There have been some changes around here recently. Basically, the kids are just growing up. And it's keeping me pretty busy.
First one. Shayla. Just over a week ago the big day came for Shayla. As usual Shayla wanted to sit on the toilet, just for fun. But then she peed and had a little "a-ha!" moment and was pretty proud of herself. With that experience fresh in mind we decided to dive into potty training the very next morning. This was not our original plan but the timing felt right so we went with it. She's already been meeting all the "ready signs" for a while now. She even began removing her diaper after a "pee pee". It was not too uncommon to walk into the room and find Shayla in the buff. Luckily this only happened with the wet diapers! No poop-smeared-on-the-wall stories for ya! Anyways, so last week she was moved into big girl underwear and the size 3 diapers have been packed away for Sam.
Calling daddy at work to tell him she went "pee in potty" that first morning
Ice cream with sprinkles as promised for using the potty four times in a row that first day.
It took guts for me to take her out in public without a diaper that first time! My hands were full with Sam too.
It's been going pretty well. I think. We've finally come to a point where she will tell us she needs to go as she heads to the bathroom about half the time. The other half of the time we coax her to go try, in a way that makes her feel that she's made that decision herself. We're definitely not allowed to just carry her into the bathroom. That's leads to a complete refusal to even sit. But we "hurry, hurry, hurry!" into the bathroom. That is her new big word this past week. She's only had a couple semi-successful attempts going #2. She looks forward to the Dora stick on nails for when she finally does.
It's a learning process but we feel we've made some major headway over the last 10 days.
Second one. Sam.
Who decided to wean himself. He went from a baby that only nursed and refused bottles, to a baby that is outraged any time I try to nurse and will dive for a bottle. Totally weird and I wasn't really prepared for the sudden change. It happened last Tuesday night while nursing him to sleep. He was doing great, as normal. Then Shayla barged in noisily. He unlatched, looked at her and that was it - the moment he decided to never go back. When he wouldn't go back I thought "maybe he's had enough, I'll try again in the morning" but the next day he was still SO mad anytime I encouraged him to eat. Even the moments when I accidentally gave him the idea I was about to try to nurse him. I kept trying and trying, but he only wanted bottles. Not just any bottle though. He's pretty picky about them. I feel like this last week I've been constantly pumping and washing bottles. All the pumping, bottle cleaning, and warming up milk takes up a lot of time. But it was convenient when we left Sam with Grandma C on our anniversary last week. So it can be nice too.
I couldn't help but take it personally though. He's moving on from that first relationship a mother has with their baby to become a little less dependent upon me. I guess that's just what it's like to watch your children grow up. These moments will just keep coming. Like their first day of school, then first date, when they head off to college or get married. I've had a good cry over it already and I'm feeling better about the whole thing now. Of course I knew that at some point he'd stop but I think 7 months was a little young to have weaned himself! I think of all the reason why it could have happened. Teething is the only one I can think of. His top two are coming in now and it looks pretty miserable. Could it be a coincidence?
And that pretty much sums up my life as a mom the past little while.
