Category Archives: A update

Miss A Has A Dark Side…Wanna See It???

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So I’ve been talking a lot about how Miss A has recently become quite difficult & is challenging me in ways that I never imagined possible.  On a recent morning, when she was refusing breakfast and insisting on having a dance party…we found a video on demand of Miss Kelly Clarkson’s Dark Side.  She hasn’t stopped watching it since.  We watch it at least 7 times in a row, 3-4 times a day.  She’s intuitive my little one!  Check her out…

<p><a href=”http://vimeo.com/46660862″>Miss A – Dark Side LKSquared.com</a> from <a href=”http://vimeo.com/user5935346″>LKSquared.com</a&gt; on <a href=”http://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a&gt;.</p>

I love this little girl with all of my heart.  We are doing everything in our power to work through this tough spot and be as supportive and loving parents as humanly possible.  It is a challenge and Mister LK and I will get through it together.

Ironically, A’s favorite lyric from this song is “Don’t Run Away” and she goes around the house singing it all day….this is ironic since I’d like to run away most parts of the day!  Not to worry Miss A…we’re not going anywhere!  We love you BIG MUCH!

Kelly Clarkson…thank you for singing this song.  I know you or whoever wrote it originally did not have in mind a 2 year old, but apparently the parallels between a young adult who has a few relationship issues and a 2 year old who throws Olympic style tantrums are numerous!  Auntie E thinks you’re fantastic and I’m pretty sure you have a new #1 fan!  Thank you for giving my daughter hours of entertainment and also for giving her something she loves so much that I can use as a reward and consequence in my behavior management!  See ya in August!

Embrace The Camera Thursday 7.25.12…When Good Girls Go Bad…

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Tuesday was a scary day.  I wish I was one of those mommies who only had smiles, laughing, dress up, arts & crafts & baking to blog about…but this blog is about the reality of Mommyhood…and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t shaken to my core that day.  My sweet Miss A turned sour.  She took tantrum to a whole new level…one that I have never seen before…and then there was blood.  I’d been watching her from a safe distance as she raged in her crib for 15 minutes.  I couldn’t get closer as she would grab me and try to hit, bite & scratch me if I did.  I knew she didn’t bang her head.  I never thought she’d draw blood from biting herself and scratching at her face.  I thought wrong.  After another 15 minutes Mrs. M who was with me at home Tuesday, finally got through to her with patience and a few bribes, and she calmed down.  Enough to tell me she wanted to eat & then we headed straight to the pediatrician.

3 guesses what Dr. H told us.  Guess 1:  Ear infection?  WRONG.  Ears, throat, chest…all clear.  Guess 2:  She needs baby valium?  WRONG…or right…depends on who you ask this question to!  Guess 3:  This is normal tantrum behavior.  I do NOT believe it.

Common causes of tantrums in 2 year olds.  Tired, hungry, hot, anxious, angry.  I am pretty sure she was all 5.

1.  Tired:  Miss A wakes up in the middle of the night, I’m pretty sure every night.  I don’t know what is waking her up, but I can’t seem to figure it out or prevent it.  I’m trying to make it easier for her to fall back asleep by putting the aquarium music box back into her crib.  But when I wake up in the middle of the night, and that music is on, I know she’s been up & not sleeping soundly through the night…even if she’s not waking me up complaining.

2.  Hungry:  She is a wonderful eater.  She isn’t very picky and usually will eat what I make her, but there are always days where she just doesn’t want to eat.  Tuesday…she wasn’t really eating.  I’m pretty sure she was hungry.

3.  Hot:  It was about 5000 degrees out that day.  At camp they played with water squirters and they were as cool as possible, but she was definitely hot.

4.  Anxious:  Separation Anxiety was in full force.  She was crying like a lunatic when I dropped her off…but she has the BEST time at camp.  They take candid photos and post them to their website so parents can take a peek into their day…A is always the star of the photos with laughs and big smiles.  I know she’s having fun.  When I pick her up…she starts with a happy Mommy smile…then it turns to crying…Doc says…it’s about…#5

5.  Anger:  She said something that I had never thought of.  I’m dropping her off, even after she’s telling me she doesn’t want to separate from me.  Even though she’s having a great time, when she sees me at the end of the 2.5 hours, she remembers that I left her and is now angry!  This anger thing makes sense more and more because the other tantrums are happening when I’m asking her to do something she doesn’t want to do…but she doesn’t know how to tell me she’s angry.  So she freaks out.

