Toben started learning chess

This week Toben found the chess piece Zach and I were given in college.  Toben asked me how to play the game.  He patiently learned all the pieces names and how they move.  Later in the day he asked how to set up the game.

When Zach came home on Thursday he was greeted by an eager Toben who set up the game and won!  :)

Happy 2nd BIrthday to Fiona!

Tina came to visit Thursday - Saturday to celebrate with us as Fiona turns 2!  On Friday, Tina took Fiona and Toben to Gigglenastics while I was able to go grocery shopping with Adelaide.  

:Lots of Legos and Duplo family fun was had!  Some amazing creations were made including a barn, two homes, an elephant and a giraffe.  Toben and Tina also made a race car together!

Anja, Duff, Leif and Sam came to visit on Saturday and join in the fun.  We were so glad to have all the visitors!

For

Thanksgiving 2013

This year we are very thankful for our newest addition Adelaide!  She slept through the entire Thanksgiving dinner and allowed us to enjoy a fantastic meal. This year I am also so very thankful for my husband.  Really feeling like 'Team Weyant' these last two weeks since we had baby #3.  I was up through the night with the baby before Thanksgiving, so I took a nap mid-day while Zach cooked.  After dinner he needed to nap and I cleaned.  Go Team Weyant!  :)


We had potato bread and my first ever German sweet bread.  Zach created an amazing turkey roll stuffed with sausage and stuffing.  He also made candied sweet potatoes and noodles from the turkey stock.  Every bite was amazing.  This was confirmed as Toben ate from his plate and made noises after every bite verifying his pleasure.  Both Toben and Fiona enjoyed drinking from the fancy 'wine-like' glasses and clicking them together saying "Happy Thanksgiving."

Introducing Adelaide

Adelaide Fearn was born Friday November 15th at 5:51 in the morning.  Melody, Tina, Jessica, and Sammy came from Pennsylvania to enjoy the occasion.  The delivery couldn't have gone any better and we were out of the hospital before noon on Saturday.  Here are a few shots of our new addition.  Love you lots already little one.  We can't wait to see who you become and if you keep your dark hair and eyes!  

Gammy Mel with Adelaide on her birthday

Tina with her fourth grand baby

My cousin holding Adelaide and smiling; although, she was terrified she would hurt the little bundle of joy. 

Sammy playing with the other two kiddos!

My new beautiful family

Love them!

We are still working on a family photo... this is all we have so far.  LOL!

Potty Trained before 18 months

Yes folks it can and has been done.  Fiona, after three days of potty-guidance (I'll call it), is potty trained.  Here is the short and simple of how to do it also.  I will go into a bit more info further below for interested parties.  I hope this post will help some parents out there looking for some help as they consider 'early' potty-training.

Step 1.

Have a child that shows early signs of wanting to use the potty.  Please see my previous post which lists Fiona's signs of potty readiness.  Once you have determined your child is both WANTING to use the potty and has the ability to physically handle using the potty(urinary control), move on to step 2.

Step 2.  

Set aside at least three days when you will focus on potty training only.  Don't plan to go anywhere those days.  Have your child with BOTTOMS OFF for those days(except when sleeping or napping), and try to stay on hard surfaces.  Set a timer to rhythmically set your child on their little potty.  (About every 30 minutes to every hour)  

Step 3.

With the insane luck I experienced, your child will simply thank you for the guidance and from then-on-out use the potty when needed.  

Disclaimer:  Results may and probably will vary from child to child.  This same method didn't click with my son for nearly a week when he was 22 months old and it still resulted in numerous accidents over the next couple months. I will not be held responsible for stains or smells on your carpets and/or furniture.  :)

Here is little Miss in her new underwear!

Here I will go into some more detail of our specific experience potty training.

Preparation:

Since she was showing signs of readiness I placed a little potty in our bathroom.  I let her sit on it when she wanted.  It became a familiar piece in the bathroom and she actually used it three times by herself the week before I started training her.  Next, I purchased her first pack of underwear. (I think to myself, "here's to hoping" as I throw it into the shopping cart)  I also purchased a huge, $9 bag of M&Ms as treat to give incentive to the process.  I debated between Huggies SlipOn Diapers and Pampers Pull-ups and decided it didn't matter, they were the same thing.  I purchased the Pull-ups for the sole purpose of sleeping in, and simply because the SlipOn Diapers were not available in a small pack that day at the store.  We also read a potty book and talked about using the potty.  

Day 1.

