(While praying last night) "Dear Jesus, please help us get a new house, cause this one is all messy." I wonder if he realizes he's the reason this house is all messy.
He and Paul made a Geotrax train track and he removed the support for one of the elevated track pieces and said, "The train is going over the trestle bridge!"
Today he asked me to play with him and told me he was making an express train. I added a train car to his and he pulled it off and told me, "No, express engines DON'T carry FREIGHT cars!"
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Birthdays
I think I like having both kids' birthdays over and done with in the first two months of the year.
Coen's party (because all one-year-olds get a big old party in our family) was at our house and I made a Brobee cake.
I swore I'd never torture myself like that again. I was up until 2 a.m. doing this cake. I had trouble frosting the sides where it was cut because it was crumbling. I forgot to reserve some white icing for his eyes so my parents dug in their cupboards and brought some crusty small marshmallows. They worked, I guess. The black icing gel ran a bit because I didn't knead it before I started. But everyone said it was cute and I did a good job, so I'm happy with it. Coen started walking right around his first birthday, and a week or so later was walking full-time.
For Kalten's birthday, I decided to try to get him a ride on one of his favorite vehicles. I posted on facebook, "For his birthday, Kalten would adore a ride in any or all of the following: a yellow car, a fire truck, an ambulance (preferably NOT for an emergency), a helicopter (mommy says no),a school bus, a mail truck, a PUS truck (he means UPS). Got any connections?" and a few people suggested our church's purple school bus. I called the pastor and arranged for him to pick K up at our house, take him to the grocery store (odd, I know) to pick out one new car from their display that Kalten must visit every time we get groceries, and then to meet his friends at McDonald's. All of this was going to be a surprise for him.
He requested a fire engine cake, which is NOT as simple as Family Fun would like you to believe. First of all, HOW did their cake get so squared off and perfect, without leaning? Second, I froze my cake overnight and it still crumbled as I frosted the cut edges. Overall, though, my cake looked acceptably fire-engine-esque, so I was satisfied. Tasted good, too.
Kalten had so much fun riding the bus and when we went in the grocery store, he was a little celebrity. He knew exactly which toy he wanted (a black train engine), and my friend who is a cashier there arranged for him to be given a yellow balloon, yellow being his favorite color. We got to McDonald's and his friends were arriving. It was just so perfect. My dad had gotten a table in the party room and just sort of "spread out" so we'd have enough room, since McD's doesn't reserve the room for lunchtime. He had a lot of fun, and then we got to ride the bus back home! He didn't nap yesterday, but still didn't sleep until almost 11! He was having so much fun with his new toys. I'll have more pictures later.
Coen's party (because all one-year-olds get a big old party in our family) was at our house and I made a Brobee cake.
For Kalten's birthday, I decided to try to get him a ride on one of his favorite vehicles. I posted on facebook, "For his birthday, Kalten would adore a ride in any or all of the following: a yellow car, a fire truck, an ambulance (preferably NOT for an emergency), a helicopter (mommy says no),a school bus, a mail truck, a PUS truck (he means UPS). Got any connections?" and a few people suggested our church's purple school bus. I called the pastor and arranged for him to pick K up at our house, take him to the grocery store (odd, I know) to pick out one new car from their display that Kalten must visit every time we get groceries, and then to meet his friends at McDonald's. All of this was going to be a surprise for him.
He requested a fire engine cake, which is NOT as simple as Family Fun would like you to believe. First of all, HOW did their cake get so squared off and perfect, without leaning? Second, I froze my cake overnight and it still crumbled as I frosted the cut edges. Overall, though, my cake looked acceptably fire-engine-esque, so I was satisfied. Tasted good, too.
Kalten had so much fun riding the bus and when we went in the grocery store, he was a little celebrity. He knew exactly which toy he wanted (a black train engine), and my friend who is a cashier there arranged for him to be given a yellow balloon, yellow being his favorite color. We got to McDonald's and his friends were arriving. It was just so perfect. My dad had gotten a table in the party room and just sort of "spread out" so we'd have enough room, since McD's doesn't reserve the room for lunchtime. He had a lot of fun, and then we got to ride the bus back home! He didn't nap yesterday, but still didn't sleep until almost 11! He was having so much fun with his new toys. I'll have more pictures later.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Funny stuff
Just wanted to share a few recent anecdotes.
Kalten saw me reading a book and wanted me to read to him. I knew it was way over his head, but he seemed to be really listening. About halfway through the page, he suddenly interrupted me, saying, "I have eyebrows!"
