Ahhhh thank the lord for nap time! Sorry for the middle of the day post but seems like the only time I can get things done these days is during Ava’s nap. I’m pretty sure i’ve vented mentioned to you ladies quite a bit lately that this toddler stage is kicking my butt! A couple months ago I remember saying this is seriously the best stage ever…she’s talking all the time, doing the funniest little things and can hang much longer when we go out running around. Well fast forward a month and shit just got real lol. This child is into EVERYTHING, the testing stage is in full effect and sassiness is on a whole other level. Not to mention she could probably work for cirque du soleil with the moves she mastered to get herself in and out of her crib last week! Thankfully after we lowered the mattress all the way down she hasn’t escaped again…but I think its only a matter of time before we have to switch her to a toddler bed. Which brings me to my next question for my fellow mamas…Ummm how do you get them to actually stay in their toddler bed?! I highly doubt when I tell Ava it’s time to go “night night” and put her in her bed she will lay down and quietly just drift off to sleep. 😉 So any tips on that adjustment would be greatly appreciated! I would also have to say that the best part of last week was the “painting” she did in her crib during nap time and lets just say it wasn’t with paint! Thank goodness that happened on daddy’s watch! 😉
Anyhow I just thought that I would share that is it not always rainbows and butterflies over here either and i’ve been pretty overwhelmed lately. I know with blogs and social media everyone posts all these perfect pictures (which is great…I wouldn’t want to follow someone who was negative all the time) but just know that we have our rough days too! We are definitely blessed but our life isn’t always perfect. You just have to laugh (have a glass of wine…maybe two;) and roll with it! Okay now on to those sweet pictures from the last couple weeks that really do make it all worth it…..
Sharing with daddy
A trip to play in the tide pools
A little cereal stealer 😉
The pretty much melt me ALL the time!
Hanging with grandma!
and ever so focused on her game!
Ps do you guys have one of these for your iPads? The best little invention we’ve purchased. I try not to give it to her that often but its amazing when you’re on a long drive or doing dinner in a restaurant.
Hope you girls are having a great week!
Ohhh nooo, poo painting. I'm sorry mama! Good thing she is so stinking cute! 😉
I love all these adorable pictures!! <3
Diana
http://www.ManhattanImageandStyle.com
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Thanks for this post, so good to know we are not alone! What is this invention for IPad?!
my daughter is two years old and it seems like every day she's driving me more and more insane. its ok if you fell the need to put her in her crib "time out" close the door and take a few minutes to your self. its hard not to get mad and yell and right after you do it we feel like the worst parents ever! your not a bad mom for it, it happens. as far as the transition to a toddler bed its going to be hard. It took us 3 whole days with my daughter. A whole lot of getting up in the middle of the night and being firm with taking her back to her bed and encouraging that she stays there. and she will eventually. just be on the same page with your husband that neither one of you cave in. good luck!! 🙂 Spenceandrach.blogspot.com
Thanks for keepnig it real Andee! We just switched our little one (at almost 3) to the toddler bed and it has been OK. She is not a daredevil at all though. Never tried to get out of her crib. Anyway, I found the Aha Parenting website so helpful (with many things). These two posts in particular:
http://www.ahaparenting.com/ages-stages/toddlers/crib-to-toddler-bed
http://www.ahaparenting.com/ask-the-doctor-1/how-to-keep-toddler-from-getting-out-of-big-kid-bed
Uhm.. can I say this post made me laugh out loud! Isabella is 19 months and I'm trying to figure out when I had to start hiding in my own house when I want to use my tablet. If she sees I have my phone or tablet she comes and takes it right out of my hands! This morning while she was playing in the living room I was in the kitchen drinking my coffee and had to hide the fact that I was checking my email and I kid you not she would peek around the couch to make sure she didn't catch me using it! Let me know if you get any good tips on how to make the successful transition into a toddler bed because I too am questioning how the heck that's going to work lol. Love reading about you beautiful ladies!
