Well, I think it's safe to say without jinxing myself at this point that B is pretty much at-home potty learned. You know, he goes on the pot all by himself when he needs...if he's nakeds. Which he loves to be naked, so it works.
But the second we put underwear on him it might as well be a diaper. So I think it will be a long while yet before he masters the potty outside of the house, but I am A-Okay with that.
I never had any deep desire nor was in any hurry with either him or H to potty learn. I think diapers are easier. Like way easier. So I don't get the rush or push to potty learn. I mean, it's going to happen eventually, it's pretty near inevitable (for a healthy, normal child). Who cares if they're 16 months old (H) or 3 (the average in the U.S. - we'll just pretend the world average isn't 18 months, or else we'll be sitting around going WTF?).
We didn't do anything different with B than with H, except he has admittedly worn more disposable diapers than cloth diapers. Which probably played some type of role in his whole potty learning process. I don't know.
So what did we do?
Nothing!
Well, not really. We put the little Baby Bjorn potty in the bathroom (okay, so it's been there B's whole life) and let him watch us go potty any time he wanted (okay, we didn't get a choice there). We told him that peepee goes in the potty and kind of left it at that. (In hindsight, we probably should have emphasized that it's also where poop goes...).
And then we just waited.
And waited.
And waited.
And waited some more.
Until one day he told me he didn't want his diaper on while we were at home.
I took it off for him and he hightailed it to the potty and the rest is history.
Now, getting him to go on his own while wearing underwear is another story yet to be told. But it took us about two months after H was at-home potty learned (14 months) before she potty learned while wearing chonies.
We'll get there.
And as I said.
We're not in a rush.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Monday, July 29, 2013
A place of Zen
I've always been a bit restless. This need to just go has always been so strong.
I need to go new places. See new things.
After about a month at home I need to do something.
Until now.
It's strange. I've never understood when people said they liked staying home. I mean, I'm a homebody and thus I like to be home, but if I have the opportunity to travel somewhere, I'm on it hook and nails. There is no stopping me once I get the bug.
So when people would have the opportunity to go places and said no, I was always thinking, "Wtf? How can you not go?"
Until now.
I don't know what happened. What changed.
Maybe that travel bug just died.
I don't know.
But I find J suggesting we travel somewhere and me saying, "no."
And not because travelling is "too hard" (which I hear a lot from people with kids. I don't really find it any more difficult to travel with kids than without, just different).
Simply because I don't want to.
And my lack of enthusiasm is not because something is wrong by any means.
I guess it's because everything is so right.
I once read something that said you should create a life you don't need a vacation from. I thought that was hilarious.
But I get it now.
Because I am so content with my life.
Because I follow behind my daughter on her trike and give my son "under dogs" until he's squealing so loudly in delight that his joy is contagious to other people. Because I get to run in the sprinkler with my clothes on alongside the two greatest little people I know. Because I get to bake cookies and if they turn out blah I can claim it was because my helpers didn't quite get everything into the bowl. Because I get to cuddle with sweet little babes until they fall into slumber land each night and then I get to cuddle with the only man I'll ever love; a man who treats me like royalty. Because I get just as wet during bath time without even being in the bath. Because sharing a pretzel and coffee from Starbucks with H and B makes them giddy. Because I have the privilege of being with my children every minute of the day and they are nothing but pure joy. And they want to spend all of those minutes with me, too!
I'm so blissfully happy and content that those trips and vacations that I once fantasized about seem almost silly now. Adventures that will continue because my babes love sand and water and going new places, but adventures that I can also easily say no to without batting an eye.
I'm at such a great place. My family is at such a great place.
You know, that sickeningly happy place that is all sunshine and roses and the little hiccups just don't matter.
I guess you could call it a place of Zen - if you're into that kind of thing.
I need to go new places. See new things.
After about a month at home I need to do something.
Until now.
It's strange. I've never understood when people said they liked staying home. I mean, I'm a homebody and thus I like to be home, but if I have the opportunity to travel somewhere, I'm on it hook and nails. There is no stopping me once I get the bug.
So when people would have the opportunity to go places and said no, I was always thinking, "Wtf? How can you not go?"
Until now.
I don't know what happened. What changed.
