Mommy FTW

I am a full time stay at home mom with a 9 month old girl, and a 3 year old boy.  My son was always an epic napper.  I was spoiled, and nap time was my favorite time of day – I could get things done around the house, and even have the chance to relax for a few minutes of my ‘work day.’  I was worried about juggling it all when my daughter was born, but I knew I would have my son’s nap time as the glue that would hold my day together.

When my son started to drop his nap time (first he would skip one day a week.. then it was three…) it really started to stress me out.  We would have fights about it every day.  I would give him toys I got at yard sales when he napped, and take toys or privileges away when he didn’t.  We were all pretty miserable!  I decided to bring up the topic at my son’s 3 year check up with his pediatrician.

During our discussion of Cameron’s sleep I mentioned that sometimes Cam wakes up with what I called ‘night terrors’ – he is sort of awake, but a bit delirious, and usually inconsolable and screaming.  The pediatrician asked me when Cam went to bed, to which I answered, on days he naps around 10pm, and on days he doesn’t around 7:30.  She noted that those 10 days must be “long days” – you got that right!  And then she made what was to me, an earth shattering suggestion: drop nap time.  She said that night terrors are often linked to over tired children, and with Cam going to bed so late, he wasn’t getting the solid chunk of night sleep he needed.  She said, still give him “rest time” (quiet time in his room for an hour or so) – if he falls asleep, fine, but take the pressure off and don’t stress over it.

Here’s how I made it happen – For Cameron, rest time is from 2 – 3:15.  2 is also when his sister goes down for his nap – so for my sanity I like to have them be in their rooms at the same time.  The reason I picked 3:15 as the end time is because it is very easy for Cameron to see on his clock – both hands point to the same spot.  We have a great clock from IKEA that is perfect for this.  Cameron’s door knob used to have a ’safety cover’ which we got from Amazon that keeps him from being able to let himself out – we don’t need this any more as he is with the program and knows that he has to stay in his room for the designated time period – but you might want to try something like that initially.  Finally, we have a video monitor in Cam’s room (honestly we bought it for Violet but we get a lot more use out of it with Cameron!)  I use it to make sure he isn’t getting into too much trouble up there.  It has a PA system so I can talk to him if I need to.

Cameron is allowed to play with toys (nothing electronic) and read books.  For now, the system is working great – Cam generally doesn’t give too much of a fight about staying up there the whole time.  In the evening, my husband has an alarm on his iPhone that signals that it’s time to get in the bath and then go to bed.  Cameron is usually quite happy to start his relaxing routine!  I think if you are getting to the point of stressing over and fighting with your child about nap time, it might be time to try switching to a ‘rest time’ or quiet time in the room.  It revolutionized the evening routine at my house and I couldn’t be happier!

Since Cameron started preschool he has been really into art.  For his 3rd Birthday a few weeks ago he got a lot of gifts to encourage his new creative streak.  Here are some of my favorites (and his too!)

Check out the MALA Easel from IKEA.  It’s only $14.99 – a great bargain!  On one side is a chalkboard, the other is a whiteboard.  There is a tray for supplies, and a spot for a roll of paper which fits nicely over the blackboard side.  Also check out the other MALA items (markers, chalk, rolls of paper) which are all VERY affordable.

Cameron has the Melissa and Doug spill proof paint cups.  Yesterday all four of these actually fell on the ground completely upside down and not a drop of paint spilled out.  I kid you not!  It was amazing.

Cameron also has Crayola Washable Paints which are indeed, very washable, and things you can add to the paint (“Mixing Medium“) which make the paints glittery, pearly, or give them texture.  I got that idea from his preschool and it makes the paint extra special.   Be sure to get lots of paint brushes, and a mister clean magic eraser which is great at removing marker or crayon that might happen to get somewhere it’s not supposed to.

I am excited to say that my almost 3 year old Cameron is doing great at his potty training (pee that is…. don’t get me started on poo) and he has begun leaving the house without a diaper on.  This made me really nervous because he isn’t comfortable peeing on a big potty yet, so I decided to look for a portable potty for him that I could fit in my diaper bag, or throw in the bottom of the stroller.  I found the Potette Plus on Amazon – it had great reviews, and sounded like a great solution.

I don't think Cameron would appreciate me posting pictures of him using his Potette, so here's a cute little girl I found via google.

The Potette Plus can be used as pictured above (set on the ground with an insert in, if you like – I just put mine on the grass) or you can fold the supports outward, and it fits on top of a big potty (pictured below).

