Potty Progress Report

***warning: drawn out post ahead, feel free to skip***

After four days of Potty Boot Camp, two of which were hard core, I have learned a lot about the topic, Christopher and myself. First of all, I wish I could have realized that I didn't have to take the "all or nothing" approach. We were on the right track earlier, I just should have added potty time more often to our routine. But nooOOOooo, I am stubborn as they come. I thought if I was diligent enough, Christopher would potty train quick, cause he's so brilliant and all (tongue in cheek). What I ended up with was lots of pee wiping instead. I was so nervous leaving him alone with just training pants on. It was exhausting following him around all day. For two days. Two sunny, beautiful days. At first I thought he wasn't physiologically ready, because he went so often. But later I realized it just correlates with drinking large amounts of fluid. He can stay dry 2-3 hours at time otherwise. The good new is, by having him wear the cotton pants, I know exactly when he goes, and so does he. Every time he would stop and say "poo-poo" (for some reason he calls both actions "poo-poo", another valuable piece of info I learned.) He understood the entire process: he'd pull down his pants, sits FOREVER on the potty, sometimes go sometimes not, put his wet pants in the hamper and get out fresh ones. The biggest problem was his brain couldn't get the message to the bladder fast enough. I kept waiting for him to announce the need before he went. By Wednesday's end, I was so confused about the path I should take with this endeavor. So Thursday morning I decided to back it off a bit; have patience. My new approach is this: potty him in the morning, around meals, before and after naps and outings, and before bedtime. As often as I can tolerate, he'll wear the training pants, to help him and me stay aware of his bodily functions. For outings it will be diapers.

Today we had a big event. He announced "poo-poo". I found him dry so I helped him to potty. While I dressed in my room, I overheard him saying "yay, yay" very calmly. I came out to find him carrying a bowl of pee very carefully to the toilet to dump it. He was so independent about it, the way he congratulated himself, taking the pot to the toilet without me and flushing. I was ecstatic! He got it! He felt the urge, responded and went! And cleaned up to boot! This was just what I needed for my spirits. I know it'll be a long road ahead, but at least I know we are getting through. We actually are having alot of fun with the process, and he and I have somehow gotten closer through this. Lesson learned: don't rush things, slow down and enjoy all the milestones, even the tasking ones.

A Great Leap Of Faith

After several months of dappling in the land of potty training, I have decided to take the great leap of faith this week. For months Christopher has shown interest in the potty. Awhile back I made it a part of his morning routine: breakfast, brush teeth, wash face, potty, get dressed. He'd have #2 successfully about 2-3 times a week, but with #1 we didn't have as much luck. Either way, he loves sitting on the potty, which he'll gladly do for over 30 minutes as long as I'm reading to him. The fact that he'll sit still for so long makes me think that this has to be half the battle. It gives me the confidence to move on. He just seems to like potty time so much. He shows other signs of readiness: holding his bladder for 2 hours, following directions, taking steps to independence, and we all know he's great in the communication department. So over the weekend, I took out books from the library on the topic, and stocked up on cotton training pants. I don't think we'll go the "Pull-Ups" route. This is mainly because I feel that our major roadblock to overcome is this "diaper barrier". With the safety of diapers catching the inevitable, it allows me to be lazy and confuses Christopher about when he is wet. So my approach is to rip it off like a band-aid. Starting Tuesday morning, no more diapers. I am putting us on house arrest and I will pay close attention to my little boy's bladder. I am prepared for a messy week, with lots of frustration. That's why I am blogging this. As long as its in print for you all to read, I have to go through with it. I may be too early, which is ok, we will try again at a later date. I just feel that lately Christopher is so amicable, willing to please and interested in this topic that if I wait too long, the "terrible two's" will rear its ugly head. Then I'll really kick myself for not taking advantage of a more prime situation. And I am just curious to see how it goes... wish us luck!

