modernmami™ » baby boy

First Words

Melanie Edwards — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 18:31:11 +0000

Baby boy is starting to say more words these days. They aren’t many, but they sure are cute to hear! He’s been saying dada for a while now, and just recently started saying mama too, though he doesn’t say it very often. He was also saying small words like, wow, uh uh(to say no), and his sister’s name. In the past three months, especially in the last few weeks, he’s progressed to saying more words and even some phrases. Here’s some of what he says:

No!
Yeah
I see you!
Oh no!
Uh oh!
This way
Bye!
Hi!

Those words and phrases you can distinctly make out. In the case of no, it’s very, very clear! Isn’t that word always one they learn right away? There are a couple more words that are a little harder to understand, but we know it’s what he’s trying to say.

Leche (milk) – He also signs this along with trying to say it.
1, 2, 3, go! – He doesn’t actually pronounce the numbers, but you can hear he says three one-syllable words before he says the word go, which is clear.
Thank you – Pretty much every time we hand him something, he responds with a two-syllable phrase that very much sounds like he’s saying thank you!

It’s fun when kids are first learning to talk. I love hearing his little voice developing and seeing how quickly he picks up on things. He learned to say “I see you!” really fast after hearing me say it only a couple of times to him while playing peek-a-boo. Big sister loves hearing him talk too and will be the first one to come running if she thinks he said something new. Her favorite, of course, is hearing him say her name. She just about melts when he does that!

What were some of your babies’ first words?

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Disney Baby. I’ll be joining the Disney Baby blogging team next month, and look forward to sharing these kinds of stories with you over there! Stay tuned for more details!

Photo: Philippe Put/Flickr

Tantrums: No Easier to Deal With the Second Time Around

Melanie Edwards — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 23:46:43 +0000

Tantrums. We’re so there. Oh, how I wish we could skip this stage of parenting! Can anyone make that happen?

Tantrums are nothing new to us, of course. Being that this is our second child, we know all too well what it’s like to deal with a toddler and tantrums. Even so, it’s hard to actually get through them!

When baby girl was almost 18 months old, the terrible twos hit. And they hit hard. She actually started acting up even before that, but 18 months was probably when it got really bad. Similarly, baby boy has started his tantrums before the 18-month mark. Luckily, though, they’re not as bad as his big sister’s. Let’s hope that doesn’t change.

Back when we dealt with baby girl’s toddler tantrums, most people would provide us with some form of the following advice:

Ignore it.
Let her cry.
Some kids will hit themselves.
So what if she makes herself throw up, what’s the worst that can happen?

When you’re in the moment, though, it’s very hard to ignore your child banging her head against the wall or crying so hard she vomits. Though baby boy is not doing either of those things – he really just cries and runs around in a circle for a bit – it’s still hard to ignore the crying fit.

The good thing is that we are more prepared this time around and know that if we don’t pay it much mind, he’ll calm down. We also know that he’s truly just frustrated or upset about a situation and cannot communicate that to us. Reminding ourselves of this makes it easier to distract him from the offense or help him calm down faster.

It’s still tough.

One thing we were told back when baby girl’s tantrums got to a very difficult stage, was that we should start formal time-outs. We had already been doing time-outs, but not formally. We weren’t telling her it was a time-out and we also weren’t using a specific chair. Perhaps it’s time to initiate the time-out ritual with baby boy before his tantrums worsen.

Baby girl’s tantrums did eventually get better. We stuck with time-outs and soon enough, we didn’t even need them. I just can’t remember how long it took us to get to that point. I know that baby boy’s tantrum stage will also pass just as hers did. But, I’m already ready for them to be over.

How long did the tantrum stage last for your kids?

Photo: Chirag Rathod/Flickr

Playing Same Games Big Sister Did

Melanie Edwards — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 05:30:38 +0000

It’s funny how different baby boy is from his big sister, and yet, how alike they also are. They are so alike, in fact, that when baby boy was a few months old, it was just like looking at a photo of baby girl from when she was the same age.

The similarities show up in interesting ways, though, and go beyond the physical. One thing he’s been doing lately is what we call the “pretend I’m sleeping game.” He lays down, pretends to snore (full-on snorting noise), and then sits up looking around the room saying, “Huh? Huh? Huh?” That last part is him pretending to wake up surprised.

