Some Visual Updates

So I haven't uploaded pictures in eons, so I thought I'd dedicate this post to just that... 

Enjoy!

Cheers,

A, M, a & l

Little Lolo's Valentine's Day outfit (with Ady's tiara and wand)

Ady's special fairy costume from Grandma

Ady in the tutu I made her

My tutu girls

Adelyn LOVES the swings!

Our beautiful girls enjoying a day of sun at the park

The bike Adelyn got for her 2nd birthday!

Safety first!

Beautiful Lolo

Adelyn trying out her new bike on her birthday

Mmm... birthday ice-cream cupcakes!

The Dora the Explore cake for Ady's birthday party!

Me and my girls at the "fish house" for Adelyn's birthday

Daddy and the birthday girl at the Aquarium

Happy family!

watching the Baby Beluga with Daddy

Birthday party fun!

STEP by Step... (ooh baby!)

Even though I was never a New Kids on the Block fan, I must admit that Step By Step was a fabulous song...
Anyway, again it's been a while since my last post. I'm blaming it on my commitment to get in shape! Andrew and I started (we're actually 33 days in) a new 90 fitness program (P90X... yes, like the infomercial) and since we've started 6 nights a week have been devoted to working out hard and so I haven't really found much time or extra energy to mosey on down to the computer and string together some thoughts, let alone write them down.
Excuses aside, it's been a while so I must do some updating.

Adelyn
Ady is fantastic. She's such a little sweetheart and is so unbelievably bright it's amazing. I could literally spend hours just talking about all the fabulous things she does and says. She is now two and we celebrated her birthday at the aquarium again (she still talks about how the dolphins jump "so high out of water!") and then with family over for pizza (her favourite) and ice-cream cupcakes.
Her party took place the next day (and was Dora the Explorer themed) and included about a million children and their parents. Our place was packed to say the least, but everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and Ady had a blast.
As for potty training she's slowly coming around again. I bought a little potty (to be used as a travel potty in case we ever have to stop on the side of the road) and she's been using it as her dolls potty, but yesterday she asked if she could go pee on it. So I told her she could and she's been going pee on the (little) potty ever since. She still does pee in her pull-ups, but she's initiating herself and running to the bathroom to go all because she wants to go in the little potty. Weird, I guess, but she seems to like it so I'll continue to encourage it! I'm currently reading another book on potty training that talks all about making it as normal as eating (IE no rewards or disappointment with accidents) and encourages placing the child on the potty starting at six-months old so that it becomes a regular part of their life... so maybe Lolo will be trained before Ady! OK, I kid (at least I hope it doesn't happen!), but I do hope to get some good ideas that will put us back on course when it comes to using the washroom!
Adelyn started her second set of dance classes last week and Miss Amanda says she'll be putting them in the year-end recital. They'll be "performing" a rousing rendition of If you're Happy and You Know It. I can't wait. It'll be the cutest thing ever! I just hope she actually participates and doesn't just stand there!

Lauren
Poor little Lolo is currently in the process of learning to self-soothe and put herself back to sleep. It's been too long with me having to get up every couple of hours and so 2 weeks ago (when I went out for dinner for my sister's birthday and Andrew stayed home with the girls) Andrew just let her cry it out (or he gave her her soother) for a few hours (not straight! It'd be 15 minutes or so, but several times over the course of a few hours) until she slowly started to get the hang of it. So now, even though she'll wake up a couple times Lauren cries or fusses, but eventually goes back to sleep and I get to stay in bed until about 1:30 or 2:00 am. Woohoo! Sleep is glorious.
So it turns out we have two little chatterboxes... Lolo's become quite vocal and can even be quite loud! In the morning (when she's especially chatty) I find myself telling her to quiet down so she doesn't wake Adelyn! But it's so hard not to just chat right back with her because it's so stinkin' cute! She even laughs and chuckles while you talk with her and it warms your heart right up!
She's now 5 months old and weighs 17 pounds and is about 25 inches, so pretty much right at the 75-90th percentile in both categories. She's also pretty much right on track developmentally too... although she can grasp her "sucky" and stick it in her mouth 99% of the time. She's bound and determined to get it in her mouth and so she's worked hard on that bit of hand-eye coordination! She's thiiiis close to rolling over (back to tummy) and every time I get the camera out and get ready she teeters on the edge and then rolls back onto her back. Pretty soon though she'll be rolling no problem and my whole world will be turned upside down! (I'm still relying on her not moving around too much, I enjoy just lying her on my bed and getting ready... I'm not looking forward to when I have to worry about her rolling off!)
Lolo's such a lovely little girl too, who loves to cuddle with mom and absolutely adores her big sister. Pretty much anything Ady does is amusing and entertaining and puts a giant grin on Lolo's little face. It also makes Ady feel pretty good to see that she's entertaining her "itty bitty sis."

