Bring Home Infant Ollie

Don't ask why I was thinking about this, but I was....

We started this blog when Oliver was 2, maybe 3 weeks old and I never wrote a labor/birth/going home story. Now I won't bore you with the labor and delivery story (though I do need to write it down here because my Myspace is no longer relevant and that is where it is located) but I did want to recap our first night home as new parents.

Short and sweet:

It began snowing as we were getting into the car about to leave the hospital. I gave birth in Bellevue and we lived in Burien...quite the drive in a blizzard with a completely new baby, in the dark mind you, because I was discharged at 7 pm!! (Ugh, I was too scared to have any confidence in my decisions when I had Oliver. With Scarlett I was far more open with what I wanted and how I wanted it!)

We managed to take our exit, yeah the Des Moines Memorial Drive one with all the black ice. As we were turning off of the exit we slid into the curb and I had a massive panic attack. I had never had a baby nor did I believe they were very sturdy...boy was I wrong. These suckers are hard to destroy! Haha.

After finally getting situated at home with our amazing new bundle of colicky joy, the power went out that night. Yup, I already had no idea what I was doing, and having to do it in the dark was even worse.

Now I laugh about it every time I think back. Especially after having another baby and being far more schooled in parenting and newborns. We were so lost and confused with so much against us...but we made it. Now my little Bubba is my massive 2 year old Oliver!

Oliver Saved Scarlett's Life

As the title states, I am thoroughly convinced of the fact.

Scarlett still sleeps in her burrito bc its the only way she sleeps through the night. Being tied up like that has made it impossible for her to flip over. However she's gotten so strong that last night she did just that.

Around 3:30 am I woke up to Oliver crying. He's been doing this since we began potty training 2 weeks ago, but ONLY when he pees the bed. I walked into their room and asked Oliver if he'd peed the bed. He said "No, baby crying!" I checked the bed and his underwear and both were dry. He kept repeating, "baby crying" and clearly she was not. I wake up to every whimper, sob, and hiccup so I was sure!

I looked in her crib and she was face down, still wrapped up, right in a blanket. You couldn't even see her little face. Of course I panicked and picked her up and shook her (gently) until she cried. I have always had a huge fear of SIDS and have taken every precaution in the book.

I just think that if Oliver hadn't woken me up and she would have continued sleeping like that, something unspeakable could have happened. He flat out saved her life.

If you're not a believer of any innate sibling bonds...this is pretty convincing. He will always be her big brother and protector...just now there is a literal sense to this notion.

He's been her guardian angel from the day we brought her home.

It gives me chills when I think about it. Finding her head down was horrifying. I love my little boy more than anything and he proves time and time again that he is absolutely perfect. :)

Love Her!

Still sticking out her tongue. She is so silly. She was the perfect addition to this family!

More Sitting

I actually let her sit by herself without me behind her. She did great!

Still supporting herself with her arms...we're getting closer. :)

Pretending

Oliver is getting into the pretend play stage. He's been dabbling in it for quite some time now but just recently he's truly refined his 'skill'.

<--- This picture is Oliver putting his toys to bed. Yes its the window sill, but he told me it was their room. He also told me the bear with the blue sweater's butt was dirty and he needed to clean it. So he grabbed some imaginary toilet paper and "wiped" the bear's bottom. Then he went and washed the bears paws in an imaginary sink.

It was really cute to watch. It's no longer just pretend drumming, or pretend cooking, he's been doing that forever...this is really sophisticated stuff (to me, his mom! What did you expect? I always think he's a genius!)

I love this stage in his life! :)

Sitting UNassisted

Today she sat for a good 30-45 seconds. She's been doing this lately (probably in the last week) but not for such a solid chunk of time. She is still in the hunched position, supporting her weight with her arms. I gotta give her credit though since she just turned 5 months.

Oliver was sitting at 5 months 12 days completely unassisted. I think Miss Scarlett is trying to keep up. :) She is at 5 months 7 days. I don't think she'll be completely sitting in 5 days but I think she will be by 6 months!

And no this isn't a race! I just love comparing and contrasting how different these kiddos are!

Webcam Fun

1st Day of Soccer

 Sunday marked not only the 1st day of Spring, but Oliver's first soccer practice! He had a lot of fun but in normal Oliver fashion.