His little game is funny, but it’s especially interesting and entertaining to us because his big sister did the exact same thing when she was about his age. And, I mean exactly. She played that game in the very same way and laughed about it just like he does.

To be honest, we’re not even sure where he picked up this game or if he saw someone do it. Baby girl hasn’t done it since she was much younger, so he didn’t learn it from her, for once. He just started doing it one day out of nowhere.

Of course, there are many other things we’ve noticed are the same between our boy and our girl. Some are very obvious and others more hidden. It’s amazing to us how two children can share so much, though they each have very distinct personalities. We’re loving it!

Have you noticed many similarities in your children or are they vastly different?

Photo: Lars Plougmann/Flickr

A Sympathetic Baby Boy

Melanie Edwards — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 18:33:15 +0000

Yesterday, the kids and I went to a local indoor play center, Amaya Papaya. Baby girl found herself making friends with the owner’s daughter, who is the same age as her. Baby boy did what a typical 1-year-old toddler does – he went from center to center playing a little of this and a little of that without really interacting with other kids.

A couple of times he came running towards me with the beginnings of a crying face, though there was nothing wrong as far as I could tell. After the second time he did this, I realized he was doing so because he was hearing other babies crying. “Crap,” I thought, “The crying is contagious now.” But, then a few minutes later, as we were sitting down to eat a snack, something interesting happened.

A little baby girl, probably around 9 or 10 months old, was sitting on the floor and began to cry. Baby boy looked her way, then looked at me pointing to her. “She’s ok,” I told him. But, he continued pointing her way and started to go towards her beginning to cry as well. This time, though, he went up to her and patted the little girl’s back. My baby boy was trying to comfort her!

I realized the crying he was doing due to other babies crying wasn’t because the crying was contagious. He was crying out of sympathy! Another mom sitting nearby us with her 15-month-old boy said her little brother used to do the same when they were younger. He would cry whenever she cried.

I’ve noticed that the last few times my baby girl has been upset, her little brother looked at her and then started making up his face to cry as well. I just never put it all together until I saw him in action with another baby. My little baby boy is sympathetic! Sweet, isn’t it?!

Did your younger children do something similar with their older siblings?

Photo: memekode/Flickr

Sharing Our Kids’ Lives Online

Melanie Edwards — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 13:32:01 +0000

With this generation of parents raising children in a digital age, it’s no surprise that we’re sharing special parenting moments online. When our children do the cutest thing ever, we have this desire to share with the world – at least our Facebook world. Or maybe it’s Twitter. If you’re a blogger, and one that writes about parenting, then you’re especially prone to share these memories on your blog, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and every other social media platform you belong to. We must share.

I’m guilty of it. Just this week, I shared some tidbits from baby boy and baby girl’s lives that I thought were cute, humorous, or just special.

I don’t believe it’s a bad thing, honestly. I think we’ve just taken the traditional “water cooler” conversations into a new space. Sharing parenting moments is not a new thing. Our parents did it. Our grandparents did it. They just did it in other ways – talking to each other across the fence, sharing their kids’ milestones over lunch at work, or perhaps chatting when picking up the kids from school. It’s the same thing, except we’re now sharing with our online circle of parents.

The thing to be careful about, I suppose, is that we share in a respectful and cautious manner. Since we’re sharing online, the memories will last much longer than if we were just talking to our next door neighbor. These parenting moments we’re sharing will last pretty much forever once published online. This means our children will be able to find them one day. Depending on what you’re sharing, this can either be a great thing or not so good.

Personally, I try to share what I believe other parents will relate to, find humorous, or moments I find I need help with as a mother. I don’t share everything and mostly share those moments that make me laugh, but that are not embarrassing for my kids. In general, I believe I’m sharing the special memories and milestones, but not the bad stuff. At least, I try my best to be conscious of differentiating between the two. However, that’s not to say that if you do share the bad stuff, it’s a bad thing. I’m just saying I prefer not to.

Sharing our parenting moments, special memories of our children, and the humorous times in parenting, is all in our parenting nature. Our children will enjoy reading and hearing about the moments we document. In turn, they’ll share their own special childhood memories and storytelling traditions will continue throughout generations. Who knows what kind of stories they’ll share online when they get older, right? Maybe they’ll be talking about us!