Maybe that travel bug just died.
I don't know.
But I find J suggesting we travel somewhere and me saying, "no."
And not because travelling is "too hard" (which I hear a lot from people with kids. I don't really find it any more difficult to travel with kids than without, just different).
Simply because I don't want to.
And my lack of enthusiasm is not because something is wrong by any means.
I guess it's because everything is so right.
I once read something that said you should create a life you don't need a vacation from. I thought that was hilarious.
But I get it now.
Because I am so content with my life.
Because I follow behind my daughter on her trike and give my son "under dogs" until he's squealing so loudly in delight that his joy is contagious to other people. Because I get to run in the sprinkler with my clothes on alongside the two greatest little people I know. Because I get to bake cookies and if they turn out blah I can claim it was because my helpers didn't quite get everything into the bowl. Because I get to cuddle with sweet little babes until they fall into slumber land each night and then I get to cuddle with the only man I'll ever love; a man who treats me like royalty. Because I get just as wet during bath time without even being in the bath. Because sharing a pretzel and coffee from Starbucks with H and B makes them giddy. Because I have the privilege of being with my children every minute of the day and they are nothing but pure joy. And they want to spend all of those minutes with me, too!
I'm so blissfully happy and content that those trips and vacations that I once fantasized about seem almost silly now. Adventures that will continue because my babes love sand and water and going new places, but adventures that I can also easily say no to without batting an eye.
I'm at such a great place. My family is at such a great place.
You know, that sickeningly happy place that is all sunshine and roses and the little hiccups just don't matter.
I guess you could call it a place of Zen - if you're into that kind of thing.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
All through the night
Four months ago B was still waking approximately 3-7x a night. It's normal. I get it. Miss H has only slept through the nigh half a dozen times in her life, so I'm not looking for a magic cure here (and by through the night I mean 7+ hours at a time, not the 12 hour stretches some people consider sleeping through the night).
But he was also nursing each time he woke and it was taking it's toll on me, I won't lie.
So J and I talked and talked and talked. And then we talked some more.
We really like this talking thing, I guess.
Night weaning would involve us both, especially in the beginning, so we needed to be on the same page.
We had to know what we were both okay with, and what we were not okay with.
We were NOT okay with leaving our toddler alone to cry.
We WERE okay with allowing him to cry while Papa held him lovingly at night and sang him sweet lullabies.
It only took about a week to night wean him. After that I took back over bedtime and night wakings. J is more than happy to help out, but honestly, it's just easier if I do it.
Anyway, after that he still awoke the same times at night, just now I sat next to his bed (or if it was after midnight pulled him into mine) and he went right back to sleep.
Well, after we returned from Disney he suddenly started doing solid 6 hour stretches at night from 11-5. That alone left me feeling pretty stoked.
Then I woke up this morning at 5:54am to realize I hadn't heard a peep from him since he fell asleep at 7:30pm the night before.
I laid in bed paralyzed. Hoping for the best, assuming the worst, to be honest. He'd suffocated. He'd jammed himself in between the bed and the wall somehow. The sheet had strangled him. I knew better, why did I let him sleep with a sheet? He's 22 months old. Is that too old to still be at risk for SIDS?
I know it seems paranoid, but when you've got a kid (or two) that's never slept through the night before, that's just where your mind goes.
Luckily, two minutes later I heard the faint, "Mom. Momma. Mommy!"
I happily jumped out of bed and collected my little blueberry and downstairs we went, to nurse and cuddle and watch cartoons until H woke up.
I didn't expect my baby to be the one to sleep through the night first. And I totally accept that it will likely never happen again. But seriously. It was amazing. So I will take it.
(But no worries, H still woke up several times, kept her feet in my face and later insisted on sleeping on my feet. So they didn't let me get too much sleep, those clever kids. :-) ).
But he was also nursing each time he woke and it was taking it's toll on me, I won't lie.
So J and I talked and talked and talked. And then we talked some more.
We really like this talking thing, I guess.
Night weaning would involve us both, especially in the beginning, so we needed to be on the same page.
We had to know what we were both okay with, and what we were not okay with.
We were NOT okay with leaving our toddler alone to cry.