Here Christopher tries out his new potty seat. Its the kind that sits atop a toilet. He got a real case of the giggles while swatting at the shower curtain. Some things just really get him giggling and you never know what it'll be!

Marriage Recharge

While on our hike, we saw two deer run across the path just in front of us. We also saw deer in front of our B&B.

Something about hiking along a river just puts the soul at ease.

Too bad our flash didn't go off. This is Muddy Creek Falls. So magnificent.

So strong!

We braved going out onto Toliver Falls. This was such a sweet little spot of woods.

My handsome hubby.

To celebrate our 4th Anniversary, Ryan and I decided to head to Deep Creek Lake. We left Christopher with Ryan's parents, which we knew he'd have no qualms over. At first it was hard to say goodbye, but once on our road trip I felt at ease and our little vacation began. Its funny, but after 19 months of caring and doting over another individual, I forgot what it was like to be just Ryan and I. At first all we could talk about was the little guy, but soon we made efforts to leave him out of most conversations and try to reconnect. It wasn't long before we found ourselves being silly (adult silly, not kid silly- there is a difference). We laughed alot, had some good talks but also found ourselves in long stretches of comfortable silence. At some point on Saturday afternoon I suddenly thought "oh my gosh, I haven't thought of Christopher in over an hour!". It was a good feeling, it meant I was fully in the moment with Ryan. I loved every minute of the weekend. We left Friday morning from his parents house in Pennsylvania and arrived at our Bed and Breakfast at 2pm. A converted Monastery, Carmel Cove Inn was located off the beaten path, completely surrounded by the colorful autumn woods. Yes, the color change was in full swing, the air was cool and crisp and some leaves already found themselves on the ground. Saturday we hiked. It was a leisurely gorgeous hike, with three waterfalls and never-ending beauty. It was so wonderful. We stopped several times to take in the sites and breath in deep the crisp mountain air. In the afternoon we went on a short canoe ride on the lake. Afterwards we visited Simon Pearce Glass Co. where we could observe Master Glass Blowers creating works of art. We walked through sleepy towns and poked our heads in their stores. Saturday we met friends of Ryan's for dinner who were ironically visiting the same weekend. The day ended perfectly back at our B&B, with hot cider around a campfire beneath a full moon. This was our first time staying at a B&B, but hopefully not the last. The place was quaint, the location secluded, the food delish and the staff super friendly. We got all the privacy we could want. We sat out on the decks and just sucked in the Fall weather that was a preview of what is to come back home. We took our time returning Sunday, stopping to see the Casselman River Bridge; a national monument that is one of the largest spanning stone bridges in America. It was funny though, on our return home we noticed that the leaf change stopped right at Cumberland. Everything East is green. We are so grateful that we had such gorgeous scenery and weather. This was just was we needed for a marriage recharge. Today I found myself driving around with a smile on my face thinking about Ryan. That's how it was when we first met and shortly after we were married, I was still a little ga-ga over him. But I think its healthy to be a little love crazy over your spouse isn't it? Mission accomplished.

Christopher Counts

Christopher loves to count. He counts everything. His fingers, ceiling fan blades, the fruit on his tray, the steps he climbs; you name it, he's counting it. The other day I added 11 and 12, so he started adding these on as well. I like hearing his little voice come out so crystal clear.

Before bedtime we usually read him a book. His favorite lately is Eric Carle's Numbers, where he can count pieces of fruit. Its the book that started him counting earlier this summer, when he surprised us by saying 4 and 5 after my 1,2 and 3. Below is the video. He had been at it for awhile before I started filming so he gets flustered a bit, but you get the idea. (BTW, his newest favorite friend is Moose, a hand me down from Leif. "Moose" is what he keeps saying between counting)

Hide And Seek

Ever since Christopher could crawl, Ryan has been teaching him the game of hide and seek. At first Ryan did all the hiding, as he whistled to give Christopher clues of his where-a-bouts. Then Christopher learned to hide, but he'd always run out prematurely. Now he has perfected his skill, as he finds really good hiding places and stays very still and quiet until found. Sometimes he is too good. Sometimes I can't find him for an uncomfortable amount of time and I start to worry that he is someplace unsafe. And sometimes he initiates the game without me knowing it and I find myself in a panic calling his name with no response. But in all its cute and lots of fun. When he is running to his hiding spot, he whispers under his breath "hide, hide, hide". Once there he stays put and is amazingly quiet and still for a 19 month old. When found, he gives you a big grin and sometimes says "found you!". His favorite spot? Sitting in Ryan's closet between T-shirts with only his toes poking out.

