Friday, May 11, 2007

2nd time's a charm?

This week Erik and Nathan started on a brand new house! This is house #2 for just the two of them. Erik is really excited about this one since he feels much more confident about what he's doing. And it helps that the sun is finally shining around here. They've been working on this same street in south Abbotsford for the last few houses. The United States is literally on the other side of that big pile of dirt!


Micah and I haven't been able to get enough of the sunshine this week. Yesterday afternoon I took the kids to the park across the street and I was pleasantly surprised that Micah is able to manage the ladder all by himself now. It was nice to just sit back in the sun and watch him play while Keziah napped in the stroller...


My newly pedicured feet... This was my very first pedicure and I really enjoyed it (Amber had me a little worried after her experience :)


Micah making discoveries on a sunny afternoon...



Micah really surprised us last night at the supper table. Out of the blue he said "I have to go pee!" I didn't really believe him and since he was in his highchair and in the middle of supper I wasn't jumping to bring him to the bathroom. But he was pretty insistent and kind of crying and I really didn't want to discourage his interest in the potty. So I brought him to the bathroom and he was kind of crying and squirming while I got him ready. And then, wonder of wonders, he actually DID have to pee! He giggled the whole time and started asking for smarties before he was even finished (we've all been prepping him!) Where did this come from??

I've been meaning to blog about this next potty-training phase. It's something that's been looming in front of me for a LONG time already... This will actually be the second attempt at training after I had a go at it last summer (you can read about our potty adventures here and here). It was going nowhere fast, so I decided to wait until this June to try again - by then he would be 2 and a half, I wouldn't be dealing with a newborn, and the weather would be warm enough to let him run around outside without a diaper :) But now I'm wondering if I should start now... I just don't feel quite prepared for it!

My plan was to stay at home for a whole week to dedicate myself to training (as per my sister's advice). But what do I do if I'm busy with Keziah or something when he suddenly has to go? I guess I literally need to drop everything I'm doing if I want this to work right? How often should I put him on the potty? Should I limit liquids to certain times of the day? Any advice from you experienced potty-trainers is more than welcome!

And, just to clarify, Micah hasn't asked to go on the potty since last night, but I know by his full diapers that he's not just holding it in :P So, I guess he's just being selective about when he wants to!

Anyway, that's all I have to say today, but I couldn't post without including a couple of pictures of my other child - ha ha. Here's Keziah being her cute little self...

15 comments:

The Keowns said...

I would defiantly take advantage of this opportunity to train him. Cassidy did the same thing at about 18 months and wanted to pee on the potty. I let her and since that day she was trained. I almost didn't want to let her since I thought it was too early but so glad I did.
I usually put them on the potty every 15 minutes or so, set the timer since it helped. They were always naked since it was easier for them to get to the potty in time. If we went out, we usually put underwear on and were prepared with extra clothes just in case but I tried not to have any big plans made. Be prepared for accidents as well.
I have yet to start Liam. Mainly because I don't have the time but i am thinking by the end of the month we will take a good go at it.

Nathan & Rosanna Toews said...

Soo cute! Love the pictures!

Laura said...

Hey Jamie,
Just from my experience potty training, and I've only trained one, who is a girl, I think that if he is showing interest like that it's a good time to start.
I did the potty training in a day - and it worked like a charm for Sarah, we were done in a weekend - she told us every time she had to go and has only had a handful of accidents since. I got the instructions from the Dr. Phil website after a friend had used it successfully with two of her kids. It was a lot of work for a day and a half but it paid off. All I would say is if you want to try make sure you give it a good go and really commit. The ten times back and forth in a row thing seems weird but for some reason it works. I'm actually quite curious to see if this method works across the board for most kids. Good luck!

rachel joy said...

You're sister's pretty smart. And experienced. That's the best support a girl can have! You just installed new laminate floors, right? That'll be great for cleaning up the messes that are sure to come. Max started really showing interest at 2.5, too. When he started taking his diaper off and running around willy-nilly, I knew it was time. The 15 minute thing is a good idea. Keep it fun for him on the potty. Books, singing. Marty spent lots of time in the Bumbo with us in the bathroom. I actually gave Max lots of liquids so he could have requent success at peeing. Once he got the hang of it, we regulated it a bit more. He was already dry all night for several months so that was easy. Many moms just do day training first, and tackle the naps and bedtime later. It'll be tiring for you both but so worth it to see his achievement!

kelly ens said...

wow - way to go micah! (no potty-training advice here!)
cute pictures! Your feet look great!

KDees said...

Hey Jamie,
Not much for advice in the potty training department, but we've noticed Tyler getting better and better at the peeing part for sure. We make it a habit to put him on the potty after each meal, and when he asks to go too, of course. He doesn't keep the diaper dry all day, but he pees almost every time we put him on the potty. We give him a candy every time he goes, which seems to be a standard reward system. It's working well! At least he's getting experience on the potty if not totally being trained yet. Now, the hard part is doing #2 in there....

Katrina said...

Ok, I could be wrong on this, but I've heard you give extra fluids, so that they have more chances/ability to feel a full bladder.

Laura said...

hi,
I happened to get a cheap doll that goes potty as a gift before I even potty trained. I have looked around though and haven't been able to find one. You are more than welcome to borrow the one I have if you want - my girls aren't attached to it or anything. And yes, the ten times in a row is right after one another, and you really have to stress that it's ok to have an accident, we just need to teach your body by practicing and go back and forth quite quickly. Let me know if you want to borrow the doll - we live right off of McCallum close to the freeway.

Bonnie said...

Great pictures Jamie! And good luck with the potty training!

Trev and Rebekah said...

Pedicures are great. I love getting them every now and then so I can feel special and pampered.

Christy said...

Cute pictures! Happy Mother's Day!

For our potty training adventure's, check out my blog!

http://christysblogofun.blogspot.com

You have to go under the archives under January! I hope there are some helpful hints on there. It sounds like Micah is ready if he is starting to realize the sensation to pee!

KDees said...

Jamie, to comment on your comment on my blog, yes, for the most part, Tyler has given up on the nap. I let him sleep max 45 min if he's really tired, but I figure the morning "sleep-in" is more important than the nap. He still plays in his room for at least an hour, then sometimes watches a show on tv for another 1/2 hour. That way I at least get some time for myself. But, yes, I believe our 2 hour napping days are over :(

Anonymous said...

They are BOTH adorable! Love the pics!

Drea said...

your getting really good w/ the camera! I love all your photos. I cant believe how big Keziah is getting.. and look at those shoes!!!!! ::partly jealous because they dont have nearly the amount of cute boy shoes::

Amber said...

Now I feel caught up ;) Your toes look great - I'm glad you took the plunge & that you didn't let my bad review keep you away!