Potty training already?!?!?

Sounds crazy but a part of me really hopes not! I am not ready....it is a good bit of work and effort for the mom parents, with the holiday season, all the winter clothes, etc. I just am not up to it right now.  Also my sweet boy is my last baby so I do not want him to grow up....ever!! I am still trying to figure out how to keep him little.  So how did this precious nugget:

Start pooping in the potty at 20 months old:

 

 

I guess he was ready!  At about 18-20 months old I decided to take the potty out for Brady and Evan so that they could become familiar with it, not be afraid of it, it be a part of their routine, etc. Then when it was time to really potty train the boys at just past 2 years old, they would be ready for it.  So with Maddox I decided it was time to pull the potty out in October since he will be two years old in February.  The first night, we sat him on it before his bath and nothing happened. The second and third night, he peed in it...WOOO HOOO!!! The fourth night he pooped in it!  WOW!! I could not believe it.  Now a month and half later, he has pooped several times in the potty, pees in it almost daily, and talks about it as well.  I guess I may consider potty training after the holidays, before he is even two years old.  I guess it is time to resign to the fact that he is really going to grow up : (



I HAVE A CHILD WHO IS SLEEPING ALL NIGHT IN UNDERWEAR DRY!!!!!

I am sooo happy!!! My big guy, Evan, is staying dry all night.  I have a child that is not sleeping in a diaper or a pull-up and is dry.  I am thrilled.  For the past 6 1/2 years I have put a diaper of some sort on every child I have.  Brady is one of those really hard sleepers, who according to my pediatrician we just have to wait it out.  Although he was day-time dry at two years and two months, he has not had a dry night EVER!  The fact that my Evan is dry and out of diapers at night, is awesome!!!  I finally have a child that I do not have to buy diapers for.....wooo hooo!!!!  We took him to pick out a toy and he chose a Thomas Take N Play set.  He is growing up!

Weighty Words

There are times as a Mom that I wish my kids would just close their mouths....either it is just too much, too many words or what is coming out of their mouths that I can not handle....sometimes both. 

In the middle of all the "noise" there are little nuggets of sweetness that escape their lips that warm my soul like chicken noodle soup when I have a cold. 

This past Thursday I was given one such nugget....while laying in the chair and a half with Brady reading for school, he was laying against the back of the chair and I was laying next to him on the edge of the chair, he looked at me and said: "Mommy, I like laying like this with you."  I said: "You do, why bud?"  He said: "I feel cozy, you make me feel safe...safe from the whole world, safe from strangers."  I said: "I do, bud?  That makes me very happy. I hope you always feel safe with Mommy because I love you so much and I would do anything for you to be safe."  It was very difficult to keep the tears from flowing...be still my heart!

Enjoying some one-on-one time

with this sweet little face

three days per week.  It has been so nice to have this one-on-one time with him.  Since Evan just started preschool for the first time last month, this is the first time I have had to enjoy some one-on-one time with my lil' man, Maddox.  At 19 months old this has been much anticipated. 

We are enjoying story time with Miss NayNay on the Tuesdays that we do not have MOPS, just as I did with the older two.  He seems to like this!

Bean Bag Rock at story time....we love Miss NayNay!

 

On Wednesdays we have a date with Miss Stephanie at Shades Mountain Baptist Church for music class.  I am pretty certain that Maddox has a crush on Miss Stephanie just as his brothers did!

 

 



Maddox LOVES music class...dancing with his scarves.

 

Thursdays are our free day to enjoy as we want.  It has been fun to just chill with him.  I love my new lil' sidekick.  I have cherished the time where I am able to experience his personality without his brothers' personalities influencing him.  He usually wants to do and say exactly what they do....very much a "Monkey see, Monkey do"!

 

Enjoying our neighbors Halloween decor

 

A yummy picnic with a yummy date....those luscious lips!

 

I have definitely had to adjust to Evan not being home every day but still having two days with him and drinking in my time with Maddox has been absolutely wonderful!

 









These are a few of my favorite things.....

that my two lil' boys are saying and doing these days. 