We WERE okay with allowing him to cry while Papa held him lovingly at night and sang him sweet lullabies.
It only took about a week to night wean him. After that I took back over bedtime and night wakings. J is more than happy to help out, but honestly, it's just easier if I do it.
Anyway, after that he still awoke the same times at night, just now I sat next to his bed (or if it was after midnight pulled him into mine) and he went right back to sleep.
Well, after we returned from Disney he suddenly started doing solid 6 hour stretches at night from 11-5. That alone left me feeling pretty stoked.
Then I woke up this morning at 5:54am to realize I hadn't heard a peep from him since he fell asleep at 7:30pm the night before.
I laid in bed paralyzed. Hoping for the best, assuming the worst, to be honest. He'd suffocated. He'd jammed himself in between the bed and the wall somehow. The sheet had strangled him. I knew better, why did I let him sleep with a sheet? He's 22 months old. Is that too old to still be at risk for SIDS?
I know it seems paranoid, but when you've got a kid (or two) that's never slept through the night before, that's just where your mind goes.
Luckily, two minutes later I heard the faint, "Mom. Momma. Mommy!"
I happily jumped out of bed and collected my little blueberry and downstairs we went, to nurse and cuddle and watch cartoons until H woke up.
I didn't expect my baby to be the one to sleep through the night first. And I totally accept that it will likely never happen again. But seriously. It was amazing. So I will take it.
(But no worries, H still woke up several times, kept her feet in my face and later insisted on sleeping on my feet. So they didn't let me get too much sleep, those clever kids. :-) ).
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Shoes do crazy things to you
Who knew something as simple as buying shoes could make me a little emotional?
I certainly didn't.
It's a bit crazy.
Don't get me wrong, I like my shoes. A ton. And both of my kids do, too. They definitely come by it honestly.
They also honestly come by their detestment for actually wearing shoes.
I have claustrophobic feet.
Something I've obviously passed on to my children.
But I digress...
While in Disney World I noticed B's shoes were starting to look a little snug. I tried holding my breath, pretending it weren't so, but it didn't seem to matter.
By the time we arrived home his shoes were officially too small.
So on the 4th of July we bought B the exact same pair of tennis shoes (is that right? I so say "tena-shoes" but I think that's made up...) that he was all ready wearing. Only in a bigger size. I'm a bit partial to those particular shoes.
Then today we took him to get some more summer-y shoes since we still have many warm days left (hopefully, anyway!).
I couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic about my growing boy. It seems like only yesterday I held him in my arms for the first time. That I tried dressing him in his first footed sleeper only to discover that baby Big Foot could not wear most footed sleepers - his feet were too big!
And now here he is, wearing the same size shoe as his big sister (and wearing 4 clothing sizes smaller, haha!).
I knew he'd outgrow her eventually. Both in foot size and eventually in height, weight, and clothing sizes, too (but that's still to come). That's pretty typical of boys. I just wasn't expecting it all ready.
It seems like another blazing sign that my baby boy is growing into a little boy. He talks and runs and climbs and jumps. He has no issue voicing his likes and dislikes. He runs to his sister when other kids are mean to him and demands she, "C'mon!" while he takes her by the hand to be his protector. He climbs up into his car seat all by himself and he has a favorite television show ("Gup-gup-guppies!" as he says it). He has books he prefers over others, and he's very territorial of all things chocolate. He eats with a fork and spoon.
And now he's got the same sized feet as his big sister.
I certainly didn't.
It's a bit crazy.
Don't get me wrong, I like my shoes. A ton. And both of my kids do, too. They definitely come by it honestly.
They also honestly come by their detestment for actually wearing shoes.
I have claustrophobic feet.
Something I've obviously passed on to my children.
But I digress...
While in Disney World I noticed B's shoes were starting to look a little snug. I tried holding my breath, pretending it weren't so, but it didn't seem to matter.
By the time we arrived home his shoes were officially too small.
So on the 4th of July we bought B the exact same pair of tennis shoes (is that right? I so say "tena-shoes" but I think that's made up...) that he was all ready wearing. Only in a bigger size. I'm a bit partial to those particular shoes.
Then today we took him to get some more summer-y shoes since we still have many warm days left (hopefully, anyway!).
I couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic about my growing boy. It seems like only yesterday I held him in my arms for the first time. That I tried dressing him in his first footed sleeper only to discover that baby Big Foot could not wear most footed sleepers - his feet were too big!
And now here he is, wearing the same size shoe as his big sister (and wearing 4 clothing sizes smaller, haha!).
I knew he'd outgrow her eventually. Both in foot size and eventually in height, weight, and clothing sizes, too (but that's still to come). That's pretty typical of boys. I just wasn't expecting it all ready.
It seems like another blazing sign that my baby boy is growing into a little boy. He talks and runs and climbs and jumps. He has no issue voicing his likes and dislikes. He runs to his sister when other kids are mean to him and demands she, "C'mon!" while he takes her by the hand to be his protector. He climbs up into his car seat all by himself and he has a favorite television show ("Gup-gup-guppies!" as he says it). He has books he prefers over others, and he's very territorial of all things chocolate. He eats with a fork and spoon.
And now he's got the same sized feet as his big sister.
Friday, July 5, 2013
Disney World!
The only thing I really remember from my first trip to Disney (which occurred during my birthday month when I turned 11) is my older brother getting blisters on his feet and my dad getting upset because he'd told him to wear socks, which obviously was not "cool" with sandals. Oh, and my family got lost while I was in a candy store with a wall of Jelly Bellies (I obviously wasn't lost, I knew where I was the whole time!).
So when my momma invited my little family on a Disney adventure, I said yes! (So long as we could evade the blisters and artificial food dyes...).
J isn't big on Disney. So the fact he had to be on travel for part of our Disney stay, and thus could not be a part of our vacation, was A-Okay with him. He has agreed to "do Disney" with me and the kids some day when they're over 40" tall. But any way, I was happy to go with or without him because, well, it's Disney World!
I will admit I wondered how the babes would do. For countless reasons.
1.) They had been without their papa at that point for over a month.
2.) It's hot.
3.) It's a bit fast-paced.
4.) Lack of sleep.
5.) They really don't know much Disney, with the exception of having seen a handful of Disney cartoons while on vacations, H having watched The Little Mermaid once, and of course, we've read a lot of books. So they were familiar with Disney, but not to the same extent as many little ones venturing on their first Disney trip.
I won't lie. The trip overall was...FANTASTIC.
H was off the walls excited long before we got there.
The first thing H insisted on doing when we arrived to Orlando was swim. Despite it being 8 o'clock at night all ready (past their bedtime!), I happily obliged her. I mean, it was vacation after all!
B was in 7th Heaven the next morning when he awoke and Momma flipped on cartoons in bed. Only hotel living is so luxurious!
That morning while at the Clubhouse purchasing our Disney tickets H, my mom and I had gone for a potty break. When it was time to exit my mother said to H, "Say, 'open sesame.'"
Without skipping a beat H responded with, "Grandma J, can you open the door for me, please?"
She's far more eloquent than I could ever hope to be, that's for sure.
Our first day at Disney World we stood in a long, hot line so that H could see Merida, the Brave princess. We had just read the book two days before while at Barnes and Noble, so she was excited to recognize her!
I had told H about her Grandpa S (my dad) getting sick on the Teacups once, so as soon as H saw the ride she immediately wanted on them.
That's my slightly twisted girl!
The highlight of her day, and pretty much her trip though, was seeing Ariel. Because that's the one princess whose movie she has seen.
The whole trip was totally worth her seeing Ariel. And hearing her, even now days later, still talk about it.
(Do you see B there with his hands covering his mouth and nose? That's how he hides. Though pretty appropriate for "underwater." And ignore that I'd lost my shirt by then and was just wearing a shelved tank...it was hot!)
It rained pretty much every day we were there. But it was more than welcomed as it helped cool things down a bit. At Magic Kingdom the kids played in the train splash pad while the skies poured down on them. It was so fun to witness them enjoying themselves so much!
We ventured into a big ol' circus tent with various characters when we'd finally had enough of the rain. I thought H would enjoy it. B fell asleep while in line.
The second we got up to Goofy H lost it. She went ape shit bananas so I whisked her back outside. Goofy was a no-go.
