Big Changes For Big Brother

So, he's not a big brother quite yet, but he will be soon and with that come lots of changes! Our little guy has been a trooper over the last couple months and handling all the nesting around the house a bit better than our little girl, Knuckles...who seems to be more on edge with each passing day.

In the fall, Fletcher took interest in everything "potty," so I decided to roll with the enthusiasm and see where it led. He started using the little potty after Thanksgiving and much to our delight, he now spends waking hours in big boy underwear, but he still wears diapers for naps and bedtime. We'll work on that training a bit further down the road. He will also be seen in a diaper on long excursions from the house, although we're working on that as well and when we go on our trip in April, I think we'll face the plane rides to Colorado with pull-ups on.

He stands over his potty chair and goes "like he does at school," like a big kid. Or he sometimes sits on it. He also sits on the large toilet, facing backwards with his legs spread, so he can hold on to the toilet and watch the stream, but this is best done without bottoms on, or at least one side of bottoms. So, in public places, we have held him above the toilet and tried various ways so we're not having to strip him down. Although the other day, I didn't do very well at this job and he ended up peeing right into his underwear and pants anyway. (Sorry...it's hard to hold him in my current 39-weeks-pregnant-state.)

He won't sit there long enough to read and of course, doesn't typically have his shorts on.

I'm really struggling (as most parents probably do) with how I can possibly give Holden the time and attention that Fletcher got over the last 22 months. I don't think it'll ever be equal, but I'd like to try and have some time with Holden on my own during the day. In addition, over the past several months, I have noticed that Fletcher seems a little bit bored around here despite the overabundance of toys, the attention he gets from both of us, the ability to go in the backyard or to neighbors' houses to play with his friends, and much more. So...after much debate, which started months ago...we decided to enroll him in the daycare and preschool around the corner from our house.

We didn't want to wait until Holden's arrival to have him start going, so we started with the new year. He only goes three times each week for four hours each time. So that has given me 12 hours each week to get things done around here. I'm not done with everything, but I have made significant progress in to-do's that have been on the list for years, some even since before we ever lived here. The lounging around with champagne and bon-bons will have to wait, I guess! So, this will give me 12 hours each week of time with Holden.

The expression in this picture sums up how he felt about the whole ordeal.

At first, Fletcher was fine going into the school and I would sneak out. But after a couple days, he started to get upset when we'd pull into the parking lot and it was a battle either way, so I figured I should just say a short and sweet goodbye and leave. He still gets upset, two months into this process, but I'd rather have that now than when he's five and starting Kindergarten. Up until last week, he would be upset throughout the day, at different periods. The center would do everything to appease him. He did not want to stay in his room and attached himself to different adults around the center. He'd end up in the three and four-year-old room, doing worksheets and projects with them. He'd also end up in the director's office, helping her form a Word Document from time to time. He just wasn't cooperating with the idea of staying with the one-year-olds and his teacher.

We were not impressed with his teacher from the start, but kept giving it more time. Fortunately for our son, she is not working there anymore and there's a new teacher. The first day he was there with the new teacher, the director called us to tell us about the fabulous day he was having! So, we're hoping that the staff change makes all the difference in the world and he settles into this routine and the expectations of their program. (And then, of course, he'll turn two and move to another room with another teacher!)

The third big change was the second attempt to switch him from the crib to the big boy bed, which happened right after Christmas. As you know, the first attempt did not go so well, so we decided to switch out the bed instead of the bed and the room. So, he remains in what has been his room, just in a twin bed now! We haven't gone back to the crib since. It took some major getting used to, and some trials and errors, but he now sleeps in the twin bed from 8pm - 6:30/7am. We didn't mind the extra time it was taking to put him to sleep, but the waking up, and walking out of his room and into our's at various times of the night was the kicker. Then it would take hours to get him back down before he'd do it again.

Just before his first night in the big boy bed...again.

So, we switched the lock on the door, so we could lock it from the outside. Then it wasn't locking, so we reversed some more parts, which then didn't work, until we finally removed part of it and shimmed it and now, it closes completely and locks each time. When he wakes up in the morning, he'll get up and come to the door and try to open it or knock on it until we open it. Other times, he'll wake up and play around a bit in there before coming to the door. That's what we want him to do. He used to play in his crib for quite awhile before wanting out. We want him to do that in his room, so we have had to start playing with him in  his room more. It's always just been the place to sleep before now. So, hopefully, he won't wake up constantly throughout the night when Holden cries or we're moving around a bit more. If he does, I hope he loses interest quickly, but there's only one way we're going to find out how that all works and that, my friends, is coming soon!

All dressed up and ready for the maternity photo shoot.

Unfortunately, we found out later that night, he had the stomach bug during this!

Preparing by reading about what to expect during the first year of life.

Learning about Mommy's pregnancy, week by week.

It's hard to believe February is coming to an end, March 1st, the due date is this week, and March 8th, the longest they'll let me go is quickly following! One way or another...big changes are coming for all of us!

38 Weeks

They had to make sure he was head down at 38 weeks.

Holden's Foot

39 Weeks and still waiting!

Fletcher likes to show his progress too...yes, he's barefoot and in undies outside. It was warm and we took this quickly!