Freedom regained!

I'm free!!...kind of.  It was a rough 2 (.5) weeks, but TOTALLY worth it!! We are officially on day 2 of no accidents!  There is no longer a small version of a toilet in the middle of my living room, and we don't have to plan around potty breaks to go anywhere.  AND...no diapers!  I'm pretty excited.  The kicker was her first public accident.  2 days ago we went to Lowes.  Jared and I always lose track of time in there and end up spending $200 when we just went for a pack of screws.  I should have checked with her on the bathroom issue, but I just didn't...then walking down aisle 11 and suddenly my feet get wet.  I was a little grossed out from having pee all over my feet, but Audrey was purely mortified.  We, of course, had a change of clothes and everything, so we changed her right there in the middle of the deserted aisle (shamefully leaving the puddle behind...I know...I'm still haunted by the fact that I made someone else clean up my kid's urine).  But she spent the rest of the time until we got home sucking her thumb and holding her foot with downcast eyes.  Apparently, fear of shame is a remarkable incentive - for her anyway.  My sister was a little jealous when I told her.  Her kids couldn't have cared less in their potty training days.  I was especially proud of her today.  We went out and ended up playing in the water hose.  I recognized the fact that I should probably check with her on whether or not she had to go...but instead I figured "eh, we are playing in water...if she goes, big whoop."  After we had moved on from playing in the water to just playing in our wet clothes, she starts saying Uh Oh (that's the potty cue).  So I stripped her down, carried her upstairs (none of this went quickly since I'm painfully slow these days) and plopped her on the pot.  She is amazing.  Hands down, the best kid ever!  Ie: After exclaiming that I was tired and ready to go to bed at 7p, Jared was just kidding and said "ok Audrey, lets go to bed!"  What does she do?  She says OK, goes around the living room picking up her blanket, doll, and giraffe that she always sleeps with and then heads towards her bedroom.  Who does that?!  MY KID!  I am the luckiest mom in the entire world!!

The other day I was changing and she kept opening the

blinds to see outside.  I told her we needed to keep them

shut so that no one saw momma naked...this was her solution.

The night before, Jared said he'd have a surprise for me

the next day.  Silly me thought there would be chocolate

involved.

We found a turtle crossing our driveway.  Ever since 

having to get used to Robbie and Kristy's giant dog in

FL, she loves animals..and thinks they are all "puppies"

Us girls were on the deck one day when Audrey yelled

"Puppy!" I looked up to find a deer in our fenced in 

back yard.  She pushed open the gate and after panicking

for a minute and rushing around the yard, she pushed her

way back out.  Good times, though.

The other night she kept waking up and Jared

suggested we just let her cry for a minute, since

going in a comforting her wasn't working.  She stopped,

but when we went to do the usual check-in before

we headed to bed, this is what we found.

Bless it...

She went a solid 2.5 weeks with no pants on.  (a week 

of that was completely naked)

Not the best pic of myself, but you can see my bump.

Only 3 months to go!

The classic holding foot and sucking thumb pose.

Life doesn't stop.

Not even when you are potty training!  Can you believe it?  I put my life on hold for 2 weeks to dedicate the entire 14 days to nothing but that...but life around me kept going on...what's up with that?  Haha...I was amazed at how many things decided to happen during the time that I had so explicitly decided to be a hermit.  Luckily, I'm not a single mother. (another thing I've been very thankful for during this endeavor).

So...for those who weren't already aware, we bought our house in Oct.  It needed VARIOUS repairs, including a new front door due to water damage in the frame.  There were more pressing improvements that we concentrated on, since we do have a garage that we can use as the sole entrance.  Finally, we are ready to rectify the entryway fiasco (b/c really the entire entry including the stairs, landing, and door need to be replaced) It's ready for it's make-over...and so is our bank account.  Doors are expensive!...well, doors with the frame and 2 sidelights.  The door, itself is only around $200...the sidelights are about $800....am I the only one who finds that crazy?  Anyway, so I'm pretty darn excited.  We found a door we love that is "inexpensive" and should be here any day.  So the plan is to: day 1-take the door out (all of the following activities will be accompanied by a professional), fix the entry subfloor and put down slate, put the new door in. Day 2- put the baseboards back and either carpet the stair treads OR ...something else that we haven't fully decided, but we would rather have another option since we aren't crazy about the carpet idea.  I really can't wait to have a usable front door again!

This is the pic in the magazine, but isn't it darling?

