Two Months Off Three

My son Ollie will be three in April and recently he seems to overreact to everything by screaming, crying and just going mental. I don't understand it is it a phase they all go through?

If things aren't exactly how he wants them to be he goes crazy like earlier his road map was slightly crinkled so he had a meltdown other times if his younger brother touches his toys or even looks at him he starts shouting and crying. He also got in such a state because he didn't want to go to the toilet in his potty beacuse he wanted to do it in a dirty nappy. 
I'm starting to find it extremely hard to cope with now. I've tried talking to him and explaining but it carries on especially when its consistent throughout the day. 

Any advice would be most appreciated.

Toddler Jealousy / Behaviour Problems

Has anyone had to deal with jealousy between siblings? 

Ollie my 2.5 year old has had a problem with his little brother from the beginning which I thought could happen but I thought eventually he'd just get used to a brother being around especially after 10 months now. 

He hits, kicks, pokes, pulls, sits and pushes Joel everyday and I'm just getting so fed up with it all now as no matter how many times I explain its wrong, tell him off (shout), take things away and I have even tapped him on the hand and leg as he will not listen and often just laughs. One day I even put all his toys downstairs in a big bag and said I'm putting them in the bin, he really didn't care he even helped me. 

What do you do to sort the jealousy/ behaviour problems out, I need advice as I'm going mad being at home.

What made me laugh

Ollie was pretty funny yesterday firstly we went for a walk with grandma and aunty Izzy and he started picking up the cut grass left by a mower so we said make a grass man so for ages he piled the grass then when he'd had enough he jumped in it. 

He then took his shoes off which was fine but then he started taking his trousers off, no idea why but it made me laugh. It was like he was having a bath in the grass.

Later that day Ollie wanted chocolates that were on the dinner table so I let him have 4 which was probably too many anyway so I said no more but of course he wanted more so kept asking and climbing on the chair to get closer so I said the chocolates are sleeping not sure why but I thought he might stop but he said "wake them up" haha! 

He can say the funniest things at times and he doesn't even know it. 

Toddler Stress

I don't think I have been prepared for the toddler tantrums and the phase of terrible two's as they call them, I hope it doesn't last long but Ollie isn't quite two yet :(

Over the past week I have found Ollie incredibly hard work with shouting, screaming, hitting, banging, constantly pestering and wanting everything NOW. Even changing his nappy and getting him dressed had become a massive chore.
I tell him off but it hits deaf ears or he laughs which winds me up even more, I keep telling myself he's only 23 months and its what they do but its so hard to keep calm. I've started shouting myself as he just goes too far and I just can't keep my cool. When he's naughty we tend to put him in his cot as that is the only place he doesn't get out of but even then he bangs, shouts and screams so the neighbours must think what the hell am I doing.
When I have had sleep I can normally handle it and take a deep breathe and distract him with something but on hardly any sleep at all I'm shouting back at him which makes it worse and I just don't have the energy for all the attention he needs, I just find it all so stressful that I can't wait for him to go to a nursery but we can't afford to pay for him yet so i'll have to wait for the free 15 hours they get. For now the only break we get us at bedtime.

The last couple of days have been even more difficult because I have a bad back yet again which also stressed me out.

I would love to know how all you other mummies deal with the tantrums.

A Day To Forget

It was my 32nd birthday yesterday but not a very happy birthday. Ollie was ill Monday with sickness with some nasty nappies so none of us had any sleep that night and yesterday he was grizzly and wouldn't eat. I hoped and prayed I wouldn't get it but yesterday morning it happened to me.

It was quite horrendous my first few days alone due to hubby being away and illness strikes. Ollie has never really been sick so it scared him it was horrible to see as you feel so helpless this was mainly Monday but yesterday he wouldn't eat or drink until much later in the day plus he was so tired so for me to feel ill was the worst thing to happen - mums cannot get ill.

With trying to comfort Ollie, make sure Joel was fed, clear all the mess after several clothes changes in the night all while I was in and out of the toilet. The toilet then decided yo block and the washing machine wouldn't work aaaagggghhhh! By that point the tears hit me as I was exhausted. Luckily my mum came to the rescue to help me - I really needed it.

It was about midday before I actually opened any birthday presents and cards but it didn't feel right, I had some lovely presents and cards but all I wanted to do was sleep and get rid if the bug. I didn't even bother with the usual birthday cake and candles which is a first but I had no appetite.

Always next year.

Sleeping

Joel seems to have a better sleeping pattern at the moment with the odd unpredictable night but he tends to fall into a deeper sleep between 10-11pm then often wakes between 2-2.45am and mostly he will stay in his Moses basket during this time. After this first wake up it can then be two hourly wake ups so fingers crossed as time goes on it will last a little longer as from 6am he tends to wake up properly which I find too early.

Ollie tends to go to bed between 8-8.30pm then can wake between 8-9am but again we also have the odd unpredictable nights where he wakes up once or twice through the night and wakes up around 7am in the morning.

I think my ideal would be 8pm to 8am but that's never going to happen with both at the same time. It's mad really as I'm always tired but I still tend to go to bed around 11-11.30pm so I miss a chunk of sleep I could have but I blame that on the hubby as he stays up until then.

What to do?

Ollie now 21 months old has become very naughty and sneaky since his baby brother arrived.

He comes over to me when holding Joel or feeding him and he kisses his head and gently strokes him but then in a split second he changes and grabs Joel in a nasty way well I don't know if he intends for it to be nasty but he has been told off many times now and left to cry it out in his room but he still does it.

As Ollie's jealousy is increasing I'm worried Joel will be hurt, What do you do?
Has anyone else experienced this, I'd love to hear your stories and how you have overcome them or does it really just get better as people say?

I guess from Ollie's point of view he sees Joel as an intruder taking the attention mummy and daddy always gave to him and he just can't bare sharing. He's found that being naughty gets him attention but I hate shouting at him and all I seem to say is 'No Ollie', 'stop Ollie' and our punishment at the moment is putting him in his cot and leaving him there for 10-15 mins. Then explain to him what he has done.

I think now a bigger age gap would have been much easier to handle. I feel guilt towards both really as the constant telling off with Ollie and also not being able to do the same things I did with Ollie with Joel. If I put a toy in front of Joel or lay him on a play mat Ollie goes mad because he doesn't want Joel to have it and tries to snatch them away which creates another massive episode and mostly ends up with both boys crying which is not a desired sound.

Children are hard work and so stressful if another person comments that I'm now a lady of leisure I think I may punch them.

Two Weeks......already

Yet another week has passed but I think it has now finally sunk in that I have two children.
I have only been left for an hour or two completely on my own which I have found slightly stressful with one child wanting to be breast fed constantly then the other wanting me to play and if he doesn't get enough attention he starts getting naughty which is difficult to control when stuck on the sofa feeding.

I guess it will take time to get used to and divide myself better but I'm wondering how will I get a shower in the mornings as I can't leave my toddler alone with the baby, I may have to be a pj slob ha! Oh fun times to come.

I have taken a lovely photo today I would like to share of my toddler Ollie kissing baby Joel. He tends to want to kiss him a lot and weirdly he likes to smell him.

A week on

I can't believe a week has disappeared already it has been a week of ups and downs with emotions probably due to lack of sleep and constant breastfeeding around the clock. One night I saw every hour which is incredibly draining.

Most of all I have felt guilt towards my first son Ollie as he hasn't been getting all of my attention. He seems to be okay with having a baby in the house as he wants to kiss and cuddle Joel but sometimes you see him watching and he gets clingy towards me and tries to get my attention. 

I'm trying to divide myself but it isn't easy.