Mini-Bunks

I am so thankful to be married to a man with so many talents. Sometimes I feel like there is nothing that he can't do. He always finds a way....

We had a little sleeping dilemma in our Trailer down at the river when it came to the girls. It has 2 Twin sized beds in it, but no way to attach bed rails to it and it's pretty high off the ground. We were concerned that they weren't quite ready that transition yet. In the meantime, we had been using Crib mattresses on the floor, but neither one of us really loved the idea of them sleeping on the floor either.

So one afternoon we were discussing this issue and brainstorming possible solutions and we both thought it would be cool if we could bunk them somehow. That's when Keith took the idea and ran with it.

Within hours he was at Home depot purchasing the supplies to build a mini-bunk bed, and he got right to work. The girls had a blast helping Daddy build their new beds. All Keith had was the measurements of the mattresses, and the rest he built as he went along. Apparently the plans were in his head all along. From start to finish, Keith had it completed within a matter of hours.

They turned out Awesome!! They are only a little over 3 feet off the ground, and are incredibly sturdy. Keith built the ladder at an angle (more like stairs) so the girls could get up and down safely with ease.

I thought for sure we were going to have a huge battle over who was going to sleep on top but amazingly enough Kaylyn declared the bottom bunk as her own, and Kylee took the top bunk. No problems whatsoever. Who would have known???

Needless to say, they were a success!!!

I Refuse to be Outsmarted by a 2 year old!

If there is one thing I love about my girls, it is their strong will! If there is one thing that frustrates me and wears on my patience more than anything about my girls, it is their strong will! These two constantly keep me guessing and on the edge of my seat, and this potty training adventure has been no different.

So I think where we left off last, Kylee was pretty much trained and Kaylyn had no interest at all.

Well within the last week Kaylyn asked to use the potty and this time she actually took to it! Success!! She has now been accident free for 3 days! Yay!!

BUT (there is always a But isn't there!), since Kaylyn has started using the potty, Kylee had completely regressed. She wouldn't use the potty at all, and she was having accidents left and right.

They completely pulled a fast one on me, and switched!!

One of the cornerstone's of Potty Training, in everything you read, is that you cannot get upset when your kid has an accident. Well, what if your kid purposefully soils the carpet, then do you have a right to get upset? And yes, I do mean Purposefully! After multiple accidents in one day, I finally put a diaper on Kylee. She fought it at first, but left it on for about 30 minutes until she then decided to take it off and pee right in the middle of the floor! She knew exactly what she was doing, and walked over to me and told me I needed to go clean up the Pee on the Carpet! Are you kidding me?!?!

I don't get it. Nothing had changed. She still gets just as much praise and stickers as she always had. What gives?

I knew it was too good to be true. No way could I have both of them trained and out of diapers that easily. And I was right!

They say that you shouldn't bribe your kid's, well I say you have to do what works. So bribery it was!

Yesterday after Kaylyn's 2nd day of Potty Success. I rewarded her at the end of the day with an ice cream. Ice cream is a big deal in our house, and Kylee was not happy that she did not get to partake in this special treat. I thought for sure that this was the motivation she needed to get back on the bandwagon.

I got her up this morning. We had the "talk" about no accidents, and Pee-pee goes in the potty, and wouldn't you know it 5 minutes later she peed right in the middle of the carpet!

Now I am waving my white flag!

I give up! I don't care if this kid goes to college in diapers. I am tired of cleaning carpets! Especially for a kid that *knows* how to use the potty, but for whatever reason is refusing to do so! So back to diapers for Kylee it was....

Then something magical happened at 5 o'clock tonight. Kylee told me she had to pee, I took her diaper off, and she Peed in the Potty!! I don't think I have made a bigger deal about anything in my life! I am still not even sure what caused the change of heart, but whatever it was I am not questioning it!

An hour and a half later, she put herself on the potty and peed again.....in the POTTY!!! WooHoo! Maybe we are making progress??

So, at the end of this day I am cautiously optimistic that Kylee is back on board with this Potty Training thing. I am also so proud of how well Kaylyn is doing! I feel like we are so close, yet so far away! I guess we shall wait and see what tomorrow brings!

Conniving Little Girl She is

The potty training saga continues around here. Kylee is pretty much completely trained. Yay!! She hasn't had an accident in quite a while, and things are going good on that front.

Anyways, she is not my problem. Kaylyn on the other hand has Zero interest in actually using the Potty, which is totally fine with me. I am in no hurry, and I don't want to push the issue, but she is yearning for the attention and candy that Kylee is getting for being successful. So now she has started putting all kinds of effort into making me think that she is using the potty. She dumped her water glass in the potty, and told me she peed. She grabbed the bowl after Kylee peed in it, and said it was hers (I was sitting there watching, so I knew what she did). She even dumped her lunch in the potty and said it was Poop!

Seriously if this kid put half as much energy into actually trying to use the potty, as she does trying to convince me that she does go to the bathroom, we might be getting somewhere!

