EC Day 2

Day 1 of Elimination Communication (we will refer to it as EC from now on) was all about observing and learning patterns.  Day 2 we have successfully gone potty (only pee, she hasn't pooped today) while up and I have only changed 2 diapers today...... the first was the over night diaper so I don't really count that as a miss and the other I offered her to go potty before she went to bed and she didn't go so when she woke up she was slightly wet.  Her other nap times she woke up completely dry!  I am quite amazed by this whole process, I mean it makes sense in the simplest terms.  You watch your baby for cues whether that is knowing she goes within the first 5 minutes of waking, 20-30 minutes after breastfeeding or that she gets really still after being pretty active right before she has to pee.  With every cue you offer her to go.  Right now we are peeing in the sink because she enjoys looking at herself in the mirror, it relaxes her enough to go.  Every time I offer I ask, "do you need to pee pee?" and make a pssss sound or when she does pee pee I tell her, "You just pee peed, pssss."  Once she begins going on my cue, meaning when I say the words or sounds she goes, then we will try other places like the toilet.  I really don't know why I didn't think to do this sooner...... many indigenous countries do a similar technique but may not use words since this bodily function and means of training is just as second nature as our diapering.  I am quite enjoying this little challenge.  

I also learned Charlotte is ready to transition from a 3 hr feeding schedule to a 4 hour one.  She has begun staying up for longer periods of time, usually about an hr and a half stretches instead of her usual hour.  I have always woken her to feed her and only on occasion will she beat me to it.  I decided to reference my Baby Whisperer book and found 4 months is the time frame they can begin to make the shift and she will be 4 months in a week and a half.  This week I feel has been many little milestones for Charlotte.  She has discovered her hands and feet (actually she likes being held in the position to potty because her feet are closer to her and she gets to touch them..... I forgot how funny it is to see a baby in a daze over their feet).  She is also recently into toys, grabbing, pulling, touching and putting them in her mouth.  I also think we will need to move to the velcro swaddles for night time as she has begun rolling onto her side often unwrapping part of her blanket....... I know she enjoys sucking on her hands and she has been doing it more and more.  Charlotte is beginning to sit up on her own if in the boppy for support.  Granted, she can't do it for long periods of time but she is starting :)  If nothing else, my observation times for EC the past couple days have helped me observe Charlotte's milestones.  When she was in a diaper I was more apt to feed her and lay her in her bed then go help Lillian with whatever she needed instead of watching or observing her to the same extent I did when Lillian was a baby.  

During one of Charlotte's naps today, Lillian and I scrolled through old pictures when she was a baby....... people tell me all the time they look alike and I see it every once in a while but looking at old pictures there is no doubt! Some look like the same baby!  Below is Charlotte at 3 months and Lillian at 5 months. 

DINOSAURS!

If you didn't already know Lillian is big into dinosaurs these days.... dinosaurs and trains and even better the show the Dinosaur Train! I decided for her birthday the theme is creative play so I am making dinosaur tails, hats and wings for the kids to play with.  So far I have a stegosaurus tail and pteranodon wings.  We did make clothespin pteranodon one day and I may set up some materials for kids to make their own to take home at her party........ kind of can't believe I am already planning for October but with so many sewing projects I have to start early!

SD Fair

Lillian LOVED the fair this year.... she got to participate in games and rides this year so I think that's why she enjoyed it so much.  Unfortunately she was just an inch too short to ride most of the kiddie rides; she still got to ride four and she was more than please with those!  When we do the fair we get the passes where you can return any of the 24 days for the price of a 2 day admission then we review all the concerts and some days just go for the entertainment.  Greg and I enjoyed the concerts including Joan Jett and the Beach Boys this year but I can't say Lillian was all that trilled..... mainly because she saw kids running around (kids much older than her) and she wanted to join them. 

My Lastest Venture: Elimination Communication- Day 1

I have decided to do elimination communication with Charlotte.  Basically it is beginning infant potty training.  Just as I did with Lillian I offered her to go every 20 min after a feeding and have been keeping a log of when she pees and poops, what times, what signals she makes and when she ate.  I have found she pees  within the first 5 min of waking up and every 20-30 min after she eats.  We will be associating a sound with each.  Today I offered her to go when I thought she'd need to (along with other times too) but I was able to "catch" both poop and pee a total of 4 times today!  (We started this at 10:30 today)  The goal for today was observation and to start my log to get a sense of a pattern.  When I think she has to go I basically hold her against my chest facing outward and cradle under her legs so she is in a more sitting position.  She has been diaper free the whole day when she's up and then we put one on again when she goes to sleep.  The goal is she will learn to associate the sound I make with each and then go when I make the sound.  I figured if I am taking Lillian to the potty it wouldn't hurt to teach Charlotte too and if it works great! less diapers for me, if not that's ok too.  I also learned Charlotte can roll over on her side.  I have found her like that when I go to get her in bed :) 