Potette on the big potty

Cameron has used his both ways,  much to my delight.  He is extremely proud of himself when he is done – and so am I!  By the way, the reviewers on Amazon also said that instead of the inserts that they sell you can just put a diaper in the Potette to catch whatever falls if you are using it in the sitting position not on a regular potty.  This seems like a good idea so you don’t have to buy something specialized and extra.  The Potette does indeed fit easily in my bag.  Overall, I can’t be happier.  It gives both Cameron and I the confidence to leave the house without him wearing a diaper – and it’s so great to see him succeed and feel good about himself.

I’d like to start this post by saying I am still in the middle of Cameron’s potty training (my 2.5 year old boy,) so I am by no means an expert!  But obviously it’s a hot topic in our house, so I thought I would post what I’ve learned so far, and some of the advice I’ve gotten from other moms.

Potty training is tricky.  Lots of people say you don’t want to miss your chance otherwise your child will be in diapers forever.  Other people say it’s important not to push them too hard.  So apparently there’s some fine line in there we’re supposed to walk to get our sassy, opinionated, toddlers to reach this milestone.  I think our experience has been complicated by Violet’s arrival which happened right about when you are “supposed” to potty train a boy.  We definitely suffered some setbacks when the baby arrived at the house.  But now, I think we are back on track.

I could have used a picture of Cameron working on his potty training, but I didn't want to embarass him *too* much.

I started off by purchasing the book Potty Training Boys the Easy Way from Amazon.  I found it pretty useful – it’s not a very dense read, and I got through it quickly.  Basically the book promotes using “sessions” to help your son realize when he has to go to the bathroom.  For an hour or so at a time, you put underpants on your son, or let him go naked.  If he pees and has an accident, you clean it up and don’t make a big deal about it.  Eventually they will come to realize that they don’t like getting wet and will start to tell you when they have to pee.  This basically worked for Cameron.  He can hold his pee for hours and for the most part is pretty good and getting to the potty in time.  I will tell you we have to react fast – so far we only have about 30 seconds warning ’till the pee comes out.  I’m guessing this will improve with time.  We also have 2 potties (both exactly the same).  One near Cam’s playroom and the living room, and one up in his bedroom.  The book suggested this (multiple potties so they are near by, and the same so that your toddler doesn’t only want to go in the “red potty” for example).  Cam helped me pick the potty out – we went with the Baby Bjorn Potty.

I have also been bribing Cameron with stickers when he goes pee in the potty.  He seems to enjoy getting them and it was working well – for pee.  We had made zero progress in the poop on the potty department.  I reached out to my mom friends for some advice in this area, and basically it seemed that I needed to up my bribery game.  We promised Cameron a Thomas Train if he would poop on the potty.  Lo and behold, it worked!  Yes, that makes it an expensive poop – but if he makes it out of diapers, then it’s worth it.  We will downgrade to matchbox cars I’m sure, and then maybe back to stickers, but for now I’m fine with the trains!

I wanted to post some other advice and suggestions I got from other moms in case they seem like they might work for you:

No diapers in the house – cold turkey! (Except nap time and bed time, and eventually take them away when your little one seems to wake up dry more often than not).  This seems similar to the “sessions” approach that I used but more intense.

Get underpants that your toddler is really excited about – and shop for them together.  Cameron loves his Thomas undies, and he doesn’t want to get Thomas wet or dirty. Tell your son or daughter that they can wear them if they want to use the potty.

Put underwear under the pullups for overnight – this makes peeing really soggy and uncomfortable, while keeping the laundry situation under control.  Personally, I think this idea is genius and when we  start to tackle the night time issue, I may give it a try.

Bribery, bribery, bribery – Many moms suggested this in many forms.  M and M’s, stickers, matchbox cars, and one mom who gave her child a skateboard at 50 dry nights!  I think you just need to find that sweet spot of something your kid really wants and bribe them with it.  In a toddler’s world, it seems to go a long way.

Good luck everyone!  And please feel free to comment with your own ideas and suggestions.

It seems like every time we get new books from the Library Cameron learns new words and his vocabulary grows.  Pretty cool!  And now to make finding the books I want super easy I just request them online at the DC Library website and get an email when they are ready to pick up.  If I’m short on inspiration of what to look for in the online catalog I just browse Amazon and see what other books people buy when I look up Cameron’s favorites.  Anyways, these are his current favorites – soon to be returned for something new!

Alphabeep!  Cameron learned so many words from this book, which highlights a transportation related word for each letter of the alphabet.  Now everywhere we drive he points out stop signs, yield signs, red lights, firetrucks, cement mixers… the list goes on!  It’s perfect for any vehicle obsessed toddler.

