Recently our family went to a baptism for our neighbor’s 4 month old daughter. It was Owen’s first visit to church and he did well through the services; I know my son is exceptionally well-behaved for a 3 month old, but I also recognize that he is still 3 months old. There was a lot of action in the church that morning and Owen was soaking it all in. There were random people coming up to dote on him, the church organ was playing, the choir was singing…it was a lot to take in for a little boy, but he held it together throughout the service. Owen snuck in a catnap during the drive home. Following a quick snack, we went to our neighbor’s house for lunch and to congratulate them on their daughter’s baptism. Pictures were taken, toys were played with, and yes, more doting on how cute Owen
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I still love my little co-sleeper but I realize that she’s getting older and pretty soon she’s going to have to be out of our bed and into her own. I also realize that she will not be breastfeeding forever and I need to think of and get her used to new ways of going to sleep. (For those of you that are wondering, yes, I have been breastfeeding her to sleep). My sister, Kathleen, and I have found that the newest research says that you should breastfeed until the age of two. So that has become my new goal. Now Nora has two huge life changes that will be affecting her around her second birthday. She will no longer breastfeed and she will begin sleeping on her own. I realize that Nora’s second birthday is approaching fast and I need to start developing a plan of action for these
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I’m very aware of the fact that behavior is learned. My kids will learn how to behave properly or improperly based on their parents’ actions. So when I stub my toe or discover that the dog has chewed the carpet, etc., I have to check my initial reaction at the door and calmly respond to the situation because I know my daughter is always watching me. Someone put it to me in a way that made perfect sense. Kids look to us as examples, the way that we would look to our boss at work. You don’t want to see your boss lose his cool in a testy situation. It’s the same way with parenting. Kids don’t want to see you lose your cool because you’re the one in control and they’re learning self-control from you. Earlier this week I had one of those days that just started out all
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Sayle shares his toys well with others. If he has a toy, he is quick to show it to everyone and if the person (playmate or adult) shows any interest in the toy then he hands it to them and grins. This could be the calm before the “mine syndrome” storm kicks in, but for now we will go with he’s a sweet little boy who shares his toys. I have seen playmates snatch things from Sayle’s hands and watched him feel completely okay with it, he just finds something else to play with. I actually get more upset when that happens than he does. While Sayle is low key about material things, he does not share me or my attention well at all. When I drop him off in the mornings, I usually get bum rushed by at least one of his classmates. One morning one of his classmates
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It all started last Sunday when my Gus was super sad at church all afternoon. He would cry and whine and pull his little legs up to his belly. I knew something wasn’t right because he’s usually a pretty happy and laid back little guy. His poop was more runny than usual and his toots smelled of death. I assumed he had just eaten something that he wasn’t used to so I didn’t think much of it. On Tuesday he started running a fever that lead over into Wednesday. I started to worry a little at that point since he’s had several ear infections in the past that MAYBE this was going on again. Although, I’m pretty good at spotting them because he pulls his ear like crazy, which he was NOT doing this time. After a visit to the doctor, we returned home with the diagnosis of a stomach
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Does anyone remember those “choose your own adventure” books from when you were kids? I used to read those all the time, except sometimes I would cheat and flip ahead to make sure the next step I chose was one that would lead to surviving the pit of snakes, the mummy’s curse, or whatever evils lurked in the story. So ready to choose your own adventure? Put yourself in my situation for a moment…you are taking a nice walk with your baby in the stroller, your 2 dogs, your mom, and your sister and her dog. You are innocently strolling along enjoying being outside and each other’s company when all of a sudden out of nowhere comes this dog you have never seen before, barreling toward you. Does it look friendly and happy to see you? Heck no! This savage beast is barking and snarling and headed straight for you! And
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