I should also mention Elimination Communication (EC) is not letting your baby run around diaper free all day and never using a diaper just as you wouldn't have a potty training toddler go without under ware.  Since we are still in the beginning phases I do have Charlotte in just a t shirt without a diaper on either my waterproof changing pad with a receiving blanket over it or on a puppy pad.  I am still learning her "cues" and signals of when she has to go so accidents are more likely to happen right now, again you'd have the same issue with a potty training toddler.  I started Lillian early on and although it took her a long time to fully be potty trained, she was trained a lot sooner than other kids and I didn't have to change a poppy diaper very often after she turned a yr unless we had an accident.  I am basically doing the same process with Charlotte, observing signals and cues she gives when she has to go and then offering her opportunities to go.  It will help her learn what it feels like to be dry.  The struggle I'm having right now with Lillian is still night time or nap time wetness.  We did just buy a mattress pad and if she has finished her milk early enough during lunch where I know we can get most/all pee pee out before nap time then she will nap in under wear and has done it successfully a few times.  I am enjoying tackling both these challenges and it leads to less diapers for me to change! So win win in my opinion :)

Lillian's recent accomplistments

Often times Lillian's accomplishments tend to fall by the waste-side in a sense because she grows and changes so much that by the time I actually sit down to write a blog entry I have forgotten all the little accomplishments along the way.  I'm going to make it a weekly effort (and a daily effort for my own journaling) to update the blog to share everything she is learning and doing.  We have been staying home more trying to get more used to our routines and schedules we have been putting in place with cleaning and school like activities.  Letters are not a new concept for Lillian and Bingo is not really new either but I slowed down in our game today and made some new discoveries.  Normally I read out each letter but today as I was getting ready to she excitedly blurted it out faster than me.  I decided to ask her what each letter was on her card and I'd ask her which letter was on the card as I flipped over new ones.  To my surprise she new most of them! Even out of order!  We also got to talk about ones that look similar since she'd say W for M and P for B and D (common mistakes due to the similarity of shape especially in the lowercase letters).  I knew she new some of the letters but not nearly as many as she told me.  Today Lillian reminded me to slow down and let her take the lead more before I jump in. 

3 Months old

It's hard to believe Miss Charlotte has already been in our lives for 3 months!  Well sometimes it seems like I just had her yesterday and other days it feels like we've had her around forever.  She is blossoming into quite a talker..... mostly to me but that's ok!  Actually she seems to talk to other people too but they never slow down enough to listen.  It just melts my heart when she will talk or smile at Lillian..... and Lillian doesn't even realize how special it is.  Charlotte has been getting stronger every day as she learns to lift her head and recently I have walked into her room to find her rolled onto her side.  

In other news, Lillian is a great big sister!  She asks to touch the baby everyday and when I do leave the two of them alone I can often find them cuddled on the floor together with Lillian practically laying on her.  The other day I walked in on a "tea party" and Lillian really enjoys "feeding" baby Charlotte.  I had a bit of a proud moment when she decided to breastfeed her baby Lucy doll.  

Since our trip to Northern California, Lillian has been speaking in full sentences; yes I realize she was doing it before but she had greatly improved!  She can actually have a full conversation without much translation needed.  As she is becoming even more independent we have had to put new rules in place, especially when it comes to the baby.  The most effective so far is our stop signs.  They have been placed on the front door, the fridge, Charlotte's bed and a pocket chart with crafts/games on the back of their bedroom door.  The signs were posted at eye level and they mean, "stop, ask first".  The idea came when we were woken up by the sound of her unlocking and opening the front door!  Now even if we are leaving the house she sees the sign and stops and asks.  She has become quite the little helper.  

Grocery shopping has become a new fun venture.... she has a little mini clipboard and we make picture lists of items we need to get.  She walks next to the cart holding a handle and we get things off her list then she colors in the picture.  She really is learning quite a bit even on those trips and we often review numbers and we count how many of each item we are getting as we put it in the produce bag.  Looks like I'm going to need to start lesson planning our days more providing more preschool curriculum. 

More "talking"