Potty Training

Potty Training. I read a guide on How to Train in Three Days. Then day one happened (started!)...and I just read the signs from Jackson and what felt right after that. 

Day 1:

6 pairs of underwear by 10am. 

He had absolutely no idea how his little squirter worked. He would cry and cry when we set him on the potty, so worked up that there was no way he was going to go. As soon as he would get down and start playing he would pee.

Whenever Jackson did pee, on the toilet or as an accident, he would yell out "I pooped!"

Day 2:

Less crying than day 1. We found some distractions in coloring and drumming as he sat on the potty. These helped keep him relaxed. At his few successes his face erupted with pride.

Day 3:

A successful start right when he woke up. We tried to go potty a little later with no luck then there was two not good accidents in a row. Soon after he told me he had to go potty again. I rushed him to the bathroom but nothing. He just got back to playing when he said again he had to go potty. Ok J...we rush back to the bathroom. AND HE DID! He was more than right, going #1 and #2. 

Jackson had been wanting this Duplo construction set, so from the beginning of potty training we told him that he could get it when he went poop on the potty. He would say "I go potty potty, I get dump truck and digger!" So he was BEYOND excited when I had it upstairs waiting to be opened. Emotions still raw from the weekend of potty torture, he was easily frustrated at the slightly more advanced Lego set in the beginning, but it came everywhere with us that day. He absolutely loved it. 

Day 4:

Trying to go potty in the morning..."I don't go poopy any more, I already have my dump truck and digger."

Overall, much more successes than failures. Mostly because he is telling us he has to go. He is not always right but something is triggering him to think he does.

We stayed home the first two days but have ventured out the next two and will just go on with normal life tomorrow. Although I cleaned my carpet today I know we are far away from accident free. It is going to be pull-ups for outings for a while and diapers for sleep for even longer but overall I am pretty happy with the progress he has made this far. And how cute is Lightening McQueen and Buzz on that little butt? I'm proud of you little man. 

Jackson - 27 Months

Three months more than two years! (And now he is practically four months passed)

Not a usual mile stone but I had some time, and things to write down so why not?

27 month chalkboard with the only way I could get Jackson to sit by it

Current Favorite Foods:

Mickey chicken nuggets, chocolate milk, Bunny Grahams (Teddy Grahams), Eggos, rotating variety of fruit, milkshakes

Favorite Words/Sayings:

"Oh man!" 

"I run Mom?"

"I can do it all by myself."

"We are hikers"

"Where's Jackson?"

"We go to Meijer, Target, and the coffee shop."

Favorite Activities:

He enjoys books, often getting into a rut with a favorite. For example we read how to give a wholly mammoth a bath probably two dozen times. And that doesn't count the times other people read it to him!

He loves to fix things with his tools. He knows each of their names and their general functions (i.e. a saw goes back and forth to cut, a screw driver turns for a screw). Often times he fixes his jeep/cozy coup, the gate at our stairs, his toy cars, or any electric toy that he feels isn't working. 

He loves to watch Mickey Clubhouse, Bob the Builder, or Caillou OnDemand when he wakes up in the morning or after nap and/or before bed. He doesn't just sit there quietly and watch any more though, he laughs loudly out loud, sings with them on little songs and completes routine sentences said by characters (i.e. "oh toodles" on Mickey Clubhouse, or "Can he build it, yes he can" on Bob the Builder).

Jackson LOVES the sand at the park. We always have to have his sand toys and thats the first place we go. It has helped with sharing and meeting kids though because when you show up at a park with a lot of sand toys its like a magnet to other kids. He gets frustrated sometimes that another kid wants his shovel or that they want to play in their own way and it doesn't align with his. Each experience has made him better though. His pure excitement when another kid wants to play is heartbreaking. I just sit their hoping the kid will be nice and cooperative, even friendly. When thats not the case you watch a piece of Jackson's innocence chip off as he stares at the kid (literally just watches) trying to understand. Jackson loves to knock over castles that you build and bury things to find again. We lost our fish mold for a few days before we uncovered it on another dig, currently our octopus is gone. He takes his shoes off before he goes in the sandbox and is always covered in sand when time to go. Often we will try the slides a little before we leave, but the sandbox dominates our time. 

Jackson spots diggers, trucks, tractors, and bulldozers where ever we go. When driving he points them out or we do and he is always excited to see them. He looks to see if they are working or not and stares at them in awe. 

27 month outtakes 

Terrible or Terrific TWOs

Sure, he tests his limits (and my patience), challenges my requests, is learning to manipulate, and is perfecting the art of procrastination. But he is also so sincerely sweet, giggly, open minded, full of energy, and so eager to learn. He is a little parrot, always listening and repeating what you say. He has an imagination so unique that is growing immensely. 

