Jury's still out on just how we're doing with potty training, but at least the two other changes I've introduced (the "big girl" cup and retirement of nap time for Abby) have gone over pretty seamlessly. We've actually had no accidents today because- as Abby proved after managing a four hour stretch of nothing after downing two cups of watered-down cider yesterday- she's quickly figured out how to maintain control. The difficulty now is talking her down from a newly-realized fear of the strange (to her) process to which she's being trained to conform.
I spent hours today trying to assuage, encourage, and distract her in turns, as I saw her physical discomfort grow and grow. I'm thankful beyond words that it hasn't occurred to her that the floor might be an acceptable option, but terribly saddened that she's feeling so trapped by her current situation. No more so than this evening, when I heard her cry out from her bed, "No! I don't want to." Since she settled back down almost immediately after, I didn't go up and question her but I suspect that the outburst was her reaction to finally releasing the last bit of urine she'd been holding into the diaper that we put her in for overnight. (She'd been refusing to go again since late afternoon, when we spent a great deal of time working up to getting something done after lunch.) What recourse does she have when even her familiar old diaper scares her now? I feel that I've somehow given her a complex with my clumsy attempts at training, and I continue to worry over what the next day will bring, and the next...
Turns out I hate potty-training even more than I thought I would. But I do love seeing her streamlined, diaper-less silhouette; she really looks the big girl she so longs to be.
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| Someone's figured out a new use for her favorite chair. |
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| It's all pretty exciting. |
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| The big girl and her Big Girl Cup. |
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| Our palate is expanding now- from Mum Mums to water crackers. |
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| Still loving her sock monkey hat. |
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| Introducing: Abby and Michael's Room |
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| Library fun. |
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| Michael is ready to explore. |
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| Funny hat; silly girls. |
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| Michael tries to spoon-feed Mia. She appears to prefer imaginary purees... |
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| Looks like someone's pretty good at puzzles (and pretty OCD about lining stuff up.) |
Overheard this week:
Abby
While attempting to convince us to give her more grapes at lunchtime: "I've always wanted a grape."
After accidentally setting the fan to "Breeze," and observing it starting and stopping again: "It's buffering!"
In response to Tom's offer to take her to the library: "Maybe we can get some twenty Madeline books."
As I start to explain to her the life cycle of trees after her extensive inquiries about apples: "Why are you telling me this?"
After hearing Tom's proclamation that she and her brother would now be sharing 'Abby and Michael's Room': "Why is it not Michael and Abby's room?"
Michael
"knife, shower, church, Babar"
