Baylor's Occupational Therapy

Baylor receives Occupational Therapy one time a week through the state program Early Steps. I cannot tell you how wonderful this program has been in improving Baylor all around. Jenny, Baylor's O.T., has been working with Baylor since March and we have seen such a change in him since she has started. Jenny does come to our home but every couple of weeks, we get to visit Jenny at her clinic. Baylor loves going because there is soooo much for him to do there. Jenny has a variety of swings that interchange from her ceiling, she has a balance beam, a rock climbing wall, a HUGE slide, a trampoline and so much more! This Friday we got to visit Jenny at her clinic and it was a great session!

Baylor got to:

Write and draw on the wall-

Slide down the really BIG slide-

Work on puzzles-




Play a fun elephant game-

Work on his fine motor skills using a drill-

Play cool games-

And one of his other favorites, SWINGING-

Diary of a Potty Training Mom: Day 5 & Day 6

The last 2 days have not gone well. For 2 reasons:

1. Baylor has been uncooperative.

2. I've been slacking.

I'm trying not to make this a traumatizing experience for my child.

I'm not reading the how to "Potty Train Your Child in Just One Day" book anymore.

We are starting fresh on Friday with a new method that I am very excited about:

"3 Day Potty Training"

This time it involves Baylor wearing big boy undies from the get go.

We'll see how it goes....

See you Friday.

End of Day 6 Results:

Potty 0, Baylor 6

Diary of a Potty Training Mom: Day 4

Started off going to work today.

No really.

I had to go to work and Baylor had to go to Mrs. Erin's.

It was only a 1/2 day though so we tried working with Baylor again this afternoon.

I tried a different approach this time. You may think it's gross but I'm trying to get the potty info through his head.

This time I sat on the potty and I had him sit on the potty, bottomless, facing me and had him watch me "pee pee in the potty". Yea, he thought it was funny.

And of course I did not take pictures of this process. No need to see that side of me.

So then, I tried to take him in the bathroom while his Daddy was pottying.

I was all excited, (clapping and the whole works) and was telling Baylor,

"Look, Daddy's a big boy and he's going pee pee in the potty".

Baylor then walked over to Scott,

swatted at him and ran out of the bathroom with his arms flailing, while he screamed.

Not good.

End of Day 4 Results:

Potty o, Baylor 4

Diary of a Potty Training Mom: Day 3

Today we started our day in the park. While Baylor played,

Mommy continually looked for the inside joke I was apparently missing in the "Potty Train Your Child In Just One Day" book:

After nap time, Baylor played in the living room and was watching a movie. I decided to bring the potty chair in to sit beside him, just so he could get used to it's presence. I then showed him again how the baby went "pee pee in the potty". You can see how he's trying to look for something behind the doll. Busted.

I striped him down and sat him on the potty. And he actually stayed... all of 5 seconds. I've learned this is his getting ready to run look...

I am not ashamed that at this point I began to bribe my child. With pretzels.


and then he got really upset because he wanted to put his clothes back on.

Moving on....

We tried again right before bedtime and he did back his bottom up and made it a little bit more comfy this time. I think he sat for maybe 10 seconds. Atleast each time I sit him on the toilet he's sitting longer and longer.

....But nothing again today.

End of Day 3 Results: Potty 0, Baylor 3

Diary of a Potty Training Mom: Day 2

This morning we work up and much to my surprise, Baylor was dry! I new this was a good sign so I stripped off his diaper and to the potty we went. I sat him down and he actually stayed for a few seconds and then this is when I got the "You really think I'm going to do this?" look:

and then when he realized that I had realized he wasn't going to do this, I got this look:

So I continued reading the book for more info:

then I got to a part in the book that talked about giving your kid a "Potty Party" and I seriously contemplated it:

I don't think Baylor understands what a "party" technically is when I tell him we are going to one, much less having one. I continued reading and the book started talking about teaching your child to teach a baby doll to use the potty. I also remembered Lauren telling me this is what she did with her daughter Joey. I thought," This may actually work"!

I got a small plastic baggie and filled it with water. I left a small end unzipped and open for the water to "tinkle" out and placed it behind the baby's back to where Baylor couldn't see it. I told Baylor that the baby had to use the potty and off to the bathroom we went!


Is he kissing the baby for doing a great job using the big boy potty?... I think not! He kissed him and off he went. Then I drug Scott into it. I had Scott show Baylor how the baby gets to wear big boy underwear since he went pee-pee in the potty:

Baylor then decided that if he couldn't wear the big boy underwear, then no one could.. not even the baby!

