To Potty Train...Or NOT To Potty Train?

 That is the question.

When Bailey went through her last pack of diapers last week, Scott and I decided to buy her pull-ups and underwear in the hopes of maybe getting her more comfortable using the potty.  She was super excited the morning we went to Target, and I let her pick out her own pull-ups and whatever kind of underwear she wanted (Minnie Mouse, thank you very much).  I thought, Alright...we're doing this!

 I had researched a few different potty training methods, and had heard that the 3-Day Method was a very successful one to try.  After reading more about it, it seemed a little too intensive for us right now (it involved immediately putting on underwear and only underwear on the child, accidents be damned, and required us to basically be shut-ins for 3 days so that we can discover and anticipate Bailey's potty cues...by the end of the third day it was expected that she would be trained).  I love the 3-Day Method in theory, but I honestly don't think we have the time to devote to it properly right now--there's just too much going on.  So...pull-ups it is!

It started off great!  I talked to Bailey about how we go pee-pee and poopy on the potty, not in our big girl pull-up, and she nodded solemnly at me.  She stayed dry for a good chunk of the day, but wasn't a fan of actually sitting on the potty.  She has no problem sitting for 1.4 seconds, but anything beyond that is just not her thing.  She was really excited to be wearing a pull-up, though, and I felt like maybe we were making some sort of progress.

Fast forward to the next day.  Since I had a very light daycare day, I let Bailey take a nap in my bed while watching Mickey on tv.  I went to check on her and found her fast asleep in bed...with her soaking wet pull-up tossed at the foot of my bed and her shorts on the floor.  I woke her up to put a new pull-up on and she said with a giant smile on her face, "Mommy!  I go potty...in my pull-up!  See?!"

The morning after that, she pooped in her pull-up, snuck downstairs and took the dirty pull-up off and left it in the corner of the room.  I found her naked from the waist down, sitting on the couch.  She jumped up excitedly and said, "Mommy!  I pooped in pull-up!  Look...there!"

Again, I explained that we can't just take our pull-up off and that we need to try and go IN the potty.  We put a fresh pull-up on and got ready for a busy day of birthday parties, Christenings, and graduation parties.  Secretly, I was sort of proud of her.  She wasn't using the potty, but she WAS recognizing when she went to the bathroom in her pull-up and she obviously didn't like the feeling if she kept taking the pull-up off.  Baby steps.

By day 3, Bailey was asking specifically for a diaper and didn't want to wear the pull-ups at all.  We didn't have any diapers in the house, so I explained to her that we needed to keep on wearing the pull-ups like a big girl.  She seemed okay with it, but kept asking for a diaper throughout the day.  Still not a fan of sitting on the potty for any length of time...so it's almost like we're making zero progress with the pull-ups.

Bailey has always been a headstrong little girl.  From day one, she's always done things in her own time and not a second before she's good and ready.  So, Scott and I have decided that for now we're not going to push it.  We'll go back to diapers after we finish this pack of pull-ups because that's what she's most comfortable with right now.  And in the fall we'll give the 3-Day Method a shot...there's just way too much going on throughout the summer and I want to be able to really devote the time and energy needed to do it right.  We've got time...Bailey will be 2 years old tomorrow, so it's not like we HAVE to rush her into it.  She's very smart, and I know that when she's ready she'll potty train like a champ.  Until then, we'll just keep encouraging her without forcing it.

On a completely unrelated note, I'm 14 weeks today...hello, second trimester!  On Sunday, Bailey pointed to Scott's stomach and asked him if he had a baby in his belly.  Looks like we've got some explaining to do...
;-)

Picture Time!

For lack of anything better to post, please enjoy these random photos from the last few weeks.  :-)

For those of you just catching up, Baby #2 is on the way...

And I'm 13 weeks along today:

We're turning Bailey into something of a Cinderella (she washes dishes, too!):

We've been enjoying Sunday strolls lately:

Bailey and Madison had a blast at the St. Paul's fair...

And...a video of Bailey...shaking her booty.

Year 2

It just hit me today that Bailey is going to be two years old in a week and a half.  My, how time has flown...

I know I said this last year, but I still stand by it.  I can remember vividly the day she was born, and I hope that no matter how old I get I always remember with such clarity that day.  She's come such a long way in the last year, but a lot of things have stayed the same.

This time last year, Bailey wasn't walking yet.  And now she's running, albeit with very little grace.  She did a lot of babbling last year, but not many actual words.  This year, she's putting sentences together, and we can understand them most of the time.  She's losing her baby fat and looking less like my "baby" and more like my "big girl"...that makes me happy and sad at the same time.  She's her own little person now, totally separate from me, and that amazes me every day.  Her current favorites are popsicles, babies, and anything chocolate (maybe she's not so different from me after all!).  Her favorite tv show right now is MIckey Mouse Clubhouse.  She knows all the characters and sings along with all the songs.

