Possibilities and potty training

Sorry it has been 3 weeks since our last post.  Nana visited, Rachel and Jason flew to VA for a quick visit and a wedding, Pops visited, Rachel turned 2, and we started potty training.
CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES

Rachel updates:

SIZE - Rachel is finally not a size concern.  She is over 24lbs at the 15th percentile for weight and on the small/average end for height and head size as well.  She is fitting size 2T clothes well and size 6 shoes. We have switched to 2% milk and don't need to worry about her weight anymore!

LANGUAGE - Rachel has an unbelievable vocabulary.  She speaks in full sentences like "tomorrow when I wake up I will put my sock right in the white laundry basket". She uses big words like "possibilittitities".
If you ask her "do you want yogurt or crackers?" She will answer "I want yogurt AND crackers."
Her words are a hilarious clue into her mind.  She makes us laugh and we are really enjoying this stage.

FUN ACTIVITIES - these days we are spending free time at the pool, library, gymnastics class, biking or running with the stroller, hiking, shopping at the store.  At home we read books, dress and undress dolls, have all our stuffed animals use the potty, have our stuffed animals say "nice to meet you", wash our hands, brush our teeth, turn on water, play with play dough, stickers, crayons, put on band aids, and help with baking, laundry, and dishes.

(sorry this is sideways)

POTTY TRAINING - Rachel woke up the morning of her 2nd birthday and refused to wear diapers.  So we wore underwear.  And ran over to the store and bought more underwear.  And ran to the library to get out potty books and potty videos.  The whole Saturday was spent in sweatshirt and underwear (a good look) staying close to the potty and trying to reduce the frequency or severity of accidents.  Night time diapers.  Day time underwear.  Sunday we took the potty in the car and went hiking and all went well.
It has been 9 days and I would say we are good with urine going in the potty all or almost all the time.  Poop has not been as successful.  But Rachel has successfully used the potty or toilet at home, daycare, the doctors office, a port-a-John at the pumpkin patch, costco, on the side of the road, Walmart, friends houses, and the pool.  So far no success but many attempts at squatting in the bushes. So far no accidents in the stroller, car seat, or backpack.
All in all we are happy with it and Rachel seems positive and committed.  School is on board and terrific.  Washing just 1 diaper a day is a huge reduction in laundry, even with extra pants.

(Rachel jumps inside an elephant, and attempts a forward roll)

BEDTIME STALLING - Although Rachel has always been pretty good with her bedtime routine and going to bed, she is working hard to stall.  Stall to get ready for school by refusing to wear clothes and ask for more food.  Stall for bedtime by asking for ... anything.  For example, tonight Jason went running while Rachel had a bath.  I (Meggan) got her out of the bath, brushed her teeth, gave her water, put on her night time diaper, put on pajamas, said good night to the moon, read our 2 night time stories, got the blankets and stuffed animals ready and Rachel says 'I have to poop.'  So... since we are potty training, we run to the potty, remove everything, sit on the potty, go poop, and then have a big celebration with high fives and singing and dancing.

Then I try to convince Rachel to put diaper back on, sleeper back on, and go into her crib.  Things Rachel said to try and stall:

Rachel: "I need to brush Duckie's hair"  Meggan: "No.  Diaper on.  Sleeper on.  Night night time."
Rachel: "I want to read Baby's Beach Ball."  Meggan: "No.  We already read books.  Diaper on."
Rachel: "I want my purple blanket."  Meggan: "Diaper and sleeper on.  Then we get purple blanket."
Rachel: "Mommy did you know that we live on planet Earth?  I want to see it. (we have the planets on her wall) Meggan: "Yes honey.  Diaper on.  Sleeper on.  Night night time."
Rachel: "I want a sticker."  Meggan thinks hmmmm.... Rachel is supposed to get a sticker for the wall every time she successfully poops on the potty.  She says "Diaper on.  Sleeper on.  Night night time."
Rachel: "I want to read a story."  Diaper is put on.  Sleeper is put on.  Meggan: "Night night time."
Rachel: "Mommy will you sleep with me?"  Meggan: "No Rachel.  Night night time for Rachel."
Rachel: "Mommy is this a new sheet on my bed?"  Meggan.  "Yes honey.  Lay down for night night time."
Rachel: "Mommy did you know that this is a new sheet on my bed I guess?"  Meggan: "Night night Rachel."
Rachel: "I want my feet covered."  Meggan: "Night night Rachel."
Rachel: "And kiss Nunu, Mommy."  Meggan "Night night Nunu.  Night night Rachel."
Rachel: "Buenas noches Mommy."

