Big Boy Bed!!

So, we solved the bed issue. GH removed the front of B's crib tonight before bed and B loved it!! He was SO PROUD of his "big boy" bed. He said "big! big!"
He spent half an hour or so jumping on and off the bed. All in all, it was a great success. I hope he sleeps well tonight!

New Baby Monitor and Toddler Bed Issues

Well, the baby monitor that we inherited from GH's sister has officially "retired."

That is to say, it decided to quit last night. It was clear that something was wrong with the switch that changes the channels. The signal indicator light was lit up no matter which channel the switch was on (it should only come on when it matches the channel on the receiver in B's room). And it just felt "loose."

GH and I took the whole thing apart in a last ditch attempt to salvage it but to no avail.

I have a feeling this untimely demise is due directly to B "playing" with the monitor, in particular when he dropped it at least once on the bathroom floor yesterday.

This means a trip to Walmart today to look for a new one. We must have one because for the time being, B is still sleeping in his crib (at the lowest level). But almost every night when trying to put him to sleep, he attempts to climb over the side, and we are obviously afraid he will fall out and get hurt.

What I need to do until we decide on a toddler bed is put some pillows/quilts on the floor next to the crib. I will do that tonight- somehow I just keep forgetting.

So I didn't sleep that well last night, keeping "aware" for the slightest noise. The other issue is that we have 2 cats that we don't want in the bedrooms, so both doors must stay closed, which further inhibits our hearing ability without the monitor.

What to do about a "big boy" bed? GH wants to convert his crib to a toddler bed, which should be possible. I would be ok with either a mattress on the floor or a little bed from IKEA children. I will post what we decide to do about this issue.

*Hopefully* the monitor we buy today will get a lot more good use.

Potty Training

In the last week, B has made amazing progress with using his potty.

This was all self-initiated by him.

One day last week he just asked me after his bath if he could use his potty (not in so many words). And he did. Since then he has asked at least once a day to go on the potty and the record so far is 3 times in one day I think, although it may have been 4. He already used it once this morning.

It's cute the way he "has" to have 2 of his stuffed animals with him- Mickey and Tigger. I have no idea why these two got stuck with potty duty, but such is life right?

Vocabulary

B has added so many words to his vocabulary in the past 6 weeks. It is truly amazing. The best part- aside from how cute he sounds- is the vast improvement in communication! Finally he is able to tell us a little more about what he wants instead of just crying.

This is a great relief.

Another cool part is that about half his words are in Spanish (my husband's native language) and half in English. He chooses what to say in each language on his own. He also says a couple of words in both - "Hi/Hola" and "mas/more." This is fascinating and sweet.

In exciting news on this subject, just this week he started saying 2 word phrases! He said "Bye bye 'name'" as well as "mas apple". (he calls pineapple 'apple' and it is one of his favorite treats)

On a side note, he drew a picture this week and told me what he was drawing without me asking. He drew a lot of spirally lines and said it was "manga", which is his word for "manguera," the Spanish word for "garden hose."

Latest Sleep Update

So B is still not an easy sleeper but things have stayed good the last few months compared to the first 15.

He usually goes to sleep at about 9 pm and wakes up about 5 am, breastfeeds and then snoozes til around 7-7:30 am. This is the only time we breastfeed anymore on a typical day. And I am not sure how we will stop but I know eventually it will happen.

He has started to watch a little TV, so in the mornings if we are still particularly exhausted at 7 am, we can usually snooze for 30 min-1 hour more by giving him a banana and a "Maba" (sippy cup with milk) and turning on Playhouse Disney. His favorites are Handy Manny and the Clubhouse. We also like Little Einsteins and My Friends Tigger and Pooh.

We try to get him in bed by 8-8:30pm, but even if we put him in the bed by then he usually doesn't fall asleep til 9 anyway so it seems like a waste of time and effort.

He continues to nap fairly well most days. Typically b/tw 2-3 hours. Lately it's been either right before or right after lunch.

He and I went to visit my parents out of state for two weeks this month and he really did pretty well sleeping away from home I thought. And we also went to visit my husband's family (out of country actually) and B slept extremely well while we were there but unfortunately was having some eating issues on the trip. This made for a bit of a stressful time for everyone. And who is to say what brings about "eating strikes" in toddlers? I have read about it and this is a fairly common occurrence of various debatable causes. I guess if it happens to coincide with a visit to the in laws...it's just worse luck.

Teeth Brushing

This has actually been brewing around in my mind for quite a while, and a fellow blogger blogged about it today so I thought I would share my thoughts as well.

On the surface, oral care seems such a simple, mundane task, correct?

Okay, now try doing it with a squirmy 1-2 year old who may or (more likely) may not want your fingers or the toothbrush in his mouth.

This is an aspect of parenting that honestly never ONCE crossed my mind in all the years I dreamed of having a baby, when I was pregnant or even for the first 6 months or so of his life.
Then one day I realized that I would be responsible every morning and every night for the next few years or so for this other person's teeth. I am sure that I am not alone in this. No one sits around at baby showers discussing the best toddler toothpaste or the correct brushing technique. It sort of reminds me of watching your favorite TV show, I mean there are just a lot of everyday details that are simply left out. For me this was one of those. I considered a million details of caring for my baby while I was pregnant; the best diapers, the best foods, the best bedding, the best shoes, the best way to launder his clothes, etc etc etc...but the tooth brushing thing somehow just fell through the cracks.

If you've never had to do it, what I am saying may not make a whole lot of sense.
But believe me, when you have been bitten hard enough to bring tears to your eyes, it will.