Toddler Update

When I was pregnant, I got involved in a pregnancy message board for Advanced Maternal Age women - which means old pregnant ladies.  In the pregnancy world, 35 is over the hill.  I "met" some wonderful other old ladies and we've continued our online friendships.  Some of the women have other children and some do not. We're all over the USA. And our babies are all over two years old now and one of the mamas wanted a toddler update from everyone.  Guess we've all been just chit chatting and not really doing full fledged updates in a while, so everyone wrote a long piece about how their babes are doing these days.  It's fun to compare, but at this age, they all vary so much that comparing is starting to become impossible. 

Two year olds come in so many sizes! They are all over the growth charts in height and weight.  Vocabulary is everywhere too. Fine and gross motor skills are developing and again, they're all very different.  So, the updates are really more of a curiosity satisfaction and fun than to compare. 

Here is my contribution to the toddler update thread - figured it would be a good blog post too since it's nice to update my bloggy friends too! 

ok: Toddler Update

Libby is 6 weeks shy of being 2.5 yrs old. I refuse to admit it before it's true. Time is flying so fast!  She is 33" tall and 25lbs, mostly wears 18 mths clothing although I've shrunk some 3T things that fit well enough.  It really depends on the outfit if she'll wear it, not so much the size. If it is a yellow dress, she'll wear it. Too big or too small does not matter!

Libby has the vocabulary of a 5 yr old. She speaks very clearly and blows us away all the time. She also is doing very well with letters and numbers, in fact she's ahead of her big sister. Who says old ladies can't grow smart babies? Ha!  Like you all, I don't send her to preschool - but mostly because she's not headed to kindergarten any time soon so I don't see the point.

I am sending Gracie to preschool because she will be going to K in the fall, and I felt like she needed the preschool boost.  Sending Libby to pre-K at age 4 will depend on if I'm working and need child care.  I do not anticipate working, but you never know. Stranger things have happened.

Libby is still breastfeeding.  Hey! She's a baby! Ok, maybe not anymore but she's still a booby-baby and no matter how many remarks I get about the negative affects of extended nursing, I'm still nursing her.  She's so skinny and she doesn't eat well, so I am ok with giving her the extra nutrition. It comforts her when the garage door scares the pieces out of her and it's just easy.  I stopped going to the breastfeeding support group because I started to feel very unwelcome, isn't it ironic!  I will quit this summer when my husband is home to help relieve me from listening to the screaming and crying that is inevitable. (he's a teacher)

Libby is daytime potty trained.  She's doing great peeing in her potty!  Although she prefers the pink potty chair, she's peeing in the green one and the red one if she has to. White, no way.  Not unless it's one of those public tiny flush toilets. She is only peeing, poop is a whole 'nother story.  She doesn't like to poop in her panties, but she's not doing that in the potty either.  Recently, she decided she just wouldn't poop at all.  After 5 days of retaining, I gave her a laxative and cleaned her out. We are going to start giving her poop presents - time to start bribing her.  By the way, Children's Place panties are the best!

Music: We don't listen to radio, just children's cds.  Seriously, I have to learn how to flip it to radio when I sneak out alone. Libby can sing most of the Disney songs, the alphabet and some nursey rhymes, and most of the Phineas and Ferb songs too.  Yes, she's very over-Disney'd. I'm sure she'll need to address that in therapy someday.

Emily - Good Luck and I hope today is your day!

Polly - I have 4 daughters, one grandson and one grandson on the way. 

Sandra - we must get together again! I will be in San Diego a lot from now till the end of May because my pregnant daughter is alone there. Her husband deployed.

To all of you in the snow - stay warm. Hope the groundhog was right!

Whoever mentioned being a frightened passenger of a permit holder - (I forgot who said that and if I scroll up to look I will distract myself with another post and forget and so it goes...) I know exactly how that feels!  Hang on for dear life with your knuckles turning white, scream, heart stopped, pray for your dear life, and push a hole through the floorboards with your imaginary passenger side break pedal! My advice:  Go ahead and let your teen get the permit, try your best to survive the driving practice, let your teen get the driver's license  - then never let her drive!  Really!  Do not put her on your insurance either, because it is so darn expensive. But, in the event of an emergency or a lottery win, the teen will be licensed and can be added to the insurance. You want the child to be licensed because after three years of having a license, the insurance rate drops significantly.  So, have the license and don't use it - this sets you up for the lower rate in three years and gives the kid some licensed time without any accidents or violations.  Sweet! Of course you will hear some whining and complaining from the licensed teen, grounding her for no reason, ruining her life, etc, eh - whatever, let it roll off. Teens are old enough to resist temptation, make's 'em stronger.  Tell her that teasing is good parenting.

Loved everyone's updates! Look  forward to more.