Potty Training (One Year Later)

We started on our potty training adventure just over a year ago. You may remember we went with the 3 day method to try and potty train the girls quickly since there was two of them. I shared our experience (here) at the end of the 3 days. Now that it has been a year I wanted to recap our experience and really how the rest of the  year went. After the initial 3 days I felt very confident that the girls were well on their way to being "fully" potty trained. Though I still kept them in diapers at nap and bed times. The "true" 3 day method basically says you should get rid of all diapers in the house so there is no chance to go back.. this would include nap and bed times. I really didn't think the girls were ready to go without diapers during those times. Looking back I think we made the right decision in this area. As the days continued they seemed to get better and better with going in on the potty on their own and having minimal accidents. Around the 3 month mark (also right about their 2nd birthday) I had some moments wondering if we made the right decision to start potty training them so early. And I definity said more than once "maybe we should just go back to diapers"; but then they would have great days and I could once again see the light. We tried going with out diapers at nap time on several different occasions and each time there was some success but not enough to think they were ready yet. And remember that time we moved in with family? Yea, I thought there might be a regression at that point and again when we moved into our house, but both times they girls did great.

Potty training twins is no joke and these girls certainly needed to be treated as individuals when it came to progress. I think Olivia was always a little ahead of the game as it related to "milestones" associated with potty training. She had less accidents and was the first to sleep during nap time without having an accident or wearing pull-ups. Like I said each of these girls are different so it was no big deal that Charlotte needed a little more time to figure it out. But one of the things I love about twins is that while they are different they also motivate each other. When Olivia started to nap without a pull-up Charlotte was right there wanting to do the same. Even though I did't think she was quite ready we let her go without. It took her some time to wake without an accident but now she does and the pride on her face each day is priceless. As I've mentioned before (Toddler Talk: Eight) we have been taking the girls to the bathroom in the middle of the night for about a month now and I've been really look forward to the time when they can get up on their own to use the potty. The other night Olivia was having a hard time going to sleep, while I was in the room checking on her I noticed Charlotte was awake. I went to her and laid her back down telling her to go to sleep, she was fighting me a little so I told her again to lay back down and that is when she said "mommy I have to go potty"! It was music to my ears and I was so proud of her, she did it a second time that night as well.

While I do feel like the girls were able to grasp the concept of using the potty saying they were "potty trained" In 3 days may not be 100% accurate. They for sure used the potty more than they had accidents after the 3 days; but I really believe potty training is a marathon not a sprint. While I have heard many moms say the 3 day method worked perfectly for them I know that that's not always the case for everyone. If I had a chance to do it over would I choose the 3-day method again? I think I would and lucky for me I do have the chance to do it all over again! Only this time I think we will wait until Parker is a bit older than the twins were. I'm so proud of these girls and all of their accompaniments and potty training is definitely a big one... onto the next.

Friday Favs

one. The Pool.. the girls absolutely love going to the pool and would probably go there everyday and stay all day if we let them. And let me say we pretty much go every day. Last summer the twins were mostly staying on the steps of the pool and not venturing into the main part of the pool too much. At the start of "pool season" it was much the same but it didn't take long for them to start floating their way into the water. Right now they wear the puddle jumper floats and let me tell you they are amazing and I am so happy we bought them last year. The girls are definitely learning to swim with them and I think it really builds their confidence. I was hopeful they would start doing more swimming and going under water sometime this year. But they did it much sooner than I thought. A few weeks ago we were hanging out at our friends pool and Olivia asked for her "armies" (as we call them) to be taken off and before we knew it she went right under water!! I was so shocked and beyond proud of her. The rest of our time there she continued to go underwater and then she pushed off from me and swam right to her aunt!! Talk about another shock this girl went from not wanting to get her hair or face wet to going under and swimming! Now both girls are all about going under the water and practicing swimming!

two. Working AC ... praise the lord our AC is working properly! After a month of issues with our AC our landlord decided it was time to just put in a new unit. Let me tell you living in Florida in the summer with a half working AC is not fun, oh and did I mention the fact that I have FIVE kids to keep cool?? I don't know about you but when it's hot and there is no way to stay cool in your home the crankies come out and the kids start to go a bit crazy. I am so thankful that we have a landlord willing to make things right!

