13.8.07

Transitions

Well, it was all I could do not to title this "Mason tee-teed in the potty TWICE!" I can honestly say that I really had no intention of potty training until he was closer to three, and I was absolutely DREADING the task. And another reason I wanted to wait a little longer before having another baby was because I wanted Mason to be potty trained before another baby came. So I had decided that we would just have two children in diapers at the same time, and I was okay with that. I was very okay with that!

About three months ago, Mason became very aware of what was going on in his diaper. He began telling me when his diaper needed changing. About two months ago, Mason was not only telling me when his diaper needed changing, but he would also start pulling on it and trying to get it off. Just over a month ago, I didn't get to him fast enough, and he dropped his pants and removed his own dirty diaper. Yep, that was a fun one. That happened right before his birthday so that's when I decided to get a potty chair and put it in the bathroom. I didn't say anything about it; I waited until he noticed it, and he did immediately. So I simply taught him how to sit on it, and that was it. Since then, he sits on it every night while I'm running his bath water.

After we found out we were having a girl, I decided to go shopping for one little outfit for her to wear at the hospital. The children's store I went to has a small play area for children. So I told Mason he could go play with the blocks and the train while Mommy looked at clothes for the new baby. A short while later, I heard a lady say, "What happened to your pants?" I didn't have to think twice . . . I ran over to Mason, who had pulled his shorts off and was standing there in his diaper (thank goodness!). So I put his shorts back on and explained to him that he can not remove his clothes in the store. Sure enough, not two minutes later, I had to take him to the bathroom to change a dirty diaper. After that, I decided that it was time to set a date for "formal potty training." The first week I had available with nothing going on wasn't until this week, but I was just glad I had a few more weeks to go before the dreaded task. Since then, there has been more of the same. Mason just doesn't like wearing a diaper, and he especially doesn't like being wet or dirty.

This past Friday I took him shopping for Potty Day. We got salty snacks and juice boxes to induce tee-tee time and chocolate and stickers for rewards. We got training pants and pull-ups for night time. Mason picked out Elmo and Cars big boy underwear. We also found a little potty board book that explains how big boys go to the bathroom and even has a button you can push for the toilet flushing sound effect.

I took some pictures of Mason checking out his new big boy underwear.

Saturday Seth came home after being in Texas for a week, and he gave Mason a bath that night. Wouldn't you know that Mason tee-teed in the potty before he got in the bath tub?!? I mean, he did it on a rare night when I wasn't in the bathroom with him! So I ran in there, made a big deal about it, and promised him a sticker when he got finished with his bath. He was so excited about that sticker. He wanted more than one, but I told him he had to wait until he tee-teed in the potty again. Besides, I figured that it was just an instance where he was in the "right place at the right time," and I really didn't think he had a clue what he did or even did it on purpose.

Tonight after supper I was changing a dirty diaper. Mason was laying on the changing table and told me he had to potty. I thought he meant he wanted to go sit on it since I told him he was about to get a bath. But I asked him if he needed to tee-tee in the potty, and he said yes. I really didn't think he was serious. I told him to "hold it" until I could get finished changing him. I took his clothes off, and he ran to the potty. Sure enough . . . !!!! He looked at me and asked for his sticker. He got a sticker AND a Reece's peanut butter cup AND a miniature kit-kat (surprisingly, he ate a good supper so I didn't feel guilty!).

So, tomorrow we are going to put on big boy underwear and set a timer for every 30 minutes. Every time it goes off, we are going to the potty. My original goal was to do it until Friday and then decide if he was really ready to go to the potty or if we need to go back to diapers for awhile. But after tonight, I'm pretty hopeful that he will be successfully potty trained this week. That may be a lofty goal, but it sure does make you feel like you can conquer the world when your little one tee-tees in the potty for the first (or second) time!

Mason really did have a big weekend . . . his big boy bed arrived on Saturday! We moved the crib to the baby's room, and he has a twin bed now. At first I think he was a little scared of it, but now he loves it! He likes for us to play in it with him. We haven't had any trouble at all getting him to sleep or even to stay in it. I must admit that was another thing I was dreading. I just imagined a battle every naptime and bedtime trying to get him to stay in the bed, but it hasn't been that way at all. He doesn't try to get out, and he calls me everytime he wakes up. This morning I went to check on him after I dried my hair. Although I hadn't heard him since I turned the dryer off, I thought he might have tried to call me while the dryer was running, and I didn't hear him. Sure enough he was sitting up in his bed Indian style just waiting on me. His bed is pushed up against the wall on one side and has a safety rail on the other side so I think that's been a deterrant from getting out of the bed. I will post pictures of his new "big boy room" on the blog as soon as his new bedding arrives.

So now that he's no longer sleeping in a crib and using the potty, does that mean he isn't a toddler anymore?!? I can honestly say that the only reason I did not bawl my eyes out when we moved that crib out of his room was because I knew it was going to be outfitted with new baby girl bedding and awaiting her arrival in a few months! I mean, I do want Mason to grow up, but it's just all happening so quickly! Even though there are some days that seem like an eternity, and there have been some times when I wished this particular stage in life was coming to an end, I realized that it will indeed all too quickly come to an end and he'll be going to kindergarten . . . and then getting married! He's just so big now! Where did the time go? One of the things I've enjoyed most these past few weeks is just watching him. I love to watch him play and figure out things. I always wonder what exactly is going through that little head of his. Some days I just can't get enough of him!

A couple of weeks ago, Mason and I went to Grosse Tete for Vacation Bible School. Someone gave his PawPaw a four wheeler - you know, the ones for little kids that they sell at Wal-Mart. Well, Mason just had to ride the "wheeler." The first day he had to learn to watch in front of him. He ran into a tree! He wasn't even going 5 mph so it wasn't a big deal. The next day, he had the hang of it and rode all around the back yard without any help at all. He thought he was big stuff!

Mason loves to wear caps . . . but for some reason, he'll only wear them backwards! I'm not too sure where he gets that from . . .

We can hardly wait for September . . . a reprieve from the horrid temps and oppressive humidity! . . . football season! . . . and family vacation to Destin! We are so excited; we can hardly wait to take Mason to the beach! He's never been, and I think he's going to absolutely love it. I've been looking forward to it so much that I bought him some beach toys several months ago. And when we were shopping for Potty Day, I found a beach hat that was on clearance. I thought it was cute so I got it. And Mason loves it. He wears it around the house all the time saying, "Beach! Beach!" Seth doesn't like the hat though; he says it's girly.

I mentioned earlier that Seth was gone all last week and didn't get back from Texas until Saturday. On Friday I had to take Mason to the pediatrician for his 2-year check-up. As usual, we had to wait awhile, and Mason was getting rather impatient. So I was all excited and asked him to guess who was coming home tomorrow (Saturday). He looked at me with those big eyes and said, "Baby?" It was all I could do to keep it together. I can't help but believe that Mason already loves his baby sister without even having met her yet!

Today I went to the doctor for a check-up and another ultrasound. The sweet baby was ready to have her picture made today! She was laying on her back, and we got a perfect profile shot of her face. She was so funny . . . her little legs were sticking straight up in the air. The sonographer said she was "perfect," but I already knew that!

In the pictures below, she is laying on her back, and her head is on the left. You can see her leg and foot sticking up over her body to the right.

And she still doesn't have a name yet . . .