Throwing my plans out the window!

Like I said earlier, we are doing potty training on the fly. I was planning on waiting a few more months until we really got settled in and all that jazz. But the rash sped up my plan. We have not totally arrived-still working out the kinks when it comes to the poop issue but we're well on our way. Seems I should just throw all my plans out the window these days, because once again we are "on the fly" with another big transition. I was planning on waiting a couple more months to move EG to a big girl bed. Mainly because I hadn't gotten around to picking out and ordering the bed we want and because we are going to borrow a bed rail from some friends who are going to the US in May. I should just resign myself to the fact that I'm not in control here!

On Saturday morning Andy and I heard a fairly loud thump but figured it was something outside. When we then heard someone rattling a door, Andy and I both jumped up to find EG standing at her door grinning at us. Somehow she had managed to climb out of her crib, which is pretty high! We should not have been surprised since our little one has quite the mind of her own but we were! We are just thankful she was not hurt. So no more crib for EG. We've moved her to a palate on the floor until we can figure out what kind of bed we want to get. We are debating between a small toddler bed which we can extend or a set of bunk beds since she and Jack are going to share a room for now.

Andy and I went and looked at beds yesterday but haven't totally decided what we want to do. Seems I am moving at a snails pace in terms of letting my first child grow up. I think this notion of me just barely keeping up with her will be true for the rest of her childhood! Knowing her, she'll be asking to start school next year! HEHE!

We got our camera back this weekend so here's a picture of my not so little one playing at a toy store in Charleston, WV a few weeks ago!

This is actually working

The high from successfully potty training your kids can be compared to the feeling of just completing a half marathon! In the process, part of you is thinking, "why am I doing this? I can't do this. This is insane!" but the other part of you is excited and you are so totally thrilled when you finally reach that finish line. Now we have by NO MEANS reached the finish line but we are on our way! The first morning was rough with way more accidents than successes. Day two was much better and today we've had no accidents so far. I am taking EG to the potty fairly frequently so she hasn't really had the opportunity to actually tell me she needs to go. I am not sure how it will go when I forget to take her. Maybe I should wait and see if she is able to tell me she needs to go? Not sure. I should contact some of my mom friends and find out what the book they read says.

We are pretty sure her rash is a yeast diaper rash, which according to the internet is fairly common. We have some cream for it and it seems to be getting better. Please do pray that it will continue to heal. She hasn't complained in a day or so, so that's good news.

We are just hanging out this weekend, enjoying some much needed down time! I'll be making some Eastern NC style BBQ for Easter!

Hope to post some pics of our Easter Egg dying soon!

Potty Training on the Fly

This is one of those posts that I am certain only grandmas and other grandma types will be interested in!

I'm pretty sure that when you decide to potty train your child, you should first read a book, survey a bunch of other moms on the secret tricks of training, make a plan, get mentally prepared, and purchase a small toilet! We did none of those things before beginning our journey towards Elmo panties!

As I said in my last post, EG has what we thought was severe diaper rash. I am starting to doubt that it is actually diaper rash, but in any case, it has been getting worse, not better. A mom of four told me that sometimes if it's really bad, the creams make it worse because it holds the moisture in. The doctor had told her that sometimes it's best to keep their bottoms dry and let the air do it's work. So she suggested I let EG run around for a while without bottoms. But with carpet, we decided I should at least put some lightweight undies on her. Herein lies my problem.

I didn't think it was a good idea to let her walk around all day peeing in her panties. For one, I certainly didn't want to be cleaning it up all day. Two, I love my carpet too much and three, it seems counterproductive for future potty training efforts.

So I decided if I wanted to really give her bottom a chance to dry out, I should go ahead and make the potty training plunge. I had no book, no survey results, no plan really, and no small toilet. (I did send Andy out to find one and he came back with a chamber pot. Good try honey.) Thankfully I did have chocolate chips in my arsenal and Alisa on the other end of the phone. She recently trained her daughter so I got the cliff notes of the book she read at about 9 am. By 11 am I was ready to give up. I made EG drink a lot to really get her going and by 11, we'd had a couple successes, but way more accidents. But by lunch time we were doing a little better and her nap gave me the break I needed. After lunch we did GREAT! She only had one accident and one foot in the toilet-at that point we borrowed a small potty from Julianna! I am not 100% sure if I want to keep it up but I feel like I should! Her bottom needs the air, I don't have to go anywhere or cook for the next 3 days and EG is loving the little pink potty that's just her size. So now seems to be as good a time as any. ELMO panties here we come!

Please do pray for wisdom for us about her rash and for healing-it's pretty severe and we're not sure what it is. We're gonna email a doctor friend in the US to see what he thinks.

GO HEELS!

Andy spent the morning cheering the Heels to victory. We are so thrilled they won, but also wishing our time at UNC could have included some great basketball. Sad, we got lots of construction and a stinky basketball team for our four years. Oh well. Tis Life!

I spent the morning caring for kiddos/hanging out with a fellow alum, Laura. This is our life Laura-no more gathering at Charles Gouch's trailer mansion to watch the game (you were there right?) and no more getting up with the hubsters and the rest of the gang to watch a game from distant China. BUT-it's a life I thoroughly enjoy!

I don't know much more about the game except that they won by a large margin. What I do know is that my daughter has really bad diaper rash, which we are trying to figure out what to do about. Please pray for that. I also know that lemon juice, oregano, garlic and salt make a mean marinade for grilling pork chops! We had those, cheese grits and green beans for dinner. And I also know that hearing Jack laugh is one of the highlights of my day. He's currently laughing at his Daddy as I type this!