He likes when I tell him bedtime stories about Simon, a character we made up. Simon does all sorts of things, many of them closely mirror Kalten's daily adventures. Last night, Simon went to Chuck E Cheese, just like Kalten did and, like Kalten, he picked four Tootsie Rolls as a prize. At that point in the story, Kalten held up three fingers and said, "I have this many Tootsie Rolls!" Thinking that he had just performed simple subtraction (because he had eaten one already and had three left), I encouraged him. "Yes, you had four and you ate one, so you have three!" I tried to get him to do some more. "What if you had four Tootsie rolls and you ate two?" He paused in thought for a few moments and answered, "I'd get sick!"
Kalten saw me reading a book and wanted me to read to him. I knew it was way over his head, but he seemed to be really listening. About halfway through the page, he suddenly interrupted me, saying, "I have eyebrows!"
He likes when I tell him bedtime stories about Simon, a character we made up. Simon does all sorts of things, many of them closely mirror Kalten's daily adventures. Last night, Simon went to Chuck E Cheese, just like Kalten did and, like Kalten, he picked four Tootsie Rolls as a prize. At that point in the story, Kalten held up three fingers and said, "I have this many Tootsie Rolls!" Thinking that he had just performed simple subtraction (because he had eaten one already and had three left), I encouraged him. "Yes, you had four and you ate one, so you have three!" I tried to get him to do some more. "What if you had four Tootsie rolls and you ate two?" He paused in thought for a few moments and answered, "I'd get sick!"
Friday, January 8, 2010
New Year Goals (a little late)
- Learn to crochet
- get the etsy shop back up and running
- List at least one new item per week
- Add one blog entry both here and at heydooney every week
- Give away clothes until my stuff fits in the dresser
Kalten is nearly reading - as he has been for ages, he just doesn't put the sounds together into words. He can spell his name, and "go" and a few other simple words. He's really fun to watch on Starfall.com. He's figured out the games and does really well.
We went to Paul's parents' house for Christmas. We traveled for two days each way. Kalten did great. I packed a brand new backpack full of stuff he'd never seen before: books, cars, activities, cheap toys. There was always something interesting to do or look at. Coen was rough. He cried a lot and I spent most of the trip smashed in the backseat between the two carseats so he would travel better. He wasn't interested in the new toys I'd brought for him. He would take something and throw it over the side of the seat into the space between the seat and the door. Then when I opened his door to get him out, an avalanche of toys would fall out into the dirty slush. Cereal strung on yarn and tied in a circle kept him occupied for quite a while, but I don't like to give him sugary stuff often.
We had a great trip, and I've posted pictures over on Facebook. I need to get my videos up on Vimeo and I'll be set. We got to meet Leanor, from Scum of the Earth Church, who we support. It was so nice to see Paul's family again. I wish we lived closer.
We have yet to give Kalten his Christmas presents. We didn't bring them along to Colorado because we would have just had to bring them home again, and we're celebrating the family Christmas on Sunday when my brother and sister-in-law will be home from their trip to New York. We don't really have anything for Coen, we got him a bunch of new toys for the trip - a little cell phone, a teether strawberry, a book, and a few other things. So he already got his.
It's time to start thinking of birthdays. First Coen, then Kalten. First birthdays are a big deal in my family, so Coen's birthday is going to be crazy. Kalten's will be simpler.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Coen's burn
Well, I suppose I ought to update on Coen. We are not used to him crawling, as he has just started. So he crawled over to my ironing board while I had stepped away to go to the bathroom. He pulled on the cord and down it came, onto his left hand. He has 1st & 2nd degree burns on three of his fingers. He stopped crying almost immediately when we got his hand under cool water. He started playing with the stream of water. He didn't cry in the emergency room, even when they dressed it. He doesn't cry when I clean it or re-dress it, either. We took him to his regular doctor because we were worried about that, but he said the burns look like they are healing well and that he doesn't have much pain is a blessing, not something to worry about. The burns are not deep enough to have damaged the nerves.
At first, Coen would leave the bandage alone, but I think he got tired of it and has started working it off. I used to wrap it around his fingers and wrist, leaving his thumb free, but he figured out how to get his fingers out of the top part. So I took his thumb away, wrapping a few times around his wrist and he hasn't gotten that off. In a few more days, we won't need to wrap it anymore. The doctor said it probably won't even leave a permanent scar, but it will take a long time to look "normal" again.
He is a lucky little boy, the iron fell just off from his knuckles and he is able to bend all his fingers. There's a picture of him on Facebook with his cute little blue bandage, but Blogger won't let me upload right now.
In other news, he still only has one tooth and is pulling himself up to stand on things, even things that aren't very stable.
At first, Coen would leave the bandage alone, but I think he got tired of it and has started working it off. I used to wrap it around his fingers and wrist, leaving his thumb free, but he figured out how to get his fingers out of the top part. So I took his thumb away, wrapping a few times around his wrist and he hasn't gotten that off. In a few more days, we won't need to wrap it anymore. The doctor said it probably won't even leave a permanent scar, but it will take a long time to look "normal" again.
