Summer is Flying BY!

Along with a potty update here is an update with the household. We do leave for vacation in less than two weeks I’m very excited! Our wonderful friends are going to watch Annabelle for us. We are also going to get her spayed here soon… we are waiting since there is a waiting list for the place we want to go to. We decided to start looking for another family pet. Annabelle is potentially good but she’s not. She craves so much attention and I think she needs a pal to play with during the day when we are gone. I think she craves that attention from another dog. The friends that are watching her for us while we are gone have two other dogs so we are going to see how she is around those dogs and go from there, but another family pet may be in our near future!

Brandon is going on his “vacation” next weekend. He’s going down to a cabin in NC with a friend and driving his motorcycle. It will be a good get-away for him and it’s right before we leave for our MO/CO trip so it will be a nice break before vacation haha! One day Brandon and I will get away just the two of us.. but who KNOWS when that will be!

We finally decided on Graysen’s birthday party. I was in a big debate with it! I didn’t think we knew enough kids to have it at a place like Chuck E Cheese but at the same time I didn’t want to do it at the house because not only do you have to clean and get set up for it, you have to clean it up! Well, my schedule for Fall semester looks like I’m going to have a Saturday class, and her birthday is on a Saturday. So that doesn’t allow us to be able to go down to NC to have it (with Brandon’s family), and we will still have way more adults than we will kids so we are going to have it at our place. Hopefully a few kiddos can make it but we are also going to use it as a nice hangout before Fall semester really beings. If you know me.. I do NOTHING during the real semester, I don’t take one sip of any drink and I barley sleep because I’m studying nonstop. I don’t even like to go out to eat because it’s taking away study time! Therefore we are going to have a fun little birthday party/get together at our house for her 2^nd birthday. It’s going to be pure Dora and I’m very very excited for it!

Now to get all these small projects done around the house before the fall semester starts and I will be doing good! Wish me luck on that one!

Potty Training NOT in 3 Days Update: 5

Graysen is doing pretty good with this potty training thing. She is grasping the idea. She still isn’t telling me (minus maybe once a day) that she actually has to go to the bathroom so it’s on me to get her to the bathroom about every thirty minutes. It can be frustrating for her because this child must have a VERY large bladder, she can drink a whole sippy cup of milk, half a sippy cup of water and go three hours without going to the bathroom, and I’ll freak out and make her go every 15-30 minutes and she gets mad and tells me “no momma no potty!” But then fifteen minutes she goes in her big girl pants!!

Today she had a few more “accidents” than normal but I did catch her in the “act” of pooping. She was standing against the wall and I could tell that she had just peed (the shapes on the pull up disappear when it’s wet!) and I just KNEW she was trying to poop so I asked her and told her to go to the potty but of course she wasn’t wanting anything to do with it. So taking note of what my friend Christine did; let her daughter go naked and got her in the act, I did just that. She was about to go and I put her on the potty and she went!! And not only that but she got very excited and said “mommy me poop potty!” and then she said bye bye poop and helped me flush it!

She does great in public! She hasn’t had one accident while being out.. just at home (I blame the TV). We went to Gymboree and she peed before she played and even “tried” afterward but she didn’t have to go but did when we got home! So that makes it exciting. To save money, not sanity I think I’m going to start putting her in panties at home more and keep the pull ups for going out. If she has an accident in her panties she knows for sure.. because it runs down her leg and she hates it.. but the pull up absorbs it all… so I’ve noticed that when she had panties on she would tell me she was going and having an accident but if she goes in the pull ups I have to figure it out (keep looking at the shapes) because she won’t say anything.

She has also gotten into the habit of “fibbing” about going potty. If she gets into trouble and has to go to time out the first thing she says in 10 seconds of sitting in the corner is “ooo momma potty!” she KNOWS I will take her to the bathroom but she NEVER has to actually go! She that tonight at dinner as well she yelled (yes YELLED) “Momma POOP! Poop Momma!”. So I rushed her to the potty but she didn’t have to do anything.. so she got out of sitting at the table! Not too sure how I’m supposed to handle this one!

Otherwise it’s a great progress… I’m still trying to not let myself rush anything we have vacation in less than two weeks and we will be on a not-so-normal schedule for two weeks! So we’ll see what happens!!

Potty Training NOT in 3 Days Update: 4

One step forward two steps back!

Let’s just throw this out there.. Potty training is difficult not just for the parent I’m sure, but for the child too! I’m pretty sure Graysen gets sick and tired of me asking her to go to the potty.. Having to drop a toy to go use the bathroom what fun is that!!!