Cameron has loved many Byron Barton books, and Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs is no exception.  A lot of the dinosaur names are pretty hard for him, but he did learn “T Rex” and also now seems to understand what “scary” and “scared” means.

In the book My Big Rig a young boy drives cross country in his truck via his imagination.  Since Cameron likes anything to do with trucks, this one is a no brainer!

Cameron seems to love every Spot book that we bring home.  In Spot Goes to the Park, Spot and his friends play ball and swing at the park.  These are things that Cameron and I do a lot together, so reading this book is a fun way for me to ask him questions about what we did at the park too.  Of course, this book has all the lift-the-flap fun that Spot books are known for.

Be sure to check for these books at your local Library – and DC friends, try out the online library catalog.  It’s a really convenient way to get all the books you want.  If you’re not in DC, check to see if your library system has a similar feature.  I know the one in Brooklyn did as well!

I am guessing I buy more products from Amazon than any other online retailer – their prices are so good – and when you take advantage of Subscribe and Save, they are AMAZING.  I wanted to write a post because I think a lot of people are afraid to “subscribe” to something, or they don’t realize how many products are available at a discount.

Subscribe and Save via Amazon gives you 15% off (and in some cases 30% off) the regular price of an item if you sign up for a subscription.  You can schedule your next shipment for every one, two, three, or 6 months.  Don’t worry though – you can always change the time between your shipments, and cancel shipments.  I set most of my subscriptions to 6 months and then just have extra items sent to me when I need them.  That way I take advantage of the savings, but don’t really have any kind of  commitment to a schedule.  Here’s a few of the things I subscribe and save on:

Diapers!  Practically every brand and every size of diapers, including overnight diapers you can usually get 30% off.  This makes them very affordable – and believe me it’s the best price online.  No coupons or special offers needed.  You can also subscribe and save on wipes, and diaper pail refills.  Also on the baby/toddler front are lots of food items, including many Earth’s Best items and Cameron’s beloved applesauce packs.

You can also find lots of other grocery items, as well as health and beauty items.  I happen to love the ear plugs I found there (my husband is sometimes a snorer).  They work so well I think I’ll have to give them up when the baby comes because I’m not sure I’d hear her as well as I like.  You can also find skin care and hair care stuff.  I recommend you browse the Subscribe and Save section – you’ll be suprised at what’s in there!

A few weeks ago I posted a link on the Mommy FTW Facebook fan page about how to prepare your toddler for a new sibling, and I reached out to the fans for any additional advice because I am not exactly an expert on this topic.  I got some great ideas from both the article and my fellow moms that I wanted to share with the rest of the Mommy FTW readers.

I started off by requesting some books from the library about newborns and older siblings.  I know at both the the DC and Brooklyn libraries you can search the online catalogs and request that books be placed on hold for you.  You get an email when the books are at your local branch to pick up.  It’s really easy!  The books I got were:

Baby on the Way by Martha Sears

I’m a Big Brother (or, I’m a Big Sister) by Joanna Cole

Brand-New baby Blues by Kathi Appeit

I also ordered a baby doll from Amazon.  I got the Melissa and Doug baby Jenna – it had great reviews, and the price was very affordable.  Cameron loved the doll from the second it came out of the box.  We put diapers on it and get it dressed.  He gives it hugs and kisses and tucks it in under his blanket.  He even puts the baby in his Sister’s crib and says “shh quiet” because she is sleeping.

Cameron's little sister, taken Jan 2011

I talk to Cameron a lot about the baby, and he likes to give my tummy hugs and kisses.  I’m not sure he really understands what’s going on in mommy because one time he pointed to my husband’s stomach and said “baby.”  Oh well!  It can’t hurt!

Lately I try and get Cameron to help me as much as possible with small tasks around the house.  I think this makes him feel useful, and hopefully will make him feel good about himself and involved when the baby comes.

Other bits of advice I got from some of the fans was to spend as much one on one time with Cameron when the baby comes (especially in those early days when the baby is sleeping a lot).

Also, just as sometimes Cameron will have to wait when I am doing something with the baby, it is good to ask the baby to wait a minute while I do things with Cameron (use your best judgment, of course!)  That way he won’t always feel like he is second.

Another fan suggested a Sibling Preparation class at Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis.  I didn’t check this out myself but it sounds like a great idea.  You can find out more about this class and the 2011 schedule via this link.  Sibley Hospital (where I’m to deliver) has a “Sibling Tour” with activities for young kids as well.  Find out more at the bottom of this page.  If you aren’t in the DC area, check with your local hospital to see if they offer any classes.  I didn’t even know classes like these existed!

If anyone has any other advice, please share it with me.  I have to admit I feel nervous about such a big change in our family, but I am sure Cameron will handle it like a champ – and that brother and sister will become the best of friends over the years!