.... and on the floor they went with him running in the other direction with a naked baby. Then I took a few minutes to breath before tracking him down. Then I sat him on the potty again:




.... and nothing again.

It's only Day 2, I mean, was I really expecting him to use it by now? No. But I did think him seeing the baby peeing in the potty would interest him a little.

Not.In.The.Least.

Day 2 Results:

Potty 0, Baylor 2.

And yet again, we will try tomorrow.

Diary of a Potty Training Mom: Day 1

Baylor is 31 months now and not even close to being potty trained. In fact, he only seems to find his training potty as a hiding place for his toys. With Baylor starting preschool at the end of August, I knew I had to atleast start trying to get him interested in using the potty. I know alot of kids, especially boys, are not potty trained until 3 but I don't want to send him to school with other kids that are atleast getting familiar with it. He shows some signs of readiness and then he's lacking with other signs. You can look at signs of readiness here at BabyCenter.com. I hope to document daily how my potty training attempts go with Baylor until we have success. Here goes nothing!

Day 1:

I previously spoke to my friend Lauren about potty training her daughter. She recommended this book:

so I got it from the library pronto and started reading it:

I got a back up book about potty training in case this one didn't seem to fit our needs. I mean, Potty Train Your Kid In One Day?... Really? I knew this was probably not possible but I gave it a shot. I had to bribe Baylor to even come see the potty and then I introduced the two new (hopeful) best friends to one another.

Baylor, this is Potty.... Potty, this is Baylor.


Then I decided to take his diaper off and sit him on the potty so they could become a little more acquainted. Needless to say that didn't last long and he bolted:

Then I had to pull out the "positive reinforcements" to hopefully entice him into using the potty.

I explained to him that once he used the big boy potty, he could wear his big boy underwear. I let him try them on for kicks:

By this time it was time for bed so we called it quits for Day 1. We'll try again tomorrow. I'm trying to stay positive in knowing this is going to take longer than a day. I remembered what Lauren told me, "Don't listen to anyone else, do whatever works best for you and Baylor"...

Got it.

End of Day 1 results: Potty 0, Baylor 1.

Baylor and Pop

This is Baylor's

"My Pop's a real sucker for me"

look.

Catching Up With Friends

While I was in Alabama for the 4th of July, I got to catch up with 2 of the most wonderful women I know, Elizabeth and Lauren! These girls have been in my life for a long time and though we don't get to see each other or talk often, we seemed to pick up right were we left off. Let me tell you about these two.

Elizabeth and I go way back.... probably even further than this kindergarden picture of us.

I am on the bottom row, far right. Elizabeth is in the middle row, 3rd from the left.

She still lives in our hometown of Spanish Fort. She's a wonderful mother and is an excellent cake creator. The last time I actually saw her is when she made Baylor's 1st smash cake in 2009 and that was only for a few minutes since we were both so rushed. We grew up 5 houses down from one another. We played in the streets together, we went to church together and were in the same class in every other grade until middle school. We hung out in high school, went to parties together and participated in our Senior prank together and our annual Powder puff football game against the Juniors. I have alot of memories with Elizabeth that go back as far as I can remember.

I met Lauren the beginning of my Sophomore year, right after I had moved back to Spanish Fort from living in Florida for a few years. Lauren and I hung out with the same group of friends. We skipped school together, drank and smoked cigarettes together, had sleepovers, snuck out of the house and got in trouble together. We even got caught smoking in the teacher's parking lot our Senior year and got suspended (okay I'm not proud of that). I know it sounds bad but we were typical teenagers but we grew up and turned out alright, I promise! Lauren lives in Tuscaloosa now and this is the 1st time I've seen her since high school! Her husband Paul is from Baton Rouge and they make trips down every now and then. We always talk about getting together when their in but it unfortunately hasn't worked out yet. I hope next time their in we can get our kids together to play or have an adult night out. Lauren too is a great mother and like me, ventures into sewing and crafts for her kids. She blogs about her life and the funny things her kids do over at This and That.

We got together with their husbands up at an old hometown hang out and spent hours catching up on each other and the gossip, oh the gossip! I know I didn't get home any earlier than 3 A.M. and though my little man got me up at 7 A.M., the late night was well worth it. I'm so fortunate to still have great girl friends like this and I am so glad we have kept in touch over the years.

Me, Lauren and Elizabeth

I love you both dearly my friends and hope to see you again soon!

-Alisha