Potty Time

With 4 consecutive ear infections knocking Ellie out the first time we attempted to potty train, we finally had time again to bring forth a new phase for our little one.

Potty Training is different, I am convinced, for each child and each parent. What I mean is, my sister has successfully potty trained all four of her kids...even two at one time (the twins). Each of her kids handled it a little differently but her technique was still flawless. I am convinced my sister is as close to a perfect mom as the world can possibly have. She has such God given maternal nature mom skills. I take a lot of what I do from her as she seems always to be so successful and so well educated and informed on these topics.

We did the bare butt technique. For 3 days Ellie has ran around free as a jaybird and it has been good for this process. Luckily, she had already had the pre-exposure to her potty and the naked thing when we first attempted. So she was comfortable with this.

Day One:

I was pumped and excited to start this journey. I had my morning tea, did a load of laundry, two loads of dishes, fluffed the couch, cooked our breakfasts, cleaned both bathrooms, and Ellie was happy. No accidents. But, there is a good and bad side to a toddler already knowing about bladder control. Ellie had bladder control down from our first trial but she still was not completely sure about releasing into an open potty. Therefore; she held her tee tee ALL morning. She is so stubborn. She held and held and held it. I kept prolonging her nap because I was desperate to have her go potty once before the nap. At naps, because she is currently safely locked in her room at naps and night time, nor can I imagine a child sub 2 being able to wake to go potty through nap and night time, she wears a pull up for sleeping. Some disagree, some agree. I say it is whatever works for your child.

After nap, we continued with our normal day at home, lunch, milk, playing. Still no pottying and still no accidents. Now she was in  a mood. Eric came home from work (school is still out for a couple more weeks for him) and she finally went potty for us both after what almost felt like I was going to runaway crying I was so stressed. She was stubborn, fussy, scared, mad. I understood and yet I was about to crack my cool. Poor Blondie didn't know what to do with all the tension. Eric is a calm breath of fresh air and finally, finally, finally.....Ellie pottied successfully and we all had an instant lift of spirits and were overjoyed and excited doing potty dances and singing potty songs! By this time the day was winding down. Successful and stressful.

Day Two:

I made a mistake in experimenting early with panties. I thought, "hmmm....maybe if she has on panties, even if she has a wet accident one time, she will feel they are different than diapers and she will be compelled not to potty in them, but she will be comfortable?" Well, she loved her panties and inevitably, too early for them, she had an almost instant accident in them and said, "Oh no! wet!"  I told her it was ok and explained that panties are different from diapers. She understood and implemented that the rest of the morning as she wore her panties. She would drip in them but not have a full out accident. When she would start to drip she would stop herself and say "Teetee!" and we would run to the potty. Discouraged and feeling about half as rough as when breastfeeding was not working...I texted my mom and dad for encouragement. My mom told me to ditch the panties, it was too early and to be reminded that Ellie was learning her new body cues still and it will take time and patience. She took her nap in her pull up after having some successful potty trips before. I took a nap, mentally worn out. After nap, I readjusted my attitude and mustered all the strength to be positive and patient I could find. The afternoon consisted of four hours of constant pottying....EVERY. TEN. MINUTES. I was not complaining...I was proud she would sit on her potty...but she only let trickles out at a time....and I thought.....surely there is more than this?! Oh and there was. Eric home, all of us camped out on screened porch playing and back and forthing to the potty that sat on the porch, Ellie very obviously to the eyes had to be bursting to potty but she was screaming about sitting down on the potty....never had been so resistant. I didn't know what to do other than pick her up, set her down on it and hold her top half in a hug and make her stay there and speak encouragement to her. It may sound harsh to make your kid do something they are scared of but Ellie is ALWAYS scared of things UNTIL she tries them and has success. I am her mommy and I know and understand her more than anybody else on this earth. And when my baby has success...oh boy!! Nothing can stop her advancement then!! She is shy and scared like myself. Stubborn like myself. And I know what she needs. And it works. She loved being hugged by me and when she could finally see herself going tee tee in her potty, this time letting it all out and not just in trickles...she became calm, she watched, and she was happy. She felt better. She saw this was good, right, and that we were proud and she smiled and continually told us of her success of tee-teeing in her potty! she pointed at it smiling and clapping and sayin, "Good job! Tee-Tee potty!" She finally got it. Right when I thought I could do no more myself...right when I wanted to break down as a frustrated parent in a little room alone....Ellie finally got it!! The tension was completely wiped away and the play time amped up. Then, she felt brave enough to try to poop. But she wanted me to hug her. So I hugged her while she pooped and she squeezed my head and pulled my shirt towards her and she did it and was once again so very proud of herself!! My hugging her comforted her and Eric's calm nature comforted her. Those two moments just minutes apart became our game changer.