As with everything he was very shy and observational at first. I think its inevitable that he'll be shy. George says he was a very shy kid and I was too...not anymore, but there was definitely a time when I was. He also needs to be comfortable with a new location and new people before he can properly be himself.

He thrives at daycare because he's famliar with his surroundings...so I'm guessing another 2-3 sessions

he'll feel right at home.

His shyness won't stop me from getting him involved with lots of activities. Once he gets older and wants me to back off I will...but for now I want him to experience as much as he can to build his confidence instead of keeping him hidden away.

Dzia Dzia came to watch Ollie since he is the reason for the soccer craze in my family. Of course Oliver saw him and wanted only Dzia Dzia to help him (it is parent participation).

After about 10-15 minutes Oliver was running around with the best of them! But OF COURSE his favorite time of the whole practice was clean up! Only my kid...But hey, he's meticulous and extremely OCD. If he's not a math major and doesn't go to MIT, I'll be shocked!! Haha, but my college dreams for him aside, I'm truly learning more about his personality the more I get him out in the world. It's been quite the experience but I love him more than anything. He's been my little man and now he's becoming my little soccer star. :)

Potty Training Day 10

 Welp Oliver is just getting better at this potty stuff. We were able to go out in public both Saturday and Sunday with no accidents. We went on a few walks, soccer practice, Blockbuster and Red Robin with out peeing everywhere!

He definitely mastered holding it because he'll tell me, "Mommy Ollie pee pee!" And I'll ask him if he's gotta go, in which he always replies yes! Somehow he always makes it home and on the potty!

He's getting better at identifying when exactly he has to go potty instead of walking back and forth 50 times then FINALLY peeing 30 minutes after. At first I think he felt the urge without anything coming out so he was a bit confused...however he's getting to know his body now. The poop he's still working on. He does poop in the potty, but there's a lot of walking back and forth from the potty telling me, "butt hurts mommy!" Haha, but I'm proud to say NO poop in the underwear! Ugh, thank goodness!

 Here's my baby girl cheesing in the background! Oliver's always wanting to "wipe my butt!" Poop or no poop, he's obsessed with toilet paper! And we keep a towel on the floor so A. my pretty bath mats aren't covered in pee all the time B. to keep Oliver's pee contained. I'm tellin' ya...baby boy penises are crazy!

Told you he loves toilet paper. Here's a whole new roll...not on the roll anymore. Oliver decided to, "wipe my butt mommy! See!"

Love him!

Scarlett Update

 My little boog boog is really growing. She is like a weed...that I don't want to get rid of! Her day time schedule is getting to where I really like it. On the weekends, when I actually see her, she wakes up around 8am, is up until noon, then naps (like Oliver) then takes another nap around 4-5pm. Then she's up some more and goes down at 8pm. I love that she's on Ollie's schedule because it guarantees me time to myself in the middle of the day!

She's eating solids like a champ. She loves bananas, peaches, apples. Next on the list to try is sweet potatoes and squash. :) She's drinking about 25-30 ozs of formula a day. She's closer to the 22-25 range but some days its upwards of 32! Overall she eats a lot less than Oliver did! Oh my was he a chunker. :) She seems so dainty to me!

Scarlett is very laid back. She can be left alone for quite some time while I deal with Oliver, which has been icing on the potty training cake! She has the patience of an angel and I hope one day she knows how grateful I am for that.

Flipping from her back to her belly is her favorite activity! I can't set her down without her flipping in 2.5 seconds! Kind of annoying if I have to attend to Oliver potty drama bc I don't need her suffocating on carpet/blanket/play mat! Though she's getting really good at baby push ups! Her little arms are getting stronger and stronger and holding up more of her body.

Attempting to sit unassisted is her 2nd favorite thing. She will lay on her back, straining her little head up in the air along with her legs. Quite the exercise! She's getting good at balancing on her own, but she still collapses to one side, so no sitting for her...yet!

She does not mind my crazy accessories. Headbands, flowers, shoes, sunglasses...you name it, she doesn't mind!!!! YESSSSSS!

She is such a happy girl and I love her so much. She is too much fun and growing too fast! Part of me says STOP but the other part of me has enjoyed Oliver's development that I want to experience it with her ASAP. Either way, she is ADORABLE!

Potty Training Day 8 Update

Welp just like in the title, today is day 8 with no diaper. Oliver has done fabulously all week. The only accidents he's had at daycare since my last update was pee flying over the potty and getting his pants wet. Boy's and their pee pees! Haha.

