Movie Monday: Annabeth Laughing with her TEETH!

We are still not sleeping much with Big Baby but she is a JOY!

Tuesday's Tip: Jackson's First Trip to the Dentist

We had many different people tell us different things about when to take our babies to the dentist. Some people said don't take them when they are two, because they will not do a cleaning, and all their teeth have not come in yet.

So we were planning on taking Jackson to the dentist when he was three for his first cleaning and check up and then when he was three we moved. Then soon after we moved, Charlie had his gallbladder out, and then well...his first visit was last week. Abigail's first visit will definitely be right after she turns three years old, but I am only taking them once a year until their permanent teeth come in as of now.

Some things I learned at the dentist:

1. We need to brush their gums at least once a day. Not brushing your babies' gums can cause gingivitis. It is tricky with Jackson because he has big lips and we need yo pull the lips back. Jackson did have some build-up on one side, but the nurse said brushing his gums for three days straight on that side will get rid of it. We already use a spin brush on him.
2. Need to floss back four molars daily for sure. They have these teeth utill they are four years old. Any tips on how to do this easier let me know! Might be getting those devices that makes flossing easier.
   
3. They do not have x rays until they are five years old.

We went to Pediatric Dental Care in Gastonia (Dr. Conner). I was very happy with the experience. They let me come back there for his first visit and he got a balloon, sugar free sucker, and a token to get a prize.

Another thing we are going back and forth debating now is dental insurance. It cost us $180 for Jackson's visit, but dental insurance for us all is around $120 a month....now that does not add up if you ask me. Do you have dental insurance? If so do you think it is worth it?

Also, do you have any tips on cleaning your Preschooler's teeth?

Updated Pictures: Fun Facts about Abigail 10 months old

They love each other so much!

Sunday after church (outfit from cousins Christopher and Becky...we are very thankful!)

I get this cute Polo outfit at the Tot Trade. The Tot Trade is wonderful!

Standing at Mimi's and Pop Pop's . She is so close to taking her first step.

Doing her favorite activity watching the Wiggle with Jackson. I got this very old Wiggle dvd from the Tot trade and they love it!

She has gotten a lot more hair recently!

Feeding Millie Boo

Abigail at Chick Fil A

Sick Abigail chewing on her saline spray.

Fun Facts About Abigail: 10 months old

Teeth: She now has six teeth that have broken through (four at the top, two on the bottom). Two more might be on the way. The pain of teething has not seemed as bad as it was with Jackson. She is not quite as dramatic as Jackson yet. She seems to roll with illnesses and pain a lot better than Jackson did at this age.

Favorite Show: Wiggles, Cedarmont Kids dvd, Yo Gabba Gabba

Words she can say: "mama, daddy, hey, she can say Pop Pop, and she is starting to say the beginning sounds of a word. I will say, "can you say cup, "ku ku" and she will repeat the ku ku ku part. It is really a blessing I have had all this speech therapy training! She sings along with songs by humming. I do think she has meaning when she says "mama" because she usually wants me when she does it. I know it would be great for her to have 10 to 15 words she can at least say by 1 years old, but development can come at any point. From 18 months to 2 years old is the huge jump in words usually.

Favorite Toy: Stuffed balls, her baby doll (she does really like all Jackson's toys...)

Favorite Thing to do that she is not suppose to do: EAT PAPER! She really loves to eat paper. She will crawl into a bathroom so quick and start eating the toilet paper before I can even blink. It is so crazy. Jackson never would actually eat things, but then again he has never been a big eater.

One of the best things About Abigail: She is really easy to take places and does so great in the church nursery. She does not fuss when I leave her, and every where we go (even at soccer games and practices) we always get the comments on what an easy great baby she is.

Jackson did not cry when I would drop him off in nursery situations either until he started walking and I took his formula away and gave him nothing but milk which caused him to be constipated and very unhappy in general. I will not make that mistake again. I will not be giving Abigail whole milk in a bottle, I will still give her bottles with formula in them and just try to get rid of the middle of the day bottle for one week, then the lunch bottle the next week and the last two bottles I will get rid of will be the morning bottle and the night bottle. I will give her milk in a cup, but will not be giving her 27 ozs of whole milk a day through a bottle like a did with Jackson which really turned out to cause him some major gastric problems.

