at this point nate seems to have the whole potty thing pretty much down. (KNOCK ON WOOD!!!) we have changed the chart in our living room from "number of times going on the potty" to "number of days dry." we have the days broken up into chucks of time.
wake = dry when he wakes up and goes on the potty as soon as he can (which is sometimes hours later and freaks me out)
AM = dry between that first time and nap time
nap = dry when he wakes up and goes on the potty as soon as he can (again, could be hours)
PM = dry between nap time and bed time
poop = days that he poops on the potty (he's not an everyday pooper, more like every 2nd or 3rd day)
in the last week or so there are only 3 blank squares (not including the poop column). he had a little accident in his pull up one AM, an accident in his pants one PM, and this morning he woke up with a wet pull-up (but that was because he basically had OJ for dinner last night and it was late, late at night).
he wears big boy underwear pretty much all day now. takes his nap in them, too. but still wears a pull-up at night. he stays dry at night--for the most part--but i am just not ready to deal with accidents in bed yet. i am trying to find a reusable underpad or two that i can put down under him. then i'll be brave enough to ditch the pull-ups all together. honestly, he doesn't even bat an eye at the "difference" anymore. even if he's wearing a pull-up all day (weekends when he stays in his jammies all day long), he still goes on the potty.
he's even gone to santa fe twice wearing underwear and had no accidents. we take him potty before we leave the house, and we ask him about half way there if he has to go. both times he has said "yes" but when we get him out of the car and take him in the gas station to go, he's got nothing. i guess the next step is albuquerque, which might be this weekend. we are supposed to go down to albuquerque for a few days starting sunday. and it seems as good a time as any to try it.
so on to the next step!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
F - L - Y
that was nate's first word. not the first word he said, but the first word he READ.
this morning, as we were getting ready to take him to pre-school, he was looking at an old toy catalog. on the front, sort of in the background of the main picture, is a toy that says FLY on the front of it. without a lick of help from me (or me even realizing what he was doing until it was all over with) he sounded out each letter (ffff lllllll yyyyyyy) and said the word. i had to look at the catalog to see what he was talking about, but sure enough, there it was. fly.
neither jeff nor i have any recollection of having read that to nate in all the months he has had it (since the xmas season). we do know that he might be able to sight read 'fly' because he watches Word World (love that show! PBS) and they have a fly flying around, and we read The Diary of a Fly. but this wasn't the same as him reading something in a book we've read before. he can nearly recite entire books to us that way. and it wasn't the same as him reading a word where the letters of the word make the shape of the object, which is the whole premise behind Word World. this was him sitting down, sounding out each letter, and putting all the sounds together.
immediately after FLY he went to a box in the living room and tried to do it again with a longer word (FLEXA--the boxes for his bunk are all over the house right now), but couldn't. he can pretty much always sound out each letter, but with longer words by the time he gets to the last sound, he's forgotten what the first sound was so he can't ever really put them all together.
so there you go, our son (not quite 3 1/2 years old) is starting to read. i'm excited and extremely proud. but i'm a little bit freaked out. it's great, but come on! he just, and i mean JUST, figured out the potty! i guess i shouldn't be surprised. jeff learned to read, pretty much unassisted, at a very early age, too--actually at about the same age, if i remember correctly.
this morning, as we were getting ready to take him to pre-school, he was looking at an old toy catalog. on the front, sort of in the background of the main picture, is a toy that says FLY on the front of it. without a lick of help from me (or me even realizing what he was doing until it was all over with) he sounded out each letter (ffff lllllll yyyyyyy) and said the word. i had to look at the catalog to see what he was talking about, but sure enough, there it was. fly.
neither jeff nor i have any recollection of having read that to nate in all the months he has had it (since the xmas season). we do know that he might be able to sight read 'fly' because he watches Word World (love that show! PBS) and they have a fly flying around, and we read The Diary of a Fly. but this wasn't the same as him reading something in a book we've read before. he can nearly recite entire books to us that way. and it wasn't the same as him reading a word where the letters of the word make the shape of the object, which is the whole premise behind Word World. this was him sitting down, sounding out each letter, and putting all the sounds together.
immediately after FLY he went to a box in the living room and tried to do it again with a longer word (FLEXA--the boxes for his bunk are all over the house right now), but couldn't. he can pretty much always sound out each letter, but with longer words by the time he gets to the last sound, he's forgotten what the first sound was so he can't ever really put them all together.
so there you go, our son (not quite 3 1/2 years old) is starting to read. i'm excited and extremely proud. but i'm a little bit freaked out. it's great, but come on! he just, and i mean JUST, figured out the potty! i guess i shouldn't be surprised. jeff learned to read, pretty much unassisted, at a very early age, too--actually at about the same age, if i remember correctly.
