This is our second month of potty training and when I look back at where we started, things are improving but we are still not on easy street yet. Truly, with Violet still sleeping worse than a newborn, I wasn't ready to potty train her. Potty training requires a well-rested parent to be able to handle all of the extra logistics to go anywhere with a newly potty trained toddler, all of the extra laundry and all of the interruptions with accidents and needing to drop everything the moment a little voice tells you that she has to go potty. BUT, Will was more than ready to potty train her and kept comparing her to the age of Lucy and Emma when they potty trained. Not to mention how every time he bought a box of diapers he would make comments like, "hopefully this is the last box of diapers we have to buy for her!" I kept Will in check until Violet started using the potty to poop and wanting - no, demanding! - big girl undies. Fortunately the first week or two of potty boot camp Will was still home on his summer break. However, after Will went back to work, Violet had some major regression. To the point where I lost my calm, shame-free execution of the potty-training process. Twelve accidents and clean ups in one day is just too much. Especially since just the week prior she had maintained dry and clean status for entire days at a time. That is when my cousin stepped in and promised Violet a present if she stayed dry and clean for a week. Eureka! It worked. Violet was all about what she called, "a birthday present from my step mom." Whatever you want to call it Violet, as long as I don't have to clean carpet or bathe you more than once a day.
The bribe worked, and got Violet out of her regression funk. Here she is in the above picture, waking up from her nap to find a doll crib filled with twin baby dolls and accessories. Violet was more than pleased and so was I!
Although, she still has not adjusted to her daddy being back at work all day. Each morning she still wakes up looking for him and greets him at the end of the day with pure joy and excitement.
We had hoped to catch up on sleep over Will's vacation, but unfortunately Violet had other plans. I have been trying to get Violet into another Children's Hospital as we have been unhappy with the current Children's Hospital. Six months ago I thought I had all of the paper work in to get on the waiting list for the new hospital. When I called this past week to check on the status, thinking it had been six months and we should be seen soon, I found out that they had never received the proper paperwork, and so Violet was not in the system but if we resubmit the paperwork again, we can be placed on the now 6-8 month waiting list. Oh, the frustration! Plus, I am trying to send paperwork from one hospital who needs a doctor to request paperwork to another hospital who will not assign a doctor to Violet's case unless they receive her paperwork. Each hospital is about an hour drive from our house, but it was coming to the point where we were going to make a day trip of it and just drive paperwork to where it needed to be. I think we are finally set, after two solid weeks of calling doctors offices and hospitals every single day and sitting on hold and fumbling through phone menus while my kids tried killing each other. Although I still haven't received a confirmation letter to let us know if we are in fact on the wait list.
It will be nice to have some more answers on how to help Violet, especially since sleep is such an important part of life. Despite our struggles, Violet is still the light of our life and never fails to remind us what life is about. Here she is below at the library, dressed in Emma's dress and flip flops, and Lucy's fashion glasses. All items were given to Violet with her big sisters' blessing and she wears her "dip dops, spinning dress and glasses" with pride. She loves her "spinning dress" so much that it has turned into her new incentive to stay dry and clean as if she gets pee on it, she has to put it in the wash.
Her fashion sense is unique and confident and she definitely has an opinion about what she wears. Dressing her for public is a battle every single day - and more realistically, every single time we leave the house!
Violet still holds the title for most adventurous and varied eater in our family, and so at least I don't have to worry about her nutrition. She eats very well and it is so nice to have a child that actually appreciates my cooking. I'm trying not to get too excited though, as she is still young enough to change her mind. I turned some leftover oatmeal into cookies that no one else in the family would eat (including myself) but Violet found a way to enjoy them still - dunked in milk!
I just love the toddler age and seeing the world through their inquisitive and energetic eyes. I especially love that I have a toddler and knowing her world more than anyone else is something I treasure. The sweet hugs, kisses, goofiness and yes, even sleeplessness are all mine and I wouldn't trade this level of connection that I have with Violet for anything in the world.
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