What kind of parenting moments do you share online?

Photo: epSos.de/Flickr

Second Child Syndrome

Melanie Edwards — Wed, 30 May 2012 02:31:32 +0000

It’s pretty sad to admit, but the truth is that my baby boy is suffering from second child syndrome. Don’t know what that is? It’s when you let go of those “must and should” expectations you had with your first baby.

We all know those things we did, bought, or thought we were supposed to do with our baby, don’t we? More than likely, you soon realized you really didn’t need that baby item. Or perhaps you figured out that it wasn’t such a big deal if things didn’t work out exactly as you read in that parenting book.

When you have a second baby, you are already so much more comfortable and confident as a mother, that you let go of many of those expectations. You know that things won’t ever go as planned and you learn to go with the flow. Unfortunately, this also means you slack on other aspects of parenting that you may later wish you had continued doing.

I think part of the second child syndrome is also due to the fact that you are constantly splitting your time and attention between two children. I certainly didn’t purposely neglect to do some things; it just sort of happened in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Here are a few examples. Perhaps you can relate?

Things I Did With My Girl That Didn’t Happen With My Boy

Memory book
Professional photographs for the milestone months and holidays
Followed behind her every move
Worry about every little thing (as much)
Use all the baby items and gadgets I thought I needed
Freak out when she fell
Stress over how much she ate

Now that I’m more conscious of this, I am trying to be better about it. I’m taking more photos of my baby boy, starting to document more of his moments and special quirks, and generally trying to create more memories. However, I think the reduced amount of worrying (about him falling, eating, etc.) is actually a good thing, since it allows him more freedom and independence.

If you have more than one child, do you think they suffer(ed) from second child syndrome? If not, how did you avoid it?

Photo: jerseygal2009/Flickr

Biggest Surprise in Parenting Two Children

Melanie Edwards — Fri, 25 May 2012 05:50:20 +0000

I always thought I’d want to have three children. My then-boyfriend, now-husband, thought differently. He thought two would be just fine for our family, but wasn’t entirely against the idea of three. As we had our first child, we adjusted. Anyone who’s had a baby knows exactly how much your life completely turns upside down.

Our family of two became three. We went through the motions of nurturing, caring for, and learning all about our baby girl. As is quite typical within extended family, almost immediately after she was born, we were being asked if we wanted a second child. Our sleep-deprived, defunct brains couldn’t fathom another child. At the time, we were pretty sure our baby girl was going to be an only child.

Through the next few years, my husband and I went back and forth on the issue of having more children. Some months we missed having a young infant in the house and thought we’d eventually have another. Other months – especially those months our daughter was particularly going through a rough phase – we were sure we didn’t want any more. When our daughter hit the tantrum phase, we were pretty much ready to run to the doctor for reproductive surgery to ensure we didn’t have more children. Dealing with tantrums is always rough in parenting. Luckily, though, tantrums don’t last forever.

Once our baby girl got past tantrums and began to act like a human again, we began to have feelings of wanting another baby. It took us a while, but we eventually decided to go for it and try for a second child. Baby girl was four when we got pregnant and turned five when her baby brother was born.

Our family of three is now a family of four. And, we can’t imagine it any other way. It’s hard to think of the days when our baby boy was not around; it seems like he’s always been a part of our family. Of course, we’ve had adjustments, again, to raising two children versus just one child. Honestly, though, it hasn’t been too rough thus far.

My biggest surprise in having two children? How incredibly big their love for each other is! That little boy searches for his sister when she’s at school, is thrilled to see her, and is sad to see her go. In turn, rarely a minute goes by when she’s not talking to, playing with, or harassing her little bro. They were truly made for each other.

If you have more than one child, what has been the biggest surprise for you in parenting siblings?

Photo: Jim Hammer

Sharing Special Parenting Moments

Melanie Edwards — Thu, 24 May 2012 03:01:11 +0000

As I look back on this blog, I realize that one of the things I enjoy most is sharing special parenting moments with you. It helps me reflect, take in, and enjoy those little, everyday moments, that are actually quite extraordinary. They are the ones we talk about when we get together and reminisce. Those are the moments that have created memories, as small as they seemed at the time.

