STILL CELEBRATING IN A SMALL WORLD!

(Photo from yesterday)

Another busy day at CBH! Alice had nursery this morning, I dropped her off slightly later than usual just before 9am so that I could go straight on from there to an osteopath appointment. Then I came home to talk to a journalist about IA. 20 minutes after she left I had to go and collect Alice from nursery so that we could continue our celebrations. In a last minute change I'd swapped handbags, but forgot to transfer the tickets, so having collected Alice we had to scoot home before going to Cardiff.

Even though the lunchtime part was rushed we arrived in plenty of time, I scored a fabulously convenient parking space and we got to the theatre with over 10 minutes to spare! When we found our row there were 2 sets of blank seat, luckily ours were the closer ones, a couple of minutes later the other seats (only 6 seats away from us) were filled by my cousin L and her daughter M (I went to school with L, we were close as children but, sadly, we aren't any longer - I hadn't met her daughter until today). We were at the theatre to see 'Be*uty and the Be*st' or as Alice calls it 'Beautiful and the Beast'!! Anticipating this production I'd bought Alice the DVD so that she'd know the story. She sat on my lap cuddling flat panda (the smaller one!) and me through the first half and then at the interval she insisted that it was time to go home!

(There was a good reason for her expectation to leave at the interval - we went to a D*sney performance in Bristol just before Easter. I didn't blog about it. We got stuck in traffic and arrived with minutes to spare, not enough time to park in our usual car park, I saw a space on the road and parked before I realised that it was limited to an hour. The show wasn't great and I was fretting about where I'd parked so we left at the interval, thinking Alice was too little to understand what she was missing!!)

I quickly explained that we only seen half the story and that we were stopping for an ice cream (she promptly demanded a lollipop!) During the interval Alice was naughty (screaming and shouting - perhaps a natural reaction to sitting still and quiet) but I still had a chance to catch up with L and M. Alice sat really well through the second half and enjoyed the performance but she did need to visit the loo about 20 minutes after the interval - I'd put her in a feel and learn pull-up so I was really pleased that she whispered that she needed to go, I was pretty proud that she'd WHISPERED the request too!

We got out of the city really well considering that we left at 5pm, but then got caught in roadwork traffic, so the return journey took about 30 minutes longer than the journey going.

It was a busy but successful and fun day. It was Alice's first full visit to the theatre except for pantomimes and our first visit with just the 2 of us. She did really well and we both enjoyed it. Another day making happy memories! (And in case anyone's wondering why we're still celebrating, today was the 2 year anniversary of Alice's adoption!)

WONDERING . . . WHEN . . .

Alice grew up . . . so fast . . . tonight I changed her for bed (she's still choosing her cot most nights and ending up with me sometimes!) I put her in a nightie (a recent change from PJs), when she DEMANDED, 'I want seahorsies!' and like a fool, I found the seahorse short PJs and changed her!

Has anyone told her that she's only 2?!

The other sign of growing up - loo roll everywhere but on the roll, she ADORES pulling the end sheet quickly and watching it pile up on the floor, recently she learning to reroll it and tonight I found it rerolled (not having seen it come off the roll!) Sounds daft but it will definitely be a defining moment of PT!

ALICE UPDATE - BEHAVIOUR, FOOD, TEETH, PT AND SLEEP!

Alice's behaviour has been quite challenging at times recently. Until now, as long as I'd prepared her well enough and talked situations through in advance, everything would usually be OK. Now all bets are off. She doesn't want to cooperate as often and as more vocal in her objections.

Eating is becoming more of a challenge too. At about 2 years appetite is supposed to suppress as physical development switches to mental development, this didn't seem to happen for Alice - her capabilities have expanded incredibly (as expected) but her appetite didn't really reduce. However in the past few months catering to her appetite has become a challenge - the number of foods that she'll eat has decreased significantly, as has the amount she eats. I usually serve her main meal at lunchtime and that's not too bad, but at suppertime I usually give her a choice of more snack type meals and increasingly she refuses most offers, only eggs are a guaranteed success (but she can't eat them EVERY night!)

Teeth - there's finally sign of her 2 year molars, the bottom ones have broken through (but still need to grow up) and are causing some distress, especially at night. Still no sign of the top ones. I have a feeling this could drag on for a few more weeks (or even months).