She's going to make an absolutely fantastic big sister!  Lately, she's been very interested in all things baby.  She walks around the house "taking baby for a walk" in her doll stroller, and she likes to buckle the babies into car seats and swings.  She always wants to hold her new cousin Karley, and she'll sit down and talk to the babies in the daycare...it makes me smile to see how good she is and how much she enjoys the babies.

And speaking of babies...no new news to report with the new little one.  We won't find out for a few more weeks if we're having a boy or a girl, but I did hear the heartbeat at my last appointment (nice and strong in the 150s) and I've been feeling some fluttering off and on.  The other night I dreamt that it was a girl, and so now I'm convinced.  When I was pregnant with Bailey I only ever dreamed that she was a girl.  I'll be thrilled with a boy or a girl, though I can't imagine anyone else but Bailey being "Mommy's girl".  Does that make me sound awful?

Not much left to report...will update you all as the days/weeks progress!

First World Problem

*sigh*

I've got a problem.  A goofy, stupid, means-nothing-in-the-grand-scheme-of-things problem. 

See, when I first started writing this blog it was meant to be completely about Bailey and our life now that we had a new baby.  I don't know how long I'd planned on writing it, but the thought of having another child had never entered my mind when I started.  Now that we've got another one on the way, though, do I keep the 365 Days Of Bailey as the title?  Do I change it to something else entirely?  Decision, decisions...

Please feel free to give me some advice in the comments section. 

On another note...
My new niece was born this weekend!  Saturday, June 2, 2010, Karley Jo was born at 5:01am weighing in at 6lbs. 5oz.  She's teeny and adorable and, for Meghan and Drew's sake, I hope she's as good a sleeper as her big sister Maddy.  No pictures on here because I haven't asked permission, but everyone who reads this blog (all 6 of you) are probably already Facebook friends with either Meg or Drew, so check out their photos there. 

And to take this post in yet another direction...
I have my second prenatal appointment tomorrow afternoon!  I'll be 11 weeks along and Scott and I are hoping to hear the heart beat...but I'm not expecting to.  With Bailey, we went to my 12 week appointment fully expecting to hear a heartbeat...and heard nothing.  Being the nervous first-time mom that I was, I completely freaked out and thought that I had somehow killed my baby and was walking around with a dead embryo inside of me.  The doctor took us to a back room, hooked me up to an ultrasound machine, and pointed out the beautiful blinking heartbeat just tick-tocking away.  It took another 4 weeks of waiting before we heard Bailey's heartbeat and I could relax and enjoy the pregnancy.

This time around, though, I'm hopeful but not expecting to hear anything at all.  I saw the heart beating away on my first ultrasound at 7 week, so I'm not as nervous as I'd normally be.  Plus, I figure I'm still carrying around an extra layer or two of fat from Bailey, so that'll probably muffle things a bit in there.  So, we'll see.  In any case, I'll update you all soon!

Oops, We Did It Again!

Made another baby, that is.

Bailey is going to be a big sister this Christmas!

If you're thinking, what the hell?!, well...join the crowd, because I'm thinking the same thing.  I still don't know how this baby came to be, except by sheer miracle.  Don't get me wrong, I'm already in love with it...him...her?  But we did not plan this.  In fact, we were actively trying to prevent it.  I wanted to lose more weight before trying for another, and Scott and I had thought about it and decided that another summer baby would be perfect...so we were going to start trying this fall.  But, you know what they say.  Man plans and God laughs.

Speaking of God...I'm not one to go all religious on anybody, but I truly do think that He had a hand in this.  And, surprisingly, so does Scott.  You see, a little over a month ago we got the news that Scott's grandmother is battling stage IV bone cancer and was given one to two years to live.  Scott is very close to her and was devastated by the news.  We all were.  A few weeks after that, while still trying to process everything, we found out we were pregnant.  Trust me when I say that we were both shocked. Without going into detail, suffice it to say that there is no possible way this could have happened.  None.

To be honest, I didn't quite believe it until I had my first ultrasound and saw that teeny little heart beating.  And then I almost fell off the examining table when they told me my due date....Christmas Day.  Not only did we not plan it, but even if we had there's no way we could have planned it that well!  A Christmas baby!  Kind of made me think of another Christmas baby who was also something of a miracle.

So Scott and I came to the conclusion that, given all the facts and the timing, there is a higher power pulling all the strings here.  We're sort of also thinking that this baby was "sent" here to help us all heal from the news of Scott's grandmother's illness...and, in a way, to give her something to live a little longer for.  When we told her that we were pregnant again, she yelped, and then turned around and in, typical Mom-Mom fashion, said "Well, shit, I can't die now!  I've got another great-grandbaby to see born!"

