Hodge Podge

Since the last time I posted:

* X-man has peed in the potty exactly one more time. But he loves his "big boie unna-wear". I guess I jumped the gun into the pull ups. Oh well. At least this gets me "trained" to ask him very regularly about going to the potty. The usual answer, though, is "no".

* Buttercup got tubes in her ears and she's doing great. Right after getting the tubes she was just inconsolable (which is understandable) but she's back to being Miss Grinny!

* I got my mole removed and the place is still sore. X-man noticed the band-aid right away when I got home from the dermatologist. And this morning I picked him up when he came into the living room and he immediately started "picking" on the place where my mole was. I didn't realize it was such a habit for him! Now, he says, "No mo mole. Anudder mole. Lossa moles!" Master of the obvious, that one is!

Where the mommy blogger talks about poop and pee

Fair warning...

We have been very gentle with starting to potty train X-man. We didn't want to do it right before Buttercup was born and the pediatrician said that we could even wait until he was 3 if we wanted to. But, X-man tells me when his diaper's dirty so I think that's some indication of interest. And the other day he had a solid enough dirty diaper that I could dump it in the potty. He loved that...mostly because he got to flush. But at least he saw that this stuff does go in the potty.

On Monday, he hadn't made his dirty diaper at the usual time (right after breakfast when I'm nursing Buttercup), so I asked him if he wanted to try sitting on the potty to "make a dirty." I didn't call it that because I'm opposed to saying poop, but for some reason, I've never called it that around X-man so I didn't think he'd know what I meant! Anyway, big boy sat on the potty and pushed and grunted just like you're supposed to in that situation. But nothing happened. He actually asked to do it again twice more that day...still nothing. No biggie. And despite me telling him to tell me if he needed to make a dirty diaper so I could take him to the potty, he went ahead and used his diaper just like always.

Yesterday, by bathtime, he hadn't had a dirty diaper yet so I suggested to TC that X-man sit on the potty before bath just to see what would happen. So, X-man hopped up there and while he was waiting for something to happen, he peed in the potty! TC said he doesn't think X-man even realized what was happening until daddy made a very hearty "way to go" comment and then the high fiving commenced. Now, if I would have been in there the neighbors probably would have heard my excitement. Probably better that daddy, the more calm one, was in there!

So, we'll see how this goes. I guess I need to go buy some pull ups.

Bye Bye Mole

Hi.

My name is Snarflemarfle and I have mole.

Well, more than one, actually.

It's on my neck.

It's raised and X-man likes to pull on it.

And say night-night to it.

And I'm getting it removed today.

I hope X-man still recognizes me!

The mole was something that X-man latched onto pretty quickly when he started to reach for things. And that's not a pleasant feeling. Anyway, back in January (while I was still pregnant) I noticed that it was getting a little cauliflowery-looking. This is usually not a good sign for moles. But, while I was pregnant (both times) I got crazy tag moles all over my neck, so that was probably part of the whole situation...it's probably nothing to worry about. Regardless, I don't wanna mess with skin cancer so I made an appointment to have it removed. I'm going in today and we'll get it taken care of.

Lovely

27 Months

X-man,

You are 27 months old today. And I want to just record (almost) everything you do so I can always remember it!

You are quite the little tape recorder. You'll repeat anything (which is why I've got to stop saying "crap" and "shoot" because they just don't sound like nice words coming out of your mouth!). And when you repeat conversations, they're always in the same order.

For example:

X-man: Dr. Caf wook ear?
Me: Yes, Dr. Metcaf is going to look in your ears.
X: (shaking your head) no hurt?
Me: No, it's not going to hurt.

And after your ear appointment:

X: Dr. Caf wook ear?
Me: Yes, Dr. Metcaf looked in your ears.
X: Toud oo not hurt
Me: Yes, I told you it wouldn't hurt.
X: widdle scawed?
Me: Were you a little scared?

It is so cute! We have the same conversation about the car cart at the grocery store every time we drive by the grocery store. Yes, you like to ride in the yellow car. Yes, they had to take it back when we were done shopping. Yes, so it will still be there next time.

I love your little language and while I don't want you to talk like that forever, I love listening to it develop right now. You've recently started saying I Love You...but it comes out "yuv yoo" and it is adorable.