*Added later: Another trick to getting rid of the bottle is to always offer food before the bottle. I can do this all day with Abigail accept first thing in the morning. Do you have any more suggestions on how to get rid of the bottle?

Movie Monday: Abigail Bouncing at 9 months Old!

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Saturday, Abigail turned 9 months old. Time has flown by with her. Abigail was a dream baby the first three months, slept through the night and all. Then around 4 months, she came out of her shell and she is still the sweet Abigail I have always known, but she has all of the sudden had a lot of energy. Some days she reminds me of a girl version of Jackson. She does not like to sit still too much, and she does not even watch TV much. She does not seem to like to sleep as much as Jackson, and I tried to change her from nursery water to purified water and that did not go over very well and she woke up 3 or 4 nights in a row in the middle of the night wanting to eat. Needless to say, we are back to nursery water. She loves to eat paper and will find it in the craziest places. Charlie thinks she might be part goat...ha! She recently got one of her incisors teeth on top, so now she has 3 teeth.

I love her zeal for life and her sweet disposition. Every day I am thankful for her, and the joy she brings to our lives.

Movie Monday-Abigail Sitting Up By Herself showing off Her Teeth!

Abigail is already sitting up by herself some and has 1 tooth and the other one is about to be through. She went to the doctor the other week and the doctor said that it is early for her teeth to already be coming through and that was what was wrong with her, not her ears, praise the Lord! She seems to be a couple months early in doing everything. She is even trying to get up on all fours to start crawling. Jackson was textbook on when everything happened for him. I think he got his first tooth at 7 months old which is right when they are suppose to come through. I think girls just mature faster. Of course I am not ready for her to be doing all she is doing, and I was dying for Jackson to get a tooth, sit up by himself, crawl, etc.

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Update on Abigail: Five Months Old

Abigail is still funny as ever. Her laugh is hilarious. I really wish I could catch it on video. She has such a fun sweet disposition, a lot like my grandmother. However, Abigail has been fussier recently. Mother's Day really wore her out and she went to sleep (actually a coma) early with only have about 25 ozs. That night she woke up every 2 hours and we would flip her back on her stomach and she would go right back to sleep. So then she got constipated and now it seems every other night she is waking us up every 2 hours. She wakes up on her back and I know she wants to be back on her stomach. Today she has eaten a ton of pears and drank a lot of formula. However, overall she is more fussy during the day. It is just hard to get adjusted to because most days and weeks she would never fuss, not even a little. I am pretty sure she is already struggle stomach issues, mainly constipation. Her bottom two teeth also look like they are about to come through. Do yall have any advice on how to alleviate her waking up upset on her back?

Doesn't she look beautiful in her church outfit? She finally has enough hair where the bow will really stay in. Yay!

Added later: Her schedule:
7:45 am 6 ozs bottle (sometimes 8 ozs) Pears
9:30 or 10 am Nap till 11:30 am
11:30 am 6 oz bottle Pears
1:30 pm Nap till 3:30 pm BOTH BABIES SLEEP WHICH IS GLORIOUS
3:30 6 oz bottle Most days takes a 45 minutes nap after she has been awake for 1 and half (which Baby Wise recommends)
6:30 6 oz bottle Pears
9 pm 6 oz bottle
10 pm Bed

She eats 5 times a day. I am not nearly as strict about her schedule as I was with Jackson. Mondays and Wednesday she does not get much of a morning nap because we go to the gym. We are working towards just 2 naps by 6 months of age and her taking her night bottle at 8 pm and going to bed by 9 pm. I have discovered on the nights she goes to bed early though she ends up waking up every 2 hours and the nights she goes to bed late, like 10:30 pm. she has no problems. That is a mystery to me.

Wild Man Jackson!

These pictures are just because...we have a fun time!