PT is going very well - she goes several hours between visits and is more reliable about whether she needs to go or not, though I'm still being more persistent at crucial times (before journeys etc). In recent weeks the only changes of clothes that she's had at nursery have been due to nappy failures at nap times or adventures playing with water! There've been more changes at home, several a day for a few days and then a week or more of success.

Sleep has been patchy. Alice is back to napping consistently at nursery but won't at home, but a car journey at the right time of day induces sleep in minutes - Alice wasn't great at sleeping in the car until she gave up naps! She's back to sleeping in the cot almost every night, she seems to be calmer through the night when she's in the cot. But she's also taken to waking as I go to bed - last night she wouldn't settle, so she came in with me with some very strict rules (staying over her side, not kicking or hitting mummy, we both sleep or she moves back) and it worked - I'm still talking through what I expect before bedtime when I remember and those nights seem to be calmer.

All in all it's incredible how quickly she's changing and growing, but she's still wonderful and incredible - just in a more challenging way!

JUST LIFE

No real news, nothing much to blog about, not sure what to say.

Alice is OK, fine during the day, PT is going well (I hate to put that in in case I tempt fate!) and her days are happy and busy. Unfortunately evenings are different - many night-terrors, lots of screaming and many tears. I'm not sure if it's bad dreams or pain but I know that it's distressing to watch. She's reverted to using the cot quite a lot and mostly sleeps better when she's in the cot rather than the BGB. Quite a few nights she's ended up with me - she settles quickly but then I get little sleep beyond that! I've started positive reinforcement before bedtime - no crying, stay in your own bed etc.

Meantime there are glitches with my dossier for Thailand, I was hoping that it would have been in Thailand by now, but the NP made a genuine mistake and now it has to be resubmitted to the FCO and then the Thai Consulate. The mistake was spotted a week ago, it will probably be another 2 weeks before it can be dispatched to Thailand, ugh.

TODAY'S NEWS OF ALICE

Alice spent the morning at Nursery. It was cheesy pasta for lunch, they missed her off the list and so at first I was told she'd eaten it all and then that was quickly changed - she ate 1 mouthful and gagged on it, so she had lots of bread and butter and all the other lunch bits. For now, it's official, she doesn't like cheesy pasta, she used to eat it but recently she's shown that she doesn't like it and I think that if she's refusing it at Nursery then it's a genuine dislike rather than being 'challenging' for me!

She woke up on Sunday demanding, 'Lollipop' - so I told her that she could have one if she went all day without an accident. She's had a few such days but I remembered today. So at 6pm she had her pick of lollies and sat (at my insistence) to watch M*isie (a double treat, that d*mned mouse), she was very proud and happy. But within 30 minutes she'd p*ed on the carpet - right next to the potty, ugh! The rewards seem to be the undoing of us!!

Tonight, for the first time in over a month, Alice chose to sleep in her cot. We've been having issues with night terrors (more to come in a separate post) but tonight, despite being exhausted, she's slept peacefully, thank heavens.

3 CHANGES IN 1 DAY!

I'm hoping today was the day when Alice understood what was necessary for PT.

Luckily T had the worst outfit change to deal with and then the bathroom got an extra clean, ugh!

THE IRONIES OF POTTY TRAINING

. . . do I still need to warn of graphic posts?

On Thursday she came home in the same clothes as she'd gone to nursery in, she didn't have an accident on Wednesday or Friday either, but yesterday Alice had an accident, just before bedtime (the last hour downstairs is by far the riskiest, I blame tiredness!)

Alice still isn't asking much to use the facilities, but she has once today - maybe I'm just asking too often (every 60-75 minutes?)

On Wednesday I promised that if there were no poopy accidents or nappies for 3 days then she could have a Big Girl's Present (for being a Big Girl!) She sort of kept her end of the deal, Wednesday was successful but Thursday and Friday were 'no shows', so I extended 'the deal', Saturday was another 'no show' and by this morning I was worried (very unusual for Alice to go this long without a BM), however she hit the jackpot when we got home from the supermarket this morning, without hinting at what was to come or asking for help to use the loo. We did lots of happy dancing. S was here for coffee so I didn't mention the BG Present until after lunch.

Alice was delighted when I produced a wooden dolls' house - it's been in her wardrobe for nearly 2 years and it matches her shelves in her bedroom. She loves it. She examined every bit of furniture as we unpacked it. She was instantly transfixed! (Have you worked out where this is going yet?) Within 15 minutes (and only about 20 minutes after the last 'visit') I could smell something . . . you guessed it . . . poopy accident, ugh . . . lots of talking about accidents etc. The irony certainly passed over Alice's head but I didn't miss it!