To further complicate things, she also now absolutely refuses to wear a diaper (since Kylee no longer wears them, she doesn't want to either). If I put one on her, she takes it off immediately anyway. She tells me she want's to pee in the potty, but she has yet to do so. We have had a couple poop successes, but nothing consistent.

I am trying to walk that fine line of letting her take the lead, and encouraging her to want to use the potty, and most of all not getting upset when she has an accident. It's definitely a delicate balance.

There is no question in my mind that she is smart enough to potty train. This kid is not dumb, and she knows when she has an accident. She comes and tells me, and has even gotten a towel herself and cleaned it up! I think this just comes down to her being stubborn and asserting her power.

Needless to say, it has been very tiresome but I am hopeful that she catches on sooner rather than later!

Potty Training

Just the mere thought of potty training two toddlers, and everything that goes along with it was enough to make want to run far, far away!! After months of doing lots of reading up on all the different techniques and approaches, I finally decided to give it a serious go last week.

We went with the straight to panties technique, with an M&M reward for making it happen. The first day was hit or miss, but as time progressed Kylee was really starting to get the hang of it, whereas Kaylyn could care less. A week later, the same is true. Kaylyn just has absolutely no interest at all, but that is fine. It will happen in good time. Hopefully that time is sometime before she starts college! :D

Kylee on the other hand is doing incredibly well! She pee's and poops on the potty successfully, and accidents are becoming almost nonexistent! She puts herself on the potty, and can pull her panties up and down all by herself. We even attempted letting her wear panties for the 90 minute drive from Alpine to Temecula, and when we arrived home she was still dry!

So one down, and one to go!! As much as I feared this whole Potty Training endeavor, it has proved to not be nearly as bad as I thought it would be.

2009-Year in Review

I can't believe another year is already coming to an end! 2009 has proven to be really busy, but completely amazing! I am happy to report that we had a wonderful year. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching the girls grow and learn immensely. They both continue to amaze me each and every day! They have exceeded everyone's expectations of their developmental progress for being 28 week preemie's, and I could not be more proud!

The year started off with the girls having just learned how to walk, and venturing in talking with a few words here and there. Now, at 26 months old they speak in full, coherent, clear sentences and they love to run, jump, and dance all over the place.

Watching the girls different personalities develop over this last year has been such a joy! There is no doubt about it, these girls definitely have Personality! They are both little Ham's, and have the greatest sense of humor! They are constantly making me laugh and smile! It is amazing that although they share the same exact DNA, they are sooo incredibly different!

Kaylyn is our little dare devil! She is not scared to take risks when it comes to climbing, jumping or getting herself into precarious positions. The bigger the better in her opinion. I think she is going to be an adrenaline junkie like her dad! She has acquired the nickname "bruiser", because even when she does fall, she rarely cries about it. Typically she will just get up and keep going. She is also VERY talkative, and always has something to say. Kaylyn also tends to be very logical, and not much gets passed this kid!

Kylee tends to be a little more reserved both in talking and taking risks. She likes to talk in more of a one on one setting, where as Kaylyn likes to perform for an audience. Although Kylee doesn't like to jump off bar stools (yes, Kaylyn did this!) she does love Bugs and Reptiles, where as Kaylyn is a bit more squeamish in that department. Kylee is very sensitive in a lot of ways, and loves to cuddle.

They definitely balance each other out nicely, and are the best of friends. They share a bond like no other. As different as they are, they share a lot of similarities as well. They are both very kind and empathetic. They also have a wonderful use of manners. Both Kylee and Kaylyn tend to be a little shy at first around strangers, but once they warm up there is no stopping them! They are very sweet girls, and over all extremely well behaved. I couldn't ask for anything more!

In April the girls started dance class! It started off as a Mommy-and-Me class, but once they turned two they graduated to dancing on their own! Not only do they absolutely love dancing, but it has been really good for them developmentally to learn to listen to instructions, take turns, and play nicely with friends. I love watching them dance!

In October the girls celebrated their 2nd birthday. I still can't believe that they are two years old! It is hard to even wrap my head around the fact that they entered this world barely over 2lbs and not breathing! To look at them now, and see all that they have overcome is truly astonishing. Right after their 2nd birthday, the girls had their final developmental appointment to ensure that they are developing appropriately (because they were born so premature). The Dr that administered that standardized test was amazed at how well they are both doing, and cleared them from the developmental follow up program! Amazingly, they both tested at a 2 1/2-3 year old level in all areas! They are also both extremely tall, in the 97th percentile for height!

It has also been a year of a lot of learning. Their intelligence just blows my mind!! I am constantly trying to think of new ways to challenge them, and they never cease to amaze me. They are both very smart. Aside from their remarkable vocabulary and language abilities, they have learned a lot! They know their shapes (octagon, circle, square, triangle, rectangle, oval, and heart), they can both sing their ABC's all the way through, they can both count to 20, and we are working on colors. The girls have an amazing memory, and have memorized several books from cover to cover, and also have the ability to recall facts from months ago. The girls also use several Chinese and Spanish words and phrases (thank you Dora and Kai-Lan!). I am trying to make sure I keep up with them, so I know what they are talking about!

