Look Who’s Talking!

Miss Maddie has officially begun talking and by talking I mean saying full sentences (sometimes up to six and seven words). I really took notice at the beginning of December when she started putting three words together. For the longest time she would get frustrated and start yelling “IMO, IMO, IMO”. We had no clue what she meant by this, until recently when the “IMO” has turned into “I want ___” Her wants and needs are now being verbally requested and this makes things so much easier on us! We can understand pretty much understand anything she says now! I will never forget as we walked into the doctor’s office a few weeks ago {right before Christmas} and she said clear as day “Doctor said no monkeys jumping on bed” I looked at her and was completely taken off guard. Yes, I have been singing this song to her nonstop for weeks, but for her to just say it out of the blue was incredible! She seriously surprises me every day with the things she says and remembers. I know she is my own, but I have to say she is so smart!

I wrote down at 18 months that she had about forty words. I would think that this number has at least quadrupled. And to think just a few months ago I was worried about her lack of language. Well, my child has proved me wrong…WAY WRONG. I have to say my favorite thing she says is “I love you” which is more like “luh you”. Also just today while we were walking up the stairs I started to count and then all of the sudden she took over and counted 4-10! We have a talker and this mommy couldn’t be more proud!

Potty Training is in full swing…

It is hard to believe that another month has almost come and gone in just a blink of an eye. After the busy Christmas season, we have laid low for these past few weeks, mostly just leaving the house to go to the gym or grocery store. At the beginning of the month we really started to focus more on potty training. Maddie has showed more readiness lately, so we have decided to give it a shot. A friend of mine gave me a little pink frog potty to use and Maddie has seemed to respond well to it. We have a potty ring for the big potty that she has sat on here and there in the past, but I think the floor potty works better for now. She has gone many times on the potty these past few weeks, but it has been taking forever (even if it has been HOURS of staying dry). But after she goes, she stands up and squeals like crazy and yells “I pee pee on the potty!” I get just as excited as her!

At the YMCA where I work out, they have encouraged me to bring Maddie in a pull-up so she can go to the potty with the “big kids.” Yesterday was the first day that Maddie wore a pull-up and when I picked her up she had a ‘potty heart’ that they made for her for just sitting on the potty. Maddie carried that thing around and kept telling me all about it. She seemed so proud of herself, so right after the gym we headed to Target and picked out big girl underwear {Minnie Mouse!} I put them on her after her nap and she was so excited about her new underwear. She looks so grown up! I kept telling her that she has to keep Minnie dry and that we pee pee on the potty. She wore them all through dinner and then we sat her on the potty and within 5 minutes she went! About an hour later (right before bed) we sat her on it again and sang her ABC's and sure enough she went again! I was shocked to say the least. This morning as soon as she woke up I put her in the underwear and it has gone remarkably well! She has gone three times so far today (with only one #2 accident…but hopefully she will catch on to that soon) We have even gone on a walk and played outside in underwear!

The plan is to put her in underwear while we are home and sit her on the potty every 30 minutes or so until she gets the idea. Hopefully wearing big girl underwear will keep her motivated to stay dry and learn a little quicker. It sure would be nice to save a little money on these crazy expensive diapers. I don’t know how long this process is going to take, but regardless, I am so super proud of my almost two year old!