Overall I think that she's making progress - 2 trips out today. This morning she wore a feel and learn pull-up to the supermarket (75 minutes) and came home still dry. This afternoon she wore knick*rs for a car journey (15 minutes) and we spent nearly 4 hours at D, D and A's house - lots of visits but no accidents, I think that this was a major milestone! She's also using the bathroom more (and the potty less) and beginning to visit on her own!

TODAY'S NOTES

On Wednesday's we go to a music and drama group. We've missed the first 2 sessions of this term. We were both really looking forward to returning today, but I was amazed when we got there to find that they'd crossed us off their list and given our places to someone else. No phone call, no checking, they didn't even ask the friends that we sit with. I was amazed. I just stood there, cash in hand to pay the half-term's fees, eventually they added our names to the bottom of the list and took my money.

Very soon I regretted paying, Alice was willful all through the class. Once the class is over the children are given a plain biscuit, after several warnings (from me) through the class, Alice didn't get one. At first she understood but by the time we got back to the car she was whining about it. Once we got home she sat on the naughty chair - as soon as she sits there the tears start. After a few minutes I reviewed with her why she'd been sitting there, how she'd been naughty and how to get the biscuit next week!

Unfortunately Alice was obviously having 'one of THOSE days' - the naughty seat was her most frequent seat other than the potty for most of the rest of the day!

As for potty training - she's doing really quiet well. She isn't asking to use the facilities that much, but I'm prompting after 60 minutes or so. She had an accident at nursery yesterday morning - she asked to go in to use the facilities but didn't get her waterproof dungarees off in time, even that's progress as she asked to go and will hopefully learn that it takes a time to take the dungarees off! She's doing well enough that she's averaged less than 1 accident per day for the past 10, so well that I'm struggling to remember the details!! As for progress, we've taken down the babygate separating the living end of the house from the hall (it was blocking access to the downstairs loo!) and now I'm prompting Alice to use the loo over the potty. I hope that the next step is to reduce the amount that I'm prompting her to 'go' and let her take the lead.

SO MANY CHANGES IN SUCH A LITTLE TIME!

3 weeks ago we folded up Alice's highchair (it's still propped in the corner of the kitchen, just in case!) Now she uses a travel highchair as a booster seat. Since then she's consistently sleeping (overnight but not naps) in her Big Girl's Bed and is using the potty or the loo and wearing big girl's knickers. She's also given up regular afternoon naps, at the moment she's about alternating days and on the days when she naps her nappy is dry.

In less than 3 weeks - the highchair, daytime nappies, half her naps and most of her cot have become redundant, incredible changes at an incredible speed. I love watching her grow up and mature, but sometimes I wish it could happen a little more slowly!

THE POST WITH THE EVER CHANGING TITLE

(aka ANOTHER POST ABOUT POTTY TRAINING!)

Yesterday (I was at work) and Alice had a successful day apart from an accident in a pull-up - I think that she thinks that they're like nappies. She didn't ask to 'go' at all.

Today, 3 accidents. The first, in a pull-up, was my mistake as I forgot the routine when we got home from several hours out this morning. Both first and second accidents involved poop (the first and second ever involving poop). The third accident was just before bed and I'm putting down to tiredness as it was only 15 minutes after the last use of the facilities.

Tomorrow I'm at a seminar so she'll probably have more success without me.

MY BIG GIRL

PT, day 7, at nursery - only 1 accident, I think that nursery were impressed and I definitely was, Alice too!

BIG, BIG NEWS!!

Warning *GRAPHIC POST*

Last week Alice pooped on the loo or the potty on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Each time she'd come with me to the bathroom and took the opportunity when it was offered, she didn't ask to 'go' or indicate that she needed to, but for 3 successive days I didn't have to change a dirty nappy and it was good!! There was no opportunity for a repeat performance on Thursday as Alice was at nursery, I did tell them about the previous days' successes but they didn't catch Alice at the right moment.

On Friday I was still feeling awful (I should have worked last Thursday [long story] but didn't as I wasn't well enough), I made myself a tall, iced drink to try and help my very sore throat but Alice ended up drinking it! That was the final straw, having had plenty to drink that morning I decided it was time to try potty training Alice again (having tried last October). Within 5 minutes of putting her in cotton knickers I was regretting it, she had 2 accidents very quickly but then did quite well until I put her in a pull-up (we've always used nappies before) in mid afternoon so that I could snooze while she watched a D*isney DVD (I was still feeling pretty awful at this point!)

