LOLK Headliner: 2 Year Old Loses Day Sleep

There comes a time in every toddlers life when somehow life shifts, and the lovely sought after day sleep disappears into the oblivion of the past.

Usually it happens between the age of 3-4 years in this house hold... But for our latest walker its at 2 years 3 months. Definitely a record, hopefully not a trend-setter.

As with another of ours, one day sleep meant awake child up near midnight wrecking havoc on other siblings and parents...

Miss Avigail with her Mummy pre-baby #5

Cut the day sleep, have a slightly grumpier afternoon, and a 'proper-for-us' bed time

OR

Keep the day sleep, and have a grumpier evening trying to get a strong-willed child to go to sleep and a late bed time for parents, and an early grumpy time in the morning.

It takes a few days to a week for the grumpier arvos to settle down and become a new sort of normal, it happened here without even realising it.

Miss 2 years 3 months has been my '30-minute-nap-baby' at the ripe old age of... 5 months... But she slept through the nights, and we sleep-fed when we needed to.. So I guess it shouldn't surprise me to discover our new routine of 4 children awake ALL-day...

And I wouldn't change my life...
Homeschooling
Lots of Little Kids
Kids with me all day every day...

Especially now that woolies has click & collect!!
Even more if they start deliverying to my house!! ;)

Her favourite books at the moment is as follows:

This link includes gifted books for a review form Schoolastic Australia

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Flash Back 27th March 2012

Four kids getting lunch

Nutella face

Licking the nutella off her nutella face

Still licking nutella off her nutella face

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Toilet Training #4

As Miss 21 months is getting near to age two I've begun to think of the dreaded 'toilet training' thing.

I asked Hubby how he thinks I should get her toilet trained. His reply? "Sit her on the potty and tell her to do a wee" *rolls eyes* yeah right! Obviously he spends too much time away from the family home, and obviously he's not an avid reader online.. in parenting issues.

So I sat Miss 21 months on the potty and told her to do a wee.

So she did.


...
...
...


She's been doing so ever since.

A week on she's still going, but only if asked or prompted. She will go for her siblings if they ask (Because she has more than just one mum? Or rather we have a 5yr old in the house who likes playing the role of Mum).

At nap time after lunch I will put her into a cloth nappy for 2 reasons.

1. So she can feel the wetness 
2. I contemplated buying more disposables and decided to follow through with toilet training as much as we can before bub comes in around 3 months time hence no more disposables

If we go out I will put her in a cloth nappy incase she wets, Yeah I know, Im just not game enough to do without it yet. Perhaps this week? Maybe next week. 

Accidents are rare and she will ALWAYS do a wee on the potty for me when asked/told to. Straight away most times. Because she knows what she's doing. 

Next step? Work on her telling me she needs to go to the potty. 

Then working on her going to the big toilet.

Her cuteness says that the potty is YUK and I have to tell her it is not yuk I washed it. Why? Because she's been told the potty is yuk on the inside with wees in it. Her favourite word atm is yuk and she wont sit on it if it is yuk which means no potty training. 

Her potty sits in the lounge room on our slate floors. We have slate floors throughout most of the house so accidents are not an 'end of the world' event for me (blessing of the new house). The potty is in plain sight  so we are all prompted to remind her. Even though it just doesn't work with the decor I know it is not a long-term plan. 

I have not used any rewards or systems to get this going. Why? Because I haven't needed to! Is it wrong to use rewards? I hope not because that's how I got my two boys going ;)

So here's my tips:

1. Wait until summery months
2. Keep potty in view to remind everyone
3. Listen to the husbands advice
4. Keep it simple, if it takes too long for them to do something wait and try again later
5. Keep all toys and distractions away
6. Just go for it, if they've got it you've done it. 
7. Wait longer for boys, girls are easy. Okay so MY two girls are EASY ;)
8. KEEP AT IT! No point doing a bit here and a bit there if they've got it
9. Keep underwear closeby (if your modest like me and prefer dressed babies)
10. A dress will keep the girls covered without the necessity of properly fitting underwear or when the undies disappear your still good to go
11. Try not to dread it, if it doesn't happen now it will later. It is unlikely that your 6 year old will be in full time nappies. 
12. If training a boy pants/shorts they can pull on themselves are best, elastic band waists over jeans or thick materials with buttons, and definitely no overalls. 