In other, less labor intensive news: Michelle came to visit Thurs night!...and killed me at phase 10 while we both got some nice, much needed grown up socializing done.  Dad crashed until about 9p, then Audrey crashed our party until 10.30p, but it was girls only for those 2 hours before Jared got home...and it was awesome.  Jared even made us an amazing breakfast Fri morning (he takes such good care of me), which was the day we got Ben's work done at the temple.  If you know Mormon culture and beliefs, then you understand the awesomeness that I mean.  I've been to the temple every month since he passed away, and every single time I go, I miss him...more there than anywhere else.  Maybe it's because I feel like I'm closer to him there than anywhere else...I really don't know.  But I miss him more the second I enter that special place that any other time (this becomes a point, I promise).  Now, if you aren't familiar with the Mormon beliefs/lingo...then I'm sorry.  B/c my story is full of terms you probably won't get.  

Friday, we were told to be ready and in the temple at 11.30a so that we can go in the 12 noon session.  Mom and Dad went early, and I rolled up at 11.20a and was pretty excited that I got a close parking spot.  We are required to have a paper, called a recommend, to enter.  I never take mine out of my wallet. Ever.  I get my stuff, get out of the car, grab my wallet, and walk up to the front.  On my way I casually open my wallet to get my recommend out....not there.  So I frantically search every nook and cranny in the rest of the wallet and then the entire bag I was carrying.  I can't enter, thus be there with my family, if I don't have this recommend!  I tear the car apart and then call Jared (who was at home...40 min away).  I break down and blubber about what's going on, then realizing that he really can't help me, I release him from my hysterical call and just cry.  I'm going to miss it.  I am completely at a loss of what to do, or where my recommend could even be or why I would have ever taken it out of my wallet at all.  So, I muster up enough sanity to walk inside and tell the front desk my dilemma...maybe there is something they can do.  11.35a...I have 25 min to get the situation rectified and change clothes...there's still time, no need to panic.  The man had me fill out my info and the names of my Bishop and Stake President, who he could call, verify my status as a recommend holder and let me in.  I just had to sit and wait, and he would be back asap.  Time kept passing...11.40a...11.45a...I started losing hope.  If 11.50a gets here...I'll just prepare myself to accept the fact that I'm just not going to be there.  It will still get done, I don't HAVE to be there...I just really wanted to be.  11.50a...there, I'm not making it, there's no way I'll have time to change and everything in time.  Then at 5 till noon, he comes in and says I'm clear, but I had better hurry.  So, I walk as reverently and quickly as possible to the dressing room and tell the first lady that I saw with a name tag that I desperately wanted in the Noon session for my brother.  She said she would ask them to wait for me, but I should move quickly.  I tore into the first open dressing locker, and just lost it.  I threw my clothes in the locker and without even checking to make sure I had everything, I threw the dress clothes on, all the while crying my eyes out (half out of panic, and half out of relief, with a dash of pregnant hormones thrown in for good measure).  I get out and make it JUST in time.  Once I calmed down and began breathing normally, it was a wonderful experience! Haha...  The thing was: I didn't miss him.  I was happy, and felt more like he was there with us, rather than the previous experiences of having the overwhelming need to tell him that I missed him desperately.  

Wow...so that was long.  Sorry about that.  

Adventures in Potty Training

We are on day 5 of the great event that is potty training, and well...I'm just ready for it to be over.  I know Audrey is only 20 months old and it isn't going to greatly benefit her life to potty train this early, but we do cloth diapers.  We are expecting a baby in November...which would mean 2 sets of diapers to, not only change, but wash.  I really don't want to have to change that many diapers, but I desperately don't want to wash that many!  So that's why it's SO important to me that Audrey be potty trained (in full) by before the baby is born.

And...it's going....well, it's going.  Day 1 was unexpectedly uneventful.  We have taught her not to potty while she's naked (like after a bath)..so I kind of got the feeling that she was trying to hold it until we got a diaper on her for nap and bedtime.  But surprisingly successful.  At some point during the day, she went, sat, and peed on the pot all on her own.  I was beside myself with joy.  Could it be?  Could I have a genius child who  is going to be potty trained in no time?...NOPE.   Days 2 and 3: nightmares.  I became SO grateful for a few things during those days.  1- that Jared insisted on hard floors in the living room, when I was so sure that I wanted carpet in the living and bedrooms (i do still stand by the bedroom decision though). 2- that I don't have twins!  I can not in my life imagine having to potty train 2 at one time.  I was cleaning one mess while she simultaneously made another...and that Xs 2?  I know a few ppl who have or are expecting twins...and my heart just goes out to them when those darlings have to learn to control their own bladders.

Since those days of indescribable insanity, it's been good, bad, and in between.  Just the other day she had 6 successes and only 2 mishaps.  The next day was just about the opposite.  Then today (day 9), she had a perfect day...until 5p...then in a short span of 3 hours, she almost matched her number of hits from the entire day with misses.

I just really don't want to deal with double diaper duty in Nov.  That's all...  and when the day comes that I don't have to...this 2 weeks on lockdown will be worth it.