He has pooped in the potty every day.

He had no random accidents. He always runs to the potty.

The biggest trouble we have is night time. He pees the bed about every other night. Luckily I layered my sheet and waterproof pads so it doesn't have too much of an effect on me. Though having been so spoiled with my kids amazing sleeping powers, having to get up has really made me tired every morning. Not used to this! But in the end its worth it bc I'd rather suffer for a few weeks than for a year on and off.

Scarlett is becoming a very solid sleeper so she doesn't get woken up by the commotion when I do have to change him in the middle of the night Thank goodness!

Our next obstacle will be soccer tomorrow. We are not putting any diapers, pull ups, etc on. If he pees he pees...Wish us luck.

Friends

 We got all 3 in one (horrible) picture! We have to celebrate the small things though! Miss Chloe, Oliver and Scarlett all hanging out!












Chloe counting Scarlett's piggies!

I don't know what it is with toddlers and these seats but they sure do like them more when they're too big for them. Oliver still squeezes himself in. :)

Scarlitto

 More Scarlett from her 5 month photos.


 I like this one bc Oliver's profile is in it. He was getting in the way, and got in the shot even if it was just his shadow!

 Always flipping over...here she is mid flip.












Loving her chew toy. She is so sweet. :)

Teething

Scarlett loves her raspberry teether binky. I really loved the idea of it but was scared she would never like it. Luckily for us she is the most laid back baby I've ever met and catches on QUICK.

Here she is munching on it. :)

Drawing Mickey

The fact that this uploaded sideways is driving me crazy!! Anyway, Oliver drew this and said MICKEY MOUSE. You cannot deny that one big circle and 2 smaller ones doesn't have a TINY resemblance to THE Mickey Mouse.

I'm pretty proud of my son for this!

5 Months!!!

One day late:

Love These Two

Look at the way she looks at her brother. :) They play so well together!

She Just Can't Wait!

Having been spending so much time with Oliver's potty training this weekend, someone was a bit neglected.  Haha, she was sooo hungry and there just wasn't time to get her out of that Bumbo seat!!! Baby gets what baby wants no matter what! She has no problem reminding us who rules the roost. :)

Potty Training Day 3

Day 3 was a success!

The morning was exhausting but successful overall.

I woke him up this morning (he was angry, of course) and took him to the potty since he woke up dry and I was expecting a waterfall (since that happens to me!). Nope, he just stood by the potty and cried. For 15 minutes he cried. I just kept getting ready for work and hoped I wouldn't explode. Very hard to keep your cool when you're on a schedule and can't be late! Anyway he did end up peeing and we got dressed and went to daycare.

He only had one minor accident at daycare but he did hold it in extremely long all day...I think that the lack of privacy at daycare and a new place were both factors.

Overall to only have one tiny accident on day 3 in a completely new place is pretty darn good, :)

I'm so proud!

P.S. He didn't poop today (I think he was scared in front of other people) and he just ate and drank a lot (we usually eat dinner earlier)...hoping for another dry night, and if not I'll still so happy with his progress. 3 days with no diaper and counting!!!!! 



 

Mmm, mmmm Red Vines!



Crawling in his big boy undies!

Potty Training Day 2

Let's see, overnight:
-I laid him to bed and he peed in it right after I kissed him goodnight. Fear of no diaper??? We had him sit and try and nothing came out. I thought perhaps because his last drink was around maybe 5:30 he just didn't have anything to give...Oh he did!!!
-I woke up to him moving/talking. My first thought was "SHOOT" He's been up and unable to go all by himself (take off the underwear, etc) so there must be pee EVERYWHERE!" Nope, he was a bit damp but the sheets were dry. They smelled of a hint of pee...
-I think since he has been waking up dry/a tiny bit wet...this is what 'a tiny bit wet' is without a diaper.

Either way we've been diaperless for a LONG time. :)


Today won't be as extensive but I do want to track his progress and lack of...

8:05 am HE PEED He woke up and I took him right to the potty. He sat there for quite some time but gave us A LOT of pee. :)

10:45 am HE PEED Almost 3 hours later! I was asking him every 5 minutes because I was wondering why after a glass of milk and cereal (with lots of milk) there was no pee! But he did great. NO accidents yet today!

