Night Terrors

So...last night was pretty miserable. Jack had a long, exciting day at school with the Halloween parade, and then Justin & I took him out for a hibatchi dinner to relax. He usually loooves the show - but last night, he was terrified of absolutely everything. It's like he was on sensory overload all day and he just couldn't take any more! So really, it should have been no surprise that he woke up at midnight screaming bloody murder. Justin gave it a valiant effort and tried to get him back down. Jack would fall asleep in his arms, but then howl and cry terribly when put back down in his crib. Finally at around 1:45am I got up with him (Justin had been so nice to let me sleep but really, what Mom can sleep with a screaming hysterical toddler in bed??) After much soothing, singing, soft music, and laying down with him, he finally went back to sleep.

Something just wasn't right to me. He has had nightmares before but he usually calms right back down. I thought about his day (he woke up earlier than usual, he had nothing but junk to eat all day, he had a big exciting dinner with Mom & Dad - and on top of that, lots of people were dressed up in masks and costumes which we know he hates.) I figured it was nightmares recurring, or it was night terrors. So of course, I posted about it on Facebook. I got lots of suggestions and even some firsthand advice from parents who dealt with this before. Here's the scoop on toddler night terrors from WebMD:

Toddler Night Terrors

Though a night terror looks and sounds a lot like a nightmare — the wild-eyed stare, the screams, the panting, the sweaty brow — a night terror is a whole other ball game. Your child’s eyes may be wide open, but he’s still sound asleep. He may be shouting for you, but he can’t sense your presence — or worse — be comforted by you. Night terrors usually strike the first few hours after your toddler hits the sack, during the deep, non-REM sleep, but unlike a nightmare, your child won’t remember his terrors the next day (even though you will).
What causes night terrors: Like nightmares, night terrors are caused by erratic sleep schedule, change of routine (a new sibling, starting school), stress, or anxiety about something in your child’s waking life. Kids who don’t get adequate sleep are more prone to terrors than those who do.
How to deal with night terrors: What’s a Mom to do? Not a whole lot, other than staying with your toddler to be sure he doesn’t hurt himself. Children experiencing night terrors can thrash around. Don’t attempt to wake him (you probably wouldn’t even be able to) since that just might make him more agitated and disoriented — and don’t try to hold him, either. A terror can last anywhere from one to 30 minutes, so it’s best just to wait it out. Most kids will settle back to sleep easily, if they even wake, but if he doesn’t, just go into your normal soothing routine. Don’t try talking to him about it — he won’t even know he’s had one.
How to prevent night terrors: Get your toddler back on track with a calming bedtime ritual, and try to get to the heart of what may be bothering him by talking about his teacher or caregiver, friends, even yourself and your hubby. (Don’t bother talking about the night terrors since he can’t recall them anyway.) If your child experiences frequent episodes — more than twice a week — your pediatrician might suggest keeping a diary of when they occur, then waking your child 15 minutes prior to that time to help prevent them. The good news is that night terrors, once they start, usually last only a few weeks. If despite your best efforts, your child’s terrors continue, or you have any other concern about his sleep, you may want to ask your pediatrician about consulting a sleep specialist.
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I don't think we will need to go to any extremes: I can tie this episode to things going on in real life and I hope that getting back on real food (only healthy fruits and veggies today, thank you!!!!) and real sleep will help. He took a decent nap today so I am hoping that we are not in for a repeat performance! I am considering Halloween trick or treating though. The nighttime, scary mask and spooky kids atmosphere may not be something Jack is preapred for. We will play it by ear.

Til later...

Halloween Parade at Daycare!

Today they had a parade at Mountainside where all the kids dressed up and "trick or treated" from room to room. Justin and I both had a chance to be there for the action which was nice and a very unusual treat for Jack!

When I got there, he was laying down and almost asleep. I wasn't about to let him miss out on the action (maybe I am a bad Mommy!) so I woke him up and put him in his costume. He didn't really understand what was going on. I am hoping Halloween take #2 on Sunday will be a little more successful with the smiling! These days, Jack is scared of everything. So much so in fact that this morning when I was changing him and I opened the blinds, he freaked out at the noise they made! He basically jumped into my lap and up onto my shoulders. He also doesn't like anything that has a mask & talks (like the Mummy Skeleton at Lowe's) or anything that looks like it shouldn't talk (like his stuffed Elmo.) Halloween may not be so successful....

