First off, I can’t even express how much my heart goes out to all of the runners, observers, locals, and their families who were affected in yesterday’s tragedy. I can’t imagine what they are going through. I just can’t stop thinking about how someone (or a group of people) could inflict harm on innocent people. Why would anyone do that?

With that being said, I’m keeping everyone in Boston in my prayers and giving extra cuddles and hugs to my loved ones. Instead of running errands this morning, Keenan and I decided to stay home and play, reading books, playing piano, and cuddling on the couch; truly appreciating our time together and being grateful that we are safe.

Making a house for "Baba" and setting the table and feeding him and the Lego men lunch!

Play time today was all about making a house for “Baba,” setting the table and serving him and his Lego men lunch! They all ate the same lunch as he, turkey rolls with carrots; it was too cute!

On another (more positive) note, I am anxious to update you on our potty training adventures. It has been a few weeks since I talked about potty training and since then, things have been going very well! Keenan has been wearing his “big boy” underwear for three weeks and so far, so good. He has been doing a great job of telling us when he has to go potty and keeping his underwear dry (even on our long car ride to the beach and back last week!). Over the past few weeks, he has only had a couple of minor accidents.

Going number two in the potty, though, is still a challenge and something we are continuing to work on. I thought we had made headway at my parents’ house last Friday, because he had been antsy all afternoon and his tummy was bloated, so I knew he needed to go number two (especially since he usually holds it for a couple of days, waiting to make it in his pull up during his naps). After his bath, he stood up and said his tummy was “ouchie,” so I asked him if he wanted to try and make a poo poo in the potty and he said yes, but with Nonna. I asked my mom to come in and she brought a book that I loved when I was a child, “The Wild Baby,” and read it to Keenan while he FINALLY  made a poop in the potty! We were all excited, doing the happy dance, praising and telling him how proud we were! My husband’s co-worker sent a little package for him to open once he went number two in the potty, so he was beyond thrilled to open it and find more Elmo underwear! As my husband and I promised, once he made a poo poo in the potty, we took him to get a chocolate peanut butter milkshake the next day at a local bakery/produce stand that makes shakes and sells gelato. He was ecstatic to drink his very own shake!

Since last Friday, he has only made poops in his pull up, so I’ not sure if he truly feels comfortable making them in the potty on a regular basis. We have told him that if he makes two more poo poos in the potty, he gets to pick out a special chocolate treat at Ginger Elizabeth or get another special milkshake, so we’ll see. I have to remind myself that he will go number two in the potty when he is truly ready and celebrate the wonderful progress he has made in wearing his underwear and staying dry!

I know this post is getting long, but before I go, I also want to share some additional changes or developments in our household with Keenan. He officially can climb out of his pac n’ play and crib, EEK! We found out last week while we were on vacation when he climbed out of his pac n’ play and walked down the hall to our room. I almost died! We talked to him very sternly about the importance of staying in his pac ‘n play and not climbing, as he could severely hurt himself. After that, he pretty much didn’t attempt it again. But, when we got home on Sunday, he climbed out of his crib that night after I put him to bed. We told him again how he could hurt himself and to not do that ever again, but he attempted it last night, again, ugh! So, it is definitely time to transition him into his toddler bed. It’s hard, because with the potty training and now the transition to a real bed, my baby boy is definitely not a baby anymore. It’s crazy how things tend to happen all at once, but I know he is ready and I can’t hold him back.

Also, we have been having some bedtime issues the past few weeks where Keenan refuses to settle down and go to bed after having his bath and story time. It seems like he gets a second wind and is ready for play time. After singing him a song, putting him in his crib and tucking him in, he starts crying or calling for me, asking for another song, a drink of water, to go pee pee, wipe his nose or to be tucked in again. I hate getting frustrated with him, but I just don’t know what to do. I try not to go in there, but it is SO hard! Finally, after a good 20-30 minutes, he falls asleep (making it way past his usual bedtime!). I have no idea why bedtime is so hard these days when he used to go right to sleep. I’m at a loss on to what to do, but hopefully this is a phase that will pass soon (keeping my fingers crossed!).

Sorry for such a long-winded post and all of the potty and bedtime talk, but they seem to be the only things (in addition to moving) that are on my mind these days!

Questions:

For all of you veteran moms out there, do you have any tips for helping Keenan go number two in the potty? What worked for your kids?

How do you deal with bedtime issues?