After much reading, I started toilet training (I suppose the correct term is elimination training) the fusspot this week. I have no great aspirations to have an undiapered baby (seriously I have trouble holding it until we can find a toilet in this country) for at least the next year, but I do think there are big benefits to getting a baby used to sitting on a toilet. I can already see the fusspot becoming more willful and expressing clear desires at 8 months and I think it makes sense to start her on the toilet when it can still be a part of her normal routine and not something for her to protest. Also, I expect we will toilet train the fusspot rather early since my in-laws come from a culture where almost all babies were toilet trained by a year and our nanny for next year seemed to take that for granted. Unfortunately I underestimated the greatest obstacle thus far ... the fusspot likes to chew on everything. And while it was fairly hysterical to watch her contort her body so that she could chew on the front and back of the plastic (Ikea - need to upgrade to something nicer) infant toilet, it's hardly a habit I want to encourage. She fell off the seat twice today while trying to get it into her mouth - although she did also succesfully pee in it (and the fact that that did not discourage her in the least ....)
In other news, our bedroom currently looks like the lair of a large group of hotheaded radicals. The fusspot almost rolled out of bed yesterday and now we are securely sleeping in a queen-sized bed surrounded by a barricade of overturned tables (big, heavy wood - I really don't think she could budge them - they were a serious challenge for me to move) and using her (very light Ikea) crib as a rather inconvenient gateway into the "sleeping area" of our little fort. Suggestions please? The bed is queen-sized and anchored to the floor so I can't move it. There is not enough room for the mattresses on the floor and that also would be a problem for our other major problem ... wall-length radiators. I have absolutely no idea how to babyproof them since they can conveniently be found in every. single. room. We are talking about 30-40 feet of radiators in total.
And I'm not sure if I have yet mentioned the greatest hazard of my incredible apartment in Lalaland: peeling (probably lead) paint. WAIT. Do not suggest I move. Seriously. This is a country without housing discrimination laws and I was lucky to find a landlord who would take a baby and single mama. And for the price of a studio we are also living in a huge apartment. I am considering paying painters next month when we're gone for 2 weeks (but I really don't want to have painters in while we're living here - paint fumes are awful for babies), but in the meantime I have been dusting and vacuuming obsessively and the fusspot is thus far confined to 3 blankets which are shaken out nightly. I'm also going to have her lead levels checked in September (required by NYC law anyway at some point in the first 12 months). Any other ideas? I don't know how hard it is to run tests and see if it really is lead paint. The worst of it is in the hall and she is never allowed in the hall except when I am strapping her into her stroller, but there is also some on the bathroom door, above the kitchen sink (argh!) and in the upstairs hallway.
Back to travel posts tomorrow.
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5 comments:
Is it possible to buy rails to attach to the bed? I've seen some here..
As for the paint thing, the best solution is probably to get someone in to paint while you are out. Do you really think it's lead based, it's been banned in Europe since the 20's.
I've also seen special pillows on Amazon that slip between the mattress and the frame and form a soft boundary. With a queen, you should have enough room...
I'd get someone to paint it when you're away, too. Unless you can get yourself some zero VOC paint (it's available here in the States, though expensive).
I know you're not a fan but maybe moving her to the crib would make the most sense at this point? If it's very close to the bed she'll probably get used to it fairly quickly. Just thought that might alleviate the need to try to buy other stuff they may not work all that well.
Woot to the Fusspot for taking so well to the (pre-)toilet training! And yeah, I could totally see her trying to get whatever she could into her mouth and I could see that being a challenge with the toilet (though I have to admit that I chuckled a bit picturing her falling off whilst trying to get her mouth around some piece of the toilet!).
As for the lead paint, there are inexpensive kits that you can buy to test surfaces for lead. Next time I go to the hardware store, I'll see if I can scope one out and whether it's sendable, etc. That would be my first step to determining whether or not you need to bother with repainting. If you do need to do the repainting thing, I'd see whether or not the landlord might chip in, because if it is lead paint, there will be some hassle in the painting process (they'll have to scrape and paint, which can cost extra since they have to be so cautious with the lead paint dust, OR they'll have to paint over with special paint that seals off the lead). I guess what I mean is that before you schedule painters, I'd 1) make sure it's lead, and 2) see if the landlord wants to take any of the cost liability. I know it's a long shot, but it's worth checking, I guess.
And as Shinejil mentioned, I've seen products that slip between the mattress and frame/boxspring that create a barricade of sorts (hotels stateside often have them for traveling toddlers). It might be worth looking in to while you are back over here, in the event that they might pack small enough for you to take with you on the way back.
Hey Rachel! I can't believe you are ECing too! I am so excited to hear how it's going with you; be sure to keep me updated.
As far as the mattress goes, we have a bed rail on one side (Anora's side) and Dave is on the other side of Liam. However, during their naps and at night before we go to bed, I stack up two pillows on the side without the rail. We also have a video monitor. So, I just watch them if they wake up. If they wiggle around, I leave them. We also have a "no crawling on the bed rule!" We flip the babies onto their backs e.v.e.r.y. single time they roll onto their tummies. It's annoying, but it works for now.
I've thought about doing the whole side car thing with their crib, but I haven't gotten around to it and no one has fallen off yet either... /grin/ Pillows/rails are probably the cheapest solution.
HTH!
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