You sing all the time and while other people have their favorites (Aunt Chickie loves it when you sing the X-man song to the tune of Shortnin' Bread) but my favorite is when you sing "You are my Sunshine." And you're usually singing it to Buttercup. One day I put the boppy (I'm loving it now; much better at using it this time for some reason) on my bed and then put Buttercup on the boppy with it under her chest. She lifted up her little head and you came to the edge of the bed, looked up at her and sang "You are my Sunshine" to her. It was the sweetest thing ever! As with most songs you sing, you don't get all the words but you usually get the ends of phrases. So the song goes something like: "Suh-shine, ah ah ah suh-shine. Ooo a a happyyyy a a a gway. Oo oo no dear a a yuv yoo. Take suh-shine awayyyy."

You're still sleeping on the floor in your room instead of in your bed. We're pretty sure it's because you've fallen out of your bed. I can understand not wanting to do that again! I'll get you a little railing this week and we'll see if that will help you want to sleep in your bed.

You have figured out how to get daddy or me to pick you up pretty quickly. You just look up at us and say, "Hug!" and there we are...suckers for a pretty face! If you don't want to pull out the big guns, you'll just come and grab us around the legs and say, "Pick oo up!" Those darn pronouns are so confusing.

I hope you don't grow up too fast...but it looks like you might.

Mole-velous!

My favorite reality TV show is back!!

The Mole

Of course it won't be as much fun without cutie Anderson Cooper as the host.

Tubes

Yes, Miss Buttercup will have to get tubes in her ears. She's scheduled for next Thursday.

We went to the otologist yesterday and both kids are ear infection-free, but Buttercup has fluid behind her eardrums. This fluid, if not taken care of, will most likely turn into an infection. So, as much as the doctor would like to drag his heels with getting tubes, he said we should go ahead and do it now.

I guess I better get my "Ear Flushing Kit" restocked. But I think that she's small enough right now, I won't have to sit on her to flush out her ears like I did with her brother when he got his tubes in at 11 months!

Three Months

My dear Buttercup,

You are getting so big and you're still so tiny! (I know, I'm pretty sure I said the same thing about your brother at this age) I know you're growing because you don't fit into your newborn outfits anymore.

And you have discovered your hands! I forgot how adorable this little discovery stage is. You really like to play on the floor (which I do a little more often while still keeping an eye on the stomp-monster) and I'll just watch you put your little hands together in front of your face. You'll get a little cross-eyed and just look at your hands. So cute!

Speaking of the stomp-monster, he accidentially stepped on your face the other day. Well, it was more of a light brush of his shoe across the side of your face. It didn't even discolor your skin, though you did scream pretty loudly when he did it. He looked at me with really concerned eyes and I said, very calmly, "We need to be careful. You just stepped on Buttercup. I know it was an accident and you didn't mean it."

We spent the next several hours having this conversation over and over again:

X-man: Step Buttercup
Me: Yes, you stepped on Buttercup
X-man: Assident
Me: Yes, it was an accident
X-man: shaking his head Mean it.
Me: That's right. You didn't mean it.

Buttercup, you have the most adorable giggle. It's squealy and squeaky and I love it! This giggle goes with your giant grin that just takes up your entire face. Your whole face lights up and you are just irresistable. Your smile is so big that you often lose your pacifier. X-man likes it when you smile and will point it out when you do.

Your favorite time to grin is when we're changing your diaper. I think that if you could potty train right now, you'd prefer it. If your diaper is even the tiniest bit dirty, you want it O-F-F!! And as soon as we put you down for a change, you gring and the grin gets even bigger when you see the clean diaper! You also really like to grin when I'm wrapping you up for the night. We're still using the Miracle Blanket and I'll put you on the blanket to get you all swaddled and you'll flash those shiny gums at me. I can't help but laugh!

We're just about to the end of this third antibiotic for your never-ending ear infection (and I'm ready because it's making for some terribly nasty diapers!). I really hope that we've beat it this time. But we'll be taking you to the otologist on Thursday just the same.

You're one a pretty good schedule and you sleep so well through the night. We put you to bed (and since Saturday night you've slept in your own crib in your room) at 10:30 pm and you don't make a peep until 5:30 am or so. In fact, the first two nights you slept in your crib, you didn't wake up to eat until 6:30!

You are definitely a mamma's girl (but everyone said that your brother is a mamma's boy) and I can get you calmed down when no one else can. Of course it could be that in those situations, by the time I get you, you are just so worn out from everyone else not doing it right that you just give up!

I can't wait to see you grow up, but at the same time, I'd love for you to stay little for a while.

Love you bunches!
Mamma