Category Archives: Life

Typical Conversations With Our Toddler

09/12/2015 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

At almost 22 months old (seriously, time, just stop for a change), our toddler daughter seems to increase her vocabulary every day. Not that it’s a big surprise with how much time we spend reading to her as well as her reading by herself.

Reading usually occurs sans animals, but Nana’s dog was adamant about sticking around for the ending.

I figured I would share some of the typical conversations we have with Avery at this stage in her toddler career. Obviously, they are less like conversations and more like us asking a lot of different questions with one syllable, hard to distinguish answers. Or just going through asking what noise *insert animal* makes.

When she’s getting fussy and we can’t figure out why or it’s just because she wants us to give her something she can’t have, we’ll bust out with the animal sound questions…

Us: What does the kitty say?
Avery: La (sometimes it’s more of a meow, but not quite yet)
Us: What does the owl say?
Avery: Who-who
Us: Ummm, what does the dog say?
Avery: ruff
Us: How about the pig?
Avery: very soft snorting noise I’m not sure how to spell out
Avery: getting fussy again
Us: Uhhh……what does the bear say?
Avery: rooaarrrr <—-cutest thing ever!

Just recently, when we’re changing her and just took off her pajamas, she gets upset if she’s not wearing a shirt.

Avery: Shit, shit, shit
Us: What?
Avery: *pointing at our shirt* Shit!
Us: Oh, you want a shirt?
Avery: Yesshh
Us: Okay, what color do you want?
Avery: Pink (this was the first color she could say, so it’s always her first color question response)
Us: Would you like this green one with the Ninja Turtles?
Avery: Yesshh
Us: We’ll put it on right after changing your diaper. What color diaper do you want?
Avery: Pink
Us: How about this one, what color is it?
Avery: Pink………bllluuueee
Us: Yes, good job dear! You’re so smart!
Avery: I smaahht

And then, quite often, there are times where it’s just a drawn out guessing game. She’s fussy and only getting worse by the second…

Avery: Uh, ugh, ugh….bla
Us: What do you want sweetie?
Avery: bla baaa, laa
Us: I don’t understand what that is, dear. Do you want another book?
Avery: nnnn, bla bla baaa
Us: Still don’t know, does something hurt?
Avery: *reaching up but not really towards anything* blaaa laaa
Us: *finally realizing…we think* Oh, you want water?
Avery: Yesshhhhh

So apparently “W’s” are hard to pronounce right now. No worries, we have plenty of time to learn. Since a toddler is usually around the ages of one and three, I see follow-up posts in our future, and maybe by then she’ll at least have “water” down.

There are plenty of other “conversations” we have with Avery in a day, but these seem to be the most frequent so far. But with a constantly growing list of words she can say, including high chair, bear, book, swing, slide, mow, squats, shorts, mom, glasses, phone, trash, pig, squash, and most of the primary colors, our talks are sure to get more interesting. Oh yeah, she started saying No, which is already proving to be a problem. Apparently for the both of us….

What are your little ones saying right now or what did they say when they were toddlers?

Any plans for the weekend?

Life, Parenting

Mom vs Dad: The Favorites Phase

09/11/2015 R.C. Liley 6 Comments

Is anyone else annoyed with how things that toddlers do are quickly labeled as a phase? Saying “Oh, little Susie took off her diaper and is peeing on the floor? Yeah, that’s a phase, it’ll end soon.” or “Tommy keeps hitting is dad in the privates. It’s just a phase, hopefully he’ll stop.”

Whatever the action, calling it a “phase” just seems like the easy way out. Hey, maybe it is a phase, but c’mon, maybe our kids are acting out for some other reason, maybe we’re not doing something right.

That’s how I feel when Avery acts appalled when I simply acknowledge her presence and ask her a question or just say “Hi”.

WTF?! What do you want, Dad, I’m busy clinging to Mom!

This usually occurs in the morning when Going Mom is home and all Avery cares about is being stuck to her side. I swear, she’s like lint on a fleece blanket right out of the dryer. I may or may not of just finished removing lint from said fleece blanket…..

Kelley reassures me it’s just a phase, as we’ve used to explained many things Avery has done and is doing, but it still hurts regardless. When you crouch down with arms open wide and ask for a hug from your kid and all they do is run the other way crying (seriously), it’s hard not to feel like scum.

It comes and goes in waves, but each time is no less severe than the last, I take it like a hard punch to the gut, only in my heart. I know, I know, not trying to be all “woe is me”, but I don’t get it. I’m on Cloud 9 when we’re playing like the best of buds and she’s giving high-fives like a pro.

Followed by a fun flipping session and you’d think we’re always inseparable.

But then there are times when I can’t even walk up to her without her building up to let out a scream of objection from me getting too close.

Thankfully, it’s not an all day phase. Usually in the mornings and early evenings, when Mommy’s home, is when she’s in her Daddy Dislike mode. The rest of the time things are cool, with or without my dear wife there. Really, who can blame her? I love being around my wife too, maybe she just has a gift I lack. Besides the obvious boobs, people!

