Sunday 4 August 2013

Big changes this month...

The most memorable, or should I say noticeable, for Mabel is that she no longer wears nappies. Aside from the cost thing (and perhaps the odd looks from other parents I suppose if you wait until they are about 5)  I am not sure why we would have rushed to do this one any earlier.

We literally just thought we would let her decide when she wanted to do it (perhaps with a little encouragement over summer). So a couple of weeks ago she got up and announced, "I am going to wee on my potty, I don't want to wear my nappy".

"Ah man", I thought, "not on a nursery day surely. I will have to try and persuade her to wait".
Then I thought it through some more (first few days the hardest, lots of accidents, etc, etc)
"Noooo problem, let me get it out for you" (hmmm those nursery fees were about to pay off).
Turns out I needn't have worried either way. She has been brilliant. Very few accidents all the way along and takes it all in her stride. No fear of the toilet and exclaims, "nevermind" when she does get a bit wet and flaunts off wearing no pants (almost to the point where I did need to hint that at some point someone will mind so lets just keep trying to remember to get there in time).

We have had a few issues on the poo front, seriously why does it seem so different once not in a nappy. I have to really control my face as I literally hold my breath taking the potty to clean. And G Kisby came in from work and whisked her up in the air one night only to find that the excitement caused a little visit down his work trousers (hee hee, again had to hide my facial reaction).

And I know we are not quite out of the woods yet, about to get on an open topped bus in Ambleside she decided she couldn't wait (good oh, hoping people just stepped over the puddle on the way on) and I am well aware now that it is not quicker to leave the house,
"Mummy I need a massive poooooo" she shouts as we literally get to the door,
"Really?" I ask
"No" she answers
Hmmm, what to do here. Am I being double bluffed? Is she literally taking the p** out of me because we are in a rush or does she actually want to go. Can I take the risk?
"Lets have a try anyway?" I suggest although obviously because it has come from me I then have to battle to get her on there, all the time Wilf waiting in the car.
"Can you pass me a book?
"Can you just concentrate on getting your poo out?"
"Nooo I need that book"
"O.k, you relax then, have a read, get pushing" I try.
5 minutes later, really knowing that I shouldn't rush her. No one needs to be rushed having a poo and especially not when you are pooing in a strange new place.
"Has your poo come yet?"
"No poo" she exclaims taking a good look between her legs.
Repeat the last 2 lines about 5 times before I give up,
"O.k lets try again later we need to go..."
I realise this will get me into trouble soon enough and no doubt knowing me it will be similar to on a walk recently when I took the portable potty bag only to realise I had taken out the actual potty to clean and not replaced it. Only we will be in a shop. Or an open topped bus...

And for Wilf it has all been about the moving. He had become very pesky on the movement front for most of the last month. Even when not officially crawling he got around the room super quick either by rolling, shuffling or commando crawling backwards. I found him with chairs pulled over, eating soil from the plant pot he pulled over (2 years that has sat there, Mabel never did that) and with his fingers in (for the purpose of social services, 'around') plug sockets - back to some child proofing I think. Then on Tuesday he suddenly worked out how to actually crawl and hasn't stopped since. Although actually he does stop, usually to pull himself up on something or someone. The former normally completely unstable and the latter unwilling. Mabel thinks it is very funny that he climbs up her. For about 2 minutes. Then she just gets up and he is flung off. Hard to explain to her not too when she was the initial victim.

He is making more new sounds and starting to have a little more of an attention span for reading a book or playing a game of stacking cups etc. He still adores water so I have been trying to do lots of activities with this in mind (spaghetti water play was a huge hit).
He still laughs at no one as much as his big sister. Fingers crossed that continues!