Doctors orders are to hold her so she’s not hitting me, and the only problem with that is…then she tries to bite me!  So I’ve been just staying away from her and speaking calmly to her and letting her know I’m there for her, I love her and it is ok to cry but she can’t hit or bite me…It is the hardest thing ever to do since I have little patience.  But yesterday…it sort of worked!  Granted, it was not a camp day, and today is the real test as she goes back to camp this morning, but I’m going to remember yesterday as a huge success…we had 1 short, slightly violent tantrum and 1 pretty long but non-violent crying tantrum!  That is a big difference from Tuesday!  She’s 2….she’s going to have tantrums, I just have to let her get through it safely!

Has anyone else had tantrums with violence?!?!?!

I hope my baby girl is still here today!  I’ll be sure to take lots more pictures of us while she’s in happy moods like this!

I’m planning to pick up Miss A from camp today with ice cream & cookies & cupcakes & stickers & jewelry & toys and anything else she loves so that she is so happy that she forgets how mad she is at me for leaving her!  I’m sure that’s against all rules in any parenting book, but I don’t care!

Update…this Mommy might jump off a bridge today….we’ll just say that today isn’t going well & it is not even 9am.  No camp today…

The Jersey Shore Can’t Handle This Girl!

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More fun pics from our trip to NJ this weekend.  We didn’t get pictures of our all day playdate with Mister J since it was so freaking hot outside Saturday that I was in the pool from 10am until about 5pm.  I think next year I’m going to save up for a waterproof camera because these kids are really adorable in the pool & I’d love to capture that!

Once we got out of the pool though, Miss A decided it was time for a jumping dance party on Grandpa’s outside sofas!

What you can’t tell in these photos (hopefully!) is that she is not wearing pants….or a diaper…fun times dancing 1/2 naked!

This is what T thought of the party!  He was in heaven with all this heat!

Sunday we had “project” day thanks to Auntie H.  We made paintings & did tye dye!

Grampa H took us out for a ride on the boat too…I know A loves boats…and Cousins A & S seemed to love it too!  Cousin A is a no fear kind of kid.  The fasted and more dangerous the better!

And again…This was T’s day….

It is really nice to be able to take A to the pool in the backyard, but my favorite part is having a fenced in yard where T can enjoy his days outside in the sun…he is a really good boy and he deserves to enjoy his summers since we make him deal with NY winters!

All Star Camper!

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Yesterday was Miss A’s first day at camp!  She’s in a wonderful program at Twin Oaks Day Camp.  Each 2 year old camper has their own 1 on 1 counselor to stick with them and them only!  That 1 on 1 attention is something that definitely helped Miss A transition from Mommy all day to Camper 1/2 day with ease.  She had a fantastic 1st day…and since she’s my daughter, I really had no doubt that she’d love camp!  Just wait until she is about 7….she’s headed straight to sleep-away!  (yes Mr LK…sleep-away…ASAP….)

How adorable is Miss A’s counselor?!  She’s itty bitty & A loves her!  I hope her soft spoken, sweet, kind personality rubs off on Miss A a little bit this summer!

While the girls were at camp, E & I took some time to go play with someone WAY less fussy than our 2 year olds!!!!

The baby…the puppy…and the mommy who I didn’t get a picture of all made our little afternoon off the perfect morning!  Thanks to the H’s for having us over!  And to MH for letting me hold this adorable, sweet baby girl for 2 hours straight….I love her!!!!!!

When we picked the girls up, Miss A was SLEEPING!!!!  She had so much fun that she wore herself out before the day was even over!  According to the counselors, she was a little fish in the swimming pool & went nuts in the water!  She bounced in the bounce house, ate cookies and crackers and fell asleep in music!  Can’t wait for Tuesdays & Thursdays all summer long!

 

Boy Interrupted…

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This week has been all about this tiny little angel boy, but I’d just like to sa that my little girl has been such a trooper.  She spent most of the time in the hospital & now she’s been at Auntie S’s house with a bunch of grown ups!  We just can’t make ourselves leave this little boy, so with all this attention being poured onto our new cousin, I was expecting A to act out.  Short of a few tantrums and some random acts of rebellion, I’m pretty shocked at how good she’s being.