A few days later Miss H got the royal Treatment at the Bippity Boppity Boutique. She picked out Aurora's dress because it was pink. It seemed to be an original choice as I never saw another little Princess Aurora. Lots of Belle, Merida, Cinderella and Tinker Bell's. H was over the moon with her "makeover."
But she's too cool for a Prince Charming, and chose a bonified astronaut instead. Those guys are going places!
H and B both loved Animal Kingdom. It was likely their favorite. But they're animal people.
We'd been in Orlando for a few days at this point. These kids were running off of 6-8 hours of nighttime sleep (they typically have 10-12). It was hot. They were without their papa. And yet they were still totally being troopers. I won't lie, I was impressed. I was expecting a lot more meltdowns, more aggression, and over all just a more difficult time. But they had this whole thing down!
After our Safari ride, which had hippos, much to Miss H's delight, the kids and I stopped for a break in the Pangani Forest and played mancala (Sidenote: this is the best game in the world. I used to love it as a kid!). A 6ish year old girl sat down with us half way through and immediately said, "Grandma, I want to play! Make them play!" Without skipping a beat H handed her a handful of marbles (clearly they were playing their own version of mancala ) and said, "There are plenty of marbles here for sharing. Would you like to play with me?"
It makes me happy to know that even out of her element, trudging on too little sleep, too much sugar, without her papa, with new people, and in a loud and over stimulating (though totally fun!!) environment, my girl still had a lot of generosity and thoughtfulness for others.
We saw an absolutely spectacular Finding Nemo show, which both kids were totally enthralled in. It was likely the best show I watched while there.
We partook in the Bug's Life show. The kids didn't really know what to think of it.
H's only request was to ride the flying dinosaur ride. It was the last thing we did before leaving the park that day.
Our last day there we went to Epcot. The first thing we saw after entering the gates was Goofy. H said to me, "Momma, I want my picture with Goofy. I'm not afraid now!"
And sure enough, she wasn't!
And B got a "horsey" and was good to go. For life. Pretty much.
Until Momma abandoned him with Grandma J for a whopping 20 minutes to enjoy a big kid ride for herself.
He'll probably need therapy for that in 20 years. I'll just show him the below picture and tell him he was having fun and totally imagined the tears an abandonment.
Just kidding.
Maybe...
And after our fantabulous trip I arrived home to discover that my dear, sweet husband had made me my dream bed, customized for how it best suited my preferences! (Now, if I can just get him to work on that horrid paneling behind it...)
We had a really super, magical time at Disney World. I had no idea how awesome it would be just to watch my kids excited and mesmerized faces at all the enchantment around them. I never could have imagined that a theme park would have been so magical.
But it was.
Oh, and I must leave you with the very best quote of the trip, which I honestly have no idea where my daughter heard it from, but brought me to fits of laughing tears, it was so terrible and hilarious.
Grandma J: No way, Jose.
H: My mom is going to fuck you up.
So when my momma invited my little family on a Disney adventure, I said yes! (So long as we could evade the blisters and artificial food dyes...).
J isn't big on Disney. So the fact he had to be on travel for part of our Disney stay, and thus could not be a part of our vacation, was A-Okay with him. He has agreed to "do Disney" with me and the kids some day when they're over 40" tall. But any way, I was happy to go with or without him because, well, it's Disney World!
I will admit I wondered how the babes would do. For countless reasons.
1.) They had been without their papa at that point for over a month.
2.) It's hot.
3.) It's a bit fast-paced.
4.) Lack of sleep.
5.) They really don't know much Disney, with the exception of having seen a handful of Disney cartoons while on vacations, H having watched The Little Mermaid once, and of course, we've read a lot of books. So they were familiar with Disney, but not to the same extent as many little ones venturing on their first Disney trip.
I won't lie. The trip overall was...FANTASTIC.
H was off the walls excited long before we got there.
The first thing H insisted on doing when we arrived to Orlando was swim. Despite it being 8 o'clock at night all ready (past their bedtime!), I happily obliged her. I mean, it was vacation after all!
B was in 7th Heaven the next morning when he awoke and Momma flipped on cartoons in bed. Only hotel living is so luxurious!
Without skipping a beat H responded with, "Grandma J, can you open the door for me, please?"