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It's resorted to this...

See the nappy taped on????

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Baby Capsule... saving grace...

{Photograph: Michael Bell 20th March 2011}


When I was preg with my first I decided against the capsule for the $ factor. Same when pregnant with my second. But when it came to my third I wanted one, I needed one, I didn't want to imagine life without one.

My second child was a handful (or two), a runner, a squirm, a wriggler and NEEDED restraining every where we went. I viewed life without a capsule as pure chaos.

But we 'broke' our extra-wide-will-fit-3-baby-seats-along-the-back-seat wagon into a stronger-than-us-tree at around 35 or 36 weeks gestation and with no insurance and no savings ended up with a teeny-weeny-fit-two-baby-seats-and-squish-a-kid-in-the-middle-with-no-car-seat. ((relax... it was legal that year))

Bye bye dream of capsule-carried-bubby. Fortunately I was involved with people that had arms to cuddle, eyes to admire, lips to coo & hearts to adore my precious baby boy.

[This is the part where I say going from 2-3 kids was an absolute BREEZE!!! Or rather 3-4 as I was ALSO babysitting a 10mth old Prince 3-5 days per week even before my baby reached his 7 day mark. - It wasn't until we moved house that things turned the other way for me]

THIS last pregnancy with Michael out of work for 6 months I decided that the capsule was happening NO MATTER WHAT and onto layby it went with no discount *gasp*

It has been one of the best purchases we've ever made on baby stuff!!!! I RECCOMMEND BUYING A BABY CAPSULE!!!

I can take bubby shopping and put her in the capsule on top of a single trolley and still have hands free to shop, control other children and play games with other children while they sit in the kiddy seat (For when I DO go grocery shopping without 2 extra people helping me)

I can take bubby into church and know that bubby won't be passed around :) *bliss* because she will be fast asleep in her capsule and when she wakes its feeding time anyhow

When we are about to leave a designation and bubba starts stirring/crying I can pick the carrier up and lightly swing it backwards and forwards and she will settle back to sleep =]

Actually anywhere I go I can take her in the capsule and still have that ability to chase the other kids, squish the other kids, annoy the other kids and know that bubby is safe.

I would love to use the sling carrier a lot more but unfortunately my back doesn't allow it for long periods at a time, and using the sling means the other children need to be careful not to squish bubba so the capsule is an option that I am in love with.

[[Now to get good value for money: I would LOVE LOVE LOVE another bubba PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Hun xx]]

5 Things I am Thankful for:
1. $$ that came in just in time for her birth
2. Work that provided the $$ for the capsule (plus extras)
3. That I do not regret spending so much $$ on something that 'lasts' 6-8months
4. The ease and peace that the capsule has brought to my life
5. The Capsule

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Day #2 of life with Avigail

{Pictures taken on my Nokia phone so are of the upmost quality *cough*}


Thursday 10th march 2011

I awoke feeling somewhat refreshed even with broken sleep. Hey I probably slept more that night then I had in months!

I was looking forward to getting up, having a shower and changing into human clothes. I was also looking forward to seeing my other children again and for them to spend more time with Avigail.

The lady across from me asked if she could go home today so I did too. No problem they said "YEAH!"

So I messaged Michael to say I'm COMING HOME :)

But he came in to see me first, then pick up a bigger car, pick up the children and take us home. You know how long it takes to drive from the hospital to woolies to Nulsen and back to the hospital? About 2 and a half hours!!! Yeah... that long... (via an extra trip to the boulevard to be me a matching Gold Cross that is ;) )

Avigail got her hearing tested... and passed...

We popped her into her "Strider Plus Infant Carrier" (I've wanted one for every child and finally put my foot down and got it). She cried!

And went home, then went to see Aunty Vicky at work, get my beloved choc milk and go home.

