BGP

So, we are in the throws of potty training.   Okay, so maybe not the throws, more like we are buckling down and getting serious with it.

Jesalyn turned 2 in October.  We bought her a potty chair when she was like 18 months thinking we were going to get a one up on the dreaded potty training and have her done by the time she was two.  Basically what this translated to was: We bought the chair, showed it to her so she could get use to it, had her sit on it a couple of times, and then it got set aside and used as a step stool.  We broke it back out once she had her birthday, she sat on it another few times.  She even peed in it once, and to our surprise got a #2 out of the way.

At this point, we thought if she can poo in it, this will be a piece of cake!  This is going to be so easy.  Now, if we were smart parents, we would have continued with it from there, but alas, we got lazy and the potty chair got pushed aside again. 

The teachers at her daycare have slowly been working the kids on their PT skills.  Jesalyn has set on the potty but has never actually went at school.  I was picking her up last week and in her folder there were some tips on how to get started.  I was talking to the teacher afterwards and our conversation went a little like this:

Me:    so, ya'll are still working with the kids on potty training right?

Teacher:    Yes, they are going to be in smaller groups in the next couple of weeks so we'll be focusing on it a lot more.

Me:    That's good.  We've tried working with Jes, but she just doesn't seem to want to actually go potty.  She just wants to sit on it.  I've heard that a lot of parents just start them in underwear and do away with the diapers altogether.

Teacher:    Oh yeah.  That's how I taught my daughter.

Me:   But that can't really be done at school though right.  You would just be changing clothes all day if they had an accident.

Teacher:    Actually, we have one kid here that comes to school in underwear.  But he is pretty close to being completely potty trained.  He just tells us when he needs to go.  His parents pack an extra set of clothes just in case.

Me:   cool

Now, at this point, I'm all like "what in the world!  He's potty trained already?!? "  My competitive spirit kicks in and  I decided at that moment, that when we got home Jesalyn was going into her Big Girl Panties (BGP)

I got sick the next day, so that didn't happen. BUT, sick or not, this morning we broke em out.  And can I just say there is not a more cuter tush than my baby girl in her BGP.  =)

It's definitely not been easy, we've cleaned up plenty of messes, but I'm proud of my little sugar bee.  She sure is growing up fast.

Oh yes, there is nothing wrong with drawing while going potty.  All the cool kids do it.

One in a million

So I must tell ya'll this story.  It's a tear jerker.

Okay, so maybe not, but it made me cry.  But that's probably because it's about my child and ever since I became a mom I have become the biggest cry baby in the world.  This is your warning so that when you see me, you don't talk about babies growing up, lovey dovey stuff, or about the Cardinals winning the World Series.

 I take that back, talk to me about my redbirds.  I love talking about the redbirds. Did you know they were the wild card with no chance to even getting in the playoffs and then made the biggest comeback ever!  I know, I'm digressing.  Talk to me about baseball, but not about anything sweet or sad or you'll see me tear up.

So, the other night we were laying in bed with Jesalyn. Yes, she still sleeps with us.  Throw the stones, I know it's "not right" and "bad," but we miss her when she is in her bed so for now she stays.  We were laying there telling her good night and kissing her check.  After kissing her, we each told her we loved her.  And then she did the sweetest thing in the world.  I even made and illustration for you below.

She wrapped one arm around my neck and one arm around Jarrod's neck and says: "I love you too guys!"

It's all in the shake

Pretty much, every person reading this (a big thanks to all 3 of you) fit into one of two categories when something embarrassing happens to you and no one else sees it.  You either keep it to yourself or you let it out. 

I am the latter.  So much so that if I don't tell someone, I'm like a balloon stuck to a helium tank, I bust.  It just keeps nagging at me.  As soon as I spill the beans, the nerves go away. Almost like it's okay or not embarrassing if someone else knows too.

Normally, my husband is the lucky person that gets to hear all my silly stories.  This is simply perfect because he is the type that can't stand watching someone else getting embarrassed because it embarrasses him even more to watch it.  Needless to say he is Not a fan of American Idol.

So, the other day I was at work right??  Doing my thang, it was going good.  I had gotten to know my customer a little bit (a man in his late 50's maybe.)   There were some professional juices flowing.  I felt good about myself.  I felt like a real grown up (I'm great at my job, but I look younger than I am so when an adult older than 25 shows me some respect in the business world, I know I did good.) 

We finished what we were doing and he stands up to leave.  I tell him thank you and he reaches out to shake my hand.  At the e.x.a.c.t moment he does this, I pick something up from my desk with my right hand.  What does this leave for me to shake hands with him? Yep, I shook his hand with my left.

Now, I know what your thinking.  Just put the paper down and give him your right.  Of course, if I had had time to pause and think about the situation I would have done just that.  But, as with most things in life, it was a split second.

So instead of a nice firm handshake, he got

...and out went all my business mojo....so embarrassing.

Frozen in Time

Being a parent is some tough work.  If you have children you know this.  You also might know about the feeling you get when you realize that your child is growing up.  

Why didn't you warn me of this?!?

Every stage we have been through with Jesalyn has been our favorite.  Even the newborn nights when she screamed her little lungs off every. single. night.  Even that was perfect, because somewhere in the night there was this time of utter peacefulness.  After she was fed and her diaper was changed, she would let me rock her to sleep.  At 230 in the morning, when the whole world was sleeping, I was awake (watching World Series Poker) and rocking my sleeping angel in my arms.  She would get all snuggled up on my chest and just dream away.  Yep, pretty perfect.  

And then came the next stage.  Trying to crawl and sit up.  By this point, she was sleeping all night which meant I got to sleep too and we still had our "moments" together during nap times.  It was so fun watching her learn new things and try new foods.  You could literally see her little mind working.  I knew it wouldn't get any better than seeing her take her first few steps by herself.  How did my tiny baby get old enough to walk?


But now, my tiny baby is talking to me.  Making me laugh.  Asking me if I'm okay when I hurt myself.  Cooking me food (fake food, but food nonetheless) and being the best dang mommy to her baby dolls.  


Can I freeze this time?  No, really?  Like, can I just stop her from getting any older and just let her be this age forever and ever??  It makes me tear up to think that in just a few short years she'll be all grown up and mommy and daddy won't be the coolest people in the world to her anymore.  


...until then, I'm gonna soak every single minute of her up.  

 oh yeah, Happy New Year to ya!!