Monday, February 4, 2008
potty progress
in the last two weeks nate has gotten really good at the whole potty thing. but he was still, very much, resisting pooping on the potty.
now when he says he has to go pee, he goes quickly. no longer do we have to read 5 books to him before he's done. thank goodness.
last night he agreed to move the potty into the bathroom. it had been residing in his bedroom. i guess he felt a level of comfort and privacy there, so he'd go more easily there than in the bathroom. he and i, together, carried the potty into the bathroom last night. when he was finally diaper-free this morning and had to go, he only paused for a moment about going in the bathroom. i reminded him that we agreed last night to move it. after that he was ok.
he's had the same pull-up off and on for two days--still dry. the rest of the time he's either in underwear or in a diaper for bedtime.
he's still a little reluctant to go on the potty first thing in the morning, but we're working on it. we are also working on going "out and about" in underwear. we went to coffeehouse on friday in underwear. he went on the potty when we first got there, but then got distracted playing and had an accident. after that he opted for a pull-up, which was fine. so we will have to venture out to a few more places in the next couple of weeks. building confidence--for both of us.
then today he major progress. before he was out of his cloth diaper (which is what we use at bedtime), he tried to go hide. hide translates to poop in our house. typically if he's in his cloth diaper i won't let him go hide. i'm DONE with poop in cloth, at least with him. so that's the point at which he got dressed for the day. big boy underwear and all. and made a point of telling him that if he pooped now, it would be in his underwear. he went pee once. said he had to go again, but didn't or couldn't. (it wasn't that long since the first time he had gone. so i wasn't surprised.) then within short order he said he had to poop. so he went to the bathroom and sat on the potty while i got some books to read. (this one isn't as "down" as the peeing so it could take a little while.) i didn't even get two pages into the story i was reading and he said he was done. "do you want to see it?" YEAH! there it was. a big fat turd in his little potty! HE DID IT!!!!! as soon as he stood up he said, "it looks like a worm." and then "that's icky poop." i told him that's why we go in the potty and flush it away. so that's what we did. (and then cleaned out the potty.)
he got 4 candies for going poop on the potty. and tons of praise. we called papa to report the good news. we called and left a message for mama D, too. (we enlist all the help we can for potty encouragement. it can't hurt.) he'll get a star on his chart, too.
i believe this is only the 3rd time he's ever gone poop on the potty. the first time freaked him out, completely. the second time was the first day of preschool. we've been waiting to repeat the performance, but he's been very resistant to it.
i'm so happy!!!! and i feel like a total idiot for being so excited about where my child poops! but i know i'm not alone.
so YAY nate!!!! way to go little man. we love you.
now when he says he has to go pee, he goes quickly. no longer do we have to read 5 books to him before he's done. thank goodness.
last night he agreed to move the potty into the bathroom. it had been residing in his bedroom. i guess he felt a level of comfort and privacy there, so he'd go more easily there than in the bathroom. he and i, together, carried the potty into the bathroom last night. when he was finally diaper-free this morning and had to go, he only paused for a moment about going in the bathroom. i reminded him that we agreed last night to move it. after that he was ok.
he's had the same pull-up off and on for two days--still dry. the rest of the time he's either in underwear or in a diaper for bedtime.
he's still a little reluctant to go on the potty first thing in the morning, but we're working on it. we are also working on going "out and about" in underwear. we went to coffeehouse on friday in underwear. he went on the potty when we first got there, but then got distracted playing and had an accident. after that he opted for a pull-up, which was fine. so we will have to venture out to a few more places in the next couple of weeks. building confidence--for both of us.
then today he major progress. before he was out of his cloth diaper (which is what we use at bedtime), he tried to go hide. hide translates to poop in our house. typically if he's in his cloth diaper i won't let him go hide. i'm DONE with poop in cloth, at least with him. so that's the point at which he got dressed for the day. big boy underwear and all. and made a point of telling him that if he pooped now, it would be in his underwear. he went pee once. said he had to go again, but didn't or couldn't. (it wasn't that long since the first time he had gone. so i wasn't surprised.) then within short order he said he had to poop. so he went to the bathroom and sat on the potty while i got some books to read. (this one isn't as "down" as the peeing so it could take a little while.) i didn't even get two pages into the story i was reading and he said he was done. "do you want to see it?" YEAH! there it was. a big fat turd in his little potty! HE DID IT!!!!! as soon as he stood up he said, "it looks like a worm." and then "that's icky poop." i told him that's why we go in the potty and flush it away. so that's what we did. (and then cleaned out the potty.)
he got 4 candies for going poop on the potty. and tons of praise. we called papa to report the good news. we called and left a message for mama D, too. (we enlist all the help we can for potty encouragement. it can't hurt.) he'll get a star on his chart, too.
i believe this is only the 3rd time he's ever gone poop on the potty. the first time freaked him out, completely. the second time was the first day of preschool. we've been waiting to repeat the performance, but he's been very resistant to it.
i'm so happy!!!! and i feel like a total idiot for being so excited about where my child poops! but i know i'm not alone.
so YAY nate!!!! way to go little man. we love you.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
wait! that's me!
thanks Jenn. sorry my blog is so boring! not much ever happens here.
this is the ABC’s of me.
