Potty Training

I really wish when you are in the hospital cuddling with your newborn, that an instruction manual was provided to you. My daughter is clearly ready to be potty trained. The other day, Rian and I went out and found her this adorable little potty seat with a soft seat and a spot for toilet paper to be stored. Aradia is thrilled with it, she loves to open and close the lid, and she loves to sit on it with or without a diaper. The problem is, the little girl won't pee in it!!!!! I've read online and many people suggest that showing them what to do is helpful. So every morning when we wake up, I take her to the bathroom and sit her on the potty, then I go too. Aradia is smart enough to hand me toilet paper, but then doesn't go herself. The SECOND I put a diaper on her, she pees lol. That's another problem, it seems I can't get her to the potty quick enough. Everytime I take her up there (I usually aim for about every hour) it seems I'm too late. I know that yelling at her will only delay successful potty training, so I don't. Besides, it's not her fault she hasn't learned that yet. I'm just trying to come up with a formula that works.

My Picky Little Eater

My daughter is now just under 19 months. Many other children I know around her age are eating regular table food now. I am STILL struggling to get her to eat. Her daddy is getting quite frustrated. I know I can't let her go back to the pureed foods (especially since she has a whole mouth of teeth), but I am still worried that she isn't getting the nutrition she needs. To top it off, I think she is a vegetarian! This little girl REFUSES to eat meat, and she only barely nibbles at chicken or fish. Her favorite foods are cookies and french fries...not very nutritional. Lately, I've tried to feed her more peanut butter to ensure she at least gets the protein she needs. But hopefully soon, i can find a few recipes that she will like to eat on a regular basis. Thankfully, Aradia is clearly not malnurished. She's very active, and pleasantly plump where toddlers should be. But still....a mother worries. If only I could find some more foods she might like.

Kids Say the Darndest Things!

So I have been desperately been trying to get my 18-month old daughter to talk. We've been reading to her, we constantly talk to her, and any other thing that mother's and doctor's have suggested. But still she barely says any thing that can be construed as a real word. Don't get me wrong, there are the one words like hey, hi, mama, dada, baba, woof, and oh! But she hasn't developed any two to three word phrases yet. In fact, the only two word phrase she has learned is "oh shit". NOT exactly what I want her to pick up and far as verbal communication is concerned. To make matters worse, her old-fashioned, 80+ year-old great grandmother is down to visit for an entire month and I'm so afraid Aradia will be far to enthusiastic to share her new found phrase to everyone in the house...including her great grandmother!!!!! Oh the plights of motherhood!