As for the catchy title of this post, Andrew and I have started taking a parenting class called STEP (Systematic Training for Effective Parenting) and are really enjoying it. It's only been two classes so far, but I'm already starting to change some of my ways of dealing with things. One thing I've been trying hard to do is to avoid always saying no. So, instead of saying "no, you can't watch your movie." I've been saying something like "I know you want to watch your movie right now, but now isn't the time. Let's play with your tea set instead." So far it appears to be working. I've also been reminded that what you think is what you attract. So if I wake up thinking this is going to be a crappy day, it is. If I think about how all Ady does is not listen to me, she doesn't listen. However, if I think about how happy and bright and well-behaved Ady is, what I get is a happy, bright, well-behaved little girl for the day (who occasionally doesn't listen, but that's a minor detail in the day), so it's been good. The power of thought is phenomenal!
The class is pretty big and includes a few people that have been mandated to be there, as well as a couple who you have giant power struggles with their kids and don't know how to listen themselves, so a lot of the class is monopolized by them rambling on and on and on (and on) about their problems instead of listening to different ways to parent and different ways to fix those problems. So hopefully as the class goes on they'll learn to listen instead of just say aloud "he just doesn't listen to me." It appears to be a good course and both mine and Andrew's moms took it with when we were little so I have faith it will provide us with some useful tools!

Anyway, that's it for now. My warm bed is calling my name and I have a few hours left to myself before getting up with Lauren so I best make the best of them!

Cheers,
A, M, a & l

Time Out

I've purposely been avoiding this blog over the last few weeks because I didn't want to admit to our current state of "Time Out."

No, I'm not talking about discipline time out, but rather a time out from potty training.

:( Yes, sad face. I'm so disappointed. Although I'm officially saying we're putting potty training on "pause" I still feel like I've failed and I'm now giving up!

Adelyn was doing SO well (she still hasn't worn diapers since the end of January), but then about two weeks ago now, started having accidents. And then the accidents started happening more frequently until actually peeing on the potty was the freak accident and all other times she's simply go in her pants and carry on as though nothing happened! I couldn't believe it! 

Everything I read and everyone I talked to said a small period of regression was normal with potty training, but it's usually just a few accidents and then things go back to normal, not a full on lack of potty going at all!

Nothing seemed to work to get her back into the swing of things; not bribes (chocolate), punishment, extra praise, "practice potty" runs, nothing!

The frustration and anger I experienced grew and grew with each pair of soaking wet pants I washed and mess I cleaned off the floor. It grew so much that the last week was spend entirely in frustration, with Adelyn acting out in every way and unhappiness all around in the household.

So, after finally breaking down I realized what's more important to me and our family is a loving household. When I am calm, Adelyn behaves so well and we get along amazingly! So I pushed the pause button on potty training for a while and have had three very harmonious days! I'm really focusing on our routine and rules and positive ways of dealing with them so that Adelyn and I are on the same page with expected and accepted behaviours and consequences that go along with undesired ones. It's been great!