Their little imaginations have been running wild in recent months. From playing with their dolls and other toys, to playing with each other, I just love watching them pretend and role-play. It is crazy how at such a young age, they have the ability to pretend and make up their own story-line.

Then-January 2009

NOW! December 2009

What a difference a year makes!! 2009 has been a fabulous year, and I hope that 2010 will be equally as enjoyable if not more! Happy New Year!!

Christmas 2009

I can't even begin to tell you how much more I enjoy Christmas now that I am a mom! Seeing my kids faces light up, and enjoying the magic of it all is truly priceless!

This year our Christmas schedule had to be altered a bit to coordinate with Keith work schedule. Keith had to work Christmas day, so we talked to Santa and he agreed to make a special appearance a day early for us. That Santa sure is a good guy! ;)

Christmas Eve-Eve, we went down to Keith's parents house and anxiously awaited Santa's arrival that night. We left out Cookies and Milk for Santa, and Carrots for the Reindeer. We talked to the girls about how Santa was coming that night, and he would come down the Chimney and bring all the presents. Kaylyn instantly questioned this logic and said, "Santa cannot fit [in the chimney], he will get stuck! He is too big!". Nothing gets by this kid! So we just explained to her it was the magic of Christmas and Santa would make it down just fine. I don't think she was fully convinced, but she let it go.

Christmas Morning (Christmas Eve) the girls woke up to some wonderful gifts! I was amazed at how much they enjoyed each and every present they received. They would open 1 present and play with it for 30-45 minutes before moving on to the next one. With each present came a variety of "Oohs, Aahs, Wow's and Cool!" as they opened it. It was great to see how much they loved every single thing! It took quite a while to make it through all the presents, but they did it and enjoyed every second of it!

Some of the biggest hits out of the presents they received were their new Big Wheel Tricycles, the Barbie Pretend Make-Up kit (that included a blow dryer that they absolutely love), a Little People Doll house, Baby Doll beds, and their Dinosaurs. Within a couple of hours the girls mastered pedaling their tricycles and were cruising all over the place. I could not believe how quickly they picked it up!

Christmas Day Keith had to work, so the girls and I went to the Fire Station to visit him and have dinner with him and his Fire-Family. It was a lot of fun, and the girls ate a ton of food! It's hard having Keith away on special days such as Christmas, but we are thankful that we got to spend some time with him that day.

That night the girls and I went over to my Dad's house to share Christmas with him and Grandma Darlene. Again, we opened more presents and enjoyed spending time with family.

It was a busy few days, but I couldn't ask for anything more. We are so lucky to have such a great family to share these special times, and create such wonderful memories.

"Mommy, I didn't Pee-Pee in my Panties!!"

This morning when I got the girls up and went to change their diapers, Kaylyn was adamant that she was NOT going to wear a diaper. I gave her the option of wearing panties, and she decided that sounded like a good idea, so I went with it. Of course once Kaylyn was in big-girl panties, Kylee wanted to join the party as well, so she also got panties.

I put them on, and we had a long talk about how we don't pee in our panties, and if they have to go Potty to tell Mommy etc... Somehow this conversation evolved into them listing everything in the house they are NOT supposed to pee on, like the couch, the rug, the floor, the trampoline, their baby dolls and on and on.

I went ahead and printed them out some cool little Potty Training charts, hung them up, and explained that every time they went to the bathroom in the potty like big girls, they would get a sticker to put on their charts. Once all the squares on their chart are full, they can go to the store and pick out a new toy. They were all about that and very excited!!

So on we went with our morning. I periodically asked them if they had to go to the bathroom, and put them on the potties every so often, with no success. So then I was doing something in the kitchen, when I noticed Kylee went outside via the doggy door. I was curious to see what she was doing, so I went to the window to watch her.

She climbed up on Bandit's bed, pulled her panties down and Peed!! She then pulled them back up, and came back in (again, through the doggy door), and ran up to me and told me, "Mommy, I didn't Pee-Pee in my Panties!" She was so incredibly proud of herself!! I was trying not to laugh and to make sense of the fact that my daughter just went outside to go to the bathroom (when her potty was sitting in the middle of the living room floor), and told her it was Very good that she didn't Pee-Pee in her panties! Apparently, she thought the whole not peeing in the house conversation extended to her potty as well??? It was hilarious, and definitely a story we will share with her when she is older.

The girls wore their Big Girl panties from 8:00am-11:45, and it was then that they requested to have their diapers back. I think they were getting tired of me in their space, constantly asking them if they had to go potty. Thankfully there were only 2 accidents all morning, so that is pretty good I think.

I will continue to follow their lead with this whole potty training thing, and I am not going to push the issue. I have left their charts up in the meantime, in case they get the sudden urge to wear panties again.