We are potty trained...and other updates from the week!

Okay...Okay...Okay... I realized that not everyone really cares about potty training but indulge me for a few minutes...please!

About 2 weeks ago I began reading up on potty training tactics. However, I must make a "disclosure statement" and let everyone know that I am not really one of those Mommy's who "goes straight by the book" when it comes to my child. It is extremely helpful that my educational background is in child development and child life, but as a mommy I just like to take one day at a time. I do find that I can learn great amounts of interesting information from reading the works of some trusted research and utilizing some great resources (T.Berry Brazelton & the American Academy of Pediatrics...to name a few). However, only so much can be retained or truly put into practice when it comes to the individuality of each child! I try my best to be "as in touch" with Analayne's growth, intellectually, physically, emotionally, developmentally and spiritually and I think that the most vital way to help her grow and develop at her own pace is to watch her cues!

With that said, I started watching her closely and noticed that she was showing interest in learning how to use her potty. She could say vital words such as "pee-pee" and "poo-poo" and her attention span was capable of lasting several minutes. She had also already shown me (many months previously) that she knew how to relax her muscles to allow herself to pee-pee, a vital part of being able to sit on the potty and get something to happen! However, even though these cues were evident, Russ and I would need to create a potty training game plan.

I bought a baby doll that had a potty and could go "pee-pee" and I created a sticker page for the refrigerator. In addition, I bought her some tiny panties with Elmo, pink horses and some with kitty-cats on them. I also created a "prize" system, based on getting two little M&M's or Skittles after each successful attempt---which has worked really well (as she now cares very little for the candy but still wants to go potty). To top it off, I became the worlds best cheerleader! Imagine me proclaiming with delight something like this, "yeah--- you did it. You can pee-pee in the potty." This plan has been very successful for us and within a day or two she really had the hang of it all. Today at church she even told her teacher "pee-pee" and they grabbed her up ran to the restroom and she proceeded to show off her new trick! We are proud parents and our budget is all the better for it too. YEAH Analayne...Way to GO!

Other FUN and Interesting moments that occurred this week:

**Analayne locked her mommy out of the house on Saturday. I was running to the mailbox (which takes me less than 10 seconds) and she decided to come to the door to watch but locked the glass door. When I got back up to the door there she was standing in front of the glass with nothing but her undies on. I tried for quite sometime to get her to unlock the door. She tried but kept turning the knob the opposite direction. Needless to say, I figured it all out and got back in the house...but it took about 15 minutes. The lesson I learned was... take her with me to the mailbox (or get a full time nanny to watch her 24/7). I'm opting for the nanny's help but Russ said, "that is not an option." I guess I am the nanny! Oh well...I tried :)

**Analayne proclaims at least 100 times a day the phrase, "Daddy go to work." Just in case I ever forget where Russ is during the work week she can remind me.

**Every time the phone rings, Analayne thinks her aunt Candace is calling and wants to talk on the phone. This gets really interesting when a real-estate client or the southwest airlines representative calls and they can hear her adamant desire to talk to Candace in the background. On that note...I want to take a moment to thank my friend Camille for being willing to "talk" on the phone with my 2-year old. With 3 kids of her own, I am sure she would rather not hear another preschoolers chit chat but since Camille has a heart of gold, she endures and does so with an energetic spirit. Mimi you should also get an award!

More to come in the weeks ahead!