Picture: Ellie wanted me near. She laid my head in her lap, covered my head with her blanket, kissed me and patted me and told me, "Aww baby!" This comforted her. While my legs circulation was cut off sitting like this for so long, I was happy to do whatever it took to bring her comfort for the moment.

Day Three:

Day three showed a significant improvement in comfort and understanding of what we were doing. No accidents. One good tee-tee before nap. Happy baby and happy mommy! Way less tension and much clearer communication and understanding. She brought me books and sat herself on her potty. sometimes she sat there and nothing happened. Actually, most of the time she would sit herself there with no results, but then one time she sat herself down and gave me chicka chicka boom boom and she finally gave that potty what it wanted! Each time it gets better and makes more sense and the comfort level improves.

Day Four:

The panties make a second grand appearance, and this time they are here to stay. No accidents!

Day Five:

She has it down pat. She may have one small accident if too distracted but she has got this thing down!

We potty trained a baby. Oh my gosh. I thought this one week would break me. It was not the hardest parenting moment of my near 2 years, but it definitely was in the top 5. Only because it is exhausting and I am not a calm or patient person. I am a type A perfectionist and I had to channel in calmness, peace, patience, grace, and gentleness that normally I bulldoze around to get a task done. But the only way to be successful with your little one is to remember it is about them, their body, their comfort, their knowledge, and their having comfort in you as their mommy or daddy to trust you to help them and encourage them. I am so so proud of our smart and tenacious determined little stubborn spit fire girl. She can do anything she sets her mind to! Cheers to Ellie! My potty trained girl!

Note: Potty training still meant we could go outside and play! She just went outside without anything on her bottom and we carried her potty close by! (For the walk she wore panties)

30 Minute Meal: Riced Cauliflower Chicken Broccoli Casserole

Healthy, Hearty, Yummy.

Recipe yields 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

*Frozen Chicken strips (I filled up an entire cereal bowl for quantity purposes, before steaming)
*Frozen Broccoli Florets 2 bags
*Frozen Riced Cauliflower 2 bags
*2 cans of mushroom pieces and stems
*Shredded Cheese...any kind...I used Mexican mix
*Seasoning (I used Original Mrs. Dash, and a peppercorn grinder medley)
*3 serving spoons of plain non-fat greek yogurt
*3 large pinches of chia seed (optional for texture and healthy fat)
*3 large pinches of flax seed (optional for texture and healthy fat)

Cook It:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.

2. Spray casserole 9x13 dish with olive oil

3. Steam all frozen ingredients as instructed on each individual bag. For the chicken, I filled a cereal bowl with the strips, covered with papertowel and steamed for 4 minutes.

4. Mix all ingredients into large mixing bowl (as for the cheese, I did not measure. I did not overload it but did mix some in as well as topped casserole once in dish.)

5.Once thoroughly mixed together making sure the yogurt (added for moisture) and seasonings have well blended and coated the vegetables, pour into casserole dish and spread evenly. (Optional to top with cheese).

6.  Bake at 375 F for 30 minutes.

Voila!

Mommy & Me: The First Year + Recital

Ohhh how I always loved ballet and how I've craved the moment my own little girl could be a ballerina!! OR any sort of dancer! I did ballet and tap and I clogged! I would have loved to have taken jazz and gone further in ballet but for whatever reason, I did not. In fact, I would take adult ballet now if it were in the budget. But, as it is not, I get the honor and joy of being beside my daughter in her first years of dance! How special!

We take dance a Sterling Studio of Performing Arts in Easley. We love our teacher and owner of the studio, Mrs. Carrie. She is like a bright firecracker of love and creativity. She has put my uptight heart to rest all year long and has helped me help Ellie. She also goes way above and beyond a role of teaching dance moves. That woman holds parties for the kids, takes us on events and adventures, has craft dates for us, and gives us doughnuts!! Say what?! We love her. This studio is very family oriented and I couldn't ask for more. She always puts the needs of the babies first. (And the grown dancers, too).