12:07 pm Nap time. Oliver sat on the potty with Daddy for quite some time but nothing happened...so we decided to just put him down. There was a lot of protest to nap time so I just left him in his room (I NEVER break routine no matter how much he doesn't want to, he always ends up falling asleep. :)) I can still hear him 'reading' books. I left his door open since he's right across the hall from the bathroom....Hoping for no accidents!!!!!!!!

12:38 pm He peed his underwear. Not in bed though thank goodness!! I think he is scared to walk to the bathroom by himself from his room, so he peed on the carpet...But he automatically called for me so I know he 'gets it'.

1:04 pm He is still on the potty. He refuses to go nap and keeps complaining about having to pee. I can't just lock him in his room and assume he's lying about the potty. Ugh. If he's not asleep in an hour then nap is over since it usually lasts 2 hours...

1:06 pm He set up his toilet insert potty by himself. You know the one that you just put onto a regular toilet. He never has wanted to use that but he's trying it. I'm surprised he didn't fall in. :)

1:39 pm I give up!!! On the nap that is! There have been just a handful of times in his life that he didn't cry himself to sleep. But he was complaining about poop the whole time. He's been farting a lot since last night and I'm wondering if its slight constipation so he's scared to sleep with no diaper?? I haven't been offering him tons of fluids (but never denying) just so he's not peeing all over but I think its starting to have a negative effect. I have now given him a super full glass of apple juice and am about to make him lunch!

2:04 pm He ran to the bathroom to potty but he couldn't pull his undies down in time! Good job knowing where to go and what to do!!! This was easier when he was just naked...we're working on the underwear...I can't even imagine pants!!!

2:34 pm HE POOPED IN THE POTTY!!! Welp I was right, he definitely needed to poop. He automatically said he had to go, sat on the potty and did it!!! I cannot express how proud I am. He is doing so great and this makes it even easier for me to distance myself completely from diapers!!!

4:45 pm HE PEED! Yay, pee pee in the potty. Most of it unfortunately got on the floor because he was sitting on it crooked and he penis shot the pee up over the side of the potty. Hahaha, you don't have to worry about this with a girl!!

8:39 pm UGH! Since there was no nap taken Oliver fell asleep at about 6:30 and slept for 20 minutes...that was enough to induce the longest tantrum on record! He ended up peeing in the potty sometime around 7:30 during a short moment I got him to stop screaming. I have put him to bed but I can hear him crying, still. Let's hope that this tantrum has not inhibited him from peeing all the way and there won't be any accidents.....

2 DAYS DOWN WITH NO DIAPERS! THE NEXT CHALLENGE IS DAYCARE! LET'S HOPE HE ACCLIMATES TO NO DIAPER IN A NEW PLACE FAST AND EASY!!

Day 1 Recap

If you want the full play by play of our first day potty training Oliver it is one post down. :)

Here are some thoughts from the day:

*He did a lot better than I expected
*He was very keen to when he peed his underwear and knew to stop, hold it in, and run to the potty
*We stopped giving him fluids around 5-5:30-ish. We'll see how that effects overnight pee activities.
(^after I wrote this post Oliver started yelling, he'd peed the bed before he even fell asleep!)
*Um, he pooped in the potty the first try on the first day! I have the coolest kid alive.

Overall I'm glad I introduced Ollie early to the potty (18 months). For awhile we would only sit him on it before bath time while we waited for the tub to fill up. Sometimes he would go, other times he wouldn't. No pressure.

He graduated to telling me when he wanted to go and going a few times sporadically over several months. Again no pressure, just an introduction. I feel like because of that he knew what he was doing today, it was old hat but being put to serious use.

I definitely do not want this to be some drawn out thing that lasts a year. Once I start something like this I'm not going to stop. I tend to parent that way overall...You wonder why both my kids sleep through the night and have amazing manners --> Monster Mommy. :)

Anyway...Since today went so well we will continue tomorrow and then daycare will continue on Monday and we will train until he's totally diaper less. Dana said she had one boy who was completely trained in 1 week; his brother in 2. I'll take anywhere close to that!!! But I'm being realistic. :) 

These are 2 products I recommend to all potty training parents!

-The training pants are thicker in the crotch and will catch accidental leaks better!