It could be that she lets Avery play with her phone, and, if you look to the top left, you’ll see she comes “bearing” gifts.

Now I’m just trying to rationalize. Phase or no phase, I just want our sweet girl to remain sweet to the both of us and not be repulsed at one of us at a given time. Usually that’s me, very rarely is it Mommy.

Anyone else deal with or dealt with this from their kids? If so, do you have any advice or just want to tell me to shut it and deal with it because it really is just a phase and everything will be fine? Was that a semi-loaded question? Okay, I’m done………for now.

Have a great Friday and weekend! We’re just hoping to stay away from staph and hospitals!

Life, Parenting

Staph: The Worst Labor Day of Her Life

09/09/2015 R.C. Liley 6 Comments

It was only her second Labor Day since birth, so a simple sneeze would technically make it the worst one of her life, but instead, it had to be staph. Apparently, Going Mom and I couldn’t save her from our own misfortunes with the infection.

My wife recently had an issue with her eye. Luckily nothing severe, and it was quickly treated and healed. And as any reader on here knows, I had that whole staph butt issue around Mother’s Day. Well, it returned once again to put our sweet little Avery in a miserable bout of pain.

What started out as a tiny bite around the lining of her diaper last Wednesday (so we think), took form into hard lump of staph. Stupid me kept playing it off as just a bite and saying it would heal soon, but my concerned wife was a little more wary. Note to self: listen to wife more!!

Avery started getting extremely protective of the area a couple days ago, and finally, once the screams of pain were unbearable (when I was saying she’d heal….dummy), we drove to a nearby Urgent Care clinic for kids.

I absolutely despise these places as feel like you’re more likely to get sick just sitting around the room waiting to be seen. We sat long enough to see Scar betray Mufasa and Simba lose his dad in The Lion King, but at least Timon and Pumbaa made for comic relief before we were brought back to a room. We’ll have to watch that movie all the way through when she’s a bit older….

In the room, we confirmed it was staph and that I’m an idiot (I bow to my wife yet again), and the nurse presented two options. She could numb it with a topical agent right there to drain the infection or we could go to an ER where they have better equipment and (she said) sedate her to make it easier and less painful to drain.

The nurse obviously didn’t want to do it herself just from the tone she used when giving us the options. I still opted for having it done right there just to get it over with and avoid another long wait. Kelley thought otherwise, and since I was in no position to argue my thoughts, we were off to the ER.

The waiting room there was filled with more sick people and I cringed as I watched parents feed their kids from the vending machines. Seriously, why do places affiliated with health care, have nothing but junk for food and drink options? Oh yeah, MONEY! Obviously, this is something I’m deeply passionate about, and was infuriated to watch it happening before us.

Pretty sure Avery was upset too, but maybe for different reasons. She went into crazy defense mode just from the nurse taking her temp, so we knew when it came time to inspect the infection, things would only get worse. Luckily, Mommy was there to help….

After watching How to Train Your Dragon 2 almost 2 times through, Avery’s 10 minute procedure was underway. Oh, by the way, they said they almost would never sedate a kid Avery’s age for something like this, so we’re positive that nurse was just weaseling her way out of draining the puss from a poor child’s inner thigh area. Hmmm, after writing that, guess I can’t blame her that much. Oh wait, yes I can; it’s her job!!

They applied the topical numbing agent which had to sit for 30 minutes and we were to keep Avery as still as possible. HA!

Mommy to the rescue again; she laid beside Avery and unleashed the secret weapon…….her phone!

The phone works in mysterious ways to keep kids’ attention. As great as it is, Smartphones (and all technology really), actually have mind-numbing (i.e. dumbing) effects on our brains. Good for when you have to keep a kid still, not good for every day use.

Finally, after waiting more than just 30 minutes, the doc came in, poked and drained the wound and cleaned it up. It took 3 adults to hold that girl down during the procedure, but it was done. Wow, that was a lot of puss! For some sick reason, it makes me feel better to watch that crap ooze out.

Despite her attitude when anyone got near her infection, Avery handled the day-long event much better than I would’ve guessed. So, Avery, if you’re reading this years from now, way to go dear, you were ~~great~~ pretty good.

Now she’s on freakin antibiotics (not a fan but know it’s necessary) and we’re cleaning and bandaging like we’ve done this before. Wait a sec, we have, on my butt! Sorry for bringing it up again, but I’ve been having flashbacks after this event, so figured I’d pass it on to my fellow readers. You’re welcome. 🙂

While it was far from a good Labor Day this year, at least we got rid of something that could’ve become much worse, and even better, we were together as a family all day! Of course, I’m stubborn and have this OCD thing about not eating until I workout, so I basically fasted all day until we go home. I rushed into a heavy squat weightlifting session followed by a lot of eating the remainder of the day.

Yeah, I need to work on that, but luckily I had coffee that got me through the day. I’m just glad our baby girl is on the path to recovery and already playing like normal again.

Do you have anything that’s affected your whole family?

Do you like watching the puss get squeezed out or does it make you queasy?