Camping with Cranky Pants

(written by Meggan)

  Any of you who is bothering to follow this blog must know Rachel, so you already know a bit about her personality.  She's not an impulsive, crazy, always-sprinting-around-and-screaming 2 year old.  She's a smart, snuggly, thoughtful toddler who usually asks for permission before doing uncertain things.  She is a mamma's gal, and ALWAYS wants to be held by her mom.  When other toddlers are running away at the playground, Rachel is tugging at me to pick her up.  My neck, shoulders, elbows, arms and hands are really sore lately because I just cannot figure out how to reduce the amount of time that I hold her.  I still often make dinner with her in the carrier, and she's almost 2!

 So this past week or so, she has wanted her 'Mamma!  Mamma! Mamma!' a LOT.  It seems to be getting worse and worse.  Unfortunately, she wants less and less of Daddy these days and has been pushing him away.  Poor Jason is hurt because, although he is a really involved and great Dad, she wants very little of him these days.  It's always been like this some... but lately if Rachel is in the same vicinity as me, she's throwing a tantrum if I'm not hugging her.

We have several theories on this recent extra snuggle and hug neediness.  We've had a lot of transitions recently with moving house, Jason returning to teaching full time, and a new classroom at school with new teachers and older peers.  Rachel is teething.  She keeps biting her own tongue and has a canker sore on her tongue.  She has had an on-again-off-again diaper rash since July.  Also, I work quite a bit from Monday late morning until Thurs night and don't see Rachel much for these 4 days.  She has some long days at daycare.

Saturday morning it was my turn to sleep in, so Jason went to Rachel when she started crying.  Crying quickly turned to full-on-freak-out-screaming, and she refused to be consoled.  Both parents tried snuggling, making her laugh, offering her items, standing on their head, etc. and finally after a diaper change and water and snuggles she calmed down.  So much for a sleep in.

We went for a family stroller run on Saturday, in our newly repaired Chariot.  Did we mention in the Boston blog that it was damaged while flying home?  Disappointing.  Airlines are not liable for extra baby luggage like car seats and strollers, and we took our chances.  Anyway, Jason took it to the engineering lab at school and repaired it so we were able to run.  Too bad we got 2 flat tires while running because our neighborhood is full of strange little prickles that like to poke our tires.  We've had a LOT of flat tires this year.

Saturday after the run we packed up all our gear, drove to Silverthorne, and hit the outlet malls.  Rachel slept on and off all day, and wanted to snuggle and sleep.  I was worried she was sick with a possible fever, and wondered whether camping was the best idea.  But in between sleeps and snuggles she was giggling and playing normally, so we went with it.

After a major day of shopping, we drove from Breckenridge up and over Boreas Pass Road and down toward a little forest service campsite called Selkirk.  The fall colors in the mountains were awesome - aspen trees displaying various stages of green, yellow, and orange.  We set up the tent, had dinner, and then Rachel asked to go to bed (a rarity).  It took a long time to get her down, and finally I left her in the tent screaming to go enjoy the campfire with Jason.  She put herself to sleep after just a couple of minutes.  I was able to put her into her sleeping bag when we came into the tent.

12:38am Rachel woke up for the first time and said 'No sleeping bag!'  Did we mention it was cold?  I was not comfortable with Rachel sleeping only in her sleeper and one fleece sheet on top.  But that was the only way she would have it, so I snuck her back inside her sleeping bag after she dozed off.  A little while later, she woke up and wanted some variety of snuggle, water, or no sleeping bag.  Our night continued like this, until at 4am I was able to bring her into my sleeping bag since it felt quite cold outside.  She slept with me until after 7am, which was a really nice sleep in.