-The fitted crib pad is a MUST. It's water proof and I stacked a couple over Oliver's crib. I did one crib pad and a sheet, then another pad and sheet. Do as many as will fit because then when an accident happens in the middle of the night and you're exhausted, all you have to do is take off that first layer. Beneath will be a fresh sheet with a pad already under it. :) Less work for you!!!

Potty Training Day 1

This will be my potty diary for the day. I will keep updating throughout the day, so keep checking back if you care to see the drama unfold. :)

6:45 am - I hear Oliver hanging out in his room. Got him to sit on the potty with much protest but got nothing since he's already emptied into the diaper. Who knows how long he'd been up before I heard him so he could have woken up dry but decided to go...I did give him gummy snacks since he did sit for me.


7:56 am We have pee on the carpet. First pair of underwear have been taken out of the game. We have 9 more pairs for the day... I took him into the bathroom at 7:55 (right before Micky Mouse Clubhouse) but he refused to take off the underwear and sit on the potty because he wanted Micky...He did ask for his diaper in the bathroom before I gave up. ***For next time: take the diaper cue as him needing to pee???


8:30 am 5 minutes before my potty alarm was to go off, Oliver said "uh oh"! It was a tiny bit of pee...but we went and sat on the potty for about 5 minutes...nothing came out. I set my alarm for 45 minutes...


8:38 am As I was typing the previous entry, he peed...all over the carpet. ***5 minutes is not long enough to sit apparently. Another pair of undies bites the dust...I did give him a cup of milk though.This may be the result.

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RANT 8:51 am I WANT TO GIVE UP. It's been a little over 2 hours and I am so over this. Scarlett isn't even up yet. How am I going to be able to do this with her in the mix? I already feel like I'm gonna lose my patience but I don't want to because then he'll hate this process. I can't give in to his 'no's' either because he'll never get trained. All I know is my hands smell like pee and shortly my house will too. I need to keep strong though. I have to make it through the whole day before I decide to give up. 2 hours is nothing...Alright, I've regrouped. LET'S DO THIS!
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8:57 am Oliver started to get all upset after the last accident so I left him alone to regroup. He peed. Another pair of underwear gone. At least it was in the bathroom so no soggy carpet!! I wasn't there but I noticed he was being really quiet. I found him sitting on the potty, underwear still completely on. He saw me, pointed to where he'd peed and said "Mommy dirty, clean". So I did. Breathe....It is currently 9:08 and he refuses to get off the potty. I'm in the living room. I'm gonna let him to his thing...

9:12 am HE PEED IN THE POTTY! Like I said I was out in the living room, he was by himself chillin on the potty. I heard him saying, "yucky" so I went to investigate. He was sitting on the toilet (lid down) so I thought "Oh God he peed on my toilet cover!!!" Nope, he'd peed in his potty! We both took the potty, poured the pee in the toilet, Oliver flushed it and we said goodbye to the pee. Red Vine was chosen. He's standing with just a shirt on eating. I think he's scared of ruining another pair of undies....

9:25 am HE PEED IN THE POTTY! I've left the door open and the light on in the bathroom for the day. Even though he'd just peed and finished eating his Red Vine, he yelled "Mommy pee pee!" and ran for the bathroom himself. Again, since he'd JUST gone I didn't follow him because I didn't want to sit in the darn bathroom anymore. Haha. I heard, "Mommy, did it!" And he DID! Fruit snacks chosen!

9:48 am A little over 3 hours in...I'm feeling okay. I think I'm still riding the high from the two potties and lack of carpet to clean, haha. He just finished a bowl of cereal for breakfast. There will be pee soon. This high could end very soon. Since his last pee he has been running back and forth to the bathroom sitting for about 10-20 seconds a piece. When nothing comes out he's learned to say, "Mommy Ollie try!" He still refuses to put underwear on...Just a shirt, I'll take it.
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LESSON: Just because there is pee in the potty does NOT mean the bladder is empty! Have them sit a bit longer after going and if they don't want to, keep asking them if they have to go for another 15-20 minutes. They probably do!!!
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10:40 am Almost an hour and I've asked him several times about going potty. He doesn't want to... After his cereal I'm expecting pee. I've been checking the house for secret pee stains. Nothing...