And I fully believe that she will.

Scott fully believes that it's going to be a boy.  He said the same thing about Bailey, and she's more of a girl than I am, so we'll see.

I'm 10 weeks along right now, and feeling good.  So tired I can barely keep my eyes open at any point during the day, and hungry all the time (I'm scarfing down leftover potato salad as I write this---and it's only 9am), but feeling great.  As with Bailey, I'm super nervous and wanting to make sure that everything is okay with this baby.  I've got another appointment next week and am so looking forward to hearing the heartbeat!  Until then, I have to comfort myself with the fact that my boobs still feel like they've been used as punching bags, I'm falling asleep in the middle of the day, and I eat more for breakfast than most people will eat all day....so everything's GOT to be okay in there!

Time Flies...

I've been awful at keeping up with the blog lately...sorry!  Between  life with Bailey and the rigors of doing home daycare, I'm just too tired and too busy to do much of anything these days!  But, now that I've got a minute, what's to update?

Well...Bailey just finished up yet another no-sleep phase, which sucked for all of us.  The good news is she's back to sleeping through the night again.  The bad news is that we start her bedtime routine at 7:30 and she's often STILL awake after 9.  She gets to watch an episode or two of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in our bed with her milk.  Then when the show is over, it's time for bed.  I walk in her room with her, read two books and sing a lullaby, then it's night-night Bailey.  Sounds simple, right?  Wrong.  Bailey has become a master of turning doorknobs, and is out of bed and downstairs at least 3 times every night.  It's gotten to the point where we've started locking her bedroom door when it's time to go to bed.  Most of the time it works pretty well (and we sneak down the hall and unlock her door after she's fallen asleep), but there are many, many occasions where Bailey just knocks on the door (which quickly turns into loud banging) and calls "Mommy!  I awake!"  Those nights are difficult and often end with one or both of us near tears before she finally succumbs to sleep.

We've started planning Bailey's 2nd birthday party!  We're having it at my in-laws house this year, and are renting a bounce house for B and her friends to play in.  I'm hoping it's a nice day and that everyone enjoys themselves.

Not too much else to say.  Things are going along well, and we're all doing great...hopefully with summer coming I'll have much more to update you all on.  And, of course, our new niece Karley will be here in just a few weeks, so stay tuned for that update!

Until then...enjoy a few photos!

Bailey is practicing for motherhood

Just updating her status on Facebook

The Last 5 Months

As promised, I'm back with an update.

But, since I was SUCH a slacker these last few months, how best to update you all without this turning into a post that will take you most of the day to read?  How 'bout if I just bullet the main points for now?

Here goes...

• I'm going to be an aunt again!  Meghan and Drew are expecting baby #2, a girl, on or around June 19th of this year.  They're naming her Karley...no word yet on a middle name.  Every time I see Meg's baby bump I get "the fever".  Must remind myself-- all in due time. 

• Bailey is no longer sleeping in her crib.  That was quite a fun lesson for mommy and daddy.  I just so happened to look at the video monitor while she was (supposed to be) taking a nap...and saw Bailey standing on top of her changing table.  She was almost 19 months old at the time, and we switched her to a toddler bed that very night.  I don't run very often and, in fact, my brother will argue that I don't run AT ALL (sort of true) but you better believe I FLEW upstairs when I saw her standing on top of that changing table.  There's no doubt in my mind that, had I not seen her when I did, she would have assumed she could fly and done a header straight to the floor.  God forbid she'd landed on her face and ended up with her mother's nose.  Here's her toddler bed:

• She was a cat for Halloween.

     

• She LOVED Christmas...

• But wasn't exactly a fan of Santa!

• She talks a mile a minute these days and, even though it's often hard to understand her, she's really getting her point across.  It is just SO cool to actually have a conversation with her, a back and forth.  

•  She still will only drink milk from a bottle.  Scott and I have tried to trick her time and time again but she absolutely refuses milk from a sippy cup...oh well.

• She's just finishing up another No-Sleep phase.  This one lasted almost a full month and was torture!  She was waking up at least once at night and then up for good anywhere between 5 and 5:30am.  When she woke up in the middle of the night, she would just sob and sob until we went in to comfort her...there was just no putting herself back to sleep.  I think she was going through a growth spurt with a combination of quite a few teeth coming in, poor thing.  Luckily, though, we're on night 4 of her sleeping 10-11 hours straight again, and I'm hoping it stays that way for a long while!

