Z has joined the party!

The potty party that is.

It has been over a month that H has been using the potty. And poor Z was getting rather frustrated. You could tell as he looked down in the potty and nothing was there that he was trying to figure out just how to make it all work. So I tried to limit his exposure to H using the potty. For a little while Z even stopped asking to take his pants off.

But then a few days ago he decided he wanted to give it another go. It was pretty funny. It was one of those mornings that he was awake before H and we left the room and ventured to the bathroom (for mommy). Then daddy came and knocked on the door and we knew that he was out there w/ H. immediately Z started tugging on his pants. It was like he wanted to beat H to pick out one of the potties. (they sometimes battle over using a certain one even though they are identical). So he was stripped down and H was still sleepy and not even thinking about potty use yet, when Z stood up and looked down and got the BIGGEST GRIN EVER! He did it! One month and 2 days after H started using it. But he made up for lost time. He decided to use it 3 more times that day. And since then he has been using it a few times a day since....including amazing both daddy and I by on his 3rd day of using it managing to do a poopee as well! (I know TMI but we are just so proud!!!!!) H has only done one of those so far and it was many days (15?, 20?) after his first potty attempt.


So now we have both boys attempting to potty train themselves. I am still not the initiator. I let them tell me when they want to use it. And so far this no pressure concept is working well. They also now have 2 potty books, which they like to have read to them over and over and over.

Oh and as far as the whole rewards bit....well we discovered that washing their hands is reward enough. Sometimes after we have finished and have done the handwashing, one of them will indicate that he wants to wash his hands again. And I say, well ...when you go potty again you will get to wash your hands then. To which whichever boy it was will sit down and promptly force out a tiny bit more just for the joy of another hand wash. Too funny! And they both do it!

And I have begun buying (to Scott's amusement) some very tiny undies for them for when they are really ready. I had heard how hard it is to find them small enough for tiny bums....and its true. I found a couple different brands and even after washing them they are still pretty lg in the smallest size we could find (2). Maybe a few more washings w/ some very high heat on the dryer will help out. And of course there is the possibility that we won't need them for another year and their bums will be slightly larger by then.

I do have to say the tiny bums has to be one of the funniest parts of having become a parent through adoption. One thing Scott and I were sure of, was that our kids would both have bubble butts. We both were called names something like that when we were younger, and we were sure no matter what else our kids would look like...they would take after us in that department. We were wrong!! And I do have to say, these tiny little bums just have to be about the cutest little things I have ever seen!

Of course they do present some challenges clothing wise.

I have been asked what size the boys are wearing ...and it is an interesting answer:


pants...18mnths

shirts 18mnths (or larger w/ sleeves rolled up)

overalls or anything that is one piece from neck to the crotch - either 24mnths or 2t w/ the legs rolled up and the sleeves rolled up. These guys are long bodied so they outgrow the body way quicker than the leg length.

I have to say the best invention is the adjustable tabs on the inside of the waists. Without those even their 18mnth pants would be too big and fall down.

I have also heard of a product called dapper snappers that we'll probably be investing in our future quest to keep their pants up. http://www.dappersnappers.com/main.html

Well anyway... oh and we are all feeling MUCH BETTER! Yeah!

Christmas morning (better late than never!)

Here are a bunch of pic's from Christmas. I posted a lot since we had a lot of family members who wished they could have been here .

we're all sick.

So, we've all got something. A bug, the flu? Who knows exactly what it is, but we've got it.

Last night all of us: 2 adults, 2 kids, and one 70lb dog were all in bed. I was squished, Scott was being kicked in the head by Z who is one active little squirmer and the dog was being annoyed and letting out big sighs about not having enough room. (She loves the boys, but is not happy when they end up in our bed. I think she thinks this is the final encroachment of her territory!)

I was having trouble breathing, yet I had H laying on my chest so that he could breath better as he too was having trouble....TMI, but just too much mucus...yuck! Laying flat was causing him to cough a lot so there he was.

And despite the fact that I am feeling miserable, I was thinking how wonderful all this was!
Lying in bed w/ all my boys (and my sweet girl dog too).

H had his soft little face on my chest and his arm curled around me, and Z had hold of one of my hands and had pulled it to lay it on top of his chest. Talk about making you feel better when you feel rotten. It definitely takes the focus away from the stuffed up head and the achey body.

And today. Poor H had his first throwup. Yes, I just had to share that (LOL). He was such a little trooper. Afterwards when I was trying to be prepared and had a puke bucket ready, he got the biggest grin and thought it was super funny!

And Z, talk about a little sweety. When the incident occurred and I was trying to get H wiped up, Z ran and brought me tissues one by one to help me out.

I got them to bed early tonight. I hope they wake up feeling better. H has the worst of it. Z was the first one to get sick, but seems to have just got the runny nose. Where H and I seem to be neck and neck on symptoms. Even Daddy has caught some of it. He has the sore throat and headache. Lots of vitamins and fluids happening at our house. I don't think I can drink anymore tea. I am craving hot ginger coke....something I tried in China that my sick self thinks would be really good right about now. Oh honey, would you mind going out and getting some nyquil, more tissues w/ lotion, oh yeah and a ginger root, a can of coke, and a lemon!