My tactic since Saturday has been pull-ups or knickers (if I'm feeling brave) at home and pull-ups when we're out and about. We're using 'feel and learn' pull-ups - they allow Alice to feel wet when she's had an accident and the pictures on the outside disappear at that point too, which make for an easy visual check. I've tried to reduce our gallivanting to keep Alice focused, but I haven't stopped going out completely.

On Monday we went to soft play, Alice used the facilities nearly 2 hours after last using the potty at home, success and no accidents. Yesterday she graduated to knickers, she had an accident just before teatime and another this morning, but generally she's going an hour or more between visits and seems to know what's expected and is quick to celebrate her successes! In the past 4 days she's had 2 accidents and this afternoon she asked to 'go'! In addition to that her naptime nappy has been dry everyday this week - on Monday she cried 20 mintues after being put to bed as she wanted to use the potty.

'By Jingo, I think she's getting it!!'

HOUSE TRAINING

. . . but I'm not sure who!

We've had Cavaliers since I was 4, Sophie was our first. But Jolly was my first Cavalier who was mine from the beginning in my own home (it feels wrong to type that without qualifying that before her I'd had Busy who was loyally and completely mine - bought to be mine, arriving home the day after I'd returned to school for my A level term). Jolly was a nightmare as a puppy, she was such a trial over her first 2 years that Mum and I discussed therapy sessions, rehoming or even putting her to sleep. Eventually she was a wonderful dog who lived between my house and Mum's, undoubtedly she was one of Mum's favourites (Mum even worried that Jol would pine for her when she was away in France a few weeks before she died, luckily Jol was a typical Cav and completely sidetracked by food!!) One of the things that Jol taught me was the success of 'elimination triggering' (not sure if that's the right terminology) - when house training a dog you use a trigger word as they begin to 'go' and eventually use of the trigger word will prompt them to 'go'. This method of training is more time consuming than usual house training, but it was so useful, especially as Jol had kidney failure and in her last months I needed many samples that were obtained via the trigger word!

I've tried this trigger word training with Boo and Fuss but it wasn't nearly so successful and I'm still not sure why. This time round, with Pud, I was determined to try again and with a 'more intelligent' (the jury's close to a decision) dog and with a child to consider as well I am more committed to this than before. The trigger I've always used is P*iddle, repeated over and over again as it happens. For Alice's safety and my sanity, I've tended to stay on the doorstep (with Alice inside and Pud outside), using the trigger at the appropriate times.

But I'm no longer sure who I'm training - as this afternoon Alice stood on the doorstep and shouted outside, ' Good girl Puddy, piggle, piggle, piggle!'

Oh well, let's hope it will help with potty training!!

ANYONE GOT AN ARK THAT I CAN BORROW?

Oh yes - the PT's not been too successful if you judge it by the wet box (ready for washing), however Alice is quickly learning her colours when she chooses the next pair of Nicknicks!!

So many accidents (another dirty one too) that I've lost count, we've run out of character, pink and purple Nicknicks and the muslin pile is the smallest I've seen it for ages. Really disappointing given the success with the P-Us this morning, even more dis-spiriting is that Alice isn't verbalising any of the accidents, its her face that gives it away!

SLEEP AND WEDNESDAY'S PT SO FAR!

I had a full night's sleep last night, Alice slept all night in her cotbed! She was very sleepy by the time T*ick T*ock finished this morning and barely stayed awake long enough for us to get home, so I let her sleep a little longer this afternoon.

PT? An accident in the highchair at breakfast, but a dry Pull-Up (worn from 9:30 to 11:30 with frequent reminders that Mummy wanted the hearts to stay on the outside and to save the *** til we got home, and she did!) She didn't want to sit on the potty when we got home and needed pretty firm encouragement, but it was obvious she'd held herself in - quite an achievement and very encouraging to me. A dirty accident before lunch. Another accident in the highchair whilst eating a snack after her nap - despite sitting on the loo etc. She's obviously still sleepy so we've settled to watch a DVD and will have a quiet afternoon.

TODAY'S PT NEWS

First thing this morning Alice peed on the loo (with training seat in place so she wouldn't be flushed away)!

Swimming this morning, so training Pull-ups were used for the car journeys and the pictures disappeared on each journey (meaning Alice had had an accident).

