Bye-Bye Paci

Those of you who know Reagan also know that she has two great loves in her life: her cow and her pacifier. She is only allowed to have the latter while she is sleeping or preparing for sleep. For months we have been subtly trying to convince Reagan that she no longer needs a paci--that big girls don't sleep with one--to no avail. This week something extreme happened that brought Reagan's paci days to an immediate halt.

Reagan has developed a bad habit of undressing herself (see earlier posts), particularly during naptime when she has decided she really doesn't want to nap. And it's not enough to simply undress herself. She has to dismantle her diaper into hundreds of tiny pieces. (If you've ever taken apart a diaper, you understand what a huge mess this makes.) So far, these diapers had all been merely wet. But on Wednesday the diaper was, as we say, a "shoo-shoo."

I went in to check on Reagan about ten minutes after putting her in the crib. She was undressed from the waist down, holding her filthy hands out in front of her with the diaper at her side. I began to assess the situation and form a plan of action. After an initial round of wipes, I put Reagan in the tub with LOTS of soap. As I was cleaning up the crib, it appeared that most of her bedding was relatively clean. (That didn't, however, prevent me from washing everything--including toys--in hot water for two cycles.) Then I saw it--the paci. And, you guessed it, it was "tainted."

My first instinct was to save it. How could we live without it? Then I thought, "No. This is it. The moment we've been working toward. The paci must go." I explained to Reagan that her paci had "poo poo" on it, and that it had to be thrown away. I also reminded her numerous times that this wouldn't have happened if she had kept her clothes on like I have told her again and again. (Hey, this was a tough moment for her, but I wanted her to know exactly who was at fault!) Then I gave her the princess pillow we had already promised her for when she gave up her paci.

The first night was rough. She cried, and I rocked her for a while. Even that didn't work, so I decided to lay down with her until she fell asleep. (I am generally opposed to this, but I knew that I could break the habit of sleeping with her a lot easier than I could break a two-year pacifier habit.) The next day, she went down for her nap without incident. And by the next night, she didn't make a peep when we put her to bed.

If I had known it would be this easy, we would have taken it away months ago! Reagan still talks about her paci and even asks for it sometimes, but we remind her that she's a big girl now and doesn't need it. And sometimes she even reminds us at bedtime: "No paci."

Again with the Nudity!

This morning, I needed to wake Reagan up a bit early so that Scott could drive her to her Nana's house on his way to work. As I crept into her room, I could hear her light snoring. When my eyes adjusted to the low light, I was able to see that Reagan was completely naked and sound asleep! Her warm footie PJs were there beside her along with her diaper. But the truly amazing part is that both the diaper and the bed were completely dry! (She's still in the process of potty training. She sometimes has dry naps but has never had a dry night.)

Potty Power!

For the last three days, Reagan has been wearing "big girl panties"--except for when sleeping--and hasn't had an accident yet! This is quite an accomplishment, since she had just about given up the whole potty training thing, deciding it was better to just let someone else do the work of changing her diapers. The renewal in interest came with a DVD we got at the public library. It's called "Potty Power" and it has lots of songs and stories about going to the potty. Reagan was very sad when it had to go back to the library, but she is still keeping up the good work and using the potty like a big girl!

My Latest Obsession: English Tea

As I mentioned in my Disney post, my friend Nori and I had afternoon tea at the Garden View Lounge of Disney's Grand Floridian Resort while we were on vacation. I have had an interest in traditional English tea rituals for years, and I have even hosted several tea parties with my friends. But now, having experienced all the delicate details in the tea itself, the food that accompanies it, and all the dainty accoutrements required, I have gone beyond interest to obsession.

For the last few days, I have spent hours on the Web, searching for just the perfect tea strainer. (Did you know that they are as inexpensive as around $2 for a plain stainless steel one and as much as thousands for an antique silver one?) I have suddenly decided that herbal teas in bags are for tea "wimps" and only loose-leaf English varieties will do for my collection in the future. I have even started doing something I just never thought I would do--drinking my tea with cream! The very thought--scandalous!

