It's A Girl!

Baby #3 is officially a girl!

Here are some sono pics.

Thank goodness they got a clear shot of her hoo-hoo.  That's the whole reason they do sonograms anymore-right?  To help the Mama start planning for the baby?  Ha!

It's hard to tell what is what, but we could definitely make out a nose, her cupid's bow on her mouth, 10 toes and 10 fingers.  Yes-the sono was THAT CLEAR! 

She was completely 'normal' (to be determined) and is HEALTHY!!  She was estimated to weigh a whopping 11 ounces!  God is good!


I'm so excited!!!

Layin' A Kid....

So...

Thursday afternoon is our B-I-G appointment to see what this little worm inside of me is.  

A boy?  
A girl? 
Healthy?

I think it's a boy.

Daddy doesn't know.

Macey still has no clue.  (Or has decided to bury her head in the sand.)

Josh used to think it was a boy, but today we were discussing it and he had a different answer.

Today I told him that we have 2 more naps and 2 more good night's sleeps to go before we find out if Mama's baby is a boy or a girl.

The boy is TRULY excited to know and asks me all the time about how big my baby is.  (The fruit bowl has been a constant comparison.  This week it's about the size of a banana.)

When I asked him what he thought the baby was-a boy or a girl-he really thought about it and said girl.

I asked him which he would rather have-a baby boy or a baby girl.  His reply was GIRL!

Then, without skipping a beat, he asked me when I was going to lay the baby.  
Get it?

Lay the baby?  Like lay an egg.

Yeah son.  That's how it works.  Just tell your wife that someday.

Learning Curve

There seems to be a lot of learning curves to potty training a girl.

Scratch that........make that potty training in general.

Here's my list so far.  Some of these are learning curves for the pottier and some for the grown-up.

1. A grown up potty is scary.  It is much scarier at a public restroom that stinks of random and nasty smells anyway.  It's catastrophic at WalMart.
2. Never lean in to pull up your toddler's underwear while a public toilet is flushing.  The backsplash from a WalMart toilet onto your face may cause you to run thru a car wash....naked.
3. Girls can't pee like boys.  And they sure can't pee off of things.

Which brings me to today.

Macey peed on the porch.

Now this was shocking because she has kicked butt at potty training after day 3.  Starting on day 4 (and we're now on Day 13) she has not had one drop of pee in her underwear.  Completely bone dry from morning until night-including naps!

So when Josh runs inside to tell me she peed on the porch, my Mommy instinct kicked in and I knew that something was amiss.

She tried to pee like Josh.

So close....yet so far.

But how can you be mad when they're trying to play so nicely together?

And even if they are still in their PJ's (hey-no judging here please)!

I love these kids!

Crazy Kids and the 80s......

At the Duerksen house, we are not above a little bribery.  

I think every good parent bribes....in moderation.

A while ago, we were having trouble with Josh and his behavior.  Not anything serious, but he just needed a 'carrot' in front of him.  That 'carrot' came in the face of YouTube videos of the 1980s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 

Before we go on...it is very important to know that this is not the same cartoon shown on today's cartoon networks.  It is much more laid back and as kid-friendly as a show like this can be.  It's a more 'mature' cartoon than Caillou or Cat in the Hat, but not as violent and (for lack of a better word) vile as some 'mature' cartoons can be nowadays.

It started off with just Josh enjoying them.  Well, I take that back.....Daddy enjoys them just as much, if not more than Josh.  (I'm not sure if he really likes them that much or if he just like to relive his youth.

Just recently, Macey has joined in on the fun, too.  She is only allowed to watch the theme song, but even she can sing most of the words because Josh sings it so much.  And it doesn't help matters that when Daddy brushes the kids' teeth at night, they regularly request this song be sung while brushing.

Here is a video of Macey the other night.

She was doing so much singing before I turned on the camera, but her enthusiasm never wavered.

Love these kids! 

You Mean.....

Found this the other day.....








What...you mean that doesn't count?!?!?!?

Potty Training Sucess

Disclaimer....if potty training goes to pot after I post this....I'm TOTALLY blaming you!


Today is day number 5 on potty training Macey.

I thought up a quick poem about my experience.

Day one was pure hell.

Day two stunk as well.

Day three was spastic,

Day four was fantastic!

What is day five?

We're doin' a jive!

No, no autographs please.....

Today is great!

But let's start at day 3.

Day 3 was the day daddy had to go to the fire station.  It was a mentally exhausting day for Mommy.  How long do I chance it before I set the timer again?  How long do I make her sit on the potty?  ...........

Potty training isn't for the weak, or at least the way we do it.  We're all in or nothing and NO going back....no matter what.  Once those real girl cotton underwear hit her bottom, there is NO MORE DIAPERS except when she's sleeping.  Not in the car, not anywhere!

Back to day 3....

Uncle Ross and Aunt Cheryl came over to do laundry (with Baby T).  Boy....did they get a crash course in potty training.  It's timers and reminding and yelling of joy and laundry and wet underwear and reminding and rewards and......let's just say I think we've scarred them for life.  

Some of the highlights of day 3 include:

• 1 accident which included Mommy catching Macey in the act of pottying downstairs, carried Macey while running upstairs to make her finish in the potty.  1/2 in pants and 1/2 in potty chair.  
• 1 healthy poop in the potty chair.  While eating the reward M&Ms in her booster seat at the table, flooded the floor with pee.  Um.....that's not how it's supposed to work.
• Bath time at night was a TOTAL success.  She got out 3 times to go potty on the potty chair instead of in the bath.  (This from the girl who used to regularly poop in the tub is a HUGE success.)  However, this incident did end with a reward sucker in my hair that she happened to be eating in the bath tub.  Don't ask.

Day 4 was spent at Mimi's house in the morning.  Daddy drove us to church and we thought it best to not rock Macey's Potty Training Boat until she got a better hang of it.  She did fantastic at Mimi's and stayed dry!

When we came home she even brought her potty chair to me while I was eating lunch.  Then proceeded to take a big poop less than 2 feet from me.  Um.....no.  But heck, at this point, it was in the potty chair even if the atmosphere for my lunch went in the toilet....get it!  Ha Ha!

Then we took a nap.  She even stayed dry during her nap.  (Fluke-I'm sure, but a Mommy can hope, right?!)

Then she continued to be dry the rest of the day.  Same underwear all day!  On day 4!!  

We even let her off the hardwood floors onto the carpet.  (Up until now, that time was extremely limited.)

Daddy took time to read her a book.

And that brings us to day 5.

Day 5 Josh had school and Mimi didn't, so Mimi took Josh to school and I stayed home with Macey.  Just not willing to rock the boat.  One good day potty training does not mean I can venture out into public.  The last time I tried to put her on a real toilet (not the potty chair), I ended up with a sucker in my hair and no potty in the toilet.  

We had a great morning-cleaning, reading, playing, just being together.  Josh got one on one time with someone and that helped with his attitude.  (I think he was starting to feel a little left out.)

Day 5 ended with the same dry panties that we started out with in the morning!


2 days with no accidents!  And we're not even a week into this!




Now the next real test will come when we venture out.

Heaven help us.......