- Both boys are now potty trained. Can I get an amen? As previously mentioned, Abraham picked it up pretty quickly when I decided to push the issue this past April. Winston quietly observed his brother using the potty frequently and liked the idea of wearing underwear but did not want to go there himself. At the beginning of June, he asked to wear underwear. I explained to him that if he wore underwear that he would need to use the potty. He then would have an accident and freak out. He is very intense about things and I think his perfectionistic tendencies made him anxious when he would make a mistake. He then would ask for a diaper and the cycle would continue. I realized very quickly that I was reinforcing some very undesirable behavior and just knew I had to push through it. I gave him underwear to wear and did not allow him to go back to a diaper. He cried a lot at first because he did not want to use the potty but within three days he had it mastered. It really is amazing how quickly they can catch on and I am an unabashed believer now in parent directed early(ier) potty training. I just realize how it can be reinforced in a young child that soiling them self in a diaper is normative behavior. Trying to come back away from that is very, very difficult once a parent decides that a child is "ready." I have found that many parents that gladly sleep train their babies still have a big belief in the modern idea of child readiness when it comes to potty training. There have been some hiccups and growing pains with the boys understanding how to time their need to have a bowel movement and tell us with plenty of warning but they have it worked out now. I do not want to make it sound like potty training was just bunches of fun but it was nowhere near the hardship and struggle that some parents make it out to be. For anyone that is curious, I definitely would recommend Rosemond's Toilet Training Without Tantrums. Again, for parents that subscribe to child readiness when it comes to toilet training, this book is not for you but I found it very valuable. If you have specific questions about how we potty trained our twins, feel free to e-mail me directly.
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| Winston spends some time on the toilet while Abraham supervises his reading. |
- We are at the age of more mischief. The boys finally realized about three months ago that they could climb out of their cribs. This led to them walking out of their bedroom and into ours. First step was to put a door knob cover on the inside of their bedroom door. They initially defeated it but after being corrected have decided to leave it alone. Next we converted the cribs into day beds and they made the transition very easily. Since we needed a crib for the baby we decided to buy them a big bed to share. I found a very lightly used full sized bed for a great price. Down the road we will invest in bunk beds or twin beds for all the boys. A&W are on one side of the room while the baby's crib is on the other side. Eventually all three boys will share a room.
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| I made the mistake of leaving baby powder in their room. Winston dumped it all over Abraham. |
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| First night in their big bed. They kept climbing into each other's cribs so this seemed like a good solution. |
- The boys are learning important truths about God and His world. I have not been formally catechizing the boys but have been working on some questions and answers with them. When asked, they can tell you that God made them, that Jesus is God and that Jesus is their Savior and Rescuer. We are teaching them how to pray and it is a dear thing to hear their sweet little voices say "I love you, Jesus" or "Please forgive my sins." We pray for our boys everyday that they would come to a saving knowledge and faith in our Lord. Being a parent myself, I now fully understand this burden that Christian parents have for their children. It can be overwhelming, especially as their sin nature becomes so apparent, but pray we can be faithful in teaching them just as our Heavenly Father is so faithful in loving us.
- The boys love water and had so much fun when we were in So Cal playing in their grandparents' pool. We got them puddle jumpers and they became fearless about jumping right in. Abraham was especially bold. I was happy to see that they did not mind their face being in the water and were not scared by it. I had wanted to get them into swimming lessons this summer but it never ended up happening. I definitely look forward to doing it next summer with them.
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| Popping up after a dunk with papa |
- They are affectionate and loving little boys. They both spontaneously ask for and give hugs and kisses to me and their papa. They frequently say "I love you" and I am grateful for their affectionate nature.
- And on the flip side of that, they are becoming very opinionated and bossy. What can I say? We were blessed with two first borns. They struggle with back talk at times. I can tell one of the boys to do something and there comes an indignant "No, mama." Yeah, that obviously does not fly around here. The hardest thing with discipline is just being consistent. They like to boss one another around as well, especially Abraham. Frequent phrases we hear include "Don't do that!" and "Don't push me!" Sigh. The days where they argue a lot can be wearing. I know this season will not last forever and I will miss the two-year old stage.
- These boys have very, very active imaginations. Closets become elevators, blocks and legos are converted into a variety of household appliances such as a popcorn maker, their toy golf bags are vacuums which they use to help me clean up, laundry baskets are pushed and called lawn mowers and the list goes on and on. Abraham is really into it and does the full sound effects as well. It is sweet to see them be so entertained by simple things and to gladly receive something when they tell me "Mama, try it." I always pretend that the lego stack filled crumpled tissue paper really is a cup of coffee. This is a precious age and I hope Eric and I can continue to encourage that sense of play and imagination.
- They love music and seem to have a knack for picking up lyrics. They started asking for "Adele music" and I realized they were singing a long. Since they are so impressionable at this age, it convicted me to try to minimize their exposure to secular music and stick with Bible songs, hymns and praise music. I know I sound like a broken record but when your child recognizes the opening chords to "Holy, Holy, Holy" and starts to sing along, it is a special blessing.
We love you, bubbas, and look forward to seeing you be big brothers very soon!