My sweet Maddox is already 20 months old and 1 week old.  He is closer to two years old than one and he is EXTREMELY independent.....he wants to feed himself, walk by himself - without anyone holding his hand, everything by himself.  His little vocabulary is really starting to expand.  The part that is really fun to watch is all of his unspoken language.  His body language and gestures are hilarious and so expressive.  At times I will look over and Maddox will be standing there with his hand on his hip all serious looking.  There have also been a couple of times where I look at him and his has both of his hands on his hips - but much higher, actually more on his rib cage - as if he is about to scold someone.  The other day I looked over and he was standing in the kitchen swinging his arms forward and back by his side with his hands clapping at the front of his body and the back, just like a little man. His lips, oh my his lips, so expressive with those lips, his favorite way to express his anger...he pushes those forward and oh my! He has the cutest new gesture and word: "Mon" (Come on) as he is gesturing his hand in like a waving bye toward himself gesture. These little things just melt my heart. He is also saying: Brady, pee pee (anytime he passes the bathroom or sees any of us going potty), peas (please), maw (more), papi (paci), ane, with a lot of emotion (plane), train, go, shuse (shoes), nose (while touching his), eye (while touching his), mouf (while touching his), behlee (belly), while pulling his shirt up or someone else's, Elmo, emo (Nemo), Mommy, MiMi, Pop Pop, Poppy, dawee (doggy), skoo (school), bye bye, hi, nigh, nigh (night, night), Jay Jay (for Jay Jay the Jet plane toys, books, etc). I am sure there are more that I just can't recall but this is pretty comprehensive at this point.

 Those sweet, attitudinal lips

Evan has some new choice phrases as well.  His ability to communicate and express himself has expanded greatly as well.  Some of my favorites are: "you my best friend, Momma." (or "you not my best friend, Momma." when things are not going his way...apparently his love is conditional right now).  "You my fravorite (favorite), Mommy." or "you not my fravorite, Mommy."  "You angry AT me, Mommy." (when he is being disciplined), "You mean AT me."  If we get on to him AT ALL then he says: "You don't like me, Momma."....such a little manipulator right now.  He has really gotten interested in why I am his Momma.  "Mommy, how are you my Mommy?"  Me: "Because GOD gave you to me." E: "Why Mommy?"  Me:  "Because GOD loves me so much that he gave you to me to be your Mommy and take care of you."  E:  "That's nice Mommy."  Evan also is aware that since I am a girl, I must like pink and princesses (I guess because of the girls he knows in his life).  So whenever we are talking about acting out characters or roles, I am always a princess.  He often transfers this over into real life with:  "Mommy, you pretty." or "Mommy, you are a princess."

 

And he's gone...

at least for 4 hours 3 days per week. Evan has started preschool for the first time....sigh! My sweet, passionate chatty Cathy, Jersey-accented, humorous side kick has left me to begin his school career.

At three years old, we feel Evan is ready for this experience. I truly think he will thrive.  This has been hard for me for all the typical reasons but also because I have had less time with him I feel.  Even though he is the same age as Brady was when he started preschool it went by much faster.  With each added child my time has been much more divided, of course, so 3 years with Evan seemed much shorter than 3 years with Brady did.  It is often hard to not feel guilty about this but - hard as I try - I can not slow time down. 

We had so much fun doing all the back to school things with Evan for the first time.  We took him shopping to pick out his lunch box for school.  He grativated straight toward the Thomas lunch box.  He was so excited to buy it that he held onto it throughout the store, after we purchased it he did not want to put it in the bag, and then when he got it home he would not let it leave his bedroom.

He seems so young, like such a little guy.  Almost like he is not big enough to start preschool.

Standing in the hallway of his school on Meet the Teacher day



He had his "Meet the Teacher" on August 28th and was very excited to meet Ms. Kaylee after we read the note she mailed him in order to introduce herself. 

On Tuesday, September 4th Evan had fun with his "first day of school" surprises - his new pajamas, backpack, and

 the book "The Night before Preschool"

 

 

On Wed. Sept. 5, Evan was so excited to wake up to the school window decals and special plate to make his first day of school memorable

 

Evan on his first day of school - Hunter Street Baptist Church:

 

 

It was hard watching my "baby" walking into school for the very the first time.

 

 

 

He did great and seems to really enjoy "my school".  When I picked him up from carpool on the first day he said "My preschool is awesome, Mommy."  It is so much easier to take him some where knowing how much he likes it.  Very thankful!





Man Parts "Part" 2

Evan again was questioning my need to sit while peeing.   We are supposed to sit to poop and stand to pee in my house.  I told him that girls sit to pee.  When I got off the potty he wanted to know where my penis was.  I told him that girls don't have penises, just boys.  He looked at me - very seriously - and said "Mommy you penis is coming in the mail next week."  AWESOME!!! 

Apparently, Evan feels strongly that I must also have a penis so he has taken it upon himself to order one for me and I should expect it in the mail any day now!!!  Maybe since yesterday was a holiday, it will be in today's mail.  One can only hope!