10:48 am HE PEED IN THE POTTY, TWICE! He was playing by the fireplace and all of a sudden he looks up at me with a terrified expression. I thought, "SHOOT! Pee on the carpet!" But he ran really fast for the bathroom...I got up checked where he was standing: a little pee. Before I could do anything else I hear, "I DID IT! I DID IT!" I ran to the bathroom checking for pee along the way, nothing. He had miraculously held it in all the way to the potty and indeed peed in it! My experience this morning taught me that there HAD to be more pee in this kid so I offered to read some Dr. Seuss while he kept sitting. He agreed and about 1/4 of the way through The Cat in the Hat Scarlett started screaming!!! I had just fed her....Long story short, I read the book all the way through with a baby in one arm spitting up everywhere and the book in the other. Sadly Oliver hadn't peed any more during that whole time so we flushed the pee and said bye bye. Literally 2 seconds after we flushed the pee I ran out to change Scarlett out of her gross clothes and clean my arm up. While I was doing this I hear, "I did it! I did it" Way more pee this time!

11:24 am POOP POOP POOP! He pooped all by himself IN the potty! I was on the phone with George and Oliver was being all private. He didn't even want to talk to Daddy which is very strange! I smelled fart but kids do that and I was only thinking pee not poop. I got off the phone and there was a big ol' poop! He wasn't as excited about it though. The pee has been great he was almost scared that a poop came out. He didn't want anything to do with it. Interesting...

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LESSON: Hide the diapers!! Oliver hadn't seen any all day and there was one laying around and automatically he threw a tantrum and wanted me to put it on. Way to revert!!! Ugh. I hid them all...we'll see how it goes.
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12:12 pm Nap time. No diaper. I had always planned to put one on him for nap but the way he reacted when he saw one a bit ago was a bit disheartening. I put a towel down and he peed a bit in the potty before going down. Let's see what happens...

2:15 pm Woke up from nap. Crying, crying and more crying. For no reason. DID NOT pee the bed the whole 2 hours!!!!! Now I just have to deal with a half asleep toddler throwing a tantrum and hope to God he doesn't pee on me.

3:55 pm HE PEED IN THE POTTY! Whew, his tantrum finally ran out with some Shrek and apple juice. He wanted a diaper and that's why he was crying...We did NOT give in! He had some sweats on and peed just a little in them but not enough to soak through, a dribble if anything (none on the carpet!), then ran to the potty. Surprisingly he sat there for a long time before he peed. But he peed and I'm happy!!!! I honestly thought he might forget everything he learned from the morning after night time..I'm impressed.

4:44 pm HE PEED IN THE POTTY! He barely left since the last pee. He's obsessed with the darn bathroom. He keeps farting and had a little poop on his bottom. I think he knows he has to go so he's scared to leave. That's what happened with the first poop today!

4:55 pm Mommy grabbed a beer. Oliver is still holed up in the bathroom.

5:59 pm HE PEED IN THE POTTY! Oliver got distracted by George leaving with Scarlett and peed a bit in his pants. Since we're training, he's not going anywhere this weekend and he was upset about it. But I reacted pretty fast and got him on the potty!

6:07 pm Uh oh, I think he has to poop. He keeps running in and out of the bathroom and I hear farts. He's whimpering a lot. Judging how he freaked out when he pooped earlier today, he may be off put by it. Here's to hoping my kid isn't one of those that poops in a corner somewhere and plays with it. Apparently that happens....

7:45 pm Oliver took a bath, sat on the potty one last time and we put him down with NO diaper. Just those training pants. We also put a waterproof crib sheet under his sheet so the matress doesn't get ruined with "accidents"! And the day is done!!!

One Step Closer to Potty Trianing

Potty training begins tomorrow AM. If it goes anything like tonight, I'll be more than happy!

Below are a few of Oliver's favorite special snacks. Things he LOVES but we limit for obvious reasons (minus the fruit cups, they're pretty healthy if they're not in syrup). I mention them because when we unloaded the car with our Costco purchases, Oliver noticed the Red Vines right away. They are definitely his favorite and we don't buy them often! I joked that I would give him 1 Red Vine before bed if he pee peed in the potty, totally assuming he'd shoot me down.

Nope he grabbed George's hand and told us he had to "poo poo". For some reason he stopped saying pee pee and refers to it strictly as poo poo no matter if its #1 or #2. He sat down for a solid 30 seconds and peed. 2 Red Vines and a million high fives later we had quite the proud little 2 year old.