People always talk about the terrible twos. Well they may have some terrible moments (and I say that with a grain of salt) but they are pretty terrific too. 

Here are some moments (or even habits) that are well worth remembering. 

Terrible

"Please, please, please, PLEASE"

We always request that Jackson says please when he is asking for something he wants. He has now started using it (in a desperate tone repeatedly) when we are asking him to do something and he wants to be doing something else. For example when he is playing and I need him to come put his shoes on. 

Terrific
Driving in the car with my dad, Jackson and I told him about a new park by the splash pad they should go to.
My dad: "Sure Jackson, you can take me to the splash pad park."
Jackson: "Yeah, I take you there."
....pause...
"But you drive Grandpa, I can't drive."
"You sit in the drivers seat."

Can go both ways (often at the same time)... :)
"I do it myself!"
He still asks "carry me?" but our little boy is growing in his independence. We almost always let him try to do it himself but its often a battle, one vs time or safety. 

He is a parrot! He will repeat almost everything you say. Sometimes it is in an inquisitive way, wondering what you said meant, trying it out for himself. You can clearly sense the questioning behind his repeat if he wants you to define it. Other times he repeats you because you said something out of excitement or other emotion that usually prompted a reaction, one that you expressed personally or that others did. 

We went to our garden a week ago and there was a red tomato ready to pick. We let Jackson do it. He was all excited and eagerly struggled to pick it. We kept talking to him about the color, it was red meaning ripe not green meaning still needed to grow. Colors are something we are still working on with Jackson, he's getting better but not there yet. A few minutes later my dad and I looked up from weeding when we heard "Look, I picked another tomato!" He was so excited and proud, holding the small green tomato up for us to see. He truly thought he was helping. I quickly talked to him about the color of the tomato and said we can watch this one get red on our counter at home. 

Imagination. His has certainly grown. He dreams up animals shaped out of his food or the clouds in the sky. Often you catch him talking about something random to someone that we don't see or to just himself narrating an adventure. Sometimes when he is lost in his thoughts, mid story, deep in fantasy, it is hard to pry him away. He gets upset quick and fights you to stay in his imagination a little longer. 

"Just a second...In a minute...I'll be right back. Ok, mom?"
When he wants to do something (or not want to do something else) he asks, often assuming the answer before you give it. A lot of times he is sincere, asking permission, not sure if its ok. Other times it is a form of procrastination. Some times it ties in with his imagination. For example one time he just had to vacuum. "Just a second, I have to do something" as he was taking out his vacuum. I let him finish and ok he was content and ready to go when he was done. 

I would have to say, two is a pretty great age. 

Baby Girl - 33 weeks

 33 Weeks (or at most 7 to go!)

Movement: She moves ALL THE TIME! Movements are becoming more and more uncomfortable (and a lot more noticeable from the outside). 

Food cravings: Grapes, ice cream, cheese and crackers
Missing: I can not wait to lay on the floor and play with Jackson!! I also miss going down slides with him, being able to be real active outside with him and pick him up with out worrying or hurting. It was also hard to pass on the delicious strawberry garnished glass of champaign at my sister-in-laws wedding this past weekend. Mostly though, I am missing the feeling of what it is like to stand up without pain shooting through my left leg and groin. If you look close you can see some awesome varicose veins on my left leg in the photo above. They are getting worse and I will only get relief when baby girls makes her debut. 

Girly Things: Baby girl has a lot of wonderful clothes already! All are washed and the 0-3M clothes are ready to put in drawers. I also recently completed her ribbon garland and can not wait to hang it. 

Nursery/Toddler Room Transition: We have actually made a little progress! Toddler bed and mattress are purchased, new crib dust ruffle and sheet are ready to go and a little more closet space was made. Lot's still to do, starting with rearranging the room and transitioning Jackson to a new bed in two weeks!
Jackson's Perspective: He is more cautious around me and baby sister, noticing that mom is not always her usual self or limited with some things. He has asked a few times what is wrong with my legs, pointing to my veins saying "what happened?" He is eager to help with anything for baby sister and wants to get in his new bed soon.

Life as we know it

I have been spending a lot of time lately thinking about routines. How is life going to change when baby girl arrives? Our routines since Jackson was about 16 months have not changed significantly. Ive realized though that its hard to remember our routine prior to that, one of never really being in a routine (just tired and trying to get by), yet alone our routine prior to Jackson.

 

I am pretty in love with our life right now. From mommy being yelled in the morning to "I'm not tired" being said in repeat at night, I wouldn't trade it for the world. I know its only going to get sweeter, but I don't want to forget this.

