Happy Easter

Happy Easter Everyone! Here is a picture of Sage and the Easter Bunny. That was a pretty interesting event. First she had the death grip on Jeramy before we put her on his lap. Then when she was on his lap she would go limp and slide down the bunny. The first few pictures were pretty funny because she was sliding down his lap. This one she is still trying to get away but it turned out pretty cute! She is wearing a cute little dress my mom got her, and we have a white pea coat from my Chicago Emo Katherine, so she looked like a little Jackie O.

She wasn't really too impressed with egg hunting yet. Until I put M&M's inside the eggs. This was the first time she has had chocolate or candy of any kind so she was pretty impressed! I will have to not give them to her and use them as rewards for potty training, which we need to get going on. She did ok at first but then she got scared of sitting on the big toilet and just screams, so I may have to find one of the portable ones, even though, I really don't want to clean them. She really likes sitting in front of a mirror and watching herself dance and do other things, so maybe I will get a mirror so she can watch herself...lol...Any other potty training ideas, if you have already tried the little seat on the adult potty and now she hates it? We would do it first thing in the morning or anytime she woke up and give her something to drink while we ran water and give her a sticker etc., and she was doing really good, now she won't even sit on it...so I guess I will try a portable one and see how that goes. I am kind of waiting for the weather to get nice so she can run around without a dipaer outside etc. I am not a big advocate of pull ups since they are like diapers, but I may try the ones that get cold if they get wet. We will see...she is still so little (20 pounds) that it is hard for her to get up on things even with a stool. Wish us luck, hopefully the M&M's will help!

Is She Really 18 Months? Toddler 101

Getting the boat ready for Sturgeon fishing in Seaside in a week

I was over at my parents tonight and was talking with my mom about how old Sage was, and for some reason I was saying she was still 16 months, but then my mom told me, um no she is actually 18 months. Is she really a year and a half old at the end of this month? I guess so. When I think about the fact that I can't turn my back on her for a second, and the fact that she has already gotten a black eye and is running and climbing on everything, I suppose she his a Toddler.

So I need some help from all of you other mom's out there..... Toddler 101

1. How do you entertain a toddler? Jeramy got into the habit of taking her to Cabelas everyday to see all of the stuff, we take her to feed ducks, to the park, on playdates at Andrea's with baby Carter, play outside. Today I let her color with markers...I just shut my eyes and decided it was best if I didn't watch, and just cleaned her at the very end. Her whole house and backyard looks like Chuck E Cheese.

2. What do you feed a toddler? She still won't eat anything...I even froze everything, blended into popcycle and she spits it out. She won't eat any fruit or vegitable. She won't drink milk or juice, only water. So I got all the flavored water and she won't drink that and I have blended vegitables into hamburger etc...but she spits it out. I know she can't just eat twinkies and chili cheese frittos...lol

3. How do you do anything when a toddler is awake? I am trying to figure out how to cook, bathe, anything for a few minutes by myself when she is awake...I am slowly realizing that may never happen again...lol

All of my cousins and friends are laughing at me and saying..."uh huh...now you know what I was talking about"....I don't understand how people have more than 1 baby. All of my cousins have 3-4 kids close in age and I am in awe of how they do it...oh boy, we are in for qute the ride.

Muppet Hair..and Mommy Advice Please

Like father like daughter. Sage's hair cracks me up. It is getting so long everywhere. When I first met Jeramy I remember thinking, "well at least I won't have to worry about him going bald"

So since she is almost 1 year now and mobile, she is testing us,she whines or grabs at something she is not suppose to, and when we say No she just laughs in our faces. We tried quit and stop all using sign language too in my meanest mommy voice, redirection, and a flick on the wrist and she still laughs at us. We always keep a straight face although it is hard sometimes. Jeramy thinks she is too young to start discipling her, but I don't think so, because I want her to know limits....any other Mommy discipline ideas?

My Poor Baby...I Need Advice

So I know this is minor compaired to the major truama's at Angie's with all the stitches and bumps and bruises, or the bee stings at Becky's, but my poor darling daughter has a runny nose and can't breathe and Jeramy and I are FREAKING out! We feel so bad for her..we have her sleeping between us on an incline and we both rubbed vics on us so she could breathe it in, we have the cool mist humidifier going, will saline in the morning, and of course my favorite baby item of all time the snot sucker close at hand.

So my question is, does anyone have any other ways to help my poor little girl? Is the Vics on the feet with socks for a cough or runny nose? Does this come along with the teething?