She's far more eloquent than I could ever hope to be, that's for sure.
Our first day at Disney World we stood in a long, hot line so that H could see Merida, the Brave princess. We had just read the book two days before while at Barnes and Noble, so she was excited to recognize her!
I had told H about her Grandpa S (my dad) getting sick on the Teacups once, so as soon as H saw the ride she immediately wanted on them.
That's my slightly twisted girl!
The highlight of her day, and pretty much her trip though, was seeing Ariel. Because that's the one princess whose movie she has seen.
The whole trip was totally worth her seeing Ariel. And hearing her, even now days later, still talk about it.
(Do you see B there with his hands covering his mouth and nose? That's how he hides. Though pretty appropriate for "underwater." And ignore that I'd lost my shirt by then and was just wearing a shelved tank...it was hot!)
It rained pretty much every day we were there. But it was more than welcomed as it helped cool things down a bit. At Magic Kingdom the kids played in the train splash pad while the skies poured down on them. It was so fun to witness them enjoying themselves so much!
We ventured into a big ol' circus tent with various characters when we'd finally had enough of the rain. I thought H would enjoy it. B fell asleep while in line.
The second we got up to Goofy H lost it. She went ape shit bananas so I whisked her back outside. Goofy was a no-go.
A few days later Miss H got the royal Treatment at the Bippity Boppity Boutique. She picked out Aurora's dress because it was pink. It seemed to be an original choice as I never saw another little Princess Aurora. Lots of Belle, Merida, Cinderella and Tinker Bell's. H was over the moon with her "makeover."
But she's too cool for a Prince Charming, and chose a bonified astronaut instead. Those guys are going places!
H and B both loved Animal Kingdom. It was likely their favorite. But they're animal people.
We'd been in Orlando for a few days at this point. These kids were running off of 6-8 hours of nighttime sleep (they typically have 10-12). It was hot. They were without their papa. And yet they were still totally being troopers. I won't lie, I was impressed. I was expecting a lot more meltdowns, more aggression, and over all just a more difficult time. But they had this whole thing down!
After our Safari ride, which had hippos, much to Miss H's delight, the kids and I stopped for a break in the Pangani Forest and played mancala (Sidenote: this is the best game in the world. I used to love it as a kid!). A 6ish year old girl sat down with us half way through and immediately said, "Grandma, I want to play! Make them play!" Without skipping a beat H handed her a handful of marbles (clearly they were playing their own version of mancala ) and said, "There are plenty of marbles here for sharing. Would you like to play with me?"
It makes me happy to know that even out of her element, trudging on too little sleep, too much sugar, without her papa, with new people, and in a loud and over stimulating (though totally fun!!) environment, my girl still had a lot of generosity and thoughtfulness for others.
We saw an absolutely spectacular Finding Nemo show, which both kids were totally enthralled in. It was likely the best show I watched while there.
We partook in the Bug's Life show. The kids didn't really know what to think of it.
H's only request was to ride the flying dinosaur ride. It was the last thing we did before leaving the park that day.
Our last day there we went to Epcot. The first thing we saw after entering the gates was Goofy. H said to me, "Momma, I want my picture with Goofy. I'm not afraid now!"
And sure enough, she wasn't!
And B got a "horsey" and was good to go. For life. Pretty much.
Until Momma abandoned him with Grandma J for a whopping 20 minutes to enjoy a big kid ride for herself.
He'll probably need therapy for that in 20 years. I'll just show him the below picture and tell him he was having fun and totally imagined the tears an abandonment.
Just kidding.
Maybe...
And after our fantabulous trip I arrived home to discover that my dear, sweet husband had made me my dream bed, customized for how it best suited my preferences! (Now, if I can just get him to work on that horrid paneling behind it...)
We had a really super, magical time at Disney World. I had no idea how awesome it would be just to watch my kids excited and mesmerized faces at all the enchantment around them. I never could have imagined that a theme park would have been so magical.
But it was.
Oh, and I must leave you with the very best quote of the trip, which I honestly have no idea where my daughter heard it from, but brought me to fits of laughing tears, it was so terrible and hilarious.
Grandma J: No way, Jose.
H: My mom is going to fuck you up.
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