She cried lots, fussed and squirmed. I sat on the couch mostly and just fed, fed, fed.

Aunty Katie did more than was required of her. Looked after kids, did washing, got food, cleaned, cleaned more, picked up and did everything that I usually do (& more). What a Champ! Couldn't have gotten by as smoothly without her...

She was up lots during the night too. Fuss fuss fuss.


5 Things I am Thankful for:
1. Early, non-fuss Going Home
2. Aunty Katie babysitting and caring for the house
3. Baby Capsule
4. Lunch being in the fridge
5. Food, lots and lots of food

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Day #1 of life with Avigail

Thy Princess was born at 6:11am Wednesday 9th March 2011 only 2 days after her Due Date.

We settled into our room quickly and settled into feeding and admiring. It had been a long night. Actually it had been a long two nights, or two weeks or rather 9 months.

I was delighted with what I saw, the relief that I felt, and the knowledge that I could have still been in labour with nothing happening.

Michael rang someone to bring the children in. I was so joyful in seeing them again after being shoved in the car at 4:30pm the day before (I know I'm a sook!) and for them to meet the baby that had been making me feel sick and kicking them.

Michael and the children all went home with *Aunty Katie* who was babysitting until around 2pm so that Michael could sleep/rest after his exhausting ordeal of being in the birthing suite with a labouring woman. He appreciated it. I knew he'd need it. Oh and I knew the children would've needed it!!

Isaiah looked at the Canula on my hand. He asked if it was my "gun". Must've thought I was like Buzz Light Year "peew peew" lol

Even though the children had been told and understood that I was at the hospital to get baby avigail out they kept saying I had a baby in my tummy. They wanted to feel Avigail NOT kicking in my tummy. lol Funny little things!!

Michael said he'd get my phone charger brought in. I didn't have much to do when Avigail was asleep so I just laid there. No visitors all day. No way to contact anybody. And no I couldn't just go to sleep or rest cos my body doesn't like doing that after having a baby as much as the rest of me would like some sleep.

At one point I asked one of the staff if I could have a sandwhich or something. I was so hungry. She came back soon afterwards with a picnic basket saying this will last you awhile. Made me think the hospital was extremely generous. But she said I know that woman she works in produce. Ahhhh it was Sharon (MIL) brought in some food right at the perfect amy-is-about-to-burst-of-starvation time. Discovered that I like lychees and nashi pears. YUM.

Around 2pm the children were scheduled for their regular afternoon with Nana Shaz and their uncle and 5 aunts. They were kind enough to offer to feed the children and put them to bed so Michael could be in hospital with me.

I asked the nurse if I could get the Canula taken out. Such a relief cos that thing was hurting still.

They brought all the children in to see/meet Avigail and have first cuddles. 15 Bells in a 4 bedroom shared room? We went to the visitors lounge and filled that up instead. lol =D

Finally *Aunty Vicki* arrived with gifts & I <3 them!!!

*Aunty Libby* & *Uncle Brock* arrived with chocolate and I ate them!!!

*Uncle Daniel* arrived and even had baby cuddles "naaaww" (& told his wife he's not getting one)

Michael stayed a little while afterwards before heading home for some sleep. Katie had another sleep over to help Michael in the morning.

I managed to get 3 blocks of 2 hours of sleep. The nurses took Avigail for 2 lots of those 2 hours so I could get some rest. Avigail spent a fair bit of time feeding, crying and sleeping. Our first crying baby.

and thus concludes Day 1.

NB: Re-reading our Birth Story I realise that I have forgotten a lot of the details. But I guess the memory I want to remember is the feeling of the stuck head - so when I get all clucky again I'll stop and think about the labour part. Why does it seem so worth it and that I'd go through it all again? She's only 5 days old and is totally adored already.


5 Things I am Thankful for:
1. Round the clock & on-call babysitters that have taken care of the house, Mt Washmore, the kids and Michael
2. Huge basket of food
3. Getting that Canula out
4. The things my children say/said about the baby/canula/my tummy
5. The sudden weight loss which has felt so lovely

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