I don't know how I am going to handle it when she gets hurts or is away from me. All of my cousins kids are going to school now...I am so going to be the "volunteer classroom mom" or the one that watches through the window. Everytime anyone watches her they get the hot pink book, with detailed, color coded instructions, phone numbers, doctor notes and developmental assesments from the UW, concent forms, insurance and social security, guardianship papers...everything down to how to make her bottles is in this thing...my doctor laughs at me and says he has never had another mom that did that but thought it was a brilliant idea, incase of an emergency when we are not around. I guess with her bumpy arrival I am neurotically over protective of her. But boy if we get this bad about a runny nose, I can only imagine the first time I have to put a bandaid on! The funny thing is, it isn't just me, Jeramy is SO worried about her too.

On another note, I started playing volleyball again tonight on a women's 4 team. I haven't played in 4 years but it was like riding a bike, after the kinks worked out of me I was on a roll. I went to the chiropractor yesterday to prepare, and OH my gosh what a difference that makes. I never realized that carrying a kid around makes you a hunch back...lol...plus my kid is really light! Anyways, we will see if I can move tomorrow, I figured I better write this post tonight incase I am stuck in a stationary position because my muscles have atrophed...

Again, kudos to you that have more than one child, I do NOT know how you do it!

Oh Boy We Are in Trouble!

Sage's new thing now is sucking her thumb. I was worried before about having to eventually take away her paci and her Bunkey...but how the heck am I suppose to take away a thumb? It is kind of nice now when her paci falls out she just pops her thumb in but it won't be cute anymore when she is in kindergarden and still sucking her thumb. Any other mom's out there have any advice for me? You have to admit though, she is pretty cute!

Just Another Manic Monday

So tonight for no reason what so ever, Sage started SCREAMING....she had just been fed and changed and burped, but was practically turning purple from crying so hard. Grandma thought that the stuffed porcupine in the spare bedroom scared her, so I stripped all of her clothes off thinking she was too hot or had a thread or something cutting her circulation off, but she wouldn't stop crying, I then ripped her diaper off because they are new and thought they were itching her, and sent Jeramy to the store for some new diapers. I then went into her bedroom away from everyone under the fan...still nothing worked. I gave her some mylicon and tylenol drops to see if that was giving her some relief. Then we noticed she had a little white spot on her foot, a bee sting? How the hell would she have gotten a bee sting in the house, but I put baking soda and water on it any ways.
So after a while I got her "Bunkey" part bunny part blankey. I knew when I started giving this to her that I was setting myself up for something that I would eventually have to take away from her someday, but she loves it. I think she inherited Avery's gene of putting the blanket over her face when she goes to sleep, because it seems to be the only thing that works.
So I ask all you mothers out there....what do you do when your baby cries so hard you feel like rushing her to the emergency room? I feel like buying a house closer to the ER just so I am closer than the 10 minute drive I already am. (I don't know how you do it Emily, or your Mom for that matter being so far away). For now everyone is fast asleep, Sage with her Bunkey and Jeramy on the couch with Lami because he had a runny nose and I don't want her getting sick, and Mommy and Toby awake in the dark on the computer...Just another manic Monday!! (It is Monday right?)

Mommy Tips Please

Ok I need some Mommy 101

I've figured out that I don't need to blow dry Sage's hair, it drys pretty fast (Thank you Katy and Emily) Guess I will have to wait and see about changing diapers on an airplane...but here are some things that have been crossing my mind lately...so all you Mommies out there...I need your help.

1. How old does Sage need to be before I put sunscreen on her, and what kind do I use?

2. What is the best way to clean up the poopy blow outs on clothes? Hot/Cold/Throw it away (this has always worked well for me in the past) :o)

3. How old were your kids before they did the rice cereal thing? Did you mix with breastmilk/formula...what brands did you like best?

4. At what age did you transition your kids out of your bed. I just moved her into an arms reach bassinet because I can't imagine her alone in her room.

5. Aside from putting Saline in her nose and sucking snot and using a cool mist humidifier, any other way to clear the snot?

6. What kind of jar baby food did you give first and did your kids like the best? (Emily thanks for telling me about doing vegi's first since they are gross and all the same at once for allergies)

7. If any of you did formula at all how would you warm the bottles up if you were on the road?

8. Best baby item/toy your kids (or you) couldn't live without?

9. How do you know if your baby is cutting teeth and what do you do? Besides wiping with a cloth at her baths, should I be doing anything to "brush" her teeth at this point?

10. Another poop question. Sage seems to poop only on Sunday's and Wednesdays. Is it normal for kids to go a few days?

Ok I am sure this will be one of many HELP emails, and since I know no other Mommies except my cousins, I am counting on you guys (Katy, Angie, Becky, Em). Lots of Love!!