Eden's First Haircut!

I've put off cutting Eden's hair for a couple reasons.  First of all, I was told that it is against African American culture to cut a girl's hair before she turns two.  Secondly, I love her hair and I wouldn't want anyone to chop it up.  Lastly, Stacy cuts my hair and the boys but she doesn't want to cut Eden's hair because it's African American hair and it needs to be straightened to be cut.  She's not very familiar with it so she recommended us to someone she knows.

 Eden did well once we turned on cartoons and promised her a snack when she was done.  She does not like to sit still for anything, at all.

I know you can't really tell a difference with her hair now that it is cut but Eden felt pretty.  This was the first time I was able to get her to "cheese" for the camera.

Potty Training

For the past 8 months, we have been talking about potty training.  We've watched "Elmo's Potty Time" DVD so many times, I get the songs stuck in my head.  This isn't the first time we've tried potty training.  When I was home on maternity leave with Silas, I tried to potty train the twins.  I used the "train them in one day method" where you put them in underwear and let them soak themselves.  I spent all morning cleaning up Pee-pee and after a meltdown at lunchtime about sitting on the potty, I decided they weren't ready.  So, we went back to diapers but kept talking about it.

Once I was out of school for the summer and we were back from the beach, I decided to give it another try.  This time, I talked up Silas being a baby and wearing diapers, I made a sticker chart, and pulled out the M&Ms.  I also decided that since Silas is now mobile it would be best if the twins trained in pull-ups so I wouldn't have to clean it off the floor and worry about Silas getting into it.

Day 1:  I showed Eden the pull-ups and she threw a fit!  She wanted big girl panties and there was no way she was going to wear a "diaper."  So, I let her wear panties and she did great.  At nap time and bedtime I insisted that she wear a pull-up and she did but with a huge resistance.  Gabe loved his Lightning McQueen pull-ups, the M&Ms, and stickers.  He was harder to convince to sit on the potty but I showed him that Eden was getting a reward and then he wanted to do it too.

In the days that follow, Eden continued to do really well.  I finally gave up on her wearing a pull-up at nap time or bedtime and she's yet to have an accident.  Her biggest issue is going #2; she holds it in for 3, 4 and sometimes 5 days until her belly hurts.  I have to give her Miralax to make her go.  Gabe has his ups and downs.  He doesn't want to leave what he's doing or playing with to go potty.  I can normally persuade him to go but I have to be creative like showing him where his cars can park by the bathroom while he goes.

I've learned a few things during this process; toys don't belong in the bathroom.  I only had to fish one toy out of the potty to begin the rule of no toys in the bathroom.  I also learned that when Gabe says he's done, he's not always right.  I had to put the little potty away and make him sit on the big potty so he can't get down when he's "done."  Another thing I've learned is that I shouldn't be the one to teach Gabe how to aim; for now he sits until his daddy can help him with the skill.  Lastly, I've learned that it doesn't matter how many times I tell Eden that she can't stand to pee, she's going to continue to see it as unfair.  Life at our house is never dull.

It may appear that Eden is having more success that Gabe but in reality they are only 2 and can't identify their name so the sticker just goes wherever they want to put it.