Over the years, I’ve shared with you simple moments such as brushing my baby girl’s hair and enjoying the peacefulness of doing so, the 6 a.m. conversations we’ve had, and her love for her daddy. I’ve also shared big moments like the story of the day our baby girl was born, getting pregnant a second time, and the birth of our baby boy. They’re all important and all bring back memories.

I realize, though, that I haven’t documented much of baby boy’s life thus far. He’s almost eighteen months old already and is growing so fast! I want to take in his small moments too and be able to marvel at his simple, big, and momentous occasions. I think I’ll start sharing more of those with you from now on. Let’s start with some of what he’s doing at the moment.

Baby boy is adventurous. He loves to walk, walk, and walk some more, all around the house, outside, and pretty much anywhere you’ll let him. Of course, this also means he likes to get into every corner, open doors, climb, and find his way into trouble as he explores.
My little boy is sweet as can be. I’ve said it before that I was genuinely surprised by just how sweet boys can be. He loves to give rounds of hugs and goes back and forth between daddy, mommy, and his big sister. He’s a bit stingy with kisses, though.
Baby boy is a comedian. This doesn’t surprise me much since his daddy and big sister are much the same way. He now knows that certain things he does will get a laugh from us and will do them on purpose. Of course, seeing him laugh (that big, belly-bouncing laugh that babies have), is all we really need to get us laughing.

There’s so much more he does on a daily basis, from running away when he knows he’s been caught doing something he shouldn’t, to sitting down to “read” a book. The transition from baby to toddler is a fun stage in parenting, one that I look forward to documenting a second time.

In the meantime, I’m excited to share that I’m joining a team of bloggers for Disney Baby and will have a chance to share parenting stories with their audience! Stories, anecdotes, and memories such as the ones I’ve described will be shared by the Disney Baby blogging team on the Disney Baby site starting next month. Until then, expect to see them here on ModernMami.com a couple of times a week. If you want, visit the sites of the rest of the Disney Baby bloggers and get to know them!

Andrea Howe, Four Flights of Fancy
Nadia Carriere, Child Mode
Amy Heinz, Using Our Words
Selena Burgess, La Petit Reve
Michelle Horton, Early Mama
Melanie Blodgett, You Are My Fave
Lauren Hartmann, The Little Things We Do
Janssen Bradshaw, Everyday Reading
Jacinda Boneau and Jamie Morrison Curtis, Prudent Baby
Rachel Faucett, Handmade Charlotte
Arianne Segerman, To Think Is to Create
Casey Mullins, Moosh in Indy
Natalie Holbrook, Nat the Fat Rat
Amber Doty, The Daily Doty
Meagan Francis, The Happiest Mom
Becka Robinson, Life as an Artistpreneur
John Cave Osborne, JohnCaveOsborne.com

Photo: Rob Ellis

Dance Class Day

Melanie Edwards — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:54:39 +0000

Once a week, my daughter goes to dance class. Since the dance center she attends is closer to my parents’ house, I take the opportunity to head to their house after picking her up from school. We use this time to hang out with the abuelos and I get a chance to see my parents before it’s time for her dance class.

It’s become such a regular part of our weekly routine, that every Thursday when I pick up baby girl at school, she confirms, “Are we going to Abuela’s house?” On the rare occasion when something interferes with our plans, she gets disappointed. I do too, honestly. There’s something very comforting about knowing that each Thursday afternoon we get to see my parents. My mom and I talk, she feeds us as only your mom and an abuela can, and both baby boy and baby girl get the extra hugs and kisses from their grandparents.

For me, seeing the bond that my children have with my parents is especially precious because I never had such a relationship with one of my grandparents. I didn’t grow up near any of my grandparents – my paternal grandmother passed away long before I was born and the other three grandparents lived in New York City. While this is something that I certainly wish I had as a child, it’s something I’ve accepted for what it was. But, it does help me appreciate the special relationship my parents have with my kids. It helps me understand that it is important for them to visit their abuelos, to have sleep overs, and talk with them on a regular basis.

So, while it’s certainly not the only time we visit my parents, dance class day will continue to be a ritual. We will enjoy what the abuelos have to share with us and keep on nurturing the treasured connection such a relationship affords.

Did you have a special relationship with your grandparents?