Michelle Smiles

Teaching my children to question authority, except mine.

Confirming mommy blogger status

April28

dsc09576Miss Tessa saw the doctor today.  She gained 1lb 9oz in the 4 weeks since we were last there.  She regained her 5th%tile status for weight and is up to the 6th%tile for height.  (And her head is huge in comparison.  She can thank her daddy for that.)  Because she is at the same place on the growth curve that she was at 6 months, the doctor has declared her “perfect” and “absolutely beautiful” (I am sure he says that to all of the babies but this time he was correct) and we don’t have to return until she is a year old.  She is 9 months old tomorrow – how did that happen?  And this dress is one that Sabrina wore.  I can’t find a photo of her in it – it is in the nether regions of a back up drive somewhere.  But it is sweet to see her wearing Sabrina’s things. (I think all of us who were adopting at that time had at least 1 piece from this line of Carter’s with yellow duckies.)

dsc09581Sabrina is doing well with potty training but she is working the system so we have to switch things up.  The girl keeps us on our toes.  She gets a sticker when she pees and a treat (candy) when she poops on the big girl potty.  Without getting too graphic, let’s just say the child has managed to receive up to 5 pieces of candy a day.  (Pre-potty training she only had to go once or twice a day.)   And she is losing interest in the stickers so that part of it isn’t going as well as it was.  You have to give her props for working the system so well.  But we are moving on to a treat if her pull up is still dry/clean before nap time and another one before bed time.  If the rest of the week goes well, this weekend we will break out the big girl panties.

posted under family
11 Comments to

“Confirming mommy blogger status”

  1. On April 28th, 2009 at 3:30 pm Vanessa Says:

    Wishing you luck!! I have a little one here who is a total mess!! Let’s just say that the pooping in the potty is not going so well, but since I now throw all her underwear away when this happens today she became invintive. She borrowed a diaper from her baby doll and stripped off her undies and shorts and pooped in the diaper and was cleaning herself when I caught her!! Man I have NO idea what I’m going to do with this one!

  2. On April 28th, 2009 at 5:24 pm Amy Says:

    Hi Michelle-
    I’m usually a lurker but thought I would chime in on the potty issues since we’ve been dealing with this in my house too. This is what we ended up doing: We got a piece of paper and Nate helped me put his name in stickers across the top of it. Every time he went potty (pee or poop), he got to put a sticker on the page. Each time we would count them. When he got to ten stickers, he got to go to the store and pick out a new John Deere tractor. We only ended up having to do that twice and he pretty much had it. I was out about $15 for two new toys but it was totally worth it.
    P.S. Love your blog. We have a lot in common. I’m also a social worker, worked with the homeless, and worked with victims of abuse. Now I’m on the other side – working in a men’s prison with violent offenders.
    Take care,
    Amy

  3. On April 28th, 2009 at 7:06 pm Bobbi Says:

    I remember that dress, and Sabrina in it!! I am so glad that they have laid off a bit. I think she is just right!! NINE MONTHS?? Where did that time go?? She is beautiful.

    Good luck w/the potty training. Reese is totally protesting ANY idea of it. Gotta love that she is onto the system

  4. On April 28th, 2009 at 8:15 pm amy @ milk breath and margaritas Says:

    Cute pictures – as usual! My little Bear is still insisting on peeing in the potty dang it. He’s only 2 and I didn’t want to do this until he was 3. Kids never quite cooperate.

  5. On April 28th, 2009 at 9:12 pm martha Says:

    Love your photos of your girls. Please tell me one more time. What kind of camera do you have? Is it an SLR? You just get the best shots – and you are still in the dark when taking them? Durn that is a good broken camera ya got girl.

  6. On April 29th, 2009 at 8:32 am Sheri Says:

    Yeah for Tessa earning a 3 month break from the ped!! And we had the footed PJs from that Carters line….

  7. On April 29th, 2009 at 8:57 am Laura Says:

    Hooray on Tessa! She soooo cute.
    And as for Miss Sabrina, all I gotta say, is, you have one smart cookie! Just hope that pays off all the way through college. I guess my kids are simpler–or mom is not very creative. All it took for the potty training where huge clapping sessions, telling the world what happened, making them so proud. Poor things didn’t even get stickers!

  8. On April 29th, 2009 at 9:13 am Julie P Says:

    Sabrina looks so hip in her dress. Gotta love that she works the system. I know for my niece the system Amy above describes worked well for potty training once she started to work the system. Good Luck with that.
    Tessa is just adorable – I can’t believe she is 9 months already. Congrats on the healthy doctor visit.

  9. On April 29th, 2009 at 2:32 pm carla Says:

    shes working the system 🙂
    that made me LAUGH.

    E still demands a treat for pooping and at this rate she’ll be getting twizzlers or dumdums for poopooPOTTY through prom.

  10. On April 29th, 2009 at 9:14 pm Samantha Says:

    I love the connection of all of us who were adopting from Guatemala at the same time…going through the same stuff around the same time. Support.

    Jon is against rewards for going to the bathroom which I fussed about but now am rethinking looking at Carla’s post! His approach seems to be working though, J’s starting to wear underwear at school and daycare now too. Cool. I have to say though I could do without finding the photos on my camera Jon takes for me when the poop is “a big one.” Ew.

    Oh, and some skill on S’s part to split up the poos for more candy. ROFL.

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