He is a lucky little boy, the iron fell just off from his knuckles and he is able to bend all his fingers. There's a picture of him on Facebook with his cute little blue bandage, but Blogger won't let me upload right now.
In other news, he still only has one tooth and is pulling himself up to stand on things, even things that aren't very stable.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Watching a baby learn is amazing.
This morning, Coen and I sat on the floor in the toy room playing. Co had his pacifier in his hand and was picking up other stuff that was laying on the floor. He picked up a piece of wooden train track and examined it. Then he brought his hands together quickly (he has started hitting his fists together but he hasn't yet figured out how to clap). This, of course, made a sound as the pacifier hit the track. Coen stopped and looked a little surprised. He looked at the paci, then he looked at the track. Then he started banging them together over and over. He got so excited that he could make the noise happen from two things that don't make noise! It was so neat to watch his little gears turning.
In other news, I set up an appointment for WIC today. Not sure how I feel about that. My biggest problem is that they can treat you like you're uneducated just because you need a little help. I was "referred" because we get the medical card. I got a letter that said they were "required" to meet with me. It didn't say that I was required to meet with them, though. I put it off for a long time because I felt like it wasn't their business, just because we don't have health insurance doesn't mean we (I) need education or to be taught how to be a good mom. But Paul's unemployment won't last forever, and nobody will hire someone who is in school for the hours he needs and the pay he needs for us to survive, so any way to stretch the budget is good, and we could use the food coupons to cut down on grocery money. So I sucked it up and called. The girl I talked to on the phone, though, seemed really nice and understanding. She was excited that I am breastfeeding because it'll boost their numbers. I guess the breastfeeding rate around here is pretty low.
I'm a little nervous because they said to bring the kids' vaccination records. And there aren't any. I'm afraid they're going to try to bully me into vaxing them when I'm not ready. The thing is, I've probably read more on the subject than any of them. No, I'm not convinced my kids are going to develop Autism, but I'm also not convinced the shots are safer than the possibility of the (treatable) diseases in healthy kids. I'm not trying to convince anyone, I'm just doing what I believe is best for my family, and I don't want to be treated like I'm neglecting my kids for it. I've heard some horror stories about WIC people being bullies and even calling CPS (it's not CPS material, since it's NOT neglect and parents have the right to refuse). I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
In other news, I set up an appointment for WIC today. Not sure how I feel about that. My biggest problem is that they can treat you like you're uneducated just because you need a little help. I was "referred" because we get the medical card. I got a letter that said they were "required" to meet with me. It didn't say that I was required to meet with them, though. I put it off for a long time because I felt like it wasn't their business, just because we don't have health insurance doesn't mean we (I) need education or to be taught how to be a good mom. But Paul's unemployment won't last forever, and nobody will hire someone who is in school for the hours he needs and the pay he needs for us to survive, so any way to stretch the budget is good, and we could use the food coupons to cut down on grocery money. So I sucked it up and called. The girl I talked to on the phone, though, seemed really nice and understanding. She was excited that I am breastfeeding because it'll boost their numbers. I guess the breastfeeding rate around here is pretty low.
I'm a little nervous because they said to bring the kids' vaccination records. And there aren't any. I'm afraid they're going to try to bully me into vaxing them when I'm not ready. The thing is, I've probably read more on the subject than any of them. No, I'm not convinced my kids are going to develop Autism, but I'm also not convinced the shots are safer than the possibility of the (treatable) diseases in healthy kids. I'm not trying to convince anyone, I'm just doing what I believe is best for my family, and I don't want to be treated like I'm neglecting my kids for it. I've heard some horror stories about WIC people being bullies and even calling CPS (it's not CPS material, since it's NOT neglect and parents have the right to refuse). I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Indiana trip and ER
Well, we had a busy week last week in Indiana. We went to the zoo, the children's museum, and a waterpark. We had a lot of fun. You can find pictures of our trip on Facebook. If you can't see them, add me as a friend. There are also videos up on Vimeo.
Kalten started acting a little sick while we were there, and Saturday night after we got home, he was wheezing and short of breath. He told me he wanted to go to bed way before he usually does and as I laid him down to put a diaper on for sleeping, he just, boom, went to sleep. He was still breathing heavily and shallow, and I could feel his heart pounding. We decided to take him to the ER around 9:30 and we didn't get out until almost 2:00 a.m. He got four albuterol breathing treatments and a chest X-ray, along with two prescriptions. I was holding Coen, so I had to leave the X-ray room. When I was able to go back in, Kalten told me all about it. He pointed to the X-ray guy who was back behind the partition and said, "he's goin' back in his big house. He's doin' his computer. He's BUSY." He did so well despite waking up in a strange place with strange people. He is doing better now but still wheezes occasionally.
