Most Days

Potty training is going better. We reverted to basics, with Will getting a treat from his Daddy every day he stayed dry (instead of a treat for using the potty each time). We had no accidents until today, when his Gramma was visiting, and he got distracted and excited. But overall, it has been a vast improvement.

We also had a major transition last week. We took the front rail off of Will's crib, transitioning him to the toddler bed (i.e., open access to the upstairs of our house - eek!). He got to go with his Daddy to pick out new bedding ("Buzz! Lightyear! And! Woody!") and he was so thrilled. After M took the rail off and we made the bed with his new sheets, he kept jumping around, clapping his hands, saying, "Thank you for my new big boy bed, Mommy and Daddy!"

It has been five nights and, so far, his nighttime sleep has been unchanged. Naps have been a bit more of a challenge, but he is still taking them for the most part. It just takes him a lot longer to settle down. So I have to start naptime about an hour before I really want himto take a nap or his naps get too late. Trial and error. This morning was the first time he got himself out of bed in the morning and he gave me a mini-heart attack when he just appeared in the kitchen this morning while I was feeding Emma. But it was kind of neat to have him just join me for the day.

Emma is changing so much lately. Each day, she is a little less infant and a little more toddler. She says the following words: fish (sounds like sish - but she points to Will's pretend fish tank and says it), kitty (sounds like kittah - but again, pointing to the kitty), daddy (pointing to her daddy), uh-oh (used appropriately after she drops something, usually her binky), and thank you (sounds like tan tew, but is also used appropriately after she is handed her binky back or an especially yummy food treat). Notice mama is missing from the list. Will did the same thing to me, teasing me with saying words like "thank you," but not saying mama. Kids!

She also crawls like a champ, pulls herself up, and cruises around furniture. She "dances," claps, plays peek-a-boo, blows a kiss, waves, and pantomines to "If You're Happy and You Know It" (hooray is her favorite part). She has the. best. baby. laugh ever. Ever. I really need to get it on film. It is a deep belly laugh that makes everyone in hearing distance laugh right along with her.

I won't tell you how much she sleeps because you would stop reading my blog in protest. Just know this: I didn't do anything to train her to sleep this way. Don't get me wrong. I do believe you can guide your baby's sleep habits, but I also firmly believe that they are born to sleep (and eat and actually do a lot of stuff) a certain way. I did sleep train Will, but I didn't really have to do anything to sleep train Emma. And I live every day feeling a mixture of gratitude (that she sleeps so well) and fear (that she will stop being a good sleeper and since I didn't "make" her one, I won't know how to help her sleep well again). Because I like my sleep. I find that a good night's rest helps me deal so much better with the challenges of parenting two young children every day.

Because let me tell you: these two keep me busy. It's a good busy. It's the type of busy where I fall into bed every night exhausted. But it's still very busy and being well-rested makes me able to have the energy I need to keep up with them.

Last June, I was wondering how on earth I would be a mom to two children. This June, I don't worry about how I will do it any more. If you are worried about how you will parent two children, here is my Top Secret Trick To Parening Two: I just do it. I don't do it perfectly, but I do it. And I really do believe that my children are happy. Sure, there are days when M walks through the door and I am throwing a baby and/or toddler at him and running upstairs to just catch my breath, days when I worry that I am not being a great mom. But most days? Most days are pretty darn amazing and I am very grateful that this is my life.