Either way, he participated with the rest of his classmates and got lots of neat treats. Here is our little Yoda...

Not too sure why Mommy put this on me.

Very, very happy & excited. I think this is the quintessential holiday picture for a 1 year old!!!

Daddy's here, maybe he'll take this crazy thing off me.

Nope, more pictures. But is IS nice to see both Mom & Dad at once!

Waiting patiently at the gate to go out!

Some of the little babies.

Parade!

This is my friend Rebecca. She's Princess Leia!!

15 Month Checkup

Today Justin took Jack to the doctor for his 15 month checkup. Here are his stats:

• Weight: 24.5 lbs
• Height: 30.5 inches

Both of these numbers are in the 25 - 50th percentile range. Jack isn't getting any taller ... but he's not getting any shorter either! :)

He also received a tetanus shot and a flu shot - one in each arm. They have moved up to his arms from his legs because he's such a good walker now. Speaking of... Dr. Hunt was impressed with his walking skills, his hand-eye coordination, and his vocabulary. She said, "Jack, do you know Daddy and Mommy?" and Jack pointed at Justin and said, "Dada." She was thrilled! I am very glad that he is developing normally and is a healthy baby boy.

The only thing we were "recommended" to do ... wean him completely off the bottle. I have been personally putting this off for so many reasons - most of which are pretty stupid. It's time. It's the correct and healthy thing to do for Jack, and I know he will really be totally fine with the transition. It's just so hard to pack up all the bottles and the nipples and know that our little baby boy is no longer a baby! We are starting with a sippy cup only beginning tomorrow ... and hoping that cold turkey will work. If not, it will be a weekend with lots going on, so hopefully he won't be too upset. He has gotten really good at throwing temper tantrums lately - the kind where he throws himself on the ground and kicks, screams, and yells. (See below.) It is not something that excites me but I know it's part of being a toddler. I actually find them pretty easy to ignore, which is what most books recommend. He gets over whatever it is (or himself!) in a few minutes anyway. :)

We are more than excited about the Halloween Parade tomorrow at daycare and trick-or-treating on Sunday! I will post pictures soon. Fall is here in New England and we are loving every colorful minute!

15 Months Old...

I am a few days late, but on October 24, Jack was 15 months old. So ... what can he do now?

• Hide when I go to pick him up at daycare. Yes, that's right. I show up at the door, and Jack runs over to a corner of the room behind the changing table. He never wants to leave!! I guess that's a good thing. He sure does love Ms. Corrine and Ms. Kate.
• Throw a ball. Like I have mentioned many times, he is obsessed with balls. But now he can throw them and (kind of) catch them!
• Go down the slide by himself. He isn't scared to scoot on his bottom right up to the slide and push himself down. This makes park time much easier when it's just one of us with him, because we don't have to push him down the slide and then scramble to the bottom (usually pulling a muscle or two in the process) before he slams into the ground at the bottom.
• Pick up and bring you back the correct object. I was testing this out last night. Even if he can't say the name of something, he knows (generally) what you are talking about, especially if you use lots of descriptive words. He has all of these little stuffed animals that I threw all over the room. Then I said, "Jack, bring me the green snake. What sound does a snake make? Ssssssss. Snake." I spoke very clearly and he knew exactly what I meant! He ran and got me the snake. He was successful with the bear, the snake, and the cow. Not so much with the moose.
• Say no, and mean it. I mentioned this before but it's very useful with food and mealtime. It keeps me from making him an entire meal, or opening up a can or container of something, just to have him refuse it. Now I ask, "Jack, do you want a cracker?" for example, and he either puts his arms up and grunts (which means yes,) or says "No."
• Stick out his feet, legs, or arms when you are dressing him. He knows which items of clothing go on which body parts, and he really tries to help! He is especially good with feet and shoes... because he knows it means going outside. :)

At the park...

Jack can slide all by himself!! He is such a little daredevil. It is really fun to take him to the park now that he can actually play on all the equipment! We had a fun fall afternoon at the local park...followed by all of our favorite treats... Chipotle! Jack loooves rice, beans, and a quesadilla and can polish off a whole kids meal like it's his job. I guess he worked up a big appetite by all of his sliding, running, and playing ball!

