It has been since this summer since I updated this blog. We have had a lot going on, but mostly I have just needed to slow down. The girls are so awesome! I am glad I have made the effort to slow down and spend more conscious time with them.
Potty Training:
Rayna has been using the potty off and on since before Alizah was born. I thought she was potty trained and just being difficult when she would pee her pants 3 minutes after I asked her if she needed to go or choose to wear a diaper because she is a baby. And people would continue to tell me, some kids aren't ready until they are 3. Well, what I noticed in the last 3 weeks (and some days she is still choosing to wear a diaper) is that she can think about going on the potty and make a plan about it without prompting. Even overnight. So there is a cognitive shift that makes it not just mom training. And since I have a determined child I'll just have to continue to ask, are you going to wear a diaper or underwear today.
Sleeping Through the Night & Teething:
I wish we were. But it will be soon enough and my dad reminds me that by the time they are teenagers, I won't be able to get them out of bed. Alizah is getting a few more teeth. She has 2 front teeth and fangs on the top. The next 4 will be arriving soon (I hope because it has already been weeks), she sleeps terribly when she's teething, up about ever 2 hours. We moved her into Rayna's room this week hoping that would help if we weren't so close by, but it hasn't made much difference (except since I am not falling asleep nursing her in our bed and her pushing and turning all over when she is sleeping next to me and waking me, I am actually getting a little more rest). Rayna sleeps through most of the crying and when it is too much, she just crawls in our bed, which she was doing anyway.
What are the girls doing now?
More and more Rayna is reading books to herself. And singing more songs. She loves the Wiggles and sings lots of pertinent lines to the play she is doing. The other week Wiggle Safari was her favorite. 1 day we watched it 4 times, the rest of the week at least 2 times per day until she started to get crazy demanding and uncooperative and then no videos for a week. Lately the videos have been a treat for when she is going on the potty well and being nice to her sister.
Alizah is really on the move. She has been pulling up on the furniture since she started crawling at 4 months. She chases us around the house and loves to cruise the couch. She is very intrigued by what Rayna does and wants to be a part of it. Rayna doesn't want her so close or to share, so she likes to push (we have to go over how to touch and ask mom for help). Alizah loves to chase and she's starting to practice standing independently. Rayna is strong enough to move stools and chairs to get into high cupboards and on top of my dresser. In the last 2 weeks Rayna is really beginning to be more of a 3 year old, she loves to explore and do things herself and she's pretty quiet about it.
Snow:
We finally got some good snow this week, just after I put away all the forgotten yard stuff. Rayna was so excited there was a lot of snow and wanted to get her boots and snow pants on so she could help Levi shovel. Later that day she had me take her outside to pull her in the sled and she even went down a little sled hill 2 times by herself.
