Pillow tip for "Stomach Flu"

A stomach bug is making the rounds, and Ryan caught it. We found out last night, when the poor guy got sick on himself, his pillow, etc. After a quick cleanup--mom bathed Ryan while I dealt with the odious sheets and blankets--we gave him a little water and helped him brush his teeth, and then put him back to bed. Since his pillow was fouled, we made him a "pillow" from rolled/folded bath and beach towels. When he was hit with another wave of nausea, we were able to toss the soiled towels in the wash.

We cleaned his futon with Bac-Out to take care of leakage. Bac-Out also worked well on our carpet following some early potty training failures. (I know, yuck! But if you're a dad, you've already seen firsthand what I'm talking about, and probably worse!)

Tips for Car and Plane Trips

Car trips will seem a lot longer with a preschooler who isn't happy to be there! When Ryan was really little, we scheduled our medium length car trips--say 2-4 hours--to coincide with his nap time. We'd hit the road and soon he'd be asleep, usually for most of the trip. Now that he is almost three, the portable DVD player has become our friend. Between a nap and some favorite DVDs we get about three hours of driving before he begins to complain. Headphones mean that Ryan hears better--watch the volume level--and we can listen to music or talk while he watches his shows.

Bring mess proof snacks and drinks, like water and baby carrots. We learned the hard way that even an innocent looking hamburger provides a creative tot with opportunities for creating art.

Longer plane flights can be painful with small children. (This is obvious if you've taken long flights while sitting near them!) We took our last long flight--about 10 hours--when Ryan was five months old. That was a much better age than two years old for long flights! We had the option of trying for a non-guaranteed bassinet on a bulkhead, but opted for getting him his own seat: expensive, but we did not want to risk holding him in our lap for 10 hours. He sat in his car seat when we were not holding him and all was well. (DVD player's help on planes, too.)

When he was really little, we'd give him a bottle at take-off and landing to help him clear his ears. Luckily, he doesn't seem to have a problem clearing his ears.

If you have proven tips for longer trips, I'd love to hear them!

Potty Training

We had heard that boys usually potty trained later than girls and we were not planning to push it too early. We figured if Ryan started potty training in earnest by three, that'd be okay. Ryan goes to a small in-home daycare three times per week, and it was our daycare provider who told us that Ryan was giving all the signs of being ready for potty training at about 2-1/2. We made liberal use of pull-ups during the day, and kept using diapers at night. He woke up dry every morning, which suprised and delighted us!

We did not use the "Cheerios" trick--providing waterborne targets for aim, because we trained him to use the toilet while sitting down. (Since adult men seem to have challenges with aim, at least judging by public restrooms, we did not want to set the bar too high for our 2-1/2 year old.) We bought the miniature "seat within a seat" units for him to use on top of regular toilets, and little steps so he could climb up. They have been working well, and he continues to use them.

We used checks marks, charts, stickers, and small rewards to encourage his early progress. He responded well, though it is hard to measure how much the positive reinforcement improved his progress. He was ready and made the transition pretty easily.

Holding him up to use a public toilet was a tad scary at first, but is easy now. He occasionally goes standing up at home now, and you would think that standing him at a urinal would be easy. Not so. He's so small, and the porcelain so foul, that it's a scary maneuver and I've given up for now.

Countdown Ticker for "Turtle"

Count-down gadget available from blog site, but not from feed.

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Baby Sign Language

Ryan's mom took him to baby sign language class, through Tualitan Hills Parks and Recreation, when he was about nine months old. He started using several signs consistently when he was around one year old. The signs he found most useful were more (he also used it for want), milk, and pain. He usually combined the signs with pointing, for example signing pain while pointing to his mouth to let us know he was having teething pain. We enjoyed being able to communicate with him before he could speak, and I believe we avoided a lot of frustration through signing.

When he started talking, several of his first words came from his signing vocabulary and he often emphasized requests by both signing and speaking the request. As his speaking improved, signing became less common, and we have not used signs for a year or so.

In addition to the course Amanda and Ryan took, we bought and used a copy of Sign with your Baby - Baby Sign Language Kit, by Joseph Garcia. We used the quick reference sheet regularly while learning signs with Ryan.

Best Children's Books for Boys

Ryan has a large and growing library of books and we frequent the public library. His favorites have changed over time, but here are a few books he asks us to read consistently.

• Backyardigans and Thomas the Tank Engine short stories


• Sometimes I Like to Curl up in a Ball


• Guess How Much I Love You


• How do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? and others in the series


• Eric Carle books, especially Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? and Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me

Television and Movies

Between ages two and three Ryan's favorite TV shows have been Teletubbies, Thomas the Tank Engine, and Backyardigans. Mom and dad like these shows because none are obnoxious, and many episodes are enjoyable for us to watch as well. That is important, because we let Ryan watch 30 to 60 minutes most days, and we end up seeing each episode many times! We record the shows on our Tivo. That saves a lot of $$$ in DVD's (or library trips) and is a convenient way to have 10-20 shows available.

To-date, his favorite movies are Jungle Book and Cars, and he really enjoys the I Love Toy Trains DVDs. We have a wonderful library system in Beaverton, and we borrow many DVD's and books to share with Ryan.

Ryan also enjoys playing the free online games for Teletubbies, Thomas, and Backyardigans. Initially we helped him quite a bit with the games, but as his understanding of games and ability to use the mouse improved, he was able to do more on his own. (He will be three in April.) The one game he can enjoy independently is the Backyardigans Race Game.