Facts about Jackson at 16 months

1. He got 1 complete molar in, another has completely broke the skin, and then the third molar is about to break the skin (all this happened last week while he was sick). So he has 11 teeth in all now. They all seemed to come at once. I think they get like 20 baby teeth….am I right?
2. I get his augmentin done him by putting him on the changing table and putting my arm around his head and then my hands hold his hands. I just plunge a little at a time. I make sure to applaud him which he response really well to and we get it all in.
3. He has no patience (A.D.D. already) so he gets real bored when he is eating…it takes him a while. So, to get him eat his entire meal he must be watching Mickey Mouse in the high chair…
4. To get out tough stains I spray shout on his shirts and then spray it off with hot water using my sprayer in the sink before I put his clothes in the washer
5. Nap Time changes daily, which makes it a little harder to plan out our days. Some days he would like 2 naps because he is tired, but other days he just needs 1 nap. We transitioning to 1 nap a day. Today he did great a slept from 1:40 to almost 4 and then went to bed earlier (8:20). It will be great when Jackson wants to do this every day.
6. Saving money: I am using Walmart brand diapers during the day since I change him so many times a day, and then I use Huggies brand at night because the Walmart brand will not work all night long. I also like Target brand wipes. I know some women have stated on their blogs that they only spend $35 dollars a week on grocery and foods but I really have no idea how they do that. I could maybe see $50 or $75 dollars, but $35....how in the world???? I think they suggest buying a certain book to read to see how you do this. I know they use a lot of coupons. If yall have any tips on how to spend only even $50 a week on grocery and food, I am all ears!
   

Toddler Wise Makes me Think

Yesterday, Jackson caused a 5 foot ladder to fall on him. The ladder was against a wall and I was doing laundry and moved the laundry basket that was in front of the ladder to my bed. One minute latter I heard a huge thud. Literally, it was 5 seconds of not watching him and Doddlebops was on in the next room so I did not think he would come anywhere near me....boy was a wrong! Praise the Lord the ladder only hit his face. He is fine, but it is so funny that I am posting on Toddler Wise....boy do I need to read about how to be a better parent to a toddler!

Again, I do not agree with everything in these Baby Wise books but I am reading Toddler Wise right now and I thought I would share what I have read (in general these books make me think, and force me to think about how to be a better mom). First, Ezzo states that there are 4 principles of instructions.

1. Principle #1 is “when you speak to your child in a way that requires an answer or an action, you should expect a response. Children will rise to the level of expectation of their parents.” He goes on to say that a walking talking two year old can only comply with an adult 60 percent of the time. He is not capable of more. When they reach 3 they can comply 70 percent and then when your child reaches five they can do eighty five to ninety percent of compliance. I am not too sure where they get these figures, but it does make since. I guess Toddler Wise does help me be a better mom so it is good reading. Perfectionists, like myself, expect Jackson to do every little thing I ask him to do. I do not believe that we can become perfect here on earth, so why do I expect Jackson to obey his parents 100 percent of the time? It is crazy that these Toddler Wise book really makes me think hard about my theological beliefs. I have started to use the rod (I use a wooden spoon) on Jackson, but only if it is an action that can result in injury or hospitalization. In the last two months, I have only had to use it one time and that is when he kept on crawling up my parents wooden stairs after I told him no, and then I said he would get a spanking (I even gave him 3 times to not do it). The rest of the time, I usually put him in the pack in play when he is being defiant. In the pack in play he has no toys, just books.
2. Principle #2 “With toddlers, you must give instructions, not suggestions.”
3. Principle #3 Healthy discipline is always consistent. Consistency provides security and freedom
4. Principle #4 Require eye contact when giving face-to face instruction

Here is my problem....I think Ezzo is saying that toddlers do not sin until they are 3 years old. I understand what he is trying to say, but after I have told Jackson that it is wrong to do something, he then has the knowledge of it being bad, and then sins. I believe we are all born sinners. Listen to what Ezzo states, “For the one-year old plus, it is simply the operation of his nature. He looks, he sees, he wants, he takes. He does not sit back and contemplate the rightness or wrongness of an action because such behavior for a one-year-old is valueless (me, myself, and I are dominate thoughts), while at three years of age behavior becomes value-driven.” Just because Jackson is not taking the time to think about his actions, does not make all his actions right. Do yall agree? Do you understand what I am trying to say here? Maybe Ezzo is saying that about 3 years of age is the “age of accountability,” or the age that God holds people responsible for their sin.

Ezzo goes on to say that, “A child’s desire to do wrong can only exist when there is the knowledge of wrong. With children, resident knowledge of wrong begins to manifest itself around three years of age during the early formation of the higher conscience.” There are no footnotes so I have no clue where he gets this information. Do yall agree with this?