Coen is sitting up pretty well now and rolls constantly. His newest thing is sticking his tongue out when he smiles. It's so cute! He is the happiest baby I've ever met. He smiles a lot and at everyone. Of course he has his "moments," but overall he's really content and easygoing.
Kalten started acting a little sick while we were there, and Saturday night after we got home, he was wheezing and short of breath. He told me he wanted to go to bed way before he usually does and as I laid him down to put a diaper on for sleeping, he just, boom, went to sleep. He was still breathing heavily and shallow, and I could feel his heart pounding. We decided to take him to the ER around 9:30 and we didn't get out until almost 2:00 a.m. He got four albuterol breathing treatments and a chest X-ray, along with two prescriptions. I was holding Coen, so I had to leave the X-ray room. When I was able to go back in, Kalten told me all about it. He pointed to the X-ray guy who was back behind the partition and said, "he's goin' back in his big house. He's doin' his computer. He's BUSY." He did so well despite waking up in a strange place with strange people. He is doing better now but still wheezes occasionally.
Coen is sitting up pretty well now and rolls constantly. His newest thing is sticking his tongue out when he smiles. It's so cute! He is the happiest baby I've ever met. He smiles a lot and at everyone. Of course he has his "moments," but overall he's really content and easygoing.
Friday, July 17, 2009
All-around
Whew! So what's been going on since I posted last? Well, Coen finally rolled over and I missed it. Kalten can write a few letters in chalk on the sidewalk and copy marks that I make. My parents had an anniversary and we sent my dad on a biplane ride. He had a blast, and it was so cool to see him so happy, like a little kid!
What else? Kalten went to the fair with my parents, without us. They were out late and I missed him! When he came home he was talking about the ride he went on. I took him up to bed and was asking him questions. He was trying to be a stinker and kept saying "no!" after every question, but he couldn't stop himself from telling me all about it. He was so funny.
I finally got all the 0-3 month clothes out of Coen's dresser, and all the size 2 clothes out of Kalten's. Co's almost done with his 3-6 month stuff too. He fits nicely in the 6-9.
I'm tired and I will try to keep up more here. I'll post another if I can remember anything else important.
What else? Kalten went to the fair with my parents, without us. They were out late and I missed him! When he came home he was talking about the ride he went on. I took him up to bed and was asking him questions. He was trying to be a stinker and kept saying "no!" after every question, but he couldn't stop himself from telling me all about it. He was so funny.
I finally got all the 0-3 month clothes out of Coen's dresser, and all the size 2 clothes out of Kalten's. Co's almost done with his 3-6 month stuff too. He fits nicely in the 6-9.
I'm tired and I will try to keep up more here. I'll post another if I can remember anything else important.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Naughty but cute.
Coen is very stuffy and drooly. I wonder if he is gearing up to pop a tooth out or what. There's no bump on his gums or anything but I know it can take a long time from the start of "teething" until one actually shows. I hope it's just that and not him getting sick. He sleeps a lot but that is because he doesn't sleep well at night with his nose so stuffy, even after I've done saline drops and the sucker bulb.
He always takes a nap right after we get up in the morning, and this time I set him in the car seat so he's more upright. He sounds a lot clearer. I am trying to keep the kids from waking him up, but Kalten went right up to him and said, "hi Coen!" Then, "Mommy, he opened his eyes!"
I tried to explain that Coen wanted to sleep right now, but Kalten kept telling me, "no, he opened his eyes!" I said that was only because he (Kalten) was bothering him. He paused for a second, then looked at me and said sweetly, "I love him!"
He always takes a nap right after we get up in the morning, and this time I set him in the car seat so he's more upright. He sounds a lot clearer. I am trying to keep the kids from waking him up, but Kalten went right up to him and said, "hi Coen!" Then, "Mommy, he opened his eyes!"
I tried to explain that Coen wanted to sleep right now, but Kalten kept telling me, "no, he opened his eyes!" I said that was only because he (Kalten) was bothering him. He paused for a second, then looked at me and said sweetly, "I love him!"
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Thanks for the help
Okay, so I know it's been a while since the last entry. I just haven't been on the computer all that much lately.
Today I had Coen laying on the floor. He's been doing crunches trying to sit himself up. I wondered if he would roll over for me. Kalten came over to see what we were doing, and I was being goofy and rolled around on the floor. I asked Kalten, "can you show Coen how to roll over?" I meant for him to lay down and roll, too, but he had another idea. He said "yeah!" and before I could stop him, he reached under Coen and flipped him over onto his belly! Co didn't mind, surprisingly, and just laid there looking at the carpet.
Coen is unofficially 14.8 pounds and 25" long (according to Wii Fit and his surfboard tummy time mat).
Paul's parents were here last week and that was a lot of fun. It's always nice to see them. We also got to get out and do adult things a couple times without chasing Kalten around. We're looking forward to the time when we can bring the boys to Colorado.
