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Dear Adelai |18 Months| : Good Bye Baby




Dear Adelai,

These past 6 months have gone by like a whirlwind. We had a wonderful spring and summer and I loved watching you learn how to run, do somersaults, imitate us doing push-ups, doggie-paddle across the pool*, and most recently--how to go potty on the big girl potty.  There are times when I still want to baby you, but I quickly remember that you DO NOT like being babied. So I have done my best to incorporate daily life into your life too, and not saving all the "mom work" for when you're asleep. 




You love to do what we do, be it vacuuming, dusting, washing the dishes, or eating whatever we are eating. When I was deciding when to potty train you, I knew 18 months was so young, but I also knew that you were tired of me pinning you down each time you needed a diaper change. I was tired of it too. That, and I knew you were capable of learning to potty on the toilet. It would just take time. 

Pottying her monkey :-)

The first 4 days were HARD. You were naked all four days and by Friday night, I thought I was just going to throw in the towel and try again in a month or two. But on Saturday, Daddy stayed home and you realized he was on my side and you weren't going to get out of it. What was his trick? Make YOU get on the potty on your own, not placed there by one of us. It worked like a charm. It is funny how determined you are to do things YOUR way, on your own. When we allow you to do things on your own, within the parameters, you normally do it--even if a little (or a lot) of coaxing is necessary. I guess we are all like that. We all have our agency and we just need a bit of coaching. 

Today, 9 days into potty training, I was cooking dinner and you were playing with Daddy when I heard you say, "potty," and you ran into the bathroom on your own. That is the first time you self initiated and we were so dang proud. You'll still have accidents I am sure, and we aren't even close to being done potty training, but you are making wonderful progress. 

You are growing up. And although you may not be a baby anymore, you will always be my baby. 

Love,
Mom

*with the help of a floatie, of course.







Comments

  1. Loved it!
    Grace and Drew did 18 months and the naked way too lol
    Enjoy the time ...

    ReplyDelete

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