What a Week!!!

Hey Everyone!!


Wow…what a week we’ve been having!! I was going to prepare a birthday post, but first, I had to share how “grown-up” Hannah has become in just this last week!!

As you are probably aware, we’ve been working on potty training with Hannah. Well, in true Diva-fashion, she has decided to do things her way…not ours. For the past few weeks, she has resisted heavily when I suggest changing her pull-up in the morning, and having her use the potty. Some days, even the bribe of M&Ms isn’t enough to get her to do as I ask. For a while, I assumed that it was because she had peed in her pull-up during the night and was too ashamed for me to see…nope…not it at all. I soon discovered that she was staying dry all night, and just didn’t feel the need to go yet. She is also now staying dry all day, but still waits for us to suggest that she goes potty. She must have a steel bladder, because I don’t always remember to remind her. Thankfully I drink a lot of coffee, so I visit the bathroom quite regularly during the day…so I typically suggest that she comes in with me.

Despite all of her progress, she still uses the potty as a control mechanism with us. If she doesn’t like something that we do or say, she’ll tell us, “Sorry, the potty train has left the station.” The funny thing is, at first, she would stand in front of us, pee in her pull-up and then say, “oops, I made a pee pee in my diaper” and give us a smirk, but I truly think that she is becoming more and more uncomfortable with that feeling, so she does this less and less. HA…one point for Mommy!!!

Along with potty training, we had a few other items on our punch list of things that needed to change before Hannah was officially a “Big Girl.” One of these was the transition to a booster seat at the table. I’m sure you have all seen the hippo chair that has been hanging on our table for more than a year now. We started to notice that Hannah was making it move and bend a bit more than we liked, as she got bigger. It was time to say goodbye to the hippos. The problem? One of the arms of it was stuck, and we couldn’t get it off our table. Finally this past weekend, Craig got out the reciprocating saw, and the hippos made their exit. Hannah now sits in a booster, and she couldn’t be happier!! She also sits in a chair at restaurants (usually on her knees, but I’m cool with that), and is very happy that we don’t have to ask for a high chair anymore when we go out…so are we!!!

Another item that we knew needed to disappear was Hannah’s pacifier…aka her bono (she named it…I have no idea where the name came from). We had been dragging our feet on this one, as she has become quite attached to it for her naps and bedtime. In all honesty, there are two reasons why we were avoiding the topic with her…one, we were hoping that it would bring her needed comfort after surgery, and two, I was 100% dreading her reaction to losing it. After having surgery delayed twice, I surprised both Craig and Hannah two nights ago and suggested that Big Girl Hannah give it up. (Sorry for springing it on you Craig!!) Though her Dentist said that no damage has been done because of it, I wasn’t willing to take any more chances. I also figured that going cold turkey for her birthday was a good time…she’d have plenty of distractions.

So, night one, we explained that bono was making her pretty teeth have booboos, and that it was germy and could make her sick. She was upset about it, but I don’t think she wanted us to question if she was a big girl or not, so she didn’t ask for it. She sobbed for a bit in her bed, but it really wasn’t any longer than it usually takes her to fall asleep. She woke up the next morning upset, but she never got up during the night. The same thing happened last night. Naps have been a bit trickier, since she isn’t as tired, but she has fallen asleep two of the past three days, so I think we’re on the right track.

So, as you can see, it has been a big week for our birthday girl. She is all excited for tomorrow…she has dinner all planned out. She wants to go to Montana’s for dinner, and she is planning on having calamari and ice cream (with gummy worms of course). She is also excited for the wait staff to sing and cheer for her. She plans to wear her princess crown all day as well. Oh, and apparently a trip to the bookstore is going to follow dinner. Saturday some friends might pop over to drop off a gift, but otherwise, we’re saving an actual party for this summer after she has recovered. She doesn’t know it yet, but we are going to have the Backyardigan cake she requested this weekend…even though I told her that we were saving that for her summer party!!!

As for a surgery update, I still don’t have one. I called last week and left a message, but the Case Manager apparently lost the message. I called again yesterday and she said she’d call me back with a date. As of right now, I haven’t heard anything. I’ll be sure to let everyone know as soon as I get word.

Well, I hope you are all well, and I promise to post some photos soon. Hannah is still going through her, “I don’t want my photo taken” phase, so good ones are few and far between…hopefully she’ll at least let me get one photo of her on her birthday.

I’m off to finish seaming her Birthday Sweater…photos of that to come too.

Cheers!

Sharon