Since I will be taking Oliver to the potty every 35-45 minutes tomorrow, I will have plenty of snack prizes for going. This way I give him a choice each time he goes. The more freedom you give a 2 year old, the more compliant they will be!!! It's all about making them think they are leading the whole process, as I mentioned in my binky post below. :)

WISH US LUCK! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!

P.S. I will be updating pretty often with potty training news mostly for my own record so I have something to look back on when it comes time for Scarlett and partly for those moms who are going through this or are thinking about it. Anything I can share that might be helpful makes this process seem a tad less 'UGH'!

Dun Dun Dun...Updates

Alright.

Binky is completely GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I cannot say how excited I am about this! He has only been using it as a night time comfort but I have been SO ready to have it be gone forever. I waited this long because quite frankly I needed the sleep! During my whole pregnancy with Scarlett I thought about completely taking it away but with George working graveyards and me being so exhausted, I just didn't want to sacrifice sleep and deal with screaming. Then the baby came and I just wanted to wait out the storm...

Luckily Oliver took to Scarlett really well....so a few weeks ago I cut off the tops to 2 of his binkies. He was PIST. Again, I just didn't want to deal with screaming especially since the kids share a room...No one wants to wake the baby A. Bc she sleeps through the night, why ruin that? B. No crying is better than 2 kids crying. :)

Sooooooo, I devised a little plan. A white lie really. I did this strategically so he couldn't be mad at me or George...

He of course asked for his binky Thursday night as I laid him down for bedtime. I told him he left the binky in the car (which he did bc he insisted on carrying it in his coat pocket and keeping it in the cup holder of his car seat until I picked him up from daycare) and I was going to have to grab it after I read him 50 bajillion "Cat in Hat" books.

[Side note - Oliver is obsessed with Dr. Suess, or as he calls it "Cat in Hat". We own about 5-6 books, and I have to read them all before he goes to bed...oh man]

Anyway...I kissed him night night, told him I loved him and told him I was going to the car. I went and watched TV instead. Horrible Mommy, I know.

20 minutes later I heard Oliver start to cry and yell for his binky. George tagged in. He went in (with a cut up binky in hand, the LAST one we owned], told Oliver I had fallen asleep and he found the binky. The KEY was to NOT mention the binky was broken...Oliver had to notice that by himself. Of course he did and I heard him say "binky broken, daddy fix it?" George talked him through it and said that he couldn't fix it but mommy would tomorrow. Miraculously Oliver went to sleep with NO fuss!!!!!

In the morning when I woke him up to get ready for daycare, he of course told me "Mommy, binky broken, fix it?!" I stalled and he accepted the fact that we would deal with in at night.

Fast forward to tonight. Oliver mentioned the broken binky. He asked "Mommy fix it?" "Daddy fix it?" he even said "Baby fix it?" after I told him Mommy and Daddy couldn't. TOO cute. :) Most importantly he went to sleep, NO FUSS. :) The "broken" binky is still on the shelf next to his bed. I will wait until he is ready to throw it away.

I found that the most important thing for a developing toddler is for them to feel as though they are the ones making the decisions....

Bed Time

These two are insanely hilarious. I can't get enough of them together. Yes I bought them matching jammies from Costco! Yes I'm still trying to get a GOOD picture of the two of them in them...One day...in  my dreams.... :)

The series below captures a typical kiss between the two of them! Haha, except out of nowhere Oliver decided to lick Scarlett and THEN he decided she was "acky", his words not mine. :) I still think they are

two of the coolest people in the world!                                                                                                                                            

Ugh, I switched this blogger to the new version and I am trying to figure out formatting...It's all over the place and its driving me crazy, Sorry!

Below is a picture of Miss Scarlett looking adoringly at her big brother. She got a bit of the crazy eye but she loves him. :) Oh and if you've noticed the red patched on her temples in pictures lately, we're trying to figure out what's causing it. As of now its Eczema, but I'm leaning towards allergy to cow's milk. She didn't have that when breastfed and it has appeared more inflamed lately. Since she's still eating well and gaining weight I'm not going to take her in...I'm just going to wait until her 6 month appointment in a month. But I feel bad for her. She itches it like crazy when its inflamed and it gets really crusty and tough. NO amount of lotion helps and the hydrocortizone helped A LOT but its so bad for their little skin. Especially since its her temples...Poor baby girl. I hope it goes away soon!!!