And we really haven't given up on potty training; Ady's in pull-ups and we still constantly prompt her to go potty and go at certain times in the day, it's just that when she pees, there's no mess and so there's no big deal surrounding it.

She's already been asking where her Dora underwear are, so hopefully she really will be ready to do it soon and we can go back to the Big-Girl underwear!

Anyway, that's it for now... I really should take advantage of the fact that Lauren's sleeping and get some rest myself! (She's not sleeping well AT ALL- for the last three nights she's waken up every 1 1/2 hours! Not fun!!!)

I'm exhausted... but really happy to have my great relationship with Adelyn back! I love that little girl!

Cheers,

A, M, a & l

Potty Trained Ballerina!

Well, I've officially changed my tune when it comes to potty training! In fact, I dare to say aloud that Adelyn is potty trained!!!

Monday marks the two-week mark and things have been going swimmingly! The first week was extremely difficult though. While the actual "training" only took a day and a half, the "maintenance" took quite a bit longer. She finally got the hang of not peeing her pants and would start to pee

 and then stop before she soaked her pants and could finish going on the potty, but it was still frustrating to me (and her) because she still couldn't sense having to go before she started.

However, that all changed near the end of last week. The first time she said "potty" and we rushed there only to find DRY underwear and have Ady pee on the potty was the most glorious experience!!! I was SUPER excited and Adelyn was very, very proud of herself! And it's only gotten better.

She takes naps in underwear and wakes up dry, we go out (even went to tumble time today!) and stays dry the whole time and she can even hold it for a few minutes, so we have time to put Lauren down and get to the bathroom. I'm so proud of her!

I know she's still going to have accidents for awhile, and that's find by me because for the most part she's dry and that's what counts!

Another milestone in Adelyn's life; she started ballet class last week! It was by far the most adorable thing you could ever imagine! It was Ady and three other little girls, all dressed in pink bodysuits, tights and tutus and it was so cute! It was at Project Dance in Chilliwack and her teacher, Miss Amanda said it was the best two-year-old class she's had! Now, as everyone knows, Adelyn LOVES to dance, however when it came time for class she mostly just stood there watching the teacher! She did have a great time though and 

once she was handed a baton, started to warm up and move a little. I know that by the end of the course she'll be a dancing star!

The video basically sums up the whole class; a few kids dancing on their own in different parts of the room and Adelyn standing there watching Miss Amanda. Too cute!

And as for Lauren? She's doing great! She's such a happy, smiley little girl, I'm just in love with her! When you just lay her on her back and talk to her she gets all gurgly and squirmy and smiley and just wiggles around and coos at you! Oh, it's just lovely!

I moved Lauren to her crib on the weekend as she was sleeping really well in our bedroom, but was starting to become a noisy sleeper and I just wasn't sleeping! We were putting her to bed around 8ish and everything was smooth sailing, so I thought I'd try her in the crib. Well, it's been a few LONG nights! It seems like she's completely forgotten how to stay asleep! I'm up with her several times in the night and then have to bring her into bed with us at about 5 a.m. because she just can't settle. It's been exhausting!

So, after our little trip to the Abby Hospital and talking to my friend Kristen, I've built a little "cacoon" in her crib to hopefully make her feel a little more cozy and secure. I took a couple receiving blankets and rolled them up into long tubes and then put them on the crib mattress far enough apart only for her to lie between them, and then I put the crib sheet over top, so it's a smooth cover. It's basically just two edges for her to sleep up against, so if she moves she feels an edge instead of a wide open crib. So, I'm hoping this works! I also got her a sleep sack to help keep her warm all night. 

Tonight is night one with the "cacoon," so wish me luck!

Anyway, that's about it for tonight. There's nothing good on t.v., so I think I'll curl up with one of my "No-Cry" parenting books and a bowl of ice-cream and have a nice quiet evening (both girls are already asleep!).

Cheers,

A, M, a & l