Three. Statement Tees..I've never really been one for Tees with words on them let along a T-shirt that has a sentence! But recently I've been really liking the new things I have been seeing on my Instagram feed. After Parker was born and quiet honestly while I was pregnant with her I heard a lot "wow you have your hands full". I had seen a shirt a few times that I really liked and it said "If you think my hands are full you should see my heart" I thought hey that is a perfect shirt to wear when I am out with all the girls! So my first statement tee purchase was made and I am pretty sure that got me hooked and wanting more! A few more purchases later and I feel like I could wear them everyday! My favs are from Fresh Apparel Tees "Living that mom life" and "out with my entourage" are pretty perfect for my day to day life. I also really love my "Blessed Mama" tank from 3 Little Monkeys. I can't wait to see what I add to my closet next!

four. Meal prep... this past week we decided to prep our lunches and snacks for the week, we've done this in the past and I feel we definitely eat better when we have meals and snacks ready to eat. And since I am trying to loose baby weight and hubby is trying to go off of his insulin this was the best thing to do for the both of us. I threw a pork tenderloin in the crockpot, shredded it up and put it in containers with rice and we had lunches for the whole week for both of us. One day we had some leftovers from the night before so I gave the twins the pork and rice and it was the best lunch they have eaten all week #winning!! Snacks consisted of proportioned fruit and veggies that we could just grab and go with..so easy and it helps us to make sure we are getting enough fruit and veggies each day.

Five. itty bitty baby bows! If you've followed me for any period of time you know I love bows and love to put them on the girls. While Charlotte and Olivia usually don't want a bow in their hair (sometimes they do like today!) Parker doesn't get a choice! I am loving the trend of the little bows especially for Parker and I always get asked where they are from. Not to mention most newborns could pass for either gender so a bow really keeps people from asking me if she is a boy or girl!

bows A little lady shop

 Hope you all have a great weekend! Happy Friday!

All opinions are my own

Toddler Talk: Eight

Talk: Conversations, conversations, and more conversations between these two girls. They are always talking and always seem to have something to say. If they are together there is sure to be some sort of conversation going on between them. For the most part we still don't understand what they are saying but you can bet there is going to be some giggling AND of course some fighting. For a while (and sometimes still) they didn't understand the concept of "why"; If one of them did something and we would ask "why did you do that" they would only say "yes". Now they are starting to understand somewhat and the responses they give are classic, mostly because the both talk so fast and in circles. Most of the time what they say doesn't makes any sense but it's just so fun to listen to.  Charlotte has recently started asking where things come from or where we got something. I was eating a pear the other day and Charlotte asked me if she could have a bite after she said "where this from" I couldn't stop laughing and she just kept asking me until I answered. The way they are starting to understand the world around them really shows in their language. They ask where people are they haven't seen in awhile, they say things in the right context, and even know how to change their tone of voice to get what they want. I love watching them grow in this area!

Play: Playing for these girls has taken on a whole new meaning. They are very interactive with each other and taking pretend to a new level. I love watching them play especially when I catch them doing things like mama. They make each other food, go shopping in the pantry, and go to the store. They take care of their babies, put diapers, and clothes on them. Yesterday I found Livy's baby in Parker's crib and the sound machine was turned on. They interact with each other just like big girls telling each other where they are going and what to do. We are working hard on adding a little learning into each day. Right now we are focusing on the alphabet and letter recognition. They impress me each day with how much they remember and learn, sometimes without me even knowing it. Having twins is awesome but watching them together really takes the awesomeness of it all to the next level.

Food: These girls are still very picky in the eating area but they are starting to try new foods and eating some things I never thought they would like. Each day is a new challenge in feeding them, some days they don't eat breakfast, and eat minimal for lunch, but eat a good dinner other days they simply want to snack all day long. This can be an area of frustration for sure but we are just trying to take one day at a time. Madison found a recipe for a great protein drink and the twins love it so maybe there will be more of those in the future.

Sleep: These girls really do push the limits with sleep! BUT I can say there has been progress made! They are going to bed a bit easier and staying in bed more times than they get out. We have added a (few) stories to the bed time routine and (I think) that is helping some. We are getting them up around 4-5 hours after they fall asleep to use the bathroom so that we can prevent accidents. I am hoping we can end that soon... because now that Parker is sleeping through the night I would love to just stay asleep too!! And if we could just get them to stop coming into our bed in the middle of the night that would be a bonus!! They are still napping pretty well and will nap most days for 2-3 hours which is nice and Parker typically naps at the same time so that I am able to get some stuff done or even get a nap in myself! I hope this trend continues for a while!