My next venture? Finding a friend who is willing to try out some tea rooms in the area with me. There are a few nearby, but the most noteworthy is all the way in Dickson. Someday, I will make the trek--even if I have to drag Reagan there with me. (On second thought, she doesn't even use silverware, so I doubt she has the social graces to sit down to afternoon tea.)

In the meantime, I am beginning preparations for my Second Annual Mother/Daughter Teddy Bear Tea. Since this is a kid-friendly event, I probably won't get to truly explore all the nuances of traditional English tea. But perhaps, if I find a nice tea shop around town, I can at least premiere a few new tea "gadgets" and a nice blend of loose-leaf English tea leaves!

Um...Let's See..How 'Bout...

Since we got back from Disney World (see my post at www.valsmomblog.blogspot.com), we have been asking Reagan about her favorite things from the trip. When I ask her who her favorite princess is, Reagan responds with, "Um...let's see...how 'bout... __________," then fills in the blank with either Cinderella, or Jasmine, or Snow White, or Ariel, or whomever. She's repeated this pattern several times, and it's so funny.

For the record, today her favorite princess is Snow White and her favorite non-princess character is Tigger.

Disney World

Although our vacation started and ended on rough notes, we had a delightful time at Walt Disney World. Reagan was certainly old enough to enjoy the trip, even if she's not old enough to remember it for years to come. That's okay, too, since we took enough pictures and video to help her remember.

We opted to drive, and we stopped in Atlanta at my brother's house both coming and going. On the evening we arrived, we had eaten at CiCi's Pizza. Reagan had both cousins, Matt and Melanie, on either side of her on the drive back from eating, and they were giggling and playing. We got all the way to Dave & Sharon's street when Reagan began projectile-vomiting! It lasted less than a minute, but I didn't realize that much puke could come out of a child that size. We got the other two kids out and gently removed Reagan from the vomit-soaked seat.

Scott got to clean the car seat, while I took Reagan in for a bath. Within minutes, she was back to her normal, playful self. (The car seat, however, was not. Even after a thorough washing, we caught occasional whifs of throw-up throughout the drive to Florida.)

With that little bump in the road, we ventured on our way. Our drive was relatively uneventful until we got close to our destination. Our mapping program took us off the beaten path, eventually directing us to a closed road. We used our instincts and eventually found our way onto Disney property and then to the Pop Century.

Check-in was a bear, but the Pop Century was fun and active. (It's good for families with kids, but I don't recommend it for a relaxing childless vacation.) We got into our room with just enough time to freshen up for dinner with my friend Nori at Bahama Breeze. It was great seeing her, and she made instant friends with Reagan when she brought her a belated birthday gift that included a princess book, DVD, and magnet.

The next day we headed to meet my friend Conny at the Disney's MGM Studios. Conny, who works as an entertainment manager at the Magic Kingdom, wasn't scheduled to work that day, but she met us to walk us into the park with her ID. I hadn't seen Conny in over 10 years, and she looked exactly the same--as youthful as ever!

At the studios, we went straight to the Voyage of the Little Mermaid, then the Playhouse Disney show. (Those were probably Reagan's favorites at that park.) After hitting some other rides/shows, we hopped over to the Magic Kingdom for our Fairytale Lunch with the princesses at Cinderella's Royal Table in the castle.

The lunch was a bit of a splurge, but since we got into the parks free and got a deal on our hotel (thanks, Conny!), we decided to go for it. It did not disappoint! There were half a dozen princesses there, and each one visited our table for autographs and photos. We fully expected Reagan to be beside herself with excitement, talking up a storm in her little Snow White costume (yes, she--along with nearly every other little girl there--was in costume). We were soooo wrong. Reagan was so awe-struck that she completely clammed up! What's more, she wouldn't even smile for the photos--and she's normally quite the poser. Furthermore, she refused to eat even one bite of her lunch. (Fortunately, we didn't have to pay for her meal, since she's just two.) Despite her backward reaction, we know that she really did have a grand time. She's been talking about the princesses ever since.

