February Developments

It's been awhile, or at least it feels like it's been awhile since I posted an update on what's happening here. Lila is back to loving her bath time! The bath paint really did the trick because it got her in the tub and focused on painting, not her fear. After the first time with her diaper on, the next few times I let her keep her diaper on but then said I was going to take it off to wash her bottom right before she got out and she was fine with that. Then the next time I told her she couldn't wear a clean diaper in the tub (since she had just gone potty on the toilet) so she got in without one, but still wanted to stand up. Then the next time I said "if you sit down, you could paint your rubber duckies" and she sat right down! Since then, we have had some baths where we don't even use the paint. Yay!

I also quit fighting her on nap time because no matter what I tried, she either didn't fall asleep or didn't stay in bed. So finally I decided maybe she didn't need a nap anymore but she needed to have "room time". She has been very content to stay in her room until the timer beeps (usually 2 hours) and a few times this week I have checked on her and she has fallen asleep on her own! Wyatt is starting to take longer naps during the day, too.

His night-time sleep is still not great, but we are working on it. We moved him away from Lila's room so we can let him cry a bit more before we go get him. I am hopeful that by next week he will be much better at putting himself to sleep. He is sleeping on his tummy now; I was hoping that would help him not wake up so much at night but it doesn't seem to have changed anything. Time will tell.

As far as developments go, he is rolling over like a pro now. He rolls very easily from his back to his tummy. He's also reaching for things, drooling a lot, and can focus on things farther away (like Lila). Still smiling all the time too. Here's some pictures.

Lila reading a book to Wyatt.

Reaching for toys.

Wyatt almost always rolls on to his tummy now if I lay him down.

I took this picture today. It is so nice here and earlier Lila was outside playing. She pulled her wagon out to give rides to Elmo, Cookie Monster and Ernie - then couldn't resist getting in herself!

Valentine's Dinner

It's been awhile since we did this, but here's our special Valentine's Day meal - homemade pizza and brownies shaped into hearts. The pizza dough I shaped by hand. I bought the aluminum heart molds for the brownies.

Four Months

I took Wyatt to the doctor on Friday. He weighed 16 lbs. 10.5 oz. (75%) and measured 27" (95%). Lila at 4 months: 13 lbs. 10 oz. (50%) and 26" (90%). Wyatt hasn't repeated his feat of rolling from his tummy to his back yet. But yesterday he rolled from his back to his tummy for the first time! I think in another week or so he will be rolling all over. He puts his fingers in his mouth all the time. I don't know if he's on his way to being a thumb sucker or getting a tooth or just investigating his hands. He hasn't found his toes... yet.

Lila

Wyatt

Lila

Wyatt

Time for a Haircut

BEFORE

AFTER

Oddly enough, Lila also had one side of her head that grew longer hair when she was a baby. Weird.

Big Day

Yesterday was a big day around here. Lila started telling us she needed to go potty! (Prior to this, we were just putting her on there from time to time.) I think it was mostly motivated by her desire to get the doll. We had a baby doll that we told her she could have if she filled across her potty chart OR if she did #2 in the toilet. Well, she must have finally realized how close she was getting on the chart because yesterday she asked to go potty about 8 times. And each time, she went, even if it was just a little bit! Below I posted pictures of her with her chart and with her new doll. 

The other big news is that Wyatt rolled from his tummy to his back last night for the first time! It was after dinner so Ben got to witness it too. Very exciting!!

Note: She got to put a sticker in each column for 1. telling us she had to go, 2. using the potty, 3. using a small amount of toilet paper, 4. flushing, and 5. washing hands. Overkill? Maybe, but someone knows how much toddlers like stickers! So she used the potty about 20 times total.

Picture Perfect?

Usually I just post or email the best picture I get, but this progression was humorous to me so thought I'd put them all up. If at first you don't succeed...

Oops, just a little off center!

I'm losing one I think...

Oh no, losing the other one now!

Finally!

Tummy Time

Look how well I can hold up my head! Pretty soon I'll roll over, Mommy thinks.

For Better, For Worse

It's been awhile since I posted anything so I thought I'd share the ups and downs we've been experiencing. Sorry this post doesn't have any pictures, but I'll try to put some up sometime today of the two kids.

We've been trying to potty-train Lila, not very aggressively, but we have the toilet seat out and will ask her if she needs to go. Recently we had a major development -- she decided she hated to get in the bath because she was afraid of going potty in the tub! On the bright side, if the alternative was getting in the tub, then she was more than willing to sit on the toilet! But I was so sad that she no longer wanted to take a bath. She used to LOVE bath time! And I'm not talking about shouting "no!" or throwing a fit and running away. I'm talking about terrified screaming, clinging for dear life when we try to put her in the tub, sobbing "I don't want to go potty!", runny nose from so much crying, irrational fear of urinating in the bathtub! Well, it's not like we can say, "ok, we'll just try this again in a month and see if you're ok"... she has to take a bath. I'd consider a sponge bath except how do I wash her hair? I've tried all kinds of suggestions to get her to get in there, but nothing worked. Bubbles - nope. Take a bath with me? Nope. Keep your diaper on? Nope. Swim diaper? Nope. 

Well, I finally found something that works, praise God! We have some Bath Paint that I'd never opened before; someone gave it to us when Lila was born. It is basically colored hand soap in a bottle. I asked Lila if she would want to stand in the tub with her diaper on and paint. She was excited about that so I gave her one of my cheap paintbrushes, squirted a little bath paint onto the soap tray and she "paints" while I wash her hair and exposed body very quickly. (SO GLAD we have the shower head that you can pull off with the hose). Then once she's rinsed off, I told her I was going to take off her diaper to wash her bottom real quick and we'd be done. She didn't mind! I did this yesterday and today she ASKED to do it again! Hopefully we can do this until her fear passes and then it's back to baths as normal. Yesterday was trash day. As some of you know, Lila used to be very afraid of the garbage truck. She could hear it coming and would run to me in fear. Yesterday she heard it coming and got up to go look, so I think we are past that fear. I'm hoping this bath fear will be the same way. Until then, bring on the paint brush! Also, through all of this she has gotten better about going potty. She still doesn't tell us she needs to go, but when I put her on there she doesn't complain and often will go after 5-10 minutes!

Wyatt has also had his ups and downs - with sleeping. Some nights he sleeps great - like last night. Other nights he doesn't - like the night before. I am trying to figure out what may be the cause to see if we can establish a pattern of sleeping better. He has moved into 6-9 month sleepers. If it is 2 pieces, he can still wear some 3-6 month things but most are getting too snug. I've gotten him to laugh only a few more times. He is incredibly smiley though and has gotten to be very vocal, especially if he's getting tired. Not crying (although it does eventually get to that) but just loud "talking". He also likes to blow bubbles with his lips. No rolling over yet but I don't think that's too far away.