News: We are headed to New York in a few weeks for my sister's wedding (can you say EXCITED?) The twins will be the flower girls and let me tell you they are so excited. Their dresses are just the cutest things and I am so very excited to see them walking down that isle together! Not to mention myself and the big girls are also in the wedding, I simply cannot wait for this day!

These girls are so close to three it's crazy,  I can't believe these girls have been in our lives for three years. We still look at them daily with such awe that we were given two beautiful girls at the same time. I don't think it will ever get old!

Toddler Talk: Seven 

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Three Months ~ Parker

It's pretty much a given that each month will be full of new changes and some milestones... so forgive me if I sound repetitive each month by saying I can't believe how much Parker has grown and changed!

•sleep. We are sleeping through the night and I say "WE" because anything Parker does means I do it too! She slowly started sleeping through he night shortly after she turned 2 months. Truth be told I really couldn't wait for this to happen.. don't we all feel this way?? She started off waking about an hour later than normal for her "middle of the night" feeding... going from 3:00 am to 4-4:30 am. Then I started to give her her pacifier when she would wake to see if she would go back to sleep sometimes she would go back to sleep other times not. Eventually she learned to sooth herself back to sleep and will now sleep until about 5:30-6am at which time she gets to lay in bed with mama and will sleep until about 8! I'd say it's still a work in progress but non the less she is sleeping through and I am one happy and semi-rested mama! She is still on and off in the nap category. Some days she will sleep very well and take at least two 2-3 hour naps other days she only naps in 30 minute increments. She does pretty well going to sleep on her own. I've been putting her in the crib while drowsy and while she does fuss for a few minutes she can usually go to sleep without me needing to rock her. 

•eat. We made the transition to formula this month and it was a rough decision for me but the best for Parker and our family. She still eats very very well and is eating 5 ounces around 6 times per day. Between 6 and 8 pm she thinks she needs to eat twice... I am sure this is her "witching" hour as this is typically the only time she is really "fussy". We are still working through her reflux with good days and bad. If she doesn't get her medicine twice a day we can really see a difference in feeding issues. 

•swaddle and cuddle. Little one still loves to be swaddled, all of the girls have loved to be swaddled but never this long, they outgrew the desire to be swaddled right around 2 months. But this one she just loves it; often it is really the only way she will go to sleep.

•play. Parker is really starting to take more interest in "playing" or what can be considered playing at 3 months old. She has discovered her hands and almost always has them up to her mouth. The last week I have noticed her really trying to focus on them while she pulls them up. She loves to look at the mobile on her mamaroo, I've even caught her smiling at it a few times. She also seems to be reaching for it and has hit it while swing her arm... I'm going with she is playing with it :) She has also started to grip her blanket and will hold onto a toy (given to her by big sisters of course) for a few seconds. She smiles all the time and the coos have started especially when we are talking to her... it's just the best! 

~other changes. 

We put Parker in the bumbo for the first time this past month and she was so cute! I think she likes it for sure but may need a few more weeks before she can be in it consistently. She is doing a great job holding her head up which is amazing to me give the fact that she really hates "tummy time". She only lasts about 2 minutes before she is upset and ready to stop.  I see bits of her personality emerging each day, she's very laid back and doesn't make much of a fuss unless of course she is hungry or tired. She also seems to be pretty sensitive to things she is unfamiliar with i.e. daddy making different noises at her or Bella (our dog) barking randomly that little bottom lip comes right out and I know the tears are soon to follow. 

I'm still coming to grips with Parker being our last baby, daughter, child... however we want to label it...she's the "last". I love to just stare at her and I find myself really trying to remember every single thing about her and I play things like her birth day and her first smile and noises over and over in my head so that I won't forget... With every first she has it is also a last for us. I am content in just letting her reach milestones on her own timeline because I know when they start coming there will be another one right around the corner. The love we have (all of us have) for this little one is beyond anything we ever expected.

Happy 3 Months Parker... we love you so

Two Month Update