• She still freaks out when we go to the doctor.  Luckily, she hasn't had an appointment since her 18-month check-up back in December.  She spent that appointment pretty much screaming her head off the entire time.   I'm told it gets better...but I'm not holding out any hope for that any time soon!

• We're teaching her to drive.

 Just kidding...but it's only a matter of time.

Okay, bulleted list aside...Bailey is doing great!  She's got this wonderful and funny personality, and I just love her so much.  She's got her moments where she'll scream or throw a tantrum, but they're few and far between.  Most of the time she's pretty happy and loving.  She's got good manners and will say that she's sorry when she does something wrong or something that hurts someone.  She definitely has a lot of Scott's personality in terms of her outgoing nature.  She has no problem just walking up to someone and making friends.  In fact, just this past weekend we took her to the mall and passed the little play rides that they have there.  We took her out of her stroller and, while Scott and I searched our wallets for a few quarters, Bailey took it upon herself to just climb up in a car with this random kid....

Good thing for her, he didn't put up a fight and pretty much tolerated her the whole ride.

She is, in a word, incredible. 
<3

It Is March...

...and that means that I haven't posted in FIVE MONTHS!!!!

I told you guys that I would be terrible at keeping up with this blog at times.  But I'm baaack!  And I promise to be better at keeping you all informed of how life with Bailey is going.

She's keeping me VERY busy at the moment, so no time to update things just now, but I'll be back...and you can all expect a long post!

Until then!

Got My Baby Back

The title says it all, folks.

I haven't blogged in quite a while.  There hasn't been much going on around here and I'd been, quite frankly, frustrated and tired dealing with Bailey and her complete change in behavior over the last few weeks.  It was like being back in that newborn/PPD/can't-look-her-in-the-eye-because-it-might-cause-her-to-totally-freak-out state that I was in last year...crazy and awful and seemingly all-consuming.  But I think we've figured it out and we're all happier for it!

I posted about a week or so ago about how difficult a time we were having with Bailey.  She was miserable and grumpy and just generally not great to be around.  I worried that she was tired of spending so much time with me.  Then I worried that she felt like, with the daycare here, she wasn't getting enough one-on-one time with me and Scott.  Then I moved on to wondering if her latest round of shots could be causing the behavior.  I went through every single scenario trying to figure out what the heck happened to cause this complete 180 my normally sweet and happy baby.

Turns out it was a combination of teething and not enough sleep.  She's getting her molars in and it looks like she was getting more than one in at a time.  She kind of weaned herself off of her 2-nap-a-day schedule and was only taking one nap every day for about 2 hours max.  Of course she was grumpy!  I don't know why it took me so long to figure that out.  Once those teeth popped through and I got her back on her normal 2 naps a day, it seemed to solve the problem.  And now it's glaringly clear when she doesn't get enough sleep...she goes straight into tantrum mode.  Thankfully, I think I've solved the problem and I've got my happy girl back...I missed her!

It's Been a Rough Few Weeks

Well, the title of this post says it all, folks.  We've had a rough few weeks over here, and I'm hoping it's just teething or a phase or something.

Bailey has been fighting me on everything.  Diaper changes, eating, getting dressed, playing with toys...it's a constant battle with her and it's wearing on both of us.  I love her to pieces and she's my favorite person in the world but, my God, I don't know how much more I can take!  She's been throwing these tantrums the past week or so and it's ridiculous.  I'm talking screaming at the top of her lungs, veins bulging in her neck and forehead, room-clearing tantrums...over anything, everything and absolutely nothing.

I've been trying my hardest to be patient with her.  After all, I don't know why she's acting the way she is.  Maybe she's got a new tooth coming in and it's really hurting her, maybe she's not feeling 100%, maybe she's sick of sharing her house, her toys, her time and her mommy with all the daycare kids.  I just don't know, and I think that's what is the most frustrating about it.

Or maybe I'm completely missing the mark.  Maybe she's just sick of spending day in and day out with me.  Maybe I'm the problem here.  I've been doing my best to get her out of the house as often as I can, whether it be to the playground, the mall, just walking around the neighborhood...but everything results in a temper tantrum and then we're both miserable by the time we get home.  Much as it kills me to admit...maybe we need a little bit of a break from each other.

This past weekend, Bailey spent Friday night at my parents' house and was really happy to see Scott and me when we picked her up Saturday afternoon.  We took her to Linvilla (a trip that, surprise surprise, ended in a screaming fit), and then she went home and spent Saturday night with Scott's parents.  When we picked her up Sunday afternoon, Scott's mom had nothing but good things to say about her, about how good she was and how much fun they had...but then in a matter of minutes she was back to the screaming and tantrum-throwing again.  I don't know what to do.

I miss my sweet girl.