The Run Down

I've been terrible about blogging lately, so I'm going to try and squeeze everything I've missed into one abbreviated post. Here are the highlights and lowlights of the events that have transpired since I last blogged:

• Reid had his 12 month well visit. In short, he's pretty perfect (but of course) but a bit on the small side. The official stats:
• Height: 29 1/4 inches (50th%)
• Weight: 21.5 lbs (25th%)
• Head: 46.5 cm (50th%)
  

• We celebrated Christmas. Just us. No traveling or hosting family celebrations this year. It was so much fun to open gifts with my favorite boys. I did find myself missing my family, though. And snow. I still wish for a white Christmas every year, but it seems as long as we are living here in South Carolina, that's not very likely to happen.

• On a couple different occasions, Reid took a step! Just one though. He cruises all over the place when there's furniture to hold onto, and walks behind push toys or with the help of a walker, but doesn't seem very confident in the walking department just yet.

• Colin started to improve with his potty training, although it's still very much a work in progress. He uses the potty a few times a day, usually for a reward, but he still doesn't initiate it on his own. He is perfectly content to sit in his dirty pull-up. We've tried undies, and while he might last an hour or two in them, he always pees in them at some point. We're working with him, but he's not even 3 yet and I'm not super worried.

• A week after his vaccines, poor Reid reacted to the MMR shot in the same way that his big brother did a couple years ago - with a high fever that lasted several days. As of today, he's starting to feel better, though.

• Reid and I successfully completed a year of breastfeeding. Woohoo! We have since started the weaning process, and Reid is now about 90% on almond milk and solid foods. We started out with whole milk, but almost immediately he started to have diarrhea, so our pediatrician recommended switching to almond milk. He loved it and took to it well, so we're sticking with it for now. I have been surprisingly unemotional about weaning, but I am cherishing our sweet snuggle sessions when I still get them, since I don't know which time will be our last.
  

Next up: Ringing in 2014 with my darling husband tomorrow night... as long as we can stay awake!

Happy New Year! ♥

Happy Birthday, Baby!

I really can't believe that a year has already gone by since Reid entered this world screaming and pink. Happy Birthday, my sweet angel. Mommy loves you more than words can say.

To the Parents of Strong Willed Toddlers

Before I had children, I did a lot of silent judging. I would see a two year old freaking out about something dumb in a restaurant or at the grocery store and I'd think, "MY kids will never act like that." Surely children, regardless of age, were a reflection of their parents.

It's true that parenting matters, at any age. But the thing I didn't know back then is that parenting is all about sowing seeds so that as your kids get older and understand more about the world around them, they will blossom into kind, well-mannered, well-rounded people. Parenting isn't a sprint; it's a marathon. And sometimes in those early days, your kids WILL turn into little devils and embarrass you in public. Or in our case, they will fight bedtime tooth and nail and force you to go all Supernanny on their little behinds.

At almost three years old, Colin is all about control. He wants to be the one to dictate what happens and when. He does not like being told no or having to leave somewhere if he's having a good time. Example: he has this thing right now where he likes to get in the driver's seat of my car and pretend to drive. He'll turn on the headlights and push or turn all the buttons or dials. The first time, it was kind of cute, but then it got old pretty fast. Now, as soon as I put the car in park, he'll say "momma, I want to drive." When I unbuckle his car seat, and then go to get Reid out of the car, he'll jump in the front and start "driving." God forbid I ask him to get out before he's ready. Sidenote: It's also super fun to get in the car each morning not knowing which buttons or knobs he's messed with. Typically the windshield wipers and high beams are on.

For a long time, we had a "pick your battles" approach, and to an extent we still do. But because Colin is so stubborn and persistent, we have had to buckle down and reinforce that no means no, which is hard. When he's whining because he wants something, or crying because he wants me to lay down with him until he falls asleep, it would be so easy just to cave and give him what he wants. And sometimes, I'll be honest, we do cave. But in my opinion it's important to think long term, and to stick with our guns now to avoid even bigger battles later.

And speaking of later, I'm afraid we may have two strong willed little monkeys on our hands. My little Reid has always been so sweet and laid back, but at almost a year old, we're starting to see some of the same little behavior patterns we saw in Colin at an early age. Lord help us. He is definitely going to be persistent like his big brother. Heck, maybe that's where he got it. Regardless, I think the early days are going to be tough, but in the long run, my hope is that we'll have two level headed, self motivated, intelligent sons.

So to the other parents of strong willed toddlers out there: Hang in there, and keep up the good work. I promise it won't be in vain.