Oh gosh!! I do not have babies yet but I am one of four children. All born within 4 years. Two of which are younger twin sisters and I can vividly remember when they were about 2 they "painted" the walls and cribs and mattresses in their rooms LOL I will never forget my mom's facial expression when she opened the door to see that. She ended up putting on their sleepers (onsies) backwards when they went to sleep so they couldn't undo them/reach into their diapers. So there is one tip for you! Also Ava is just SO cute!!! 🙂 I wish you had a YT channel so we could see her sweet sassiness on camera hahah! Anyways, have a great day and thank you for sharing. It WILL get easier.
Ah yes, I'm familiar with the "painting" one of my kids did too. Sorry, I know how gross that is to walk in on! Staying in bed takes a long time and a lot of redirecting(putting her back in bed), and sticking to your routine will help her adjust more quickly. With my first child, I would lay with him in his bed and scratch his back and talk and sing until he fell asleep, so hr had a much easier time adjusting.
OMG mama I'm totally feeling your pain with this! Sophia is out of control right now! 🙁 I can't even imagine having two little ones running around…UHG sounds exhausting haha! XO
My daughter is 2 and I've been there! My little one was climbing out of her crib, taking her diaper off in her crib during bed time and naptime and wetting her bed (I literally was having to put her onesie pj's on backwards so she couldn't get them off), she's into everything, definitely is testing to see what the limits are…there is no taking my eyes off her and even during her nap time I feel myself tense. I will say that it has gotten better though, it just takes lots of patience and repetition. She is in a toddler bed and it was surprisingly a lot easier than I thought it was going to be. She has stopped undressing herself in bed and although she's still into everything, I guess that's expected of having a 2 year old. What has seemingly worked for us is to be consistent and stick to a routine. You're not alone!
I laughed out loud at the whole you putting her onesie pjs on backwards bit – that's freakin adorable!!! And really funies cos it's relatable – as parents you do what you gotta do right?? The visual in my mind is too cute 🙂
Oh my goodness!!!!!!! I know you all will get thru this phase and it will be over before you know it. My little boy is 9 mths and I (like a previous poster) have to go hide to use my smartphone/ipad/laptop and tv remotes!!! I know it is different at Ava's age. Hang in there mama! 🙂
I always love reading your blog and your daugther Ava sounds just like my daugther Eden who is now 3 1/2. We call her our "tasmanian angel"as she likes to seek and destroy in our house, all with a smile on her face. The best advice for the bed is to hold off as long as possible to switch to a big girl bed, because you do lose even more control. We started something where we say "goodnight, I love you." and that is it. If she comes out of her room we bring her back to bed, but do not repsond to her so she learns that all of the neogoations (which will happen for you soon enough) I have to pee pee, I am cold, I need to change PJS, rub my back, Im sick, etc will not work. Every stage has its highs and lows. Right now we are in a new stage of destroying our room. It is like the song wreaking ball on the daily in our house. Also, we waited to have our second child Elle, because Eden needed so much attention. The 3 year age gap was perfect. Good luck to you mama. Every say is an adventure that is for sure.
Such a cutie. From the Instagram pic you posted yesterday, I was hoping to see a post like this to follow. (This is misslvn..aka mommy to the 10-month old twerker…haha!) So this is what I have to look forward to in about a year huh? WOW. Hang in there girl…and don't be bashful to have some wine while hanging out with her. It may help. But I'm sure you are doing an amazing job! Maybe make up games with her to keep her occupied and tire her out so she takes LONGGGG naps 🙂 If you get good advice, I want to know too!
Linh
http://abeautifulrawr.com
I know when you're going through it, it feels overwhelming but please enjoy this time with her. They grow up so fast! Then you have a 10 year old who takes sassiness to a whole other level. Pre-teen hormones are already kicking in! It does get better as they start to occupy themselves playing rather than having to have mommy and daddy's attention constantly. Cherish this age because it will be over in the blink of an eye!