Paul's birthday was Sunday. He's 27 now, which is funny because he's been thinking he was 27 for the past year.
Kalten is doing amazing with the potty now. Most days he stays dry and is rewarded by a new car at bedtime. He will tell you, "diapers are for sleeping, underwear is for getting up!"
Coen loves to grab things and pull them to his mouth. He laughs when I sneeze or pull a blanket he's holding onto. He doesn't like to lay down anymore. He wants to be sitting up where he can watch what's going on, but he doesn't have the muscles for sitting yet.
Today I had Coen laying on the floor. He's been doing crunches trying to sit himself up. I wondered if he would roll over for me. Kalten came over to see what we were doing, and I was being goofy and rolled around on the floor. I asked Kalten, "can you show Coen how to roll over?" I meant for him to lay down and roll, too, but he had another idea. He said "yeah!" and before I could stop him, he reached under Coen and flipped him over onto his belly! Co didn't mind, surprisingly, and just laid there looking at the carpet.
Coen is unofficially 14.8 pounds and 25" long (according to Wii Fit and his surfboard tummy time mat).
Paul's parents were here last week and that was a lot of fun. It's always nice to see them. We also got to get out and do adult things a couple times without chasing Kalten around. We're looking forward to the time when we can bring the boys to Colorado.
Paul's birthday was Sunday. He's 27 now, which is funny because he's been thinking he was 27 for the past year.
Kalten is doing amazing with the potty now. Most days he stays dry and is rewarded by a new car at bedtime. He will tell you, "diapers are for sleeping, underwear is for getting up!"
Coen loves to grab things and pull them to his mouth. He laughs when I sneeze or pull a blanket he's holding onto. He doesn't like to lay down anymore. He wants to be sitting up where he can watch what's going on, but he doesn't have the muscles for sitting yet.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Fun with poop
We were getting ready to go out for ice cream and Kalten was on the porch. He came in and said, "I'm eating ice!" Well, there's no ice on the porch, obviously. I asked him to show me where he got it, and he pointed to a spot where I found a piece of frosted decorative glass from a centerpiece we got at a friend's wedding. So I think he swallowed a piece of glass. I called the on-call doctor and we get to sift through K's poop for a while. Since it wasn't sharp, it'll probably pass right through, but if it doesn't by tomorrow we get to test out our new insurance. I don't even know for sure that he swallowed it. The piece I found on the porch might have been the piece he had in his mouth. I'm not looking forward to mushing through the kid's poop, but it really scares me. He'll probably end up with X-rays. The doctor said that if he starts having a stomach ache or any symptoms of bowel obstruction, we have to get him in right away. It's crazy. He never puts stuff in his mouth, and then... glass!
Here's what K has to say about the incident (he's bugging me to do letters):
sb,mmmmmmjvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
Here's what K has to say about the incident (he's bugging me to do letters):
sb,mmmmmmjvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Done with diapers?
Kalten has been doing better and better staying dry. We hadn't really been consistent in what we put him in - some days we'd try underwear and switch to diapers, other days we didn't even try. I think that was confusing to him. Finally we started saying, "diapers are for sleeping," and putting him in underwear with no pants, for convenience. He had accidents, but slowly got better understanding of what his body was telling him and made it to the potty almost every time.
Now we put pants on him and even take him out without a diaper. We just have him go before and after. He's been to the library, Wal-Mart, and up to the hospital to see the helicopter. We were at the park on Friday and he said he needed to go, but he would NOT use the park's bathroom, nor would he go outside behind the fence. So I reluctantly put a diaper on him. By the time I got him home, he was asleep. When he woke up from his nap, though, he was still dry! He will not use public restrooms, but will use the big potty at other people's houses.
#2 is a different story. He consistently pooped in his underwear because for some reason he does not want to use the potty. Even for "big big candy," he wouldn't go. One day he hadn't gotten his underwear back on after potty, and he pooped on his toy fire truck! I never thought I would have to tell my child that we don't poop on our toys!
The other day I had him help me rinse out his underwear. I figured that with any other mess he makes, he is expected to help us clean it up. Why not poo too? It's not to be mean or punish him, and I wasn't mad, just tired of rinsing poopy underwear. He didn't like it, but he did it. The next day, he didn't poop at all, and the day after that he snuck one into the diaper right after naptime, clever kid.
Then last night, he kept saying, "I'm pooping!" He went upstairs "to play trains," but I think really he wanted to get away from us so he could poop. I followed, and suggested that he use the big potty upstairs, and he said "need do potty downdairs!" He came downstairs and sat on the potty chair. I ignored him and let him do his thing, and then he stood up and yelled, "yaaay Dalkit!" I looked and sure enough, he had gone!
Yesterday was the second day in a row that he stayed dry all day. We got three 10-packs of Hot Wheels cars pretty cheap and every day that he stays dry he gets to pick a new car at bedtime.