Saturday Afternoon Live

Pumpkin Carvin'

We sure have come a long way in a year! This was Jack circa Halloween 2009:

And now, it's only another week until Halloween again! It was definitely time to carve our pumpkins this year! Jack was somewhat apprehensive at first, saying, "no no" when I told him to stick his hand in the big slimy pumpkin. But he got into it once he realized we were carving them! He liked to look inside them just to make sure everything was OK.

Look at how big I've gotten!



Whoa, Mom, that doesn't look normal.

Is this one any different?? Nope, it's still gross and slimy.

OK, I guess I will feel it out...



Weird!! Seeds and slime!



Someone made this just for ME :)

Mom, making fun of my teeth by only giving your pumpkin two is NOT FUNNY!!

First Trip to the Dentist!

Today was Jack's first dentist appointment. He started off the morning by leisurely enjoying his bottle while watching Sesame Street:

After that, we got dressed and headed to the dentist. After a lot of research, we decided to use Pediatric Dentistry of Marlborough. (See here: http://www.pediatricdentistcm.com/) Jack saw Dr. Hom. He was in love with her and flirted like crazy! She told us that Jack's mouth is a little slow in developing, but nothing to worry about. All it will mean is that his baby teeth will fall out later than most of his friends (while most kids lose their first tooth between ages 5 and 6, Jack will most likely lose his between ages 6 and 7.) Also, I was definitely wrong earlier - his molars have not started to come in. She couldn't even feel the nubs yet - so it could be awhile! Other than that, he was such a trooper while they cleaned his teeth, applied flouride, and did a full mouth exam. He goes back for his next checkup on March 3. All of the ladies there were in love with our little man and they can't wait for him to come back!

Playing in the waiting room.

I'm not too sure about this...

Getting stickers and warming up to the ladies!

These are some prety cool glasses!!

I was such a good boy! No crying at all!

Jack's Funny Habits

Part of the fun in having a child is watching them grow into their own little person. Jack certainly has his own personality, and he isn't afraid to show it! He has acquired many new skills.

• When you point at either Justin or I and say, "Jack, who is that?" he will properly respond with either "Ma ma" or "Daddddeeeeee."
• If you ask, "Jack, where's your belly?" he will happily grab at his belly button.
• He loves to say "cat" but it comes out more like "thaaack." He screams it at George and Maggie, and also at any pictures of cats that he sees.
• We have several dogs that get walked or run around the neighborhood. Every time one goes by, he stops what he is doing, points, and yells "Goggie!!! Goggie!" I then respond, "Jack, what does a dog say?" and he growls really low, "wuuuuuuff."
• He is OBSESSED with balls. Anyone that has been around him for more than five seconds knows how much he loves balls. He can spot them in books, on TV, and in the most remote and random places. He also has recently become enamored with basketball goals. On our neighborhood walks, he spots and points and yells at EVERY SINGLE ONE. It's pretty funny.
• Since we got the new dining room table, he loves to sit at it with us. Even if we aren't eating. He walks up to his little chair and just points and points until we put him in it - and then he's happy :)
• The kid loves coffee. No joke (and this is just like me when I was little!) ... he will happily drink a whole cup if I let him (I don't!)
• He wears size 5XW shoes. Enough said.
• If you mention going outside, he automatically goes and brings you two of his shoes out of his shoe bin. They usually don't match, but he gets so excited at the prospect of going to play outside that he doesn't mind.
• His new favorite game when we get home at night is what we call the Hugging Game. Justin and I sit indian style on the floor on opposite ends of the room. He runs back and forth between us giving us big hugs and kisses. But man, he gets mad when I kiss Justin!!! He pushes us apart and crawls into the space between us, like "Don't leave me out!!"
• He brushes his own teeth. Sort of.
• He loves to play the "Vroom vroom" game with the boats in the bathtub. He even makes the noise :)
• He also loves to play the "King Jack" game, where we "crown" him with this little circle teething ring we have. He thinks it's absolutely hilarious.
• One of our favorite weekend pasttimes is letting him shower with one of us. He plays at our feet, loving the warm water spray, and never wants to get out!
• He says "the" in front of everything! It's "the" ball and "the" cat and "the" cup. It's really funny! I guess that means he really is learning language skills.
• He's been saying "no" for awhile, but now he actually knows what it means, and responds to questions. "Jack, do you want spaghetti for dinner?" "No." Jack, do you want to take a bath?" "The bath? No." It's really, really cute!

