Potty Training: The Final Episode

Well, it's that time of life again. Spring break equals potty training time in our house, apparently. This time it's a little different, though, with an added dose of peer and parental pressure! Fred goes to a toddler pre-school class that meets 3 days a week. There are 5 kids in the class, all of whom turned 3 between January and March, with Fred being the lonely March baby. One of the children is potty trained fully, and another is 95% potty trained, so their teacher thought it a good idea for the parents of the non-potty trained kids to get on that shit over spring break. And on it we are!

Fred has been doing only ok. At home he gets to run around in his brand new star wars lego underpants, and when we go out I often put him in loose, athletic style pants for easy access. He'll pee on the potty all day long, and has had zero accidents at home and only one out in the world. But he waits each and every day until he gets a diaper on to do his pooping. Which STINKS, pun intended. He still has to rest for some time in the afternoon, and so I put him in a pull up. Plus he wears one to bed. And yesterday we had several errands to run which necessitated him being in the car for a longish time, so he got diapered then, and each time is when he chose to poop.

Except for this morning, when he pooped and peed his pants at the playground directly across from our house, not 10 minutes after he had used the potty at home.

He still has all of next week off, so I'm hoping we can get this worked out before he has to go back to school diaper-less. Otherwise, his teacher is going to be pissed.

Fred Shows His Dad How To Bust a Move

OMG Fred is Three!

Just like his brother, Fred wanted his song to be Everything Is Awesome. I don't know how he'll feel about this, but at least I complied. 

Last night I was playing with Freddie on the floor in his room when he kind of tackled me. I laid there, with him laying flat on top of me, and I told him about how he grew in my belly when he was a baby. He sat up and looked at me funny. 'I didn't grow in your belly mom. I grew in your heart. And when I came out your heart was empty so it filled up with love. And bees.'  I may have died laughing. Happy birthday buddy. You'll always be my baby.

Back To School Update: Boy Edition

This little goofball started pre-pre-school last week. He freaking loves it, and only made a fuss when it was over. To be fair to him, the first two days were only 15 minutes long, and then the third was only 30 minutes. And he only goes on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Since it's at the same place that Maggie goes to school, we're there pretty often.  He begs to be taken to his class each and every time we drop her off or pick her up. I'm glad he likes it, but man it's a little tough literally dragging/carrying him out of the building while he cries and scream, "NO! I GO TO SCHOOL TOOOOOOOOOOO!" On second day I was in the classroom with him, and he just randomly started counting and didn't stop until he reached 23. And then he correctly identified all of the colors of the cubbies. When he saw that his cubby was yellow, he looked up at his teacher and said, clear as a bell, "I love my yellow cubby. Yellow is my favorite color you know." She looked at me with a shocked expression and I just threw my hands up and laughed. What could I say? "Here is my adorable son who apparently happens to be a genius. But be careful, because sometimes he bites." 

This one? Surprises me more each and every day. After all of our struggles last year, Sam had a really hard time mentally preparing to go back to school. He cried a lot the night before the first day, and the morning of as well. He was so convinced that his problems from last year were going to following him into the second grade. One of the school's support team teachers came to see him on the first day, and that sent him into a tailspin because he associated her with being in trouble. Luckily, his teacher picked up on this, and had a little talk with him on day two about fresh starts and getting to know one another. After that, he was like a new kid. He even told me on Friday that he likes school again. He has some really nice kids in his class, and some kids from hockey are in there, too, so his social world is expanding. And his classroom behavior has improved a lot as well. He isn't perfect, but he's trying. Last week at pickup, his teacher asked me if I got her message. My heart started pounding because my history with calls from the teacher have never been pleasant. Luckily, this was a good news situation. She just wanted to touch base with me and let me know how well things were going. I was so relieved/happy that I almost cried right there on the spot. 

How is your school year going so far? 

Weekend Escapes

The past day and a half have been pretty freaking awesome. I want to sit and write about it, but I don't want to miss too much of the fun! We've spent time with family...

Went swimming...

And went to Maggie's first dance recital, which was every bit as amazing as you might think. Just see for yourself...

Summer vacation can't come fast enough.

Awkward Conversations and Babies Growing Up

We have a new sitter for the kids. She's been with us a few weeks now and we all really like her. We're still in that getting to know you phase of things, and since she's easy to talk to we often end up chatting when I'm around. The other day, she asked me how old Freddie was when he stopped taking a bottle. I casually mentioned that we didn't do bottles because I'm kind of a freakish breast feeding advocate. So naturally, she asked me when I weaned him. I looked down at the dishes I was washing when I answered 'last week.' I doubt that she made any sort of bad face, but I just didn't want to see her reaction. 

I had a tough time with weaning this boy. He's the last baby I'll ever nurse. Plus, he was in no way interested in giving it up. If I hadn't started forcing him to cut back he'd still be nursing 4-6 times a day, most likely. He was still asking to nurse pretty often just last week, but this week hasn't at all. This week he's been asking to go potty. He talks in full sentences. He wants to do everything himself. He wants to play 'baseball player' and 'hockey stick' and thinks farts are funny. He drank a freaking frappuchino this morning at starbucks. 