So how does it work potty training for night time? We did a ton of potty training at the daycare, but just during the day. Any advice?
Now we put pants on him and even take him out without a diaper. We just have him go before and after. He's been to the library, Wal-Mart, and up to the hospital to see the helicopter. We were at the park on Friday and he said he needed to go, but he would NOT use the park's bathroom, nor would he go outside behind the fence. So I reluctantly put a diaper on him. By the time I got him home, he was asleep. When he woke up from his nap, though, he was still dry! He will not use public restrooms, but will use the big potty at other people's houses.
#2 is a different story. He consistently pooped in his underwear because for some reason he does not want to use the potty. Even for "big big candy," he wouldn't go. One day he hadn't gotten his underwear back on after potty, and he pooped on his toy fire truck! I never thought I would have to tell my child that we don't poop on our toys!
The other day I had him help me rinse out his underwear. I figured that with any other mess he makes, he is expected to help us clean it up. Why not poo too? It's not to be mean or punish him, and I wasn't mad, just tired of rinsing poopy underwear. He didn't like it, but he did it. The next day, he didn't poop at all, and the day after that he snuck one into the diaper right after naptime, clever kid.
Then last night, he kept saying, "I'm pooping!" He went upstairs "to play trains," but I think really he wanted to get away from us so he could poop. I followed, and suggested that he use the big potty upstairs, and he said "need do potty downdairs!" He came downstairs and sat on the potty chair. I ignored him and let him do his thing, and then he stood up and yelled, "yaaay Dalkit!" I looked and sure enough, he had gone!
Yesterday was the second day in a row that he stayed dry all day. We got three 10-packs of Hot Wheels cars pretty cheap and every day that he stays dry he gets to pick a new car at bedtime.
So how does it work potty training for night time? We did a ton of potty training at the daycare, but just during the day. Any advice?
Monday, April 13, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Coen's new nickname
Kalten started calling him Gogen. He gets all up in his face and says, "HIIIII Gogen! How are you doing, Gogen?" So now we've got Dalkit and Gogen. What a nutty kid. I think it's because Paul calls Robby Bobbins sometimes.
I have a headache and I'm waiting for Paul to get Kalten to sleep so I can go to bed too.
I have a headache and I'm waiting for Paul to get Kalten to sleep so I can go to bed too.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
My own medicine rant, and school
I weighed Coen on the Wii Fit again when he turned two months old. This is all the "two-month checkup" he got, as we were uninsured. This time, however, I weighed him only in a diaper, whereas two weeks prior, he was dressed and probably even layered. So I don't know if he has lost weight or stayed the same. Last time was something like 11 pounds, and this time was 10.6. Not a big difference. He's growing out of the newborn sleepers, and eating, peeing, and pooping regularly, so I'm not concerned.
The kids are covered temporarily now while our application is considered, but I'm not a fan of checkups anyway. My kids are pretty healthy,* until we go to the well-check and pick up whatever bug is floating around the doctor's office. It seemed like Kalten got sick every time we went in for a checkup. We don't do the shots, either, so there's really no reason to go. I know my kids, I know they are healthy, normal, and developing on track, and I usually take the "helpful" advice on starting solids, turning the carseat around, and where I should put them to sleep with a grain of salt. You can probably tell, we are far from mainstream and tend toward the more gentle, natural route. We've got one amazing, smart, independent, healthy young man and are working on the other. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to raising a family, and we've found what works for us.
I did not intend this entry to become a diatribe on natural vs. The Great and Mighty Western Medicine, I just wanted to tell you Coen's weight. But since I'm on the subject, I'll tell you a story.
We used to take Kalten in about every two weeks for an ear infection. Round after round of antibiotics, which never worked and on which he'd often get a new infection in the other, previously healthy, ear. Copay after copay, prescription after prescription. Trip after trip to the doctor 45 minutes away. Not fun. I could tell the ear tube discussion was on the horizon. I quit giving him the medicine, took him to the chiropractor, and started him on probiotics to help restore the good bacteria in his gut. Within a month, all infections cleared up and have never returned. I have since learned that recovery time is about the same with or without antibiotics, and that doctors often prescribe them because of pressure from parents or just to make parents feel like they're doing something to help. In fact, they may just be creating resistant strains that are even worse, not to mention, not all ear infections are caused by bacteria, and there is no way to tell whether it is bacterial or viral. The chiropractic adjustments, on the other hand, have helped his ears to drain better so that there is not the backup of fluid sitting there to get infected in the first place.
I'm not saying doctors are evil or wrong or that well-checks are necessarily a bad idea, please don't get me wrong. I'm not against modern medicine or even antibiotics, I just think that overuse is a dangerous thing, and there are more natural ways to treat many problems with fewer side effects. Also, treating symptoms (such as recurring ear infections) only Band-aids the problem and we should look for the underlying cause and find out how to fix that.