By this afternoon I was ready to offer her a nappy but her naptime nappy was dry (despite wearing it for nearly 2 hours). D, D and A were coming over in the later afternoon for supper and fireworks. I started PT as D had started with A and Alice couldn't leave her potty alone when they visited last week. So I persevered and Alice wore cotton 'NickNicks'. She did have an accident while sitting on D, but D noticed very swiftly (wonder why?) and got the end of it in the potty.

Final score for today: 2 Pull-ups wet, 1 accident and 5 stickers.

Progress? Definitely! D noticed that Alice did go to the potty at least once during their visit and use it without prompting, hurray!! Alice always says 'No' when asked if she needs to go and then objects to being asked to try, but if you don't ask if she needs and just go straight to asking to sit on the potty she usually tries more willingly. She doesn't verbalise needs without being asked and while her face shows a reaction to an accident she doesn't say anything. Incentives? I'm still offering 'choc-ut' and stickers and lots of praise at the right use of the potty, Alice is still asking for choc-ut and being reminded what she has to do to get it, but then when she's done the right thing she doesn't ask for it! She still loves stickers but I'm not sure that they're an incentive. The happy dance, hugs and kisses seem to work best of all!

MONDAY'S MUSINGS!

I had to work today - it was a training day. I don't usually like training days as they are so long-winded and remind me of all the trickiest bits of my job. Today wasn't as bad as I expected and we got some classroom time too! We had some good times to celebrate too so that made lunchtime fun as well.

Home - Alice had 3 accidents and 2 successes (but one was a double). OK but no improvement. I spoke to a HV friend of mine and she told me that Alice is still very young for this. I'm not convinced that it's going to work this time. I'm going to give it a day or 2 more and review again. Tomorrow we're going to our swimming class, I'm going to put Alice in the training Pull-ups (the ones that let her feel the accidents) for the time that we're out of the house - I think she thinks that the Pull-Ups are nappies.

My HV friend was telling me about 'Rapid Training', drinks every 30 minutes, potty 20 minutes later - do that all morning, repeat the drinks all afternoon but not reminding about the potty, if the child is ready to PT they'll start using the potty independently. I don't think Alice would PT that way, maybe that's a sign that she's not ready? But then again she knew that the Poo accident yesterday had happened and should have been in the potty, no discussion, she knew. Also she DEMANDED 'Nicks' yesterday. OTOH she doesn't name accidents and she can't tell me where the P* should go etc . . .?

AFTERNOON PT PROGRESS? (Updated)

Rewards have now been increased - cho-cut coins and stickers on the PT chart!

I hope that this isn't Famous Last Words, so far since nap-time: 2 successes, no accidents and 1 demand to put on 'Nicks' (Alice's word - sorry GFN!!) and a permanent 'wedgie'!

Final for the day - 3 successes, 4 accidents, 1 slightly late dash for the potty (but I'm heartened that she knew where she should have been!) Final conclusion of today - I think it's slow but it is worth persevering!

POTTY TRAINING

All tips and hints VERY gratefully received!

SITTING

. . . sounds so relaxing . . . but not when you're potty training . . . the walls are moving in . . . the pressure is intense . . . and the carpet's a little wet!!

We started on Friday at 4.30pm

• 2 tiny accidents
• 2 big Ps on the potty
• 1 big Accident on the beanbag (thankfully covered by a disposable changing mat) and a look of horror on Alice's face
• Another successful P on P
• Overall - Friday was 50/50, pretty successful for the first day

Saturday

• Started the day in training pull-ups that let Alice feel when she's had an accident, Alice obviously feels that they're nappies, several accidents through the first 2 hours but we kept them on as I HAD to go to the garage and we needed more Potty Training Supplies, W/R was useless - no disposable changing mats or Pull-ups in the right size! (I popped out and got the necessaries while M looked after Alice at naptime).
• No accidents or success during the later morning or before naptime,
• Loads of water (in a big girl glass with a straw) in the afternoon, a couple of tiny accidents on the carpet and several major successes (including a poo in the potty!!) Big successes helped by the incentive of chocolate - Alice caught on quickly and demanded 'Cho-cut' immediately after sitting down!

Sunday

• No success first thing, quickly remembered Cho-cut
• Bath followed by big accident while still wrapped in her towel on the changing mat
• Now I'm pushing the water again!!!
• 3 big accidents, 1 of poo where she dashed to the potty moments too late
• 2 successes