Hey,
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XOXO
A family I nannied for had twin boys (they just turned 3) who shared a room. She had a video monitor that she could actually speak to them through. So she would put them into bed and then would check it every 10 minutes or so to see if they got up. If she caught them out of their bed she would speak into the monitor and say really firmly "get back in your bed" and they would always scurry back. The first time she did it, one of the boys said to her after their nap "Mommy the clock was talking to me!". She also locked their door from the outside so they couldn't escape their room. Maybe that would work. Good luck!
I am a Momma of 3. I have 2 girls (ages 2 & 4) & a 3-month old little boy! I have been hit with many curve balls over the years, including the infamous 'paintings'..lol! We didn't actually use a toddler bed, we went straight to twin size beds & within a few nights they stayed in their beds. I would definitely recommend giving her earlier naps during the day & also doing something later on to exert a lot of energy out so that when nighttime comes she is more willing to snooze. I have some little crazies myself so I do physical activities (outside play, wii fit, etc) with them mid-later day & then we go thru the dinner/bath routine & we always do something calming before bed like reading a book..etc. It also helps to have an awesome nightlight…like the wall projector kind. I keep the monitor on & close their doors…but we toddler proofed their room so if they got up they couldn't hurt themselves..like climbing up their dresser drawers, etc. It won't take long, like most people said, stay on a routine & be persistent…you might find her asleep under the bed or balled up on the carpet instead…but eventually she will stay in bed!!! Good Luck…& most of all – Have fun!
Oh my…Brooke is 7 months old and I'm loving it right now, but I know the tides will turn and we'll be in trouble one day. I love your outlook on it – laugh – wine – laugh some more. Just remember, it won't be like this forever…and it gives you amazing stories to share when she gets older, or at least great black mail 😉
Girl, I hear you! My baby is only 16 months and I feel like ripping my hair out some days. The no and tantrums are outrageous! It's like how can someone so sweet and precious turn in a matter of seconds into such a mean sassy machine 😉 I just wrote a post about this too.
She is just the cutest love. xoxo
I haven't had to transition to a toddler bed, but my friend did it successfully by pushing bedtime back for a period of time so when she put her baby down he was exhausted and went right to sleep, and then over a week or two she inched the bedtime back to normal in 10 minute increments. Also I've had friends who make sure in the room there are only books/stuffed animals so that even if they do get out and "play" its quiet and not overly stimulating. It will probably be a "pick your battles" situation where you have to decide what's important to you. I've also had friends put baby gates on bedroom doors and leave the door cracked, but then it at least keeps the kiddo contained and not navigating stairs/getting into trouble unsupervised in the middle of the night! Good luck!
Love your honestly here. I feel overwhelmed for you just reading this, but Ava is just soooo darn adorable! I'm kind of scared for what is to come with my little one ahhh! My brother and my sis in law just went through this and to transition their son into a bed they got him a car bed- something he could be really excited about and actually want to be in. They made a big deal over it and made it really special for him. Maybe you could do something like a princess bed or something themed that she is really into?? Hang in there girl! My mom always tells me "just remember this too shall pass" lol. xo
All these suggestions are great. I recommend going straight to twin as well, and I lie down with my kiddos until they fall asleep. It's the only thing that works for me. It sounds mean, but a baby gate or turning the door knob around so you can lock it from outside is much safer than taking a chance that they will roam around at night or early in the am.
Good luck! It gets easier!
We switched my son to a toddler bed when he was about 18 months. We put a mattress on the floor because he thrashed around so much. When he got up and didn't want to go to bed, we just took him back to the bed (sometimes over and over). When he's really tired and overstimulated, he'll really fight lying down (he's now 2 years and 8 months old). Very occasionally, I will have to hold him tightly and tell him he has to stay on the bed. I'll sing to him and he calms down, then I put him down and he falls asleep. I love the floor mattress because you can lie down with them if they need it and they don't ever fall out of bed.