Whew! anyway,
I have started doing "school" with Kalten. He was interested when Paul had to leave for school, and I asked if he wanted to do school like Daddy. Of course he said yes, so this last weekend I bought two little workbooks for him. One is simple mazes and the other is ABC dot-to-dot. They start out really easy and get progressively harder. We'll probably spend a couple of days on each page (rather than a page or two a day like the book suggests - he's only two!). I gave him his very own pencil and showed him how it writes and how we can erase the marks. We only "do school" when he asks, and we put it away when he wants to. Yesterday we looked at the first maze. We found the start, the end, and the path (there is only one way to go on the easiest ones). We followed the path with our fingers, and then he wanted to be done. He's got his own school bag like Daddy's, and we put everything away. I think we'll wait on the dot-to-dot book, because he knows all the letters but not necessarily the right order, and the puzzles are kind of small and require a little more pencil skill. I'm not expecting great things and not trying to turn him into a genius. It's fun for him, it's a special time when he feels important and gets to be like Daddy, and if it helps him learn to use a pencil, sit and concentrate, and maybe get a little head start, even better.
* (from paragraph 2) Both boys are kind of stuffy, and Kalten sounds hoarse and is cranky when sleepy, but is not feverish or in pain and is frankly having fun playing with his new voice. Real, honest-to-goodness sickness is pretty rare in this house, thankfully. I'm keeping an eye on K, and if he gets worse, I guess we're going to have to find a doctor in town that we like.
The kids are covered temporarily now while our application is considered, but I'm not a fan of checkups anyway. My kids are pretty healthy,* until we go to the well-check and pick up whatever bug is floating around the doctor's office. It seemed like Kalten got sick every time we went in for a checkup. We don't do the shots, either, so there's really no reason to go. I know my kids, I know they are healthy, normal, and developing on track, and I usually take the "helpful" advice on starting solids, turning the carseat around, and where I should put them to sleep with a grain of salt. You can probably tell, we are far from mainstream and tend toward the more gentle, natural route. We've got one amazing, smart, independent, healthy young man and are working on the other. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to raising a family, and we've found what works for us.
I did not intend this entry to become a diatribe on natural vs. The Great and Mighty Western Medicine, I just wanted to tell you Coen's weight. But since I'm on the subject, I'll tell you a story.
We used to take Kalten in about every two weeks for an ear infection. Round after round of antibiotics, which never worked and on which he'd often get a new infection in the other, previously healthy, ear. Copay after copay, prescription after prescription. Trip after trip to the doctor 45 minutes away. Not fun. I could tell the ear tube discussion was on the horizon. I quit giving him the medicine, took him to the chiropractor, and started him on probiotics to help restore the good bacteria in his gut. Within a month, all infections cleared up and have never returned. I have since learned that recovery time is about the same with or without antibiotics, and that doctors often prescribe them because of pressure from parents or just to make parents feel like they're doing something to help. In fact, they may just be creating resistant strains that are even worse, not to mention, not all ear infections are caused by bacteria, and there is no way to tell whether it is bacterial or viral. The chiropractic adjustments, on the other hand, have helped his ears to drain better so that there is not the backup of fluid sitting there to get infected in the first place.
I'm not saying doctors are evil or wrong or that well-checks are necessarily a bad idea, please don't get me wrong. I'm not against modern medicine or even antibiotics, I just think that overuse is a dangerous thing, and there are more natural ways to treat many problems with fewer side effects. Also, treating symptoms (such as recurring ear infections) only Band-aids the problem and we should look for the underlying cause and find out how to fix that.
Whew! anyway,
I have started doing "school" with Kalten. He was interested when Paul had to leave for school, and I asked if he wanted to do school like Daddy. Of course he said yes, so this last weekend I bought two little workbooks for him. One is simple mazes and the other is ABC dot-to-dot. They start out really easy and get progressively harder. We'll probably spend a couple of days on each page (rather than a page or two a day like the book suggests - he's only two!). I gave him his very own pencil and showed him how it writes and how we can erase the marks. We only "do school" when he asks, and we put it away when he wants to. Yesterday we looked at the first maze. We found the start, the end, and the path (there is only one way to go on the easiest ones). We followed the path with our fingers, and then he wanted to be done. He's got his own school bag like Daddy's, and we put everything away. I think we'll wait on the dot-to-dot book, because he knows all the letters but not necessarily the right order, and the puzzles are kind of small and require a little more pencil skill. I'm not expecting great things and not trying to turn him into a genius. It's fun for him, it's a special time when he feels important and gets to be like Daddy, and if it helps him learn to use a pencil, sit and concentrate, and maybe get a little head start, even better.