First…she hid her diaper bag.  While Grandma had the car.  And she went and did this…(sorry future A, this is VERY embarrassing)

Anyone else’s kid refuse diapers, fully potty train for 2 weeks, then 100% refuse the potty and demand her diapers back???!!!  Oh…right…then go into the hospital room closet and take care of her private business while telling you to “leave me alone”?????

As I mentioned, she had hidden her diaper bag…making me think I was a bad mom & forgot it in the hotel…which was NOT true.  But we’re resourceful…and thankfully we have a brand new cousin who is a terrific sharer…

Note** Miss A wears a size 4 diaper.  Normally.  This is what a size 1 looks like on a size 4 tushie!

At this point I took A over to Grandpa & B’s hotel to spend a few hours getting some sun & sand…

The next time she was able to have some good old fashioned toddler fun was when our friend & H’s other big cousin EG came to play!  A big thanks to Uncle P for buying & blowing up the awesome hippo pool for us!

And because this blog is focused on a handsome little man who has been home from the hospital for a few days now…and I can’t get enough of him…here’s 1 for today!

Some Guys Have All the Luck…

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This little guy is seriously lucky!  He’s got a zillion people who love him!  And an Auntie that can’t stop taking pictures!!!

Cousin H is home now…resting comfortably with his family.  We have a ton more pictures but I’ve been busy setting up the nursery and doing all the nesting that wasn’t done before he came home 🙂

Going to see the little munchkin now … see everyone later with more pictures!

 

Two cute…Two Smart…Two Sassy…

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Two has been rough.  I know it gets harder…but one day when A reads this blog to see what she was like when she was a baby, I’d like her to read how amazing and sweet and cuddly she was.  Unfortunately (sorry future A) that is just simply not the case most of the time!  We had a rough couple of days that almost broke Mommy last week.  This week I am trying to do better as a Mom and keep up our discipline regimen!

We had a super hot day yesterday…so hot that T walked outside, laid down on the pavement & just stayed there suntanning.  Our mexican dog loves the sun!

The sun was shining, the sprinklers were on, and A was playing…for 10 minutes!  Just enough time to get wet and want to come back inside!  My great friend lent me her camera while mine is in the final stages of being fixed…so I took this outdoor opportunity to get some “I’m 2” photos of my maniac!  She was in a very silly mood today, which was welcomed with open arms by her Mommy!

I never want to forget this tiny tushie…

This is Miss A’s sassy face…she purses her lips and then tells you “mmmm NO”…it’s so much fun…NOT

And my most favorite part of 2 has been the over-use of the name Mommy….sung “Mommy Mommy Mommy Mommy Mommy Mommy”, followed by a string of “I want” and then silence!  Let the guessing games begin!!!!

Busy weekend ahead…we hope everyone has a good one!

xoxo

 

Painting 2.0

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Last year, in July, we had A’s first outdoor painting experience.  This year we decided that our friend PD and A would do a little something special for their super Daddies!  Some things were different about this year’s painting session than last year.  The most noticeable difference was, I was being instructed on what colors I should put on their paper, and how much of each color…and also that they needed SPRINKLES!

The most similar part of the painting experience for Miss A was the body painting portion of the afternoon…

Last Year!

This Year!!!

The end result was nothing short of spectacular.  These girls are seriously creative and talented.  Their Daddies were certainly proud to have these one of a kind creations!

Miss A…UNPLUGGED…

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Most days I feel like a terrible mother.  I am overwhelmed, exhausted, aggravated, irritated, and moody.  I feed her chicken nuggets or pizza because I know with certainty that she will eat it.  I also use the television and an arsenal of Disney movies as a babysitter since they are free and actual human babysitters are not.