Jason holds ice at the creek in the morning

It was 36 degrees when we got out of the tent, and there was some frost and ice around.  It was pretty, but it also marked the end of our camping season.

We packed up, played by the creek, threw rocks at the ice, and drove home.  Rachel was miserable and screamed for the last 40 minutes for the 2.5 hour drive home.  Jason went for a run while we played at the park, and then we came home.  Jason played with Rachel for 30 minutes without me successfully, but then Rachel was attached to me for the rest of the day.

Wearing new snow boots

Anyway, we had a great camping season and we're cleaning up all our gear and putting it to bed...
...until hut trips start, that is!

Planes, Trains and Automobiles of New England

CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS
Friday Aug 31
- Birthday party in the morning
- Go to Apple store three times and finally succeed in buying a case for our new laptop
- Gymastics class
- pack while Rachel naps
- Jason works all day
- Furniture delivery truck arrives and two men set up our new bedroom set while Rachel sleeps
- Drive to airport and have to park far away in Mt. Elbert lot as the airport is very busy
- Decided to travel with the chariot stroller to test out how this would work and in hopes to run while we are away
- Takes Jason a few attempts to fit himself with bags and chariot stroller on parking lot shuttle
- successfully check in, check luggage, check car seat, check chariot stroller
- Rachel finally sleeps on flight for the last hour
- arrive in Boston at 12:20am, shuttle to rental car, pick up rental car, drive to hotel, all fall asleep

Sat Sept 1st:
- drive to wedding site near Andover New Hampshire.  This drive was mapped to take 2 hours and some how took us at least 4
- stop at Cracker Barrel for brunch = yummmmmmmyyy!
- arrive at wedding site about 2pm
- quick dip in lake, dress for wedding, short hike up the hill to the wedding ceremony site/outdoor chapel
- celebrate the beauty of Sarah and Josh's wedding (Sarah used to live with Jason in Breckenridge after they shared their internship summer together)
- dinner, dancing, ladder ball, corn hole games after dinner
- fun with Jaime B, Erin B, Katie
- Rachel finally fell asleep with music and fun all around in the Ergo carrier
- chilly night in the brisk air as we slept in our cabin right beside the wedding festivities

Sun Sept 2nd:
- wake up, Jason goes for run, Rachel and Meggan eat breakfast #1
- Meggan swims in lake while Rachel and Jason paddle canoe beside her
- we all eat breakfast #2 and Rachel has breakfast #3 before we leave site
- drive to Atlantic ocean and throw shells in water
- go to Maine for 5 min
- drive down New Hampshire coast back to Boston.  Somehow, this seemed to take us all afternoon.
- arrive in hotel near Boston and fall asleep

Mon Sept 3rd:
- hotel shuttle to subway station.  Subway into downtown Boston.  Catch trolley bus tour.
- avoid parking anywhere near Boston since there's nowhere to "pak the cah"
- tour HSS Consitution ship and walk to Bunker Hill battle monument, and climb 294 steps to top
- trolley bus through town
- lunch in park near Swan Boats and Ducklings statue
- trolley bus tour through town some more, then boat tour around Boston Harbour.  (Ha-bah)
- go to IMAX movie (Rachel's first movie) on elephants and orangutans and then tour aquarium

- dinner in the Little Italy district for yummy pasta and seafood
- subway home to hotel, fall asleep

Tues Sept 4th;
- weather is yucky.
- pack up, check out, drive to Cambridge and get lost trying to find Harvard.
- in the pouring rain on the side of the road, lost, trying to put together Chariot, Rachel runs out into street for the first time in her life.  Meggan nearly dies of guilt as she was not watching Rachel closely enough.
- Meggan and Jason are grumpy and soaking wet and uncertain how to make the morning fun, but Rachel jumps in every puddle and makes the rain fun

- pack up wet and drive to airport, hoping for good traffic since we are a little lost
- successfully return the car, check in, check luggage, get through security, eat lunch, change clothes/diaper, board plane
- good flight home with some napping by Rachel
- retrieve luggage.  Sadly, the chariot got bent en route and is hopefully fixable.
- shuttle to parking lot.  Get in car.  Rachel faces forward in her car seat for the first time!