Our little helper

Things E loves to do of which we will totally take advantage while we can:

• Loading and unloading the dishwasher (hopefully soon that will involve more than spilling the silverware out on the floor and putting all the dishes he can access into the Tupperware cabinet)
• Wiping the table
• Throwing trash into the trashcan
• Putting all his toys back in the box/tub/crate after he's done
• Vacuuming, both with the toy Dyson we gave him and the real Shark he has discovered in the kitchen

PT recap, day 3

* huge disclaimer - this is not a fun or particularly entertaining post. If you do not want to read about pee and poop then please jump right past all the potty training posts - it's just a poop diary of sorts. *

 

The primary recap is, we have one amazing kid.

 

On day 2, he had almost no accidents. No, we're not potty trained by any stretch of the imagination, but he figured out that he's not supposed to pee on the floor. Problem is, he really doesn't like peeing in the potty, so he holds his pee till nap time or outside time. He likes to sit on the potty but not to empty his bladder into the potty - that just makes him cry.

 

On day 3, he started really showing off his pee-pee dance. But even more amazing, when he has to pee he usually walks into the bathroom himself - we just have to get there in time to assist him on sitting on the potty or there's a lot of pee on the floor. Tonight, I learned the pee-pee dance's significance about a minute too late - he shuffled around then walked over to the couch and let loose. We got a little into the potty and he was very proud to pour it into the toilet and flush. Yay!

 

Day 3 is Monday, and I had to go to work, so Daddy was in charge. They both did a wonderful job and had some really great bonding time! There were many books to be read, over and over and over. Much of the day E wore clothes but went commando. In the evening he was bottom-less.

 

 

He had some tiny poops which didn't quite make it to the toilet but were definitely on their way. I think it was a timing issue and I don't think it's going to keep happening.

 

So that is the story of the pee and poop so far. I think we're really making progress. I think the main obstacle (which is also a strength) is the fierce independence of our little guy. He does not want to be placed on the potty, he does not want to be told what to do. He will do it himself. If he needs help, he will ask for it. Problem is, he does not always realize he needs help, so sometimes he gets very frustrated that we are providing it.

 

Day 4 will be another adventure, sure to contain some joy, some pain, and much wine consumption. To Tuesday!

Seven months old!

Happy 7 month birthday, Emily Hope!

You are such a lovely and sweet-natured little lady.

You bring such joy to our days. There is nothing quite like giving you a kiss on your tummy and hearing that giggle, over and over and over again.

You are quite the serious little one, which makes it that much better when we do earn a smile or a laugh from you.

Your determination to get moving is extraordinary. Right now, you're able to push yourself backwards across the room but haven't quite figured out forwards. Keep fighting, girl - you'll be there soon!

You've mastered sitting up on your own and love to reach for toys or beads or mama's hair with those free hands.

You now have 5 teeth, 3 up top and 2 on bottom, and it looks like more are on their way. Still not a lot of hair though. Your hair looks like it's dark (once in a blue moon we can almost detect some red tinges but I'm not holding out hope) and your eyes are blue-grey, with a bit of hazel near the iris.

You're an excellent eater and will try just about anything. We've had a few episodes of red-faced coughing and spitting up, which we're not sure if is due to eating solids or to the lingering respiratory thing you've been dealing with for weeks now. We think (but I hope we're wrong) that you may have allergies already...

You're fascinated by your big brother and follow him with your gaze whenever he's near. E checks on you when he hears you cry and brings you binkies to calm you. He sometimes drops food in front of you as well (huge acts of sacrifice from this guy). I so hope for y'all that your bond never weakens.

We love you, sweet serious Emmy!

:) mom and dad and E

Day One recap

Actually, Day 1 1/2. We told E earlier this week that we were taking the diaper off on Saturday. Friday evening when I came home from work, I mentioned it to him and he immediately began pulling off his clothes. He was soon stark naked, so I felt that was a good sign it was time to begin.

News flash: potty training is hard. I'm exhausted. So is E - he went to sleep almost an hour earlier than usual (which works out quite well, since we lose an hour to Daylight Savings tonight). It's hard and it's frustrating and it's a huge strain. BUT E did so very well. Spending an uninterrupted day with him, without TV, without iPad, without clothing (for him at least) was such an excellent experience. I learned his pee habits - every hour or so, he has 4-5 little pees followed by 1 gusher. By later in the day, he was consolidating his pees more, so if I could get him to the potty by the second pee he would let loose and have nothing left. I also learned how much he loves cars, particularly driving them on my head. He also loves pushing my hair in front of my face, reading the same book five thousand times in a row (and there were 4 or 5 of these books - I'm a bit hoarse), walking in circles around the hot tub, and pouring cold pool water over his legs while outside naked in 60-degree weather.

We explored the backyard, where we studied a worm, some ants (watch out - they bite!), and several doodle bugs. We played follow the leader around the couch, cuddled a lot, and did a lot of peeing on the floor. He's getting it, though, In terms of the guide we're using, he's gone from Clueless to I peed (still has I'm peeing and I have to pee to go). I only wanted to give up maybe 50 times. I didn't give up yet (though I do have a healthy dread of tomorrow). Tomorrow we're keeping him naked again. Good news is, he loves being naked.

Oh, and he poo'd in the potty. Which was amazing. If you're into that sort of thing. It turns out I now am. 

Off the grid

I will be off the grid entirely today and tomorrow. This is why.

Auntie Dy visited!

Last month, we were so honored to spend the weekend with the glamorous and kindhearted Dyanelle (lady Dy; Darnell; D-elly). Despite the fact that her life is filled with Beverly Hills, fabulous parties, beautiful people, and LA events, she slowed down for a few days and hung out with the parents of a toddler and an infant in suburban Houston. And we loved it.

We took her to all the happening Woodlands locations (uh, the Waterway and Fielding's) and then decided that Austin is just a whole lot cooler so we day-tripped up on Sunday.

We had a delightful day, brunching on South Congress, stopping by a dog park on Town Lake, crashing our friend Courtney's dinner party.

And on Monday, we gave Dy a taste of real Texas at Old Town Spring, where unfortunately almost everything was closed even though it was a holiday! We did some window-shopping, peered into the windows of the semi-famous Doll Hospital, let one of the few store-owners with an open shop coo over beautiful Emily, and took some photos in the caboose restaurant (oops, I guess those photos are on Joe's phone - will have to add later). Sadly, the deep-fried Oreo stand was closed; obviously, Dy must return on a busier weekend.

Em 5 months

Never-before-seen photos from the 5-month birthday!!

From what I can recall, she was pretty cool at 5 months. Squirmy, squirmy, squirmy! She had just figured out rolling over back to front a few days before her birthday and it's all she was doing. Roll, grunt, get really peeved, scream and cry, get turned over, repeat. I love the last 5-month photos we took, where she is demonstrating how very squirmy she is.

We love you, sweet Emily Hope!