Update

So, clearer heads have prevailed since yesterday. After taking in some advice from my wise parents, they always get me even today. I talked with daycare again this morning and they clarified the diaper situation and we are all on the same page now. Disposables for nap and cloth the rest of the day.

Guess I over reacted a bit.

The Joys of Daycare

I had my first argument with daycare today, and I'm still not over it. Let me clarify a bit, I don't really argue, I'm a self professed conflict avoider. However, we have been having issues, minor issues, but I'm contemplating that maybe its time to put Holden in a more structured environment like a child care center. Here is the deal, maybe you can help me figure out if I'm being unreasonable.

We cloth diaper Holden as everyone knows. Daycare has been on board since we started there at age 8 weeks. I'm grateful for that and I have tried to do everything to make their job easier with the cloth diapers (people cloth diapers really aren't that big of a deal). So, first we have told them multiple times that if he poops and you don't want to do the "shake in the toilet" thing just close up the diaper like a disposable, put it in the wet bag and tell us when we pick him up. We will do the dirty work at home. NO BIG DEAL.

Second, Holden is a heavy wetter at nap time. So about 2 months ago, daycare requested that we bring disposables just for naps. I complied, even though we don't have problems at home. But I wasn't going to pick a fight. Yet.

Lastly, I purchased good wet bags with waterproof liners and zippers to tote his diapers back and forth in. They continue to "forget" to use them and his used diapers come back in plastic bags all the time. I don't get it.

So, the last few weeks we have been noticing that Holden is coming home in disposable diapers and with only 1 used cloth diaper a day. Hello people, he should be changed more than just the 1 cloth diaper I send him to daycare in. If he is only in a disposable at nap time, why the hell is he coming home in a disposable diaper. Does that mean he is in the 1 disposable diaper from 1-5?

So today I decided to ask. I'm not happy with my answer. I was told that he is changed but because he pooped yesterday before nap time they put him in disposables the rest of the day. Because they had to "shake out the diaper in the toilet". See above I have explained multiple times they don't need to do it if they don't want to. I know it can be gross, Jeremy gags all the time (which by the way is hysterical to me). And to top it all off, they are waiting on an inspection of the facility for re-certification and I was told on that day he is going to be in disposables all day. Which, fine I can deal with that, no big deal.

However, my explanation I got this morning doesn't explain all the other days that he has come home in a disposable. I only send 5 disposables a week to daycare, so the math isn't adding up.

I don't know what to do. I think we are going to tour 2 child care centers in our area that have stated that cloth diapers are not a problem, and there will be a bit more structure to his day. I like his current daycare but I know there are things we would like for him to have, and a structured center might be a better option. Our friends that were over Saturday both go to a Child care network center and they do a reading program and other activities to get ready for preschool. On the flip side, a center is going to be more expensive and the structure also applies to us parents, like rules for fevers and such.

Any advice or suggestions are welcomed. And I can handle it if you think I'm picking the wrong fight.

As Promised

Here are some recent photos and video. He is walking much better now, this video was taken last week.

Dad and Holden chilling out on the HammockStrawberry Picking on Mother's DayBattle with Mom over whether the stick was edible or not.

What if I'm not cut out for this mommy thing

This week has been trying on both mine and Jeremy's patience. Take a pinch of ear infection, a dash of Holden stubbornness and a handful of crying/wining/no sleep and it was one of those weeks. This is a bitching post and I'm using my blog as an outlet, so for the grandmas I'm just warning you :)

Holden was obviously getting sick with the typical runny nose and fussy by Sunday afternoon but his breathing was getting worrisome by the evening. He was wheezing and working pretty hard to breathe. So we had decided I would take him to the pediatrician on Monday morning to make sure it wasn't something more serious than just his current cold. We cranked up his humidifier and I tossed and turned hoping that we were doing the right thing by not taking him to a doctor that evening.

I get up Monday and his breathing is much better, doctor checked him for asthma and he is all clear just a nasty bronchial infection and a double ear infection. We actually had a pretty good day, Holden played a lot and I kind of enjoyed staying home with him after the "not so serious" doctor visit.

Here is how the rest of the week went. We dealt with the following in one shape or form:

• Crying
• Screaming
• Not sleeping
• Pushing and throwing of food, toys, sippy cups
• Not wanting to be held, not wanting to be put down
• Waking up at 4 in the morning crying and screaming (that kid has a set of lungs I'll tell you).

That is just to name the big ones. The only caveat is if we were outside or he was allowed to pet the cats (I use pet loosely since it usually is a tug on fur and paws mostly) he was happy as a clam.

Now I know there is a silver lining to everything, but right now I'm having a hard time finding a happy place in the midst of the stress of a 1 year old. I just can't get over how much more independent he is becoming and that pretty much all of our old tricks of distraction and redirection are not working right now. I have devoured the Happiest Toddler on the Block and On becoming Toddlerwise and I'm not sure how much I really can say they have helped. I do understand we are going to have to start parenting for real, as my friend Stacey would say. But I don't think I was prepared for it to change so quickly at 14 months.

To top it all off, my MIL has informed us that 2 new babies are expected in the family in late 2010-early 2011 and she is anticipating a third. Now I love my MIL and she is usually right on the money with these things (its quite amazing how well she can predict babies), but after the week we have had I'm definitely not ready to jump on the second child bandwagon yet. Hopefully modern medicine won't fail us now :)

We are having a family cook out tomorrow with some friends and their little ones and the antibiotics should be kicking in for the ear infection. So cross my fingers I'm hoping this weekend things start to smooth out.

And, I've decided we are making a family trip to R.E.I. to pick me out some new running shoes (yes, I said running) I have concluded that after this week I need a healthier stress outlet than sitting on the couch watching reality t.v. and having a Coors light.

I guess to end on a positive, Holden is getting a hang of the walking thing and its pretty fun to watch how excited he gets about walking. I'll get some photos and video posted this weekend of the normally cute, lovable son I have.

Happy Mother's Day

A Mother's Love runs deep

More profound than her child will ever know

It isn't until her daughter holds her own
Will she possibly comprehend the meaning of love

I never truly knew how my mother felt about me
Until I held my sweet babes

It was at that moment I understood
Just how much she cared

We finally shared a bond
So common, yet so miraculous

I looked to her for guidance
And she gave it to me without judgement

Her kind words and advice
Came quickly to reality

She was my mentor and my friend
Without her I was lost

So many times she had gone
Above and beyond the call of a mother

I wanted to say, "Thank You"
And convey how grateful I was

For everything she had done
Not just while I was a mother

But especially for when

I was her daughter. (source)

You are my inspiration to be the woman and mother I am today. Happy Mother's Day Mom.

Outdoor Fun

Holden turned 14 months old today. Time is flying. We had a great weekend, great weather and got a lot accomplished and enjoyed some outdoor play time. Saturday we went to our friends Stacey and Cameron's for a lunchtime play date. Cameron has a very cool sand and water table that Holden enjoyed immensely. He was covered in sand and water by the time we left.

Sunday we had gorgeous weather so we decided to pull Holden's water table out for him to play with. He had a great time, I think we have a water baby on our hands. He was soaking wet by the time he was done.

The farmer's market is in full swing now, I got a little carried away Saturday morning. There are buckets and buckets of strawberries now and the first crop of sweet corn. It was very tasty for dinner tonight.
Lastly everyone was tuckered out from a big weekend.