Honestly, I have nothing better to do

It's 4:43 in the morning and I just finished cleaning my fish bowl. I have officially run out of things to do to avoid blogging. It was this, or pick things up off the floor, and I'm not that desperate yet. For other mommies out there besides my own and my mother-in-law who I think found being pregnant fun, I've hit the wall. I hurt and I can't sleep. Hmmmm. We've been up to all sorts of fun that I haven't mentioned lately, so let me fill you in.

We went to the Iowa State Fair. This was the Dan Gilbert family's sixth annual trip. Harrison might sum it up by saying "Hot, hot, hot," which is what he's learned to say whenever we walk outside these days. And it was hot, but also fantastic. I didn't partake in nearly as many festivities as usual (I spent most of my time at base camp--Grandma and Grandpa Griffth's camper), but it was more than worth it to see Dan helping Harrison discover the wonders of the fair. In anticipation of the heat, I buzzed H-man's head and pronounced it "fair hair," but I like it short so much, I just might do it again.

Harrison was just as happy at the camper as he was down seeing the sights. My parents brought up all kinds of play farm equipment for him to play with and my sweet Grandma Griffith had a special peice of astro-turf just for him. He was so pleased. It's 106 degrees out here? Puh-lease, people. I've got tractors to move.

We also went boating with Michael and Jessica and their darling Clayton. When Michael told me he wanted to spend all day on the water, I kind of laughed at him and said we'd give it a try, but that I didn't think we'd last that long without a nap for Harrison. There was something magical about the boat and whenever we were driving fast, it just lulled him into this zone. He would just cuddle in my arms and enjoy the wind on his face. It was so fun. We did a lot of swimming and Dan even took to the tube with our little man. I was proven wrong about the whole nap thing. When Harrison got tired, I just suggested to him to lay down on a big deflated tube with a blanket on it and he did it without a word. I was flabbergasted.

I have more I could update right now, but I have the feeling that I might be taking this pre-sunrise opportunity a few more times in the next couple weeks. So I'll leave it for now.

The Blog of a Potty Trainer: Day One

I'm taking a quick respite from all the other things I SHOULD be blogging about to chronicle our potty training adventures. After urging from our pediatrician and a nagging feeling of desperation that I may never have a spare moment to work one-on-one with Harrison until he's twelve after the baby gets here, I decided to give it a go. So here's how it went:

10:46 am After vowing to purchase big-boy pants "first thing" in the morning, I emerge from Target with a 7-pack of Elmo training pants. Harrison chose them and he is pleased.

11:51 am We arrive back at the house after running a few other errands. Training pants are put on. I decide to attire him in a t-shirt and underwear only so I have a better view of what's going on. We hang out in the bonus room (that was for you, Kent) watching a newly rented Sesame Street video, reading newly checked out books, and building with our blocks. I'm reticent to let him take a nap till "something" happens.

1:17 pm "Something" happens. I'd been trying to keep Harrison on or very close to me so I would be aware of new moisture, but I let him crawl into the tent we have set up and in less than a minute he pokes his head out and says, "Uh-oh....potty." I guess it was kind of fortunate because the puddle he was standing in was very easy to clean up on the water-resistant tent floor.

1:30 pm I put H-man down for a nap, in dry Elmos.

3:20 pm He wakes up in wet Elmos. Unhappy and possibly embarrassed. I tell him it's okay that he wet the bed, but he doesn't seem to believe me. We put on another pair of Elmos.

4:55 pm I'm keeping H-man pretty much on my lap, reading books and waiting. The phone rings, I let him wander for like, two minutes while I'm on the phone, and before I know it, he's in another puddle. This time we're down stairs, so it's nice to just clean up the wood floor.

5:16 pm I'm giving him lemonade and juice to drink to keep the fluids flowing. Some more flowed, this time while he was in the garage, and he came running in to tell me with it flowing down his leg. We have yet to get any of this fluid into a potty.

5:51 pm One more small wet mess. We're running out of Elmos. I'm getting a little frustrated. He doesn't seem to be concerned about telling me anthing until after the fact. When it's on my floor. I decide that we're done for the day and put him in a diaper.

6:19 pm We're just finishing dinner and Harrison grabs his diaper and says "Pooh" which is what he's taken to saying every time he wets his Elmos. I ask him if he's peeing and he says, "Yes," so I tell Dan to get him on the pot ASAP. This time something is different. I'm not sure he had peed at all in his diaper, or just saved some, but HE PEED IN THE TOILET! Yeah! Mom and Dad spaz out, H-man is proud, and Dora gummies are rewarded to the little man.

8:11 pm I return from tutoring to find both of my guys waiting for me on the front porch. While I'd been gone, Harrison had had ANOTHER successful go at the potty without doing any in his diaper first at all. He was so proud of himself.

And that's all I've got for today. I have no idea if any of this will carry over to tomorrow or if we'll have a lot of backsliding. Whatever it turns out to be, it was interesting and kind of fun. Wish us luck tomorrow. I've got to go wash all the Elmos.

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens....

A few things that are making me smile these days:

1. Harrison will be working (it really seems closer to that than playing) with his assorted vehicles and roadways. He must have some definite action in his mind that he wants played out. As he moves things around and arranges them, he softly mutters, "Okay, 'kay....'kay...." It's very intense.
2. He has begun calling Dan "Owie Face" when we do our family kisses at night. It makes me feel very womanly and feminine that my cheek feels so much softer than Dan's.
3. We talk a lot in the course of a day. I didn't realize how much until Dan started commenting about it when we were in the car. We started timing him, and Harrison couldn't go more than 14 seconds without calling out, "Mommy--mommy--mommy!!" until I answered him. He did make one 40 second stretch, but that was only because I was already talking to him during that interval. It's maddening but sweet. I promise--I am not exaggerating on the numbers I quoted you. This is my life.
4. Harrison is starting to do more and more phrases instead of single words. My favorite new one is "Stinky Toes," which comes out clear as a bell.
5. We have pottied twice on the potty! He goes days without any interest, but we're feeling semi-successful about it when he does want to sit down and have a go at it. Rock on.
6. I can't believe I haven't mentioned it before now, but we are officially BINKY-FREE. This momentous event happened while we were in Michigan. I'm glad I've got some time for him to get used to this before the little one arrives, who might be using binkies of his own.
7. Our garage sale last weekend went fantastically and I'm feeling nicely decluttered.
8. I just today finished my first scrapbook ever. I bought a pretty expensive one about four years ago and have been lugging it and assorted supplies from one place to the next. I used it to chronicle Dan and I's first year and a half together. Good times. That was back when we used to take pictures of each other instead of the little man.
9. In the past two days, I've recieved two baby gifts--both adorable baby boy blankets. This makes me happier than you can possibly know because I didn't get a one when I had Harrison and I didn't buy any either. That means I used vintage ones my mom gave me and a borrowed one from my sister. Yeah for baby blankets!

I didn't mean to ramble on and on. Who would have thought I'd have nine happy moments to gush about? Since I made it this far, I think I'll just round it out to an even ten....

10. Danny made fresh salsa/bean deliciousness tonight using Brit's recipe (holla, holla!) and then let me eat it as my one and only course for dinner. Mmmm.