We've begun potty training. It's way hard! Holly's been interested in the potty for a while now and is always asking to sit on the potty. So, since I don't have any friends, I decided to jump headfirst into potty training. Holly was really emotional and screamed a ton yesterday. I think she felt really anxious about the transition. The anxiety died down today quite a bit, but we still had a couple meltdowns. Buuut, we've had some success. Yesterday, Holly pooped on the potty. She was panicking a little bit leading up to it, but she did it and I was amazed. And then she peed once in the potty. Whenever she wet herself she would say, "potty" or acknowledge that it was happening.
Today, she was much less anxious. We tried pull-ups this morning because she saw them and wanted to wear them, but those were just a waste. She used them like a diaper. Holly again pooped in the potty and peed once. But, that was all. Here's what I found really frustrating. Nearly every time the little stinker would wet herself it was within 5 minutes of her getting up from the potty after sitting on it for a good amount of time. I'm not totally sure what to do about that! Do I take her off and then put her back on again? Oh, and she stopped acknowledging that she had peed. My tactic for getting her to sit on the potty for a while is I give her a fun sticker and we play with it and talk about it. It's great bonding time for us, lots of quality time! But, my question is, do you have any suggestions? I think if she had 3 successful pee in the potty experiences, we'd be in the clear and I would feel much better. So how do I get Holly to stop wetting herself shortly after she's just sat on the dang pot?
We made it to California! Today was our first full day in the state and we decided to go be beach bums. So off to Half Moon Bay we went to play in the sand, dip our toes in the ocean and get sunburned. When we got there, I felt as though I should erect a "This is the Place" monument, because I'm in love. Conor commented that he thinks I'm a California girl because hanging out on the beach is totally my style. I inherited that specific gene from my mother. And then Conor went on to warn me that not every day would be like this. I laughed and responded, "not for you." Because let's be real, as a stay at home Mom I can go to the beach pretty much anytime I want. And I'm going to want to go all the time.
Holly was unsure of the sand on her feet to begin with but after standing her up in the sand away from the blanket, she had no choice but to accept the sand between her toes. This was a big deal because Holly wlil spend hours meticulously picking her (and anyone else's) toe jam from her feet. We loved sitting on the beach, listening to the waves and sometimes dipping our tootsies into the cold water. We ate fresh fruit, pesto-artichoke bread and cake. And it was amazing. The best first visit to the Pacific Ocean. Folks, I'm never leaving.
I can hardly believe my Greta is 5 months old. Do I say this every month? Greta went through a massive growth spurt recently and became noticeably heavier and longer. Maybe now we can start sleeping through the night? I hope so! Greta makes the cutest noises (still) and is super chatty (still). She continues to love to be held and cry when she's not being held. It's great having a cuddly baby except for when I can't cuddle and she's screaming. Greta's starting to realize that other people besides herself exist and may be relatively funny. It's cute to see her and Holly interact. The other day, a 5-year old had her belly laughing without looking at her or touching her. He was just doing running headstands on the couch and Greta found that to be hysterical. It was really cute. I think she'll stay brunette as her eyebrows are really dark. Her eyes have a ring of blue and the rest is green/brown/something not blue. She loves to look at her hands and grab things. She chews on everything and spits up and drools all. the. time. Her fine motor skills impress me. And she's becoming more mobile. She can spin herself in circles while laying on the floor and can roll both ways. Oh, and she loves to be bounced. We love our Greta!
I really wanted to throw a shindig with nanaimo bars and chocolate puffed wheat squares. I even bought tacky paper plates, etc for it. But it wasn't meant to be. Maybe next summer? Hopefully.
Denver isn't my forever place, but I'm still so sad to be leaving. As I was rocking Greta to sleep, I looked around and realized how much I have loved having my own space. I love the paint colors. I love our wood floors. I love the amount of storage space we have here. I love playing in the pool with Holly. I really do like my kitchen. I love our big windows. I had so many dreams for this little place of ours. SO many. Honestly, my mind is brimming with all the DIYs, etc that I had planned for decor. Alas, it wasn't meant to be. And I'm choked.
I randomly cry. Luckily my friend who I've cried in front of twice (I feel safe around her - she's the best) has been understanding and kind. I love the freshness of Denver. I love the mountains to the west. I love the blue sky that streches so big. I love the thunderstorms. I love the rain. I love the sudden snowstorms. I love how Denver and its citizens daily inspire and remind me to love the outdoors and be active. I love the easy culture. I love the acceptance I've found here.
Both my daughters were born here. Conor and my relationship changed here into something it could've never become had we stayed in Calgary. We're different. I've learned so much about myself while living here. I'm going to miss it. I'm going to miss my friends here and Holly's friends. She can say the names (or a variation) of her closest friends and I love it. I know I'll make new friends in California and it'll be fine, but some of our friends here we've been friends with from the beginning. Hopefully I can maintain those relationships. Our door is always open dear Denver friends.