Good luck. And yikes to the poo painting! lol
I totes enjoyed this post. I really appreciate your frankness! I love your blog for your glamorous lifestyle that I aspire to emulate in a not-so-glamorous city (there's no harm in trying!) but I really appreciated your honesty in the trials of parenting. While overall it seems you've had a prettty cruisy lil darling angel it's nice to know that we all have our hard days and we all try to squish in as much as possible during the holy nap time 🙂
Also the photos you posted are just too precious. Mini-he has only just hit 1 and I'm realllly enjoying all the little developments like kissies, waving, cuddling, running, giggle fits, clapping…
Also that tiny little poncho??? I just can't. I'm shaking my head cos I just love it so. I need to have a girl I think.
Love your honesty! This made me laugh and you have such a good attitude about it all 🙂 my son is 15 months and the "sass" is starting to show! Gavin seems to now think me saying no is sooo funny and boy does he love to get a rise out of me and do what I said just not to do! I'm sure there is more to come! I also have heard go straight to a twin with guard rails, tire her out and be consistent. And you can lay with them for a bit then leave. Let us know how it goes! Good luck!! Also, we have that same iPad case and love it!! What does Ava play???
Thank you for sharing!! Love when us mama's can be open about how hard it sometimes really is. It's so great to hear from other moms about the day to day struggles I know we all go thru! And yes a glass of wine is what I reward myself with at the end of day being a stay at mom to two little ones. Just keep doing what you know is best for you and your family!
My advice with toddler bed is this, we actually had a easy transition with my son partly because we were in the process of moving so there was really no choice. We opted for a double bed with rails for a couple reasons. One he moves a TON in the middle of the night and we felt like it gave him extra protection. Another reason and to be totally honest, I liked the look of a double bed better than a twin;) We also didn't make it a huge deal or draw that much attention to his "big boy bed". Sometimes I feel like when too much attention is brought to change that is about to happen it backfires. I also know a few people that the use the "stop light clock," there are a couple different brands out there but it signals with light when they are allowed to get out of bed.
My son still crawls into bed with us sometimes and to be honest I love it. Its not all the time but when he does I cherish it.
You know your little one best and what works best for her so always go with your instinct!
Girrlllll! This is the truth of how it is! Now add two more. Panic!!! lol! There's a reason why kids are so damn cute, so we don't hurt 'em! Love reading your family stories <333
I have a 4.5 month old daughter who is ALREADY giving me a run for my money! Taylor Grace is what you would call a"spirited" child so I cannot even imagine the toddler phase! Honestly though – so worth it. Thanks for opening up and making us fellow frazzled mommas feel better 🙂
Also, can you pleeeeease do a post on where you find Ava's clothes? Her wardrobe makes me nuts. I wanted to buy everything she's wearing in these pics! Taylor's daddy would esp love the camo pants 😉
I just found your blog and I love it! You are an inspiration to this very tired mommy.
I have 2 girls, a 2 1/2 yr old and 10 month old. And surprise surprise, another bun in the oven. I don't even know how that happened.
Anyway, we switched our oldest to her toddler bed at about 15 months. She's a monkey and kept climbing out. Because she was so young, she had a hard time getting out of the toddler bed (although she couldn't have hurt herself falling so it was safe) and pretty much just stayed in. Occasionally she climbs in our bed and I just take her back to her room. Once in a while she gets out of bed and plays quietly (read sneakily) in her room. I just tell her firmly to get back in bed. If she disobeys, a quick swat on the thigh tells her I'm serious.
Probably because we have them so close, I treat them a little bit older out of necessity than I would have otherwise, but they don't seem to suffer. Still happy and rambunctious and I've found that kids understand stuff before we assume they do. They really are remarkably clever little darlings.
Good luck with the bed and my condolences on her running you ragged. I just keep telling myself that they are going to be amazing women if I can just channel their smart, beautiful, stubborn little wills to the "good side". 🙂
Andee, I'm so happy I found this post… My daughter is 21 months and she is hard on her mama.. Testing me all the time and she's moody.. It's true that your life always seems so perfect and I find it cool that you share the hard times too… Sorry for my writing.. My first language is french 😉