A Toddler's Eating Habits

When Nicholas was just beginning to eat regular table food, I thought he was going to be the best eater ever! He would have vegetables, meat, fruit, and usually some type of bread. He would gobble up everything on his plate and be ready for more. Now that we have entered what seems to be the early terrible twos, nothing is the same. For days in a row the only thing he will eat is a hot dog. Then all of a sudden the hot dog is tossed on the floor with the toys as if to say "What is this! Why on earth would you make this for me?" He used to love every vegetable including peas. Now the only one we can get him to go near is corn on the cob! One would think that he would also eat the same corn we do, but that is not the case. Only corn on the cob will do! He spits out chicken, turkey, steak, hamburg yet today he ate a whole piece of "ham" off of an Egg McMuffin sandwich! Does this make any sense? How can you eat the so called ham from McDonald's of all places but not any other kind of meat??

A Nightmare, I mean Haircut!

This morning was the fifth haircut for the Nicholas. We were ready in plenty of time. I had all of the snacks packed and off we went with enough time to stop for gas. We looked at the trucks, named all the construction equipment we passed, and were generally having a grand time on the ride over. The problem began when Nicholas saw the building. It was as if eight weeks had not passed since the last time we visited Amy for a haircut. He began saying no over and over again. When I unbuckled his car seat, the kicking and screaming started. Then he threw himself on the ground and refused to move. I picked him up and carried him into the building. Amy was still with a client so we quickly went back outside. I thought for sure a little trip outside would calm him down. He could not be distracted by anything! We looked at birds, a dead snake, the gutters, the pool, and leaves. Nothing worked! Finally, I dragged him, kicking and screaming, into the salon. For the next twenty minutes he clung to me while swinging his head from side to side and letting out an ear piercing scream. When we decided to give up, he finally quieted down. I stood up and he ate a cookie while Amy finished trimming what she could reach. His hair is shorter but not perfect. Maybe next time will be better!

Preschool

Nicholas has not even turned two yet but already everyone is thinking about preschool. All the moms at Gymboree are engaged in lenghy conversations about preschool and I am standing there wondering why in the world they are already talking about it. During my eavesdropping, I learn that most preschools have a long waiting list and that this fall is the right time to choose a school and get onto the waiting list. Even though this boggles my mind, I quickly joined the conversation because I must learn the secrets to finding the right one and being able to get in. Some moms are hoping that the new public preschool law will go into effect right when it is time for our children to start but I pointed out that the children have to be four not three for that to apply to them. Then it was onto the list of local schools - Montessori Llamas and Learning, Montessori of Brandon, Nativity Church, and St. Stephen's. All are considered the best, but each different in price. So, I took a deep breath and decided that I would wait until the fall, visit each school, and make a decision. If the waiting list is too long then, horror of all horrors, maybe he won't start right away when he turns three! Or we will choose another one. Since he hasn't even turned two yet, I am not going to think about it anymore until the fall!

The End of the Pacifier

I would have never, ever guessed that getting rid of the pacifier would be so easy! When we changed the crib from the toddler bed, I removed the bumpers. This led to all of the pacifiers getting stuck between the wall and crib and landing under the crib. On Tuesday of last week, I was just too lazy to look for one while Nicholas sat screaming in his bed at nap time. Instead, I quickly ran out of the room and he fell asleep. This accomplishment led us to try bedtime without the pacifier which led to SUCCESS! Just one more example of how quickly is changing from our baby to our little boy!

Finally - Sleep!

It has been quite some time since we have had a real nights worth of sleep here! Mr. Nicholas learned how to climb out of his crib! This led to night after night of his waking up and walking out of his room and into ours! One morning Jason found him asleep in the kitchen on top of the mat with all of his little blankets curled around him. Jason came up with idea to lay with him until he feel asleep while we were at my mom's for Christmas. This led to Nicholas coming to get us everytime he woke up. This continued at home and through the new year until my mom suggested locking him in his room. We just couldn't do it at first, so we continued to lay with him night after night, almost all night long. At last, my common sense has kicked in. What did we do when he was crying in his crib and he couldn't get out? We left him in there until he fell asleep. So, I put a safety doorknob onto the inside of his door and after one night, he started staying in his room when we put him to bed and sleeping through the night once again! Hurray!