Yesterday was GREAT so great that I even KNEW today would be a different story! Graysen woke up with a wet diaper yesterday (that’s still our fault I think) but she was accident free all morning and afternoon! We even went out. I got her to pee before we left then we got to target did a few things then I took her to the bathroom, dry diaper, and she peed on the potty there!! She woke up from her nap dry as well and I got her on the potty and she peed! I couldn’t have been more thrilled with that little girl! By the end of the day she was getting restless with it though. She did poop in her pull ups, but that wasn’t a surprise to me.. she dumped it in the potty. Then afterward we had to pee accidents, but then it was bath time and bed time!

This morning on the other hand.. she won’t use the potty at all! I’m going to keep trying, but I don’t want to stress her out! I think I have gray hairs already, but we don’t want to stress the baby out! Hehe! Okay let’s cross our fingers for today!

Potty Training NOT in 3 Days Update: 3

Just a QUICK update!  Graysen did so-so on the potty yesterday. We did good in the morning but then it wasn’t as good nearing the afternoon. We did go do pictures and we went to dinner. At dinner I wanted to change her before we left so after I took the diaper off (it was one of the changing stations that was in the stall) I asked if she wanted to sit on the potty and she said POTTY! So I sat her on there she “pushed” and started singing her ABC’s (toddler style) and she peed!! The neighbors in the stall next to us got a song and cheers haha! Then when we got home we went to get changed and put into our PJ’s and when I started to put a diaper on her she said NOO Potty! So I took her to the potty and she sat down and peed! Overall it was pretty great!

This morning on the other hand has been a little set back! She didn’t get a nap yesterday and woke up wide eyed at 5:30 this morning so she’s pretty grumpy! She had a total melt down this morning when I just wanted her to try to go to the bathroom… therefore she didn’t! Then an even bigger melt down when I tried to put a diaper on her! Therefore she’d been going naked, than I finally got panties on her. I kept asking if she wanted to come “try” to go potty but she kept telling me NO NO NO.. I’m not going to start dragging her to the potty when I’m still trying to make it fun for her! She did have an accident and when it started she made her uh-o face and yelled Ahh! MOMMA POTTY!!! So at least she recognizes it, I rushed her to the potty but nothing there after so we are now in a diaper.

I was trying to finish the diapers we have (well her day time diapers) just because I don’t want to waste them but it’s a pain in the butt! Therefore Christine, a friend who is also potty training her daughter mentioned that she does the pull ups and then resorts to the diapers if her little girl has accidents in the pull ups. Which I think is a great idea. SO I’m going to head to the store today after volunteering and pick up some more pull ups!

Potty Training NOT in 3 Days Update: 2

So yesterday (Thursday) potty success was pretty high! Graysen was already wet by the time I got her out of bed but I still had her sit on the potty to start getting used to it and she had no problem with it. After that I tried to take her about every half hour and she was going, and we did great. Did that for about four times, and after the 2^nd I put her in her big girl Dora panties and she didn’t seem to mind them at all. On the fifth time I took Graysen to the bathroom but she didn’t need to go. So then I was contemplating if I should take her after 15 min, or just do 30 again, and while still in debate with myself she started to have an accident. I got her to the potty to finish so it was horrible. After that though, she didn’t want to go potty. She’d still go and sit down so we did that a lot throughout the day, but a lot of it would be Graysen telling me mommy potty potty and when we got in there her diaper was wet so she already peed she just wanted changed really..!

Now that we’re doing this potty gig more I can’t keep anything on my daughter’s rear end! Haha she wants to just run around naked and doesn’t want anything on her lil bum. I’m okay with it but the husband freaks out and just thinks she’s going to pee over everything like a new puppy! So along that line today we’ve done alright. Graysen was bare butt most of the morning. She was wet once I got her up again so we sat on the potty but nothing. Then I took her after thirty minutes twice and she went. Then I took her again but she didn’t need to go. So I was trying to take her every 10-15 minutes until she went again but she just didn’t need to go. Finally we had our accident. She pouted because she knew she didn’t make it to where she was supposed to be going! We now have a diaper on and will take a pause.. I think a little bit a day is a good start! I don’t want to get totally used to it when we leave for vacation in three weeks, travel is always hard on schedules let alone potty training! It’s good practice until we get back at least!

July Family Update

Alright, where to being!

It seems like my summer is passing by me, we’ve been so busy, yet not too sure with WHAT! Ha!

