[ZZ0607]

DS is 2 1/3 and DD is 4. Is there a special reason you can't pick your DD up? I still pick DS up sometimes, but it's getting harder on my back. My DS climbs into the car and carseat on his own. He started wanting to do that several months ago, so it was a habit by the time we found out. But I'll still pick him up and put him in it if he's dawdling. But when that happens, he's already in the car, just not the seat. It's not too hard to slide him up a couple of feet. Maybe you could give your DD a hand up into the floor of the car and then lift her into the seat from there?

As for staying off the belly, DS tries to climb on me and I just block him with my forearm and tell him he can sit next to me, but not on me. If I'm sitting up, I let him sit on my lap, but sometimes he likes to suddenly slam back against me and I again, block with my forearms and remove him from my lap. The blocking thing might surprise them, but it won't hurt them if you're not swinging your arm. It just stops their motion and protects the belly.

At the grocery a couple weeks ago he decided it would be awesome if he kicked my belly. So I popped his calf, then explained that a) we don't kick and b) kicking my tummy is dangerous because there's a baby in there. I approach it as a safety issue: he doesn't have to understand; he just needs to obey. If he doesn't, there are consequences depending on the infraction.

DD was 19 months when DS was born, and pretty much throughout that pregnancy I still picked her up and carried her and whatnot. She wasn't very rough though, so that wasn't an issue. But she was still in a crib when I had DS. And DS will probably still be when I have this one. We'll see how that works out. It's not too hard right now. Holding him for a long time is what does me in.

Anyway, I guess this isn't actually advice, it's just how I handle all that sort of thing. Hope some of it helps & sorry for the length. Good luck.