I am sure there are many more things that I am not thinking of right now. He is such a little flirt, and a ham, and he loves being the center of attention. I wonder who THAT's like...

:)

Putt Putt with Jack

Today we were bored and looking for something fun to do with Jack. We found a great 18-hole indoor putt putt course just up the road! It is about 10 minutes away in Marlborough and it turned out to be a great find. Jack had the BEST time! He chased our balls (and everyone elses!) and he generally had tons of fun running all over the course and "helping" us play. He even stole my club at tried to hit a few himself!

Daddy won by one shot this round ... but it's on! I have a feeling that we will be here a lot in the winter when we are stuck inside with nothing to do!

Jack was much more interested in watching everyone else around us than in taking pictures with Mom & Dad!

"Hole in one!! Right??"

"Here, give me that club, let me show you how it's really done."

"Moooooooom, stop embarassing me!!"

Off I go...

Sidetracked by a lion statue!

Going to the next hole...

Visit from Aunt Courtney!

We were lucky to have a fun visit from Aunt Courtney this weekend! We spent time hanging around the house and enjoying our new table (Jack loves it - he begs to sit in his new big boy seat even when we aren't eating!) We had bathtime and breakfast time as usual today, and then we all decided we wanted to go bowling. The weather has finally cleared but it's still a little cold to hang around outside ... so bowling seemed like a good idea (and we all know how much Jack looooves balls!)

Brushing my teeth ... I try really hard but sometimes I need help from Mom or Dad.

Sometimes the best toys are pots and pans!

With my Aunt Courtney, ready to go bowling on Saturday morning!

Unfortunately, we didn't call the bowling alley and they had league for a few more hours, so it was closed to the public. Jack started bawling as we walked out because he had gotten so excited just SEEING the bowling lanes in action, so we went to the next best thing we could think of on short notice.... Chuck E. Cheese's!!!

At first Jack was pretty apprehensive. There were a lot of kids and noise and things going on, and he had to take it all in. But he warmed up when he saw the skee-ball area. The kid LOVED some skee-ball...even if he couldn't roll the ball all the way up the lane...and ok, so maybe a few of the skee-ball balls ended up under tables on the other end of the restaurant. Oh well. :) Here are some shots of our fun morning:

Setting up the perfect shot.

Two balls at once!!

Daddy and Jack rode a roller coaster simulator. Jack was NOT a fan.

On the Clifford the Dog ride!

Whole family playing basketball :)

I was slightly terrified of Chuck E.

Clones.

We spent 3 hours and probably $100 on food and tokens... and I won this ball with all my tickets. Sigh.

After Chuck E. Cheese's, Jack passed out on the way home for a nice nap. After that, we took a walk in the neighborhood and found someone else's basketball goal. Jack was obsessed. I think I know what Santa may be showing up with for Christmas...

Trying out for the Celtics.

Playing in the sandbox...still have my prize ball!

We loved seeing Aunt Courtney and look forward to hanging out with the rest of our family soon. Happy fall!

"Meanie Mommy"

When I was growing up, my Mom used to do what Colin and I called "Mommy Monster." It was this super scary face where she made her eyes really wide and chased us looking all creepy. She used to threaten us to do things like clean our room by saying "You better do it, or Mommy Monster will come and get you!!" Even today that face gives me the heebie jeebies. (Yes Mom I am talking to you!! I am 28 and I am still scared of you, in a good way of course!!) :)

Anyway, yesterday Jack and Justin were outside planting bulbs and doing general yardwork, and it was time for Jack to come in for dinner. After much cajoling, I finally just went and picked him up and brought him inside. As soon as he figured out where I was headed, he started saying "Meanie Mommy! Meanie Mommy!" over and over again. I almost died laughing (while trying to stay stern - it's harder than it sounds!) I have no idea where he learned Meanie Mommy but I think it's going to become Jack's version of Mommy Monster!!!

Here are some pics of the two boys doing yardwork. Jack LOVED helping Daddy outside. I hope he likes helping this much when he's older and it's time to shovel the walkway or rake the leaves!

"Look, I have my own shovel!"

Plumber's crack

"Daddy, you aren't doing it right. Let me help!"

"I know this shovel is bigger than me. I don't care. Rawr!!!"