As is; I’ve been looking into a few other colleges around my area that have nursing programs. A lot of people have asked me if I’m just going to do something else and though I’ve looked into “other things” I’m happy with my career choice and am just going to do anything I can to get it done. Nursing is something I strive for, I like staying busy, I love the feeling of helping others, and it’s a very important job that I know I can bring a lot to. It’s a rare field to “get bored” in because there are so many directions you can go with it, and it’s nothing to go from nursing to something else if you choose to later down the road.

Sentara is the first college I looked into recently. It is a bachelors program and this is a health college so they don’t major in anything other than health fields. They are pretty expensive but you get the schooling done in 2 1/2 years. The associate program is 2 years, so that is pretty good. Although the soonest I could get into their program would be August of 2013… Uhhhhggg…. Also with this program I have to get my CNA.. which I’m hitting myself in the head for because I took the program in Hawaii. I was 7 months pregnant when I took this call and once I finished the class they wouldn’t allow me to take the State license course because they require you to carry a patient, and by then I was 8 ½ months pregnant and there was no way. So I was supposed to take the state license test after the birth and the six weeks when I would have been excused by the doctor, but I never did it. There would have been a good chance that the Hawaii license would have transferred here, so all in all I am hitting myself in the forehead, AGAIN! Sentara also owns hospitals here, they are buying hospitals out left and right and they usually only hire THEIR students. The way they do their nursing program, is, they do not know how many students they will accept into their program next year, because they decide upon the need of their hospitals. If they need to hire 80 more nurses that year, and will take 80-100 students in the nursing program, so almost all can be assigned a position in their hospital upon graduation. Very good deal I think!

Norfolk State University is the other college I looked into. They are just an associate degree in nursing but they would accept all my credits and I’d be able to apply now. They seem like a very good school, they would be more expensive then TCC for the same degree but they do not have a cap on their program. Meaning they don’t tell you they are ONLY accepting 50 students that year. Basically if I have the good grades then I could get in to it.

So here is my dilemma… I’m going to apply to all three programs. The associate programs would be to get into August 2012 program, and they should let me know if I was accepted or not by next June.  IF I get accepted into their of the colleges, would I accept it and go ahead and start that august for my associate OR turn it down to get into Sentara the following year for a Bachelors, BUT not guaranteed to get into that program either. I could turn an associate program down wait a year and then not even be accepted! It’s obvious to me, what I should do, but I’m not positive. Of course this is all IF and WHAT IF, but it’s good to think about those options as well. Basically you have to have a bachelors to work in any hospital here, but after I get my associate I could go back and get my Bachelors hopefully with little to no problems. Also IF I did get accepted into one of the associate programs next year I wouldn’t have to pay to take the CNA again! So many OPTIONS!

Anyway this fall I did decide to go to school Full time. I registered for my classes and got stuck with a Saturday class, but it’s one I really need so I don’t have much of a choice. I’m nervous about being full time with everything else we do, but it will be the best idea school wise, I just need to keep all A’s!

Since I stopped doing my “diet” and just being careful of what I eat, and then working out I’ve lost 5lbs but been very very steady. So that is a total of 35lbs down! I have a professor right now and he is a runner, I mean a RUNNER! He just got done doing a 50miler and seemed very disappointed he did it in 12 hours! *WHAT!!* haha So it’s made me a bit more interested in trying a little race. I also have a couple friends who are getting into those marathons and half marathons. Very neat to see them train for it. I’m not that big of a runner but I remember being stuck in this mile and half during track in high school at a meet and it killed me! I’m actually surprised I even finished it haha! I’m in way better shape and physical health then I was even in High school so it’s a goal I set for myself to get into at least one 5K by the end of this year. Hopefully one day I can go more than that but like I keep saying about everything… BABY STEPS J

We leave for our Vacation to Missouri and Colorado at the beginning of August! I am very excited to see my Grams and cousin. They haven’t met Brandon or Graysen yet so that will be wonderful! Colorado is always eventful but I feel bad for not “seeing” people. I never have enough time in Denver because my parents live in the middle of nowhere 5 hours from Denver. I will see a few though so that’s good.. I also WILL have to eat some Corona’s and I do get to see my Brother while I’m there, that’s always a very rare event!!