[Each player tags 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.] i don't actually know 6 people with blogs, so i doubt this will actually happen. but here are my answers anyway.
A- Attached or single: happily attached
B- Best Friend: Jeff, my husband, sounds cliche but i really like being around him and doing things together
C-Cake or Pie: cake, but for the right pie (custard pie) i could be persuaded to change my answer
D- Day of Choice: saturday . . . i get to sleep in!
E- Essential Item: books
F- Favorite Color: blue
G- Gummi Bears or Worms: bears, i decapitate them first!
H- Hometown: what are we calling a "hometown"? i was born in Panama City, FL, but moved from there at 6 wks of age. i suppose i spent the better part of my childhood in Colfax, WA. that's where i graduated from high school and where my parents still live.
I- Indulgence(s): hot baths, romance novels, eating out, and preschool
J- January or July: september! i like the temperatures more moderated. january is boring and cold. and july is just plain too hot.
K-Kids: Jesper, Nate, and Willow (who is due in may)
L-Life is incomplete without: family and friends
M- Marriage Date: June 17, 1995 (that makes me sound old!)
N- Number of Siblings: 1
O- Oranges or Apples: apples, honeycrisp apples to be exact
P- Phobias or Fears: spiders and bugs
Q- Quote(s): Time has healed me, but time has not made me forget. -Janis Heil
R- Reason To Smile: i love you mama!
S- Season: fall. brisk days, crisp, colorful leaves, warm sweaters.
T- Tag Six: i don't know 6 people with blogs. and since this request came from Jenn, my list of blog-owners is down by one to start with.
U- Unknown Fact About Me: is there anything people don't know about me? let me think . . . i like my oysters raw? but you might already know that.
V- Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animal: i'd gladly eat only vegetables, but animals are so very tasty!
W- Worst Habit: perfectionism, i'm too outspoken, i'm too opinionated. pick one.
X- X-Rays or Ultrasounds: ultrasounds . . . they are usually a much happier event. x-rays go with broken bones. ultrasounds go with babies.
Y- Your Favorite Food: a good, juicy, medium-rare steak with roasted brussel sprouts and mashed sweet potatoes. mmmmm. what? i'm pregnant! there is no such thing as "favorite food," singular; it has to be a meal. my other favorite is orange-glazed salmon with rice and broccoli.
Z: Zodiac: virgo, virgo, virgo!
time to run, the natives are getting restless.
this is the ABC’s of me.
[Each player tags 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.] i don't actually know 6 people with blogs, so i doubt this will actually happen. but here are my answers anyway.
A- Attached or single: happily attached
B- Best Friend: Jeff, my husband, sounds cliche but i really like being around him and doing things together
C-Cake or Pie: cake, but for the right pie (custard pie) i could be persuaded to change my answer
D- Day of Choice: saturday . . . i get to sleep in!
E- Essential Item: books
F- Favorite Color: blue
G- Gummi Bears or Worms: bears, i decapitate them first!
H- Hometown: what are we calling a "hometown"? i was born in Panama City, FL, but moved from there at 6 wks of age. i suppose i spent the better part of my childhood in Colfax, WA. that's where i graduated from high school and where my parents still live.
I- Indulgence(s): hot baths, romance novels, eating out, and preschool
J- January or July: september! i like the temperatures more moderated. january is boring and cold. and july is just plain too hot.
K-Kids: Jesper, Nate, and Willow (who is due in may)
L-Life is incomplete without: family and friends
M- Marriage Date: June 17, 1995 (that makes me sound old!)
N- Number of Siblings: 1
O- Oranges or Apples: apples, honeycrisp apples to be exact
P- Phobias or Fears: spiders and bugs
Q- Quote(s): Time has healed me, but time has not made me forget. -Janis Heil
R- Reason To Smile: i love you mama!
S- Season: fall. brisk days, crisp, colorful leaves, warm sweaters.
T- Tag Six: i don't know 6 people with blogs. and since this request came from Jenn, my list of blog-owners is down by one to start with.
U- Unknown Fact About Me: is there anything people don't know about me? let me think . . . i like my oysters raw? but you might already know that.
V- Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animal: i'd gladly eat only vegetables, but animals are so very tasty!
W- Worst Habit: perfectionism, i'm too outspoken, i'm too opinionated. pick one.
X- X-Rays or Ultrasounds: ultrasounds . . . they are usually a much happier event. x-rays go with broken bones. ultrasounds go with babies.
Y- Your Favorite Food: a good, juicy, medium-rare steak with roasted brussel sprouts and mashed sweet potatoes. mmmmm. what? i'm pregnant! there is no such thing as "favorite food," singular; it has to be a meal. my other favorite is orange-glazed salmon with rice and broccoli.
Z: Zodiac: virgo, virgo, virgo!
time to run, the natives are getting restless.
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