He's just not a baby anymore, and I can't really take it.

Freddie is TWO!

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

Baby Fred

Tonight I put my baby to bed one last time as a one year old. Freddie was born 14 minutes shy of midnight, so he won't technically be two for a few more hours. But we celebrated his graduation to toddler-hood madly none the less this past weekend.

It's hard not to think of him as a baby. He still wears diapers, he still sleeps in a crib, he even still nurses. I see him like this when I close my eyes:

But he had his year two check up today and he was exactly 30 pounds and exactly 36 inches tall. He runs and jumps and speaks so well. Before I put him into bed, he said rather emphatically, 'I don't like naps! I go DOWNSTAIRS!' He sleeps in said crib with a pillow, blanket, curious george, and now a rubber crocodile that he received at his big shindig yesterday, just like a big boy. 

I just can't. 

Tune in tomorrow for the montage. Until then, I'll be the one in the corner weeping.

Jumping Jack Fred

So Fred is a pretty good sleeper. He goes down to bed quickly and quietly at night, and sleeps at lease 12 hours, but usually more like 13 or 14. Napping has always been fine, too. Until recently. You see, we have one of those toddler trampolines in the basement, the kind with the bar to hold onto while you jump. Like this:

Well, young master Fred discovered that his mattress has springs, and his crib has rails, which basically means that it is a trampoline, too, no? Observe...

I love the part when he has to take a quick break from jumping to pretend color and paint on the back of his crib. Probably because we let him do things like this: 

And then talk he has to stop to talk to the cat. God, I love this kid. And I guess we'll be heading to out to buy a big boy bed this weekend. Wah!

The Real Deal Hair Cut

I finally did it. I took my baby boy and cut off all of his precious, golden locks. It was awful.

Do you see all of that glorious hair? GONE!

Fred was skeptical of the clippers...

So the barber had to go the traditional route and get out the shears.

He had moments of quiet acceptance...

And moments of anger and regret. Don't worry buddy. Mama is right there with you.

Finally, it was over. Even with the delicious sucker reward, he was too traumatized to look at me. 

Cute, But Ornery

I love this kid, but he's really good at making me crazy.

Gypsy Life: Day Seven

ZOMG!!!!! 

So this happened. It was kind of an unplanned thing, and honestly, if there wasn't photographic evidence, you probably wouldn't notice. Why? Because I am a crazy person who didn't even want to permit the microscopic trim to keep his hair out of his eyes. So yes, he kind of has bangs and a pseudo-mullet. And that kind of makes him look even more like a girl. Shut up!

Sam and I got haircuts, too, but there was much less fanfare.

Last Days

First day...


Last day.

First day...


Last day.

And just because they wanted to be included, too, here are the young 'uns...

On Being One

Fred is taking this business of being a toddler very seriously. He no longer crawls anywhere. Unless it's on a hill. He has only mastered walking on a level grade. But on a flat surface? He's a whiz. He loves playing outside, and has the dirt under his nails and scrapes on his elbows to prove it.

He plays in earnest now. He loved the swing until he discovered the slide. But he loves bubbles even more than both. He tries to jump and wiggle around when he hears music playing. He gives big smacking kisses and then runs away when you put him down so you'll chase him. When you catch him he'll kiss you again. He tries to hide behind the sheer curtains, and thinks it's hilarious when you find him. Stacking toys are actually stacked! Not always in order, but still stacked!

Food is, all of a sudden, irresistible. Today for breakfast was waffles.

Lunch was PB&J and bananas and grapes.

I made the mistake of letting him have one of these the other day. Now he tries to claw his way into the pantry to get more. Baby crack, for sure.

And words! Up, Pap-Pap, Mama, Pap-Pap, Dada, Pap-Pap, more, Pap-Pap, brutha, Pap-Pap. Are you spotting the trend? Someone loves his pappy.

It's all just going by so quickly. Too, too quickly.

Reader Poll!

I take lots of pictures. Lots of pictures. Sometimes I like to play around with my photos, and sometimes I like to leave them relatively alone. And sometimes I can't decide which I like better. SO! You be the judge and tell me in the comments which of these three photos you like best.

Is it A:

Is it B:

Or is it C:

I await with bated breath!

Always and Forever My Baby

Oh, Fred.

I just put you to bed for the last time as a baby. Even though we had the cake and the party, and even though today is officially your birthday, you were born just before midnight, so technically you're not one for another five and a half hours or so. This is the thing I've been clinging to all day to keep me from bursting into tears.

No matter how old you get, you'll always be my baby.

Fred Is One! Help Me, Please!

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

Freddie Fridays

The next time I do a Freddie Friday, he'll be one. GAH!

The View from Above

Freddie Fridays

Just walking around, having some fun!