The only other good thing that I want to comment on is that Ezzo states, “temper tantrums, for example, are often the result of an over-stimulated child in need of sleep. The action of the tantrum should be considered secondary to the real problem. It is not discipline that the child needs, but rest. Have you ever seen a well rested child throw a temper tantrum?” I would say amen to that. Still the best book I have read is Shepherding a Child’s Heart, but this book does not focus exclusively on toddlers. Next book I want to read is Don't Make Me Count to Three: A Mom's Look at Heart-Oriented Discipline by Plowman. What other books would yall recommend?

I have signed Jackson up for toddler time at the library for 5 weeks starting in a couple weeks and we are excited about that. I also might be joining Gold’s Gym and doing the BodyStep classes there…but we will have to see about that. They have childcare and it would be a great way for us to get out more! However, I am not bored at all - things are as busy as ever with church and everything

Ps-a lot of teeth are about to come through, one just came through on the bottom making that tooth number 7....I was trying to get a picture of that 7th tooth coming in....wow he is going to have his mommy and daddy's gap in his front 2 teeth! He also has excema now and we were back at the doctor for the like 100th time this winter. They just gave us so steroid cream and it has gotten a lot better!

Fun Times!

Caroline and Jackson are so cute together! Wow, I cannot believe we have kids...it just seems like yesterday me and Katherine were in high school.

(2) Of course he has to play with her hair.

(3) Here is Jackson and Caroline (Katherine Kinard's little girl). It was so good to see them! She is having a little boy due the end of January. He had to wear his Carolina jersey that day because it was the Carolina Kentucky game.

(4) He is a big hugger.

(5) Here's Jackson and Sophie (Meg's daughter) at the park. Is he really playing with her hair?

(6) This is Jackson walking with his new stride rite shoes! Every time I put shoes on Jackson he cried. So we went to Stide-rite (the only certified shoe fitters for children) and we found out that Jackson has an extra wide foot. No wonder he was crying! He is walking really well in his shoes now ,and I would strongly recommend going to Stride-rite for your baby's first pair of shoes (they fit perfectly)! But first let them learn how to walk real well barefoot or with sock (this way the arches on their feet can form well). He also has 6 teeth now. 4 up top and 2 in the botttom .

(7) Here we are on a hay ride with First Baptist Columbia's children's ministry

(8) Here's Jake and Jackson are with their Mimi on her birthday!

Update on the J-Man, 8 months old (35 weeks)

Well, he has been doing better obviously from the pictures, but he did have to have his third shot on Monday for his left ear infection. Apparently, it is the new trend to instead of giving stronger antibiotics if your little one still has an ear infection, they just give you a shot of antibiotics that last anywhere from 24-36 hours. It is strong and gets right to their little system fast. His left ear infection was bad enough to where our doctor knew he would need 2 shots, but was not sure about the third. We went in on a Monday and she said it was still red, so we could not give the shot to him, but we might be back at the doctor at the end of the week...after those little words we decided to go ahead and give him the shot. They also gave us some great ear drops and we can now give him motrin before he goes to bed because he is over 6 months old.

In the last few weeks we have been to the doctor:
April 27th-falling off the bed
April 30th-Double Ear infection
May 10th-still one ear infection
May 11th-second round of shots
May 14th-third round of shots

Praise: Our doctors are less than 1 mile away from us!
Praise: This is the first real time he has been sick


Please pray that he starts to sleep through the night again. He has woken up for the last three nights at 1 am and gone back to bed fine in our bed, but cried every time we laid him down in his crib. So last night he slept with us all night and it was terrible. He is such a violent sleeper and was starving at 6:30 am, so I have been going strong all day.

Jackson says Good Morning!

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Jackson is an Official Crawler and 2 Teeth have Broken Through

Charlie, Jackson, and Pastor Charles

He is has now been offically crawling for 1 full week. He can crawl down a complete hallway without stopping. He is into everything and we are confining him to one room at a time (Baby Wise II gives this advice). The pack in play is great for this. Also, we are plugging up the outlets because they say that with them teething and water on their fingers they can easily get electricuted. Crazy, and Jackson loves all those fun cords that come off the play station. We also just saw tonight 2 of his bottom teeth have barely broken the surface--Yeah! Teething tablets really do help with teething.