While I know in my deepest part of me that none of those things listed above make me an actual bad mother, in the part of my brain where my intentions lie, I feel like a failure.  Oh yea, and this is my blog so I can vent about my failures, even if people reading think I’m crazy!  (secret…I am crazy)

I feel like A has taken control of my life, and in turn I have lost a very important part of myself.  The part that existed before I was A’s Mommy.  I love being creative and learning, and reading and being productive.  Now, the creativity is watching A color while I make sure the crayons or paint or pens or markers stay on the paper and not on my furniture.  The only thing I learn is about toddlers and their behavior and how the princess of the day falls in love.  My reading … well … there were 3 days of 50 Shades, but most of it is either a 5 page story or something about raising my toddler.  Being productive.  Yea…gone.  We’re stuck in the house if it is too hot, too cold, too cranky, too tired, too…well…anything really.  Especially now that potty training a 2 year old really means sprinting through your errands to make sure she doesn’t pee in the aisle of a store.  (sorry Kings Pharmacy)

Yesterday morning, as I started my day as usual, with A refusing to use the potty, insisting on cookies for breakfast, and demanding a “MOVIE MOMMY”.  By 8:30am I had had enough.    Then she told me she wanted to wear a diaper…and I thought I was going to throw her against a wall & jump off my roof.  Obviously she asked to go potty 10 minutes later and the diaper remained dry…oh this girl is testing me!

I decided that if we were sticking around the house, I was going to take back some power.  We officially unplugged today.  I am proud to say that we made it through the entire day with no movies or tv.  We painted, we read books, we played with her dollhouse, we danced, and she napped….really well actually.  There were a few tantrums about the movies…but we got through them.  I plan to keep the tv off for a few more days…we’ll see how it goes.

Some people will read this and think…”Wow…it’s about time she took the tv away” and they’ll be right…it is…but I do what works for us until it stops working.  It has officially stopped working…and so here we are!  Trying something new.  I’m showing A the side of Mommy that puts her foot down and doesn’t pick it up…

I am hoping the rain goes away, the sun comes back out & we end up here ASAP…

She’s way easier to handle on the beach!  A real beach baby!

Gonna Get This POTTY Started…Right?!?!

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If you know me, you know my theory on diapers vs. potty.  If you don’t know me, here’s the deal.  I think diapers are WAY easier than the potty.

Reasons:

  1. I’ve got a little girl, and maybe things are different for boys who can essentially find a clean place to pee anywhere…this is not the case for my little A who has to contend with disgusting public bathrooms wherever we go.  (Why are women’s bathrooms SO gross…)
  2. I can’t leave the house before she makes pee pee on the potty…that means I can’t leave the house when I’m ready.  I have to wait for HER….I’m not the patient type.
  3. An errand that used to take 5 minutes pre-baby, then took 1 hour with a diapered baby, now takes at least an hour and a half since we have to make at least 1 trip to aforementioned disgusting bathroom…this is costing me more money b/c an extra half an hour in Target means I buy more…don’t lie, you do too…
  4. These first few weeks, we’re stuck in the house or close to the house and it is driving me bananas!
  5. I already clean up pee and poop accidents from my dog…I don’t want to clean up more pee and poop than I already do.

So, last Friday Miss A decided that she would never again put on a diaper.  She has told me “no diaper” before, but this time was different.  This time when I told her that she could never wear a diaper again, she said ok and went to go pee pee in the potty.  She hasn’t turned back since.  Sure she’s had some accidents…like when she was hanging out naked playing in my car and she pooped, or when we visited our cousins and she pee’d on their floor and thought it was the funniest thing ever, or when she started to pee on the floor of the living room then realized and ran to the potty by herself, or when she went to the potty herself and forgot to pull down her undies!

Miss A, you are doing a fantastic job at potty training!  Mommy & Daddy are so so proud of you.  You have really made this process that Mommy was deading, not so terrible!  We might complain about being stuck home, but we are so happy that you feel confident enough to take on this challenge when you are ready!  It makes us very happy to know that when you are ready to do something, you go for it!  We are here for you, and don’t get discouraged by the accidents, you are doing wonderful.  Our sweet, smart, sassy, wonderful little girl….we love you more than all the sand on the beach!

Have you ever seen such an adorable potty girl?!?!

Any other mommies that are potty training, you can see in these photos some of our must have items for this endeavor.  We love the Baby Bjorn potty.  It has the least amount of parts to clean and keeps our new clean bathroom looking as un-babified as possible.  We also have been using Pampers Pull Ups for naptime and nights.  We call them “Princess Panties”…and I’m thanking my refusal to let her watch Dora the Explorer for the fact that she thinks that Dora is a princess!

We just bought a portable potty for beach, car, horrible gross bathroom trips…but we haven’t broken it out yet…we’ll see how that goes!