We have a VERY VERY low key two weeks planned. Just hanging around the house, getting life back in order and desperately trying to restock the condiment section of my fridge. The Huffmans love condiments and they give recipes the extra zing you need. I've already borrowed Laura's Worcestershire sauce two times now! Already put my imported cocktail sauce to good use. It's the not so secret ingredient in my Gmaw's veggie soup!

Xiao Li and I made Strawberry Jam last night. It was really fun and surprisingly successful considering neither of us had the slightest clue what we were doing. Well, she had made it once before so she knew a little more than I did. I only got burned by boiling strawberry jam twice.

Looks like our camera might be a few more weeks before arriving. But I'll leave you with a couple recent pictures Mamma Nette took!

At Green Lake:

Jack is into lifting weights already! Just kidding. This rattle belonged to Andy as babe!Who could ask for anything more?

12 (going on 13) little Munchkins!

My mom left on Friday night which was sad for me. She told me not to cry at the airport and I didn't. I just waited til I got in the car and burst into tears. I am pretty sure my driver thinks I am insane. We had a great time and my tears were the "good kind of sad" tears-sad to see her leave as I enjoyed having her around each day and sad for EG and Jack not to be around their grandparents for a while. EG woke up asking for Mamma Nette.

Thankfully we had QUITE the distraction the very next day! Check out all these munchkins sitting on my couch less than 24 hours after my mom left! Who can be sad looking at all these precious faces?

We had some friends over for a cookout and these are all the youngins-12 under 4 and one more on the way! (the smallest is just two weeks old!) The kids swam in our kiddie pool and ran around like little monkeys! We enjoyed some amazing food-Andy grilled chicken for us and everyone brought sides and desserts. It was really fun to see everyone, though Andy and I both had to take a nap today to recover!

A little side note-in this picture, not one child is crying. Getting them to all sit on the couch for a picture in and of itself is pretty amazing, but no crying? Pretty much a miracle! I'll try to get some more pictures of the outdoor fun soon. Our camera is hopefully arriving this week. But no fear grandparents-your fellow grandparent Lynnette took enough pictures while she was here to keep me blogging for a year! For some great pictures of China and her perspective on our life here, you should check out her blog: thethackfamily.blogspot.com.

This will be our first week of "normal life" in over 4 months! Responsibility is knocking at my door with no grandparents around to help. But we're thankful for a taste of normal for a bit! Speaking of responsibility-I need to change a diaper, put a child to bed, wash my dishes, fold the laundry and plan this weeks' meals before I go to bed. Pray for me.

What will I do??

Who will entertain EG while I make dinner?

Who will put EG in her bed in the morning so I can sleep in a little bit?

Who will organize my cabinets?

Who will make sweet tea everyday?

Who will wash my laundry when it's getting really backed up?

Who will bounce Jack in his seat while reading a book so that I can go outside with Emma Grace?

Who will help me to see China through new eyes?

Who will give me advice and wisdom on parenting and relationships from an older more experienced perspective?

Who will I share my love of China McDonald's with? (ok, I still have Andy!)

Who will I enjoy a good sliced tomato with?

Oh, this having two kids thing is about to get a lot tougher come 11:55 tomorrow evening-a quite a bit lonelier!

And finally, what will I do when EG stands at the bottom of the stairs and yells, "Mamma Nette, where are you?"

Be sad. That's what I'm gonna do. And maybe cry. My leaving America was made much easier by the fact that my mom came with us. So my crying was delayed a little-but the tears are coming, I can feel it. The reality that my mom and all the other grandparents are so far away is starting to set in. And the fact that we're really on our own raising two little ones is a tiny bit overwhelming!

We've had a great time and it's been so fun for her to see our life here! Thanks so much for coming Mamma Nette and thanks to Dan and Katie for giving her up for a couple weeks so she could join us! Here we are enjoying dinner with Xiao Li and A Xin!

Emma Grace of course did some entertaining. She showed everyone her acrobatics and her Mary move!
We love you Mamma Nette! Thanks for coming! And say a prayer for me as I'm really on my own now!

Friends and Kacki Cakes

If I had a dollar for every time Emma Grace called "Junanna" on the phone while we were in the US, I'd be rich! These girls are like cousins to EG and we are so happy they are back in town with their new little brother in tote! Jack and Isaac aren't really interested in each other just yet, but I can see a great friendship in the making! Andy is absolutely thrilled that Jack has another boy to pal around with! One thing is for sure, EG is very interested in Lydia and Julianna! They came over today to borrow some salt and stayed for a while to play! EG says you guys should run out of salt more often!

I love Lydia's curls and I am amazed by how independent Julianna is these days!

There's a lot of pink clothing and blonde hair going on in this picture!

Grandmas are the best!

Welcome to my play area Julianna!

In other news, we had Kacki Cakes for dinner tonight and EG loved them. We've decided to start calling pancakes Kacki Cakes because that's the name they truly deserve. When we arrived in America, Kathi decided she really wanted to have something special that would remind EG of her every time she saw it...she landed on pancakes and every time EG went over to Kacki's, she always came home smelling like maple syrup. Well, Kacki-your plan worked! As soon as I mention pancakes she says your name! And when I asked her who taught her about pancakes she immediately tells me, "Kacki!" But don't worry Kacki, there are many many many things that remind her of you! When we talk about the finer things in life, she always attributes them to you-Chocolate Baba's, Chuck E Cheese, diamonds, and coffee, just to name a few! We sure do miss you guys. Come over soon!