I decided late on Monday, July 22nd that it would be the perfect week to start potty training.  So, my 17 month old started the bottoms-off approach to potty training.  I set a timer for 30-45 minutes apart for the rest of the day.  This resulted in catching about 1/2 of her pee and thankfully a bowel movement too.  We would sing and clap and drink milk or juice while she sat on the potty.  I also let her hold a few small toys while we waited about 1-5 minutes, just so she didn't get bored.  We celebrated any results in her potty with praise and chocolates. As, I helped her wash her hands, my three year old will cry out "Yayyy! Good Job! I'll go get the M&Ms."  Fiona would beam when Toben would praise her.  She loved pleasing her big brother. We would all have a few M&Ms together then.  :)    

She got to sleep in her first Pull-up that night, which was exciting for her because she could step into it like underwear and it had Minnie Mouse.  She woke up dry and I placed her on the potty with no results.  So off came the bottoms and I let her walk about the house.  About 30 minutes later, she let me know verbally and with gestures that she needed to pee.  Success! I returned to setting the timer about every 45 minutes.    

Day 2.  

From mid-day Tuesday to mid-day Wednesday she had, I believe 4 pee accidents.  Mostly because I stopped setting the timer.  She would tell me verbally if she needed to go to the bathroom by saying "Pah, Pah" as well as gesturing between her legs.  I started to rely on her to tell me because she seemed aware of what was happening.  Unfortunately, one accident involved my three year old son getting caught up in the mess. :(  Fiona was not phased so we continued marching on.  

I attempted to keep my daughter in the kitchen and laundry room for most of the day since they both have linoleum flooring.We had a few toys and puzzles as well as the laptop to watch some DVDs.  We had zero accidents on my rug or carpet or furniture.  This is the insane luck I was talking about!      

Day 3.

From mid-day Wednesday to mid-day Thursday Fiona had only a partial accident.  (Meaning half of the pee was in on my laundry room floor the other half was in her potty)  Wednesday night, she laid awake, Pull-up on for a long time.  She finally requested to go to the potty and after peeing she quickly fell asleep in her bed.  The partial accident occurred Thursday morning and from then on she has successfully used her potty.  The End.  Period.  Ta-Dah! 

Later:  

On that Saturday, the family took a trip to the grocery store.  Even after Fiona had been dry for about 48 hours, I had little faith that she was completely potty trained.  So, I did a no-no.  I put her in a Pull-up and we all headed to the store.  We had been gone for about an hour and a half when, in the produce section she let me know she needed to potty.  I walked her half way across the large store to the bathroom and she went in the potty!  She earned herself a lollipop for the drive home.  :)  She proved herself capable of wearing real underwear when out and about.

We started that Tuesday the 30th with a trip to library.  Then a quick play date at a friends. After her mid-day nap, we went to the SPI Spot downtown to play.  We were out and about almost 5 hours in total with panties on.  No messes! :)

At our playdate with some friends

First day out and about with panties.  SPI SPOT downtown.  She's a big girl now!

We went to the local water park this past Friday August 16th. after her 18 month check up. On two separate occasions she told me she needed to use the potty.  Both times had results. Again, little Miss proved herself. (I think most kids would just go in the water, right?) 

Fiona and Gammy enjoying some snacks and sun rays at the water park

I do not regularly ask her if she has to go potty.  She tells us if she has to go.  It has been over three weeks and to date, she has had two pee accidents total.  I blame them both on me not paying attention to her gestures and not being aware of how long it had been since she last went.  We have had maybe three wet Pull-ups when she wakes in the morning also.  She is getting better at pulling down her own underwear, but I still help.  At home we will sometimes still keep her bottoms off  as it is convenient for us.  So I am one of the luckiest moms ever because my child, with very little guidance, potty trained herself in three days!  

There's our story.  Check back in two years to see how her little sister is progressing with this milestone.  :)      

     

Toben Reads because 'Now I'm Big'

I borrowed a book from the library called Now I'm Big by Karen Katz.  It is a sweet book showing a little girl doing things as a baby and differently now that she is a big girl.  It also shows the big girl getting a little sister and helping the baby;which, I thought was a perfect book to read to Fiona.  Toben decided last night that he would read it to her.

Toben and Fiona sat on one couch and read the book together in its entirety. I sat on the other couch a super proud momma.  :)  Afterward, I wished I had recorded the sweet moment.  I asked Toben if he would read it again so I could take a video.  He said sure.  Here are two clips I captured.

After that book, Fiona brought me the Biscuit book that Toben learned to read with.  Here is another quick clip.

Bread machine!!!

Okay, so it's nothing fancy, but I love it! I found it for sale at a reasonable price on a Facebook garage sale site.  My first bread was a bit of a dense wheat bread, that I enjoyed.  My second loaf was a simple white bread that Zach devoured before I could take a picture.  Below is my second white bread loaf.  I hope to try my MILs sweet bread recipe next followed by pizza crust.  :)