When Cameron notices that it’s raining he immediately wants to go outside and run around.  While I’m happy he enjoys the wet weather, I don’t really like him getting soaked  So, I went looking for a rain coat and umbrella for him.

I was able to find him a little windbreaker / rain coat (I’m not sure it’s water proof… but it certainly is water resistant) at Target for only $9.99.  It’s the perfect weight for spring / fall weather.  While I don’t see the exact style I got him on the Target website, they do have several other affordable options.

I also got him a cute little Totes Bubble Umbrella from Amazon in blue.  The reviews of this umbrella were a bit all over the map – but I didn’t really see any others that seemed like better options.  And, at under $15 (the pink one seems to be $10… no idea why) it seemed like the price was right, even if the quality wasn’t stellar.

Cameron works on his umbrella holding technique

Well, Cameron really loves both his umbrella and his coat – although he is still working on holding the umbrella above his head at this point.  I’m sure soon enough he will be ready to do some serious puddle stomping!

FYI, as a birthday present Cameron also got some Western Chief rain boots that I had registered for.  The reviews of these boots on Amazon were great, but after our most recent puddle stomping adventure they were full of water – like I literally dumped out an inch of water out of each of them.  I am not sure if they leaked, or if water came in from over the top.  But, I can’t say I recommend them because of this.   Maybe we just got a dud pair?

Posted from New York, New York, United States.

As I said in my last post, Cameron and I have been spending a lot of evenings at the Tenley Friendship Library where we wait for his Dad to come home from work.  This seems to have really sparked a new love of books in Cameron, which makes me really happy.  Below are four of the books we recently checked out that Cameron has really been enjoying.  Look for them at your library, or find them on Amazon.com (or at your local bookseller).

My Truck is Stuck by Kevin Lewis and Daniel Kirk – This book is BY FAR Cameron’s favorite of the library books.  It is very repetitive, and has lots of rhyming, which he likes.  Also, a lot of the words in the book Cameron knows.  Stuck, Truck, Beep, Help, Bus, Car, the list goes on – so it’s perfect for him.  He recites the words along with me as a I turn the pages.  (Cameron is getting put to bed now by his dad as I type this and I can hear him yelling “Truck! Stuck! Help! BEEP BEEP!”)  We might have to renew this one for extra time…..

I Love Trains by Philemon Sturges – At home Cameron has the book I Love Trucks by the same author, but recently he has really been into trains so this book is a hot item.  The illustrations in this book are particularly interesting to him – there’s lots of animals (cows, sheep, rabbits, ducks, dogs) which he likes to point out, as well as trucks, and cars on the train.  The grand finale of the book is that Dad comes home on the train, so it’s perfect for our library visits.

Spot Goes to the Farm by Eric Hill – At home Cameron has Where’s Spot (which I prefer) but Cameron really likes Spot Goes to the Farm because of all the animals in it.  Of course he also loves the lift-the-flap aspect of all the Spot books.  You can’t really go wrong with any of them!

The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper – Do you remember this classic book?  I sure do.  When Cameron pulled it off the shelf (due to the train pictures, of course) I had my doubts that he would like it.  It has a lot more words than all the other books he likes, so I figured he would loose interest part way through.  This wasn’t the case – which taught me not to underestimate his attention span (especially when trains are involved!)  Sometimes the oldies are still goodies.

As we get more books out, I’ll keep posting.  A lot of local libraries have online catalogs so you can search for these books before you go if you are interested in them.  You can even place a hold on them so when they come back to the library they will keep them at the front desk for you!

As we’ve been moving into our new house in D.C. I’ve been trying to get Cameron’s playroom ready and organized.  I started looking for a toy organizer to help out.  I found one on Amazon that had great reviews, so I decided to order it and give it a try.  I couldn’t be happier.

Cameron's toy organizer in action

What I ended up with was the Tot Tutors Toy Organizer.  I picked it because it has lots of bins which display Cam’s toys in a way that he can easily see what is where and find what he wants to play with.  The one criticism people seemed to have about the toy organizer was that the bins were small (and it wasn’t good for organizing big toys).  This may be true, however the biggest problem I had with Cam’s toys was that all the little ones fell to the depths of his toy baskets.  Cam would then dump the baskets everywhere to find them.  So, for us this organizer works perfectly in conjunction with his baskets (which hold his large trucks and stuffed animals).

I think the price is pretty reasonable, and the organizer seems very sturdy.  If you are looking for a way to help organize your little one’s toys – check this one out!  FYI, it also comes in pastel colors, if that is more your speed.