* (from paragraph 2) Both boys are kind of stuffy, and Kalten sounds hoarse and is cranky when sleepy, but is not feverish or in pain and is frankly having fun playing with his new voice. Real, honest-to-goodness sickness is pretty rare in this house, thankfully. I'm keeping an eye on K, and if he gets worse, I guess we're going to have to find a doctor in town that we like.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Good Coen pictures
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Hard to be mad at this kid
I got Kalten a graham cracker earlier today and I guess I forgot to put the box away. I just heard the crackle of the packaging and went out to investigate. I was met by innocent-faced Kalten, who held one out to me and said, "want cracker, Mom?" I looked on the floor behind him and saw a pile of graham crackers, each one carefully bitten into a bus shape.
Of course, it was easier to be mad at him earlier today when he was screaming about naptime and putting his fingers in his throat and throwing up all over. I don't know what the drama is about, he used to be such a good napper! Now it's so hard to get him to sleep at naptime and at bedtime. He's got to sleep sometime, right?
Of course, it was easier to be mad at him earlier today when he was screaming about naptime and putting his fingers in his throat and throwing up all over. I don't know what the drama is about, he used to be such a good napper! Now it's so hard to get him to sleep at naptime and at bedtime. He's got to sleep sometime, right?
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Being busy
I have gone from being at home all day every day to having an opportunity to go out almost every day of the week!
I started by taking Kalten to the library every Wednesday. They have a program for ages 2-5, but he's so not ready to do the sit-and-listen thing, so we just go play with the toys and read, and take home a few books and maybe a movie. Since books are due three weeks from the day you borrow them and movies give you one week, we just always make it on Wednesdays. In the summer, we spend less time at the library and then go to a park. Sometimes I pack a lunch for us, too. I am looking forward to doing that again.
Now there is a playgroup at church on the first and third Mondays of each month. There is also a Tuesday/Thursday playgroup somewhere else, but I just don't have the desire to pack both the kids up for two or three days of group in a week, especially since we'd have to work around Paul's school schedule. Twice a month is good for me.
I was also told I should go to the moms' Bible study on Tuesdays (they have free child care!) so I started that today. Kalten is always up for any reason to go hang out in the nursery, so I don't get "mommy-guilt" for leaving him, and Coen came with me. A lot of the moms are the same ones who do the playgroups, and others I already know from church.
I used to complain that I don't have any friends around here, but I never tried to go out and make new friends or anything. I just figured that everyone already has their groups of friends and I wouldn't "fit in" but I'm finding that's not really the case. I'm thankful for these opportunities to get out and meet people.
I started by taking Kalten to the library every Wednesday. They have a program for ages 2-5, but he's so not ready to do the sit-and-listen thing, so we just go play with the toys and read, and take home a few books and maybe a movie. Since books are due three weeks from the day you borrow them and movies give you one week, we just always make it on Wednesdays. In the summer, we spend less time at the library and then go to a park. Sometimes I pack a lunch for us, too. I am looking forward to doing that again.
Now there is a playgroup at church on the first and third Mondays of each month. There is also a Tuesday/Thursday playgroup somewhere else, but I just don't have the desire to pack both the kids up for two or three days of group in a week, especially since we'd have to work around Paul's school schedule. Twice a month is good for me.
I was also told I should go to the moms' Bible study on Tuesdays (they have free child care!) so I started that today. Kalten is always up for any reason to go hang out in the nursery, so I don't get "mommy-guilt" for leaving him, and Coen came with me. A lot of the moms are the same ones who do the playgroups, and others I already know from church.
I used to complain that I don't have any friends around here, but I never tried to go out and make new friends or anything. I just figured that everyone already has their groups of friends and I wouldn't "fit in" but I'm finding that's not really the case. I'm thankful for these opportunities to get out and meet people.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Growth spurt
Coen is eating SO much lately. I really think that he has to be growing a lot, but I don't have any way to accurately weigh him. I see him all day every day so he always looks the same to me.
Paul's at our friend's bachelor party. I helped him pick out a bright pink pair of track pants that they're making him wear all evening. I hope they're all having fun - I heard mention of Buffalo Wild Wings and I'm very jealous.
Kalten took a late nap, so he woke up late and I don't know when he'll go to sleep tonight. I usually have Paul take Coen while I get Kalten to sleep, and then he brings Coen up and puts K in his own bed. I don't know how we're going to handle bedtime tonight!
Paul's at our friend's bachelor party. I helped him pick out a bright pink pair of track pants that they're making him wear all evening. I hope they're all having fun - I heard mention of Buffalo Wild Wings and I'm very jealous.
Kalten took a late nap, so he woke up late and I don't know when he'll go to sleep tonight. I usually have Paul take Coen while I get Kalten to sleep, and then he brings Coen up and puts K in his own bed. I don't know how we're going to handle bedtime tonight!
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