 

Morning:

During the spring of the school year: I would wake up by (or at on sleepy mornings) five, stumble downstairs for juice and something small to eat. I'd spend the next 45-50 minutes getting ready while occasionally folding laundry, emptying the dishwasher, and packing bags. At 6:00 I am letting the dog out then filling up Jackson's milk cup. I often grab a granola bar or some fruit, if time make a waffle and throw it into a bowl to take up to J. Wake up time always went smoother when he had something to start eating, having his milk was an absolute must though. J and I tried our best to be out the door by 6:18 (not 6:20 and 6:15 almost never happened). Some days we would make a coffee shop run while he finished his breakfast in the back seat. I would drop him off at his school, often letting him lead me in and "show" me to his room. Then I'd be off to work. On the mornings that my dad came to watch J the routine would be the same, except I rarely got J out of bed. If he was up, it was not much before my dad came and just enough time to say good morning and get his milk. These mornings I would be at school by 6:30 which was always helpful.

 

Now, during the summer: I wake up by 6:30 (who am I kidding, lately its been 6). For a while J was also waking up around 6 and we would head almost straight to the coffee shop together. I get some things done around the house and get myself changed/showered until I hear "Mom, Mommy....Mommy" from a little voice in his room. I don't rush in there right away, instead finish what I am doing (within reason), get his milk cup ready, and if we have to run out the door soon I also get toast or an Eggo ready. When I go in his room he is always so happy, "Hi Mommy" with a smile. Then he usually says "What you got?" referring to whether I brought him chocolate milk or regular and if/what food. We get him dressed while he asks me "who come over today?" and I talk to him about the plan of the day. On days we are not in a hurry to go any where we sometimes watch Cailou, Bob the Builder, Toy Story, or Cars.

 

Bedtime:

This routine has become less structured during the summer. During the school year it was almost always bed time by 8pm at the latest. Now we average 8:15-8:30. He has become quite the procrastinator..."I'm hungry," "I have to go to the bathroom" (even though he's not potty trained yet), "I need some wa-wa," "one more book," "I have to show you something." 

We try to do bath realatively close to bed time so that after bath & pjs its books and bed. During bath time I usually multitask a bit and get my own face washed and teeth brushed at the sink while he spashes and plays for a bit. We then sit cozily together in his chair with his giraffe in hand and read books. Then, after a protest, I set him down in bed. I lay next to him for a bit and we talk about his day. For a little while at the beginning of the summer he would cry and cry when I did leave. Now, he says (in question form) "I go sleep?" and repeats back to me "I love you mommy" as I leave. 

 

Dinner time favorites:

We have a few go-to meals for dinner, especially when it's just me and J:

Annie's Mac & Cheese with added frozen peas or broccoli

Grilled ham & cheese sandwhich

Chicken Quesadilla

Chicken fingers (with both bbq sauce & ketchup to dip)

Then every meal has fruit to go with it, sometimes cucumber & ranch or applesauce.

These with a rotation of whatever Matt and I are eating have worked well.

 

Random:

He almost always has to "help" me take the dog out, saying "wait for me" if I stand there taking her out without him.

He will take his shoes off on his own, but its usually a bit of a fight to get him to stop what hes doing to put them on.

When in his high chair, it has to be pushed all the way up to the counter or table.

He steals his own snacks that he wants from the pantry, recently having learned to open the graham cracker container.



4th of July

Fourth of July weekend was a wonderful one of family. We hung out with some friends but otherwise had a lot of quality time as a family of three. 

Jackson and I painted some stars to decorate the house. They looked great cut out and hung up. He was so excited and proud to see them hanging. When we had friends over Saturday it was the first thing he told our guest "Look at my stars!"

We went to a total of three different parks over the weekend (including our neighborhood park). He loves parks with long ramps to run on and if they have a steering wheel thats even better!

Rice Krispie treats with blue/red M&Ms, festive pancakes,
white chocolate and blue sprinkle dipped ice cream cone

At the park in our neighborhood there are two diggers in the sand area. Jackson always tries to dig on them. (In his defense they are heavy and difficult to maneuver.) He usually asks for help and looses interest after a bit, reverting the helping the digging while on the ground by pushing dirt in the shovel. Well this weekend he was the most determined. He kept at it, struggling and rotating in his seat. He is finally long enough that when he scooted up all the way in the seat (practically off and on the bar) his feet hit the base of the handles. He used them to leverage himself and pull the handles. He made several digs all on his own!

Obsessions of a Toddler

Rocks. 

