I'm A Big Girl Now

Being a teacher and having to rely on family to ensure my baby girl is taken care of, there is not a lot of time for things in which mommy needs to oversee (or wants to oversee I should say). Therefore, this summer (as will be the case with most summers) I made myself a To Accomplish list for Ella. There were four major things on my list that I wanted to make sure we had a handle on before the school year resumed in August: the paci addiction, baba addiction, potty training and the transition to the toddler bed! Yes, these are all huge milestones for our girlie, but I am proud to say that since we have been back from vacation Ella is well on her way to the "big girl" world!

Anyone who knows Kermie and I, knows that we are firm believers in "comforting" our child. Other than the feeding schedules, we strayed far away from what most of the books told us to do (and doctors-may I add)! But now that Ella is approaching 2 (omg!) it is time to make those transitions necessary for the toddler world!

Ella absolutely loves her paci and it has in no way affected her vocabulary, but she and I have had many conversations about how big girls do not need pacis and since she is a big girl, it is about time to get rid of it. This whole week she has managed to keep her pacis (usually at least 3) in the bed and only use them at nap or night night time. This is huge for her! There have been a few times she has tried to sneak out of the bed with one in her mouth or hand, but I remind her that paci stays in the bed and she throws it on the bed! YAY FOR ELLA :) I read in a magazine yesterday that in order to get rid of paci all the way parents need to introduce another comfort item (like a blankie) to take the place of the paci. So, in a week or two I will attempt to find something that can possibly take the place of the beloved paci!

On top of paci, Ella has also managed to go without her night night chocolate milk baba all week! This is even more huge than the paci because since she was tiny she has loved her baba (regardless if it was mommy's milk, soy milk, or chocolate milk)! There has not been a night for the past 9 months (at least) that Ella has not asked her daddy for a chocky baba. This is just one of their little routines and let me tell you how devastating it has been this week for Kermie not getting baba! Instead of baba, Ella has kindly asked for chocky sippy instead (not that I know what the difference between the two are, but it will look better if she ever stays the night at a friend's house to have a sippy instead of a bottle-ha). It is amazing how easy these transitions are when the child is ready! Taking baba away a few months ago would have been a nightmare!

I recently bought Ella some Dora panties wanting her to get used to the idea of panties and not diaper. She has worn them and likes them to a certain degree. She sits on her Elmo potty but has never once actually pottied. We have not pushed potty training hard because of all of the other tasks at hand, but in a few weeks I plan to go at it full force. Mom said I was potty trained before two and that it was easy! I do not know about my stubborn little Ella, but I am interested to see how it goes. Having her potty trained before the next child arrives is a must and I would really like for that to be sometime next year or so (God willing:) )! We have lots of work to do!!

Last, but not least, I have offically transitioned Ella's crib (which she did not use but maybe 15% of her life so far) into her toddler bed. I'd really like to buy her a big girl bed that goes with her dresser, but I hate to spend the money if she's still going to be in our room. The only thing missing for this transition is a side bar that will keep our wild sleeper in the bed. Kermie leaves for two weeks next month so I do not want to put her in her room just yet! I would be much too lonely without her :) But, upon his return, I plan to start making that transition. She seems to really like her "new" bed, but sleeping in it will be a difficult task. Kermie and I have both enjoyed her being with us, but the older she gets.... the bigger she gets and.... the less sleep we get! And like I said before, two babies would just not work!

So, I am really pleased at all the progress Ella is making so far this summer! She probably thinks mommy is out of her mind pulling all this new stuff on her, but she's definitely a trooper so far! Keep us in your thoughts as we venture into the next two parts of her To Accomplish list!