was never going to let him go. He's only complained of pain once since, and it was because of the little place behind his ear where they did the graft, and not the membrane itself.

[peaseblossom55]

So glad it went well hawkward!

[peaseblossom55]

congrats Speedy!

[oldbaylover1024]

So glad it went smoothly, hawkward!