I have been thinking of a few things that I have wanted to take a minute to blog about. So, with Reese napping... I am going to see how much I can get in!
Potty training continues... and I am so proud to say, we have been accident free for almost a week! To be fair, she still uses pull-ups during nap time and she sleeps in a diaper, but I'm amazed at how far she has come in the last week. For just over a month, the main accidents that we had to deal every day she went to daycare was that she would poopy in her panties. I was really getting tired of cleaning panties everyday, and I KNOW that her teachers were getting tired of it too. But after a poopy accident at home last week (one that occured while I was holding her), we had a big discussion! While cleaning her up, I told her that if it continued, she would have to start getting showers to clean her up. The next day however, my sweet girl poopied on the potty TWICE at school! I mean, she went from accidents to potty OVERNIGHT! Over the weekend, she has also started telling us when she needs to go (instead of us having to take her every hour or so). AND on Sunday, I was told that she went by herself (no help at all -- she went in, used it, came out) while she was in the nursery! CRAZY -- crazy GOOD! I'm so incredibly proud of her! With that said... I'll move on from poopy to other news
We're having another girl. In case you haven't heard yet, we are having a second baby (due June 14), and we found out a couple of weeks ago that it seems to be a girl. :) This was a bit of a surprise... well kind of. I have had a similar pregnancy (no sickness, no real issues, etc.), but I was hopeful (especially for Dusty) that it would be a boy. I know that he would like a a son, and I want him to have one. He's a great dad to Reese, but I think there is something special about a boy and his dad, and I would like him to have that relationship too. But as hopeful as I was, the ultrasound didn't show any extra parts. So, while there was some disappointment at first about that part... the more I have thought about it, the more excited I am that Reese is going to have a little sister.
I LOVE my sister. And for those ladies out there who have one, there is really nothing like having a sister. It's a special relationship that may not be the most loving while growing up (at least ours wasn't), but as an adult, I couldn't imagine what life would be like without Catherine in it. She was with me through our sometimes rough childhood, and she is still with me now as we share the same life seasons together. So, knowing that Reese will have that too makes me happy. Practically speaking, a girl is good for our family (as a bigger picture). I come from a family of primarily girls (there wasn't a boy in my generation until #7). So, we know girls. We have EVERYTHING imaginable for a girl. And with our smaller house, the girls will be able to share rooms and clothes, and toys, and the list goes on.
I have had some conversations with friends (before we found out) about having another girl. And I jokingly said that if this one is like Reese, we may be done after this. After saying this, I want to explain a little bit. Reese is incredibly smart. She's very strong-willed and independent. And she truly lives up to the meaning of her name "enthusiasm" with all of her energy and excitement for life. So part of the fear in hearing it was a girl was that we would be having another girl, I thought... here we go. But I have spent more time thinking about that reaction too. For one, I know that God doesn't make 2 of the same thing, so I know regardless, this baby will be different. And even if she is very similar to Reese, it's okay. Reese is an incredible blessing, and she is such a light to so many. So, what I mean to say is that I love Reese more than I know how to fully express... and if I had another one JUST LIKE HER, I would be okay with that. I would be pretty tired, but I would love her the same.
All this talk about wanting a boy or girl kept me from just being thankful about having a baby. While I waited to see my doctor (after our ultrasound), I overheard her in the next room telling another patient that her pregnancy hadn't progressed. The conversation started so happy... she didn't want to post anything on facebook until after things were good. Then she got the news that things weren't good. They needed to discuss options about the next steps and talk about when she and her husband could try again. Needless to say, I really got a reality check and reexamined my attitude!
Moving on up... to a big girl bed. That's right, Reese has moved up to a big girl bed! With a baby coming, I wanted to make sure Reese had plenty of in her new bed without making her feel that she was being kicked out of a crib so the baby could have it. We have had a toddler bed in her room (still in the box) since her 2nd birthday in October. We've talked about the transitions some, but the assembly didn't happen until this weekend. Because she is so inquisitive and independent, the first step was to put locks on her closet doors! With the door knobs on, the bed was next. She didn't love the wait (we made her play in her bed to keep her in a "safe place" during assembly), but she LOVED the bed! She played in it all evening! The first night was a success, no loud thumps and she stayed in the bed all night! The next morning, she excitingly asked if she would be able to sleep in it again soon! :) Yes ma'am -- at naptime, and tonight, and the next day, and for a long time (I hope).
I guess to sum it all up, I could just say that I am seeing how blessed I am to have such a sweet girl. And while I sometimes think about how happy I am that she is growing up and becoming a little more independent, I also can't believe that she is growing up so quickly.