Found You! Hiding in the bathroom at my mom's house. He initiated this game. It took me over a minute to find him. Again his toes gave him away.
Stuck!

The finished product. Well, almost finished, we have some tweaking to do.

I know I'll probably jinx myself, but I must blog-brag for a sec. Christopher is such a good boy. Most of his day he entertains himself, leaving me lots of opportunities to get things done. While vacuuming, I found him "reading" books in his room. He will turn each page, and recite something about the pictures (he has the books memorized by now). He was at it for 20+ minutes. He is also such a good listener. He follows directions well and is perfecting "clean-up!" after playing. He never throws fits. And he is very patient when we are in stores or doctor's appointments. I find myself holding my breath, hoping this stage is a permanent one. I love the little guy so.

Thoughts On A Rainy Friday.

*I am often being surprised by little sudden kicks in my tummy sporadically throughout the day. Its like the baby is saying "don't forget about me in here!". I like the reminder.

*Christopher has a sneezy cold. First one in about six months I think. Every time he sneezes he gives me the funniest smile. At least he isn't too miserable.

*It is raining cats and dogs today. CRW has asked me to read "It's Raining, It's Pouring" a dozen times. Funny how he gets the correlation.

*Our roof is leaking. Ryan came home early to rescue the bathroom from a drywall repair.

*Second trimesters bring out the organizer in me. I have tackled the office and am moving on to closets. I also did a fantastic job with the spice cabinet two weeks ago.

*Tomorrow starts Ryan's busy Fall weekend schedule. We won't be seeing him much on Sats. til February. Wah, such is life of an Outdoorsman's Widow.

*Sometimes my cheeks hurt from smiling at Christopher so much. I love him more each day, even when I feel its impossible the day before.

*Although challenging, I love toddler hood. The easy to illicit giggles, the discovery, the words, the play, and the affection keep life from being anything but dull.

*I feel so blessed to live the life we do. I am overwhelmed with this feeling especially at night as I watch Ryan read to Christopher. He is such a fantastic husband and Dad.

"Anmals!"

Christopher's recent love this summer is "anmals". As mentioned before, we have a really nice petting farm near our house. We make it there on a weekly basis. Christopher is very brave, feeding Clydesdale horses all by himself. Perhaps more scary are the pair of geese there that hungrily nip at your fingers and can really pinch. They have rabbits, an ostrich, horses, goats, a pot belly pig and a mule. As we pull in the parking lot he happily shouts "anmals, anmals!", then quickly makes the circuit once out of the car. There is also pretend fire engine, a school bus and a wooden ship that the kids can climb in and out of. In all, its a fun and free (the best part) time. Today Lulu took him while I slept off a night shift. I call her my personal photographer since she effortlessly catches life's moments that I sometimes miss.

Mr. Horse greets Christopher

"Driving" the fire engine.




Farmer Boy

Since CRW has been playing alot with Leif's latch board, we have to watch him near the animal hutches.

"Free the chickens!"

Christopher has a love for school busses. Since the school year has started, he spots them everywhere, "BUS!" he hollers.

While he does this he says "drivin'".

And when he does this he says "ding ding ding ding".

Looking back at other kids playing.

With a case of the giggles. Watch where you are going!

Feeding the horses carrots.

Usually CRW will say "Mmmm" and smack his lips as he watches the animals eat.

"Move on back!"