The kid loves collecting rocks. Wherever we go he will find some and hold on to them. He will stop traffic on a busy sidewalk when he sees one, get distracted from an otherwise entertaining activity to pick out a good one, and immediately get out of the car/stroller/your arms and find one on the ground to save. Sometimes they are little pebbles, dirty, not really rocks, or pretty big; whatever it is about the rock that grabs him he has to hold onto it like a treasure for a while.

When we are at home he spends countless time by the rocks on the side of our house. He brings them to the trunk of the Cozy Coup where he has a constant pile of rocks ready to over flow. Don't dare take one out though to make room...he will notice!

When we are out and he picks one up it goes in his pocket (or mine) or the stroller cup holder. He holds on to it and often asks for it back in the car.

When doing his laundry the other day I found these above 5 beauties in the pocket of his shorts!

Although this obsession can be a bit annoying at times when we are in a hurry and a rock is spotted it is also so interesting to watch his fascination with them. It often presents a lot to talk about. We hope to try a project soon to paint some of the rocks (a car, rocket ship, face). Till then we will keep collecting.

DIY Ribbon Garland

Since we found out we were having a girl I have been excited to make ribbon garland for use in her room and as a photo prop for her new born pictures. 

Now I am not a frilly person. Athletics, comfy sweatshirts, and a beer in a mason jar are for me. So for my daughter, I never envisioned tons of pink, tutus and sequins. When graciously buying used clothes from a friend for her I was overwhelmed by the shades of pink and was immediately drawn to navy blues, whites, greens and earthy flower patterns. 

I say this because I am still surprised at my obsession over white, light pink and gold for her. I picked out ribbon based on this color scheme to make a statement piece for her own room (some day) and her new born pictures and birth announcement (whom I kidding, I already have first birthday ideas).

 So here is how the ribbon garland came together:

Supplies: I started with 6 ribbons of various widths, styles and colors. I used a matching string that I doubled because it seemed thin to tie the ribbon to. Then you need a ruler and scissors. 

Cutting: I wanted my garland longer (figuring I can always cut it short later if I wanted but could never add length). So I measured out 24" of ribbon, folded it over and then cut (a total 48"). I was not worried about being exact with my measurements to make a rough edge. The string that I was tying it too I did not measure (oops), I just made it really long, figuring I can tie it up or cut the ends. 

Tying: At the half way point of each ribbon I made a loop then brought the two ends around the string and pulled it through the loop. The knots were a variety of shapes, I just tried to pull it tight. I did quickly realize that the knots looked best when all facing the same way (decide on a front) and I pulled the ribbon through from behind the string. 

Ribbon Arrangement: I started with my widest ribbon and since I had three sheer thick ribbon I alternated those across the string. Then I went back and filled in the other three ribbon where I felt they looked best. 

After I finished with my original six ribbon, I loved it but still thought it was missing something. So I bought a deeper glitter pink and a wider lace to add in. 

When you are happy with your color combination you can slide the ribbon along the string to be tighter together or more spread out to your liking. 

So excited to hang this up for baby girl!

More Summer Adventures

Summer has continued with some more fun adventures. A little recap in mostly pictures.

Family trip to the zoo.

Up close to a leopard

Bears dad!

Slowest popsicle eater

The zoo day was hot! We beat most the heat by going in the morning but then when we got home J wanted to be outside still. To cool off we had a popsicle on the front porch. J thought it was really cold...so he ate it really slow. The cupcake wrapper worked for only so long before it was saturated. Despite his pace, he loved it.

Butterfly House

Can you see the butterfly?

Log balance beams

Jackson spent a lot of time on these log balance beams at the Butterfly House. He went back and forth, up and down the ramps entranced in his own little world. He found pine cones along the way and held on to two favorites before making a little pile. He pretended he was an eagle soaring over the beams, waving his arms out and saying "Im an eagle" in a deeper playful voice. What fascinated me the most though was the number of times he wiped out on the beams by misstepping off the edge. He probably took a dozen tumbles, one even rolling over off the higher portion to leave him covered in mulch. Each and every time though he stood back up, dusted himself off, let out an frustrated "Aw man" and continued on his way. I advised him to watch where he was stepping a little more, "ok Mom, I will." He could have stayed there all day, his poor knees though may not have been able to handle more bruises and scrapes though.

Swim Lessons

Swim class success

Favorite part: chasing the thrown toy so he could squirt it at himself or me and then jumping in off the side of the pool

Tiny feet and tracks of his favorite digger

Splash pad!

Morton Arboretum 

Can you see his big smile?!?

Jackson loved the tree houses! He impressed us by overcoming a little fear of the rope bridge and tenderly made his way through it several times, loving each one!

Hope your summer is going well!