I asked Carrie about getting involved back in August to start. Ellie was only 12 months exactly. Typically, 18 mos is the starting age, yet; I asked if we could go ahead and start and let her get the feel of it. And she said that would be fine! I am so glad we did. Ellie now has an entire dance semester under her belt and she is not yet 2! It has given her soooo many experiences that we are grateful for.

First Day of Dance!

When Ellie first began dance, though tall, she is slim and trim....and even the smallest of tights, shoes, and tutus were too big on her. She barely had hair, and her bows were huge. Now everything finally just fits! Hahaha! Dance has been an excellent way to watch my child grow physically, yet also in gaining confidence. She is a shy, observant girl. She is very very much like myself. I don't like to out myself out there or talk to new people until I have had time to soak them and my surroundings in. I am introverted, yet when I am comfortable with the people and my surroundings I am cray cray. Ellie is the same. But, she loves Carrie and she trusts Carrie. This is so good and so helpful. She even picked a booger once and gave it to Carrie to take off her finger, telling her thank you. And you know what?! Carrie took it! and wiped her hands of course. She is a mommy herself so she really gets it. It has been an excellent fit for us.

Ellie won't perform much at class or for others. At home, though, she does all of her warm up exercises, and her kicks, and tip toes, and twirls. It is very evident she loves dance and she loves to display her moves for my husband and I. She has learned so much and she has gained confidence in what she has learned.

For her recital, she and her two adorable other classmates danced to "I really love to dance." Ellie was more fascinated with the lights and finding her Daddy. But she enjoyed it! She truly enjoyed the recital and it made my heart so happy! When she got to watch others perform she said, "Wow!" and she clapped for them and cheered them on saying "Yayyy!!!" And when it was her turn to curtsy, she hammed it up and smiled and held her cheeks. Again, just like me, once she has warmed up to something new, she holds nothing back. Her Mimi and G-Daddy gave her a ballerina book and bear for her recital, her Nana and Papa visited before from Michigan and gave her a ballerina barbie which she positions into dance moves, kisses, and sleeps with every night, and Eric and I gave her a bouquet of flowers! I am so proud of her and so happy to be alongside her for as long as I can be! She will start a summer dance class just to keep her fresh, then in August she starts back with a new mommy and me class for another exciting semester of dance!!

Preschool Science Fun: Color Changing Flowers

When I was 4, my grandma (who we call Mamarie), took me on a walk where we picked some white "flowers." They were pretty weeds. We brought them back to her house and she showed me something that has stuck with me ever since. (Just proof that experiences and time invested will stick with your child both in knowledge and in forming positive relationships).

She got all the food coloring she had and mixed each color individually into a cup of water each. Then, she stuck those white flowers in the colored water and with time, I saw that each flower was no longer white, but the color of the water it was placed in! I was insanely amazed and it has truly stuck with me ever since.

So I was out mowing my lawn and saw those exact pretty weeds growing in a gulley and I went and clipped them. I set Ellie up to show her this cool science my Mamarie had taught me. This was cool, even for a 21 month old!

So here is what we did, super easy:

Supplies: * Food coloring
                * clear glasses
                * water
                * any white flower (or white flowering weed; bigger is better).

First, Ellie and I filled up 3 water glasses because we only happened to have 3 tubes of food coloring in the pantry. We had blue, yellow, and green. Red actually works best and I so wished we had it. Another time!

Pour in many drops of the food coloring and really change the color of that water! Ellie loved doing this. Many paper towels and wipes were involved, ha! But I did want her to be as hands on as possible and messes are fun so who cares?!

Then, simply place one flower into each color you have and give them time to "drink" and absorb the water. You will be able to see a gradual change in color and then an obvious color change to the white petals as time passes. In only 24 hours, it was most obvious that our blue water had transformed the flower into blue! Our green is subtle still yet obviously changing. Yellow has been a bit piddly. Its a very light color. Obviously bolder colors will be more dramatic! Another good lesson in this little experiment of play. Ellie even was so interested that she let me explain the science to her and she was telling it back to me! She has been watching her flowers and is very pleased. She most importantly just had fun doing something with mommy that involved water and flowers! Try it out! Super easy and sweet. Also, I took like a ton of photos because she is adorable! Enjoy!