I took Graysen to the movies for the first time a couple weeks ago. She did VERY well. It was Ramona and beezus the movie, so not even really a toddler movie..and it was 140 minutes long! Which is very long for her. She did great though, for the first hour she sat there and drank her juice and ate her popcorn! She started to get antsy near the end and wanted to play! They have another dollar movie next Tuesday that I think she will like, Yogi Bear, it’s shorter and actually has animation in it. I might even take her to the park first! Haha! It’s fun to do these movies though because it’s a summer type thing, and it’s only a dollar for both of us because they don’t charge for her, and we can get a small popcorn for only two bucks on Tuesdays! What a deal!

The house is looking better! We finally got Graysen’s ceiling primed and painted and you can’t see the water stains anymore. I do need to get the front balcony done, but I’m not sure if it’s going to happen! I will be doing GOOD if that gets done before August. After that we have to do new window shutters for the outside windows since to busted in the storm and then that’s it! Hopefully at least!

Well… That is all that I can think of on this end! Thank you for checking in with the update!

Potty Training NOT in 3 days UPDATE: 1

I will be putting this information in it’s own blog since it was previously in it’s own!

Potty TIME:

For the last week now Graysen has been using the potty again. Not on a regular basis. When I catch her dry and I know it’s been a little while since she’s gone to the bathroom I try to go sit her on the potty and she will usually do the deed! The first time was after her nap, she was dry so I ran and sat her on the potty and she sat there and peed! She’s not being resistant to it at all, she prefers “her” little potty, not the little seat on the big potty, so that’s what we are using! She has to read her “potty” book when she’s sitting down, and we sing the abc’s (for some reason that just became the “potty song” haha). She isn’t going on her own, or even telling me if she’s wet, she doesn’t seem to care much, but If I take the time to set her down she will sit there, she might not go but she will sit there for a few minutes reading and singing and then she says she’s done and tries to wipe herself!

As far as pooping on the potty, hasn’t happened yet this round. BUT when she does poop she comes and tells me “Momma uh-o poop, potty!!” And she runs into the bathroom and she wants to help dump her poop into the potty and wave bye bye to it when we flush it! Haha so it’s a working progress! I’m just letting her do her thing right now, when we get back from our vacation I will try doing the pull up/panty thing at home and see if I can get her on the potty a bit more frequently and see how it goes!

YAH for potty time!!!!

July Family Update

To start this one off I’d like to say Graysen is doing a 100% better. I got her home and after her nap her fever was non-existent, but then it came back that night but not nearly as high. For about three days it was on and off from 101 to normal. Still not sure if it was teeth, or a possible virus like the doctors thought it was. I just know she is doing better and that’s all that matters!!

Graysen is now a pro at getting into everything!! The other morning I heard a loud noise in the kitchen, and then I hear “Momma me hunry (hungry) Help pease (please)! I go into the kitchen and she has learned how to open the fridge and get things out. So she had taken the sour cream out and set it on the table then went to grab “daddy’s juice”, as she proceeds to tell me “Uh-o momma, daddy juice..Dadda, dadda, daddddda!!” haha! That’s beer for those of you who don’t know what Momma’s and Dadda’s “juice” is! She really likes to “show” you her emotions now. She will tell you Happy! And start laughing, then she will say Sad and pout her face, and then mad is her favorite, she will cross her arms and look down and look at you with a very dirty look! She practices the mad look in the mirror every day! She loves to get ready with me in the morning, she stands on the toilet seat and wants to brush her teeth and hair when I do, and then she lifts her arms up for deodorant, and she will sit as still as possible for you to put “make up” on her! She is such a joy, just keeps getting better!

As for me, I’m working on looking into different colleges. There is one college that I was very interested in but didn’t look into it much because it was a bachelor program and I wanted to get done with school before there was a chance of us leaving or before Brandon got put on a ship. Although at this rate, I’m going to have to suck it up, the chance of us staying here is very high, so we’ll just having to figure out things when the time comes about him being on a ship and me being full time in school. Right now I will just keep working on getting classes done that I know will benefit me in one way or another. I decided to continue into the fall full time. It’s going to be tough, but I need to do it and get as many classes I can done, it will only help! So for right now, one step at a time!

This weekend I went to Myrtle Beach SC with a friend. It wasn’t a leisure trip but it was still fun and relaxing. One thing I have missed about living off of an island is the ability to just drive… travel even if it’s a shorter distance it’s nice to get away from your home! Our 4^th of July was nothing special, but it was very relaxing. Brandon and I just hung out on the couch all day! Graysen laid with me and watched movies, and then would play and entertain herself (that hardly ever happens!) and it was very NICE. We had a bbq that night, and I’m very glad that we didn’t make plans to go out because it rained all evening!

Well, that is our little beginning of July update! Thanks for keeping up!