We cranked through a few of the kiddie rides at the MK, then went back to the Studios to finish off the night. Reagan actually fell asleep on the way back over, and she stayed asleep through the entire Great Movie Ride. (FYI, there's a gunfight in that ride! And she didn't even budge.)

The next day, we took a break from the parks and had brunch with Conny at the Animal Kingdom Lodge (very yummy!) and I had tea at the Grand Floridian with Nori (very fun and girly!). Scott had the priviledge of dealing with a little constipation issue with Reagan (she hadn't gone in 5 days!) while I was away. That evening we went to International Drive and had dinner at pizzeria Uno.

Our second day in the park was spent with Conny at the MK. I didn't understand how great knowing an "entertainment manager" at Toontown would be--but it really was! She walked us up to most of the characters and princesses. She had even told the princesses we were coming, and they welcomed "Princess Reagan" as we walked in. We also had the Pooh characters entirely to ourselves! They even allowed us to come back later--without standing in line--and see Piglet, who was MIA at our morning greeting.

We saw pretty much everything at the MK that we wanted to by evening, so we hopped over to Epcot to let Scott ride a couple of grown-up rides. We also strolled through the World Showcase and saw some of the performers (the Chinese acrobats were Reagan's favorite!).

Then came our "rough ending." That night, Scott got violently ill. Since we were all in a rather small hotel room, none of us got much sleep, although Reagan got the most. He was still pretty sick the next day, so I did most of the driving back to Atlanta. Once we arrived at Dave & Sharon's, he went straight to bed.

Scott got sick exactly 4 days after Reagan had. When we returned home, I got sick exactly 4 days after Scott. Coincidence? I think not!

Barring the illness, we had a very good--and incredibly affordable--vacation. If Conny is still working at Disney in a few years, we'll definitely plan another visit with Mickey and the gang!

False Alarm

At the risk of repeating myself, I am copying a post from my other blog (What Reagan's Doing Now) below. It's a story that shouldn't be missed, so I'm doubling my coverage. Enjoy!

This is an entry that will live in infamy in the Gibbs household.

It was the end of our Sunday morning church service. Scott was down in the fellowship hall, manning the PA system for Kids Town; I was on the platform, having just finished singing a closing song; and Reagan was in her Toddler 2 classroom. Before Pastor Paul could utter "Amen", the fire alarm went off.

Our pastor quickly dismissed everyone, and I rushed down to the end of the building where Reagan's class is held. (They had already evacuated the children, so the room was empty.) Everyone was walking out rather casually at that point, feeling certain we were facing a false alarm. I was near our associate minister's wife, and I jokingly reminded her of the time her oldest daughter (probably around age 2) pulled the alarm. She made the comment that hopefully this time it wasn't her kid, and I said something like, "Well, I guess it could be Reagan."

I made it outside and spotted Reagan's teacher holding her. I went to retrieve her and said, "Did she freak out on you when all the noise started?" She replied, "No. Actually, she was the one who pulled the alarm."

Utter disgrace and mortification are words that come to mind. Yes, our darling two-year-old was responsible for the evacuation of about 400 people. The firetrucks came, and the firefighters secured the building. All because of our little climber.

Reagan joins an elite group of kids who have done this at our church, and the club includes two of our pastors' children. Apparently, the placement of the alarm pull in the toddler classroom has been a problem before (about half a dozen times in as many years).

As I took the walk of shame to retrieve my purse at the other end of the building, word was spreading about who the culprit was. (Reagan, by the way, had no clue what she had done.) Other parents were helping us laugh it off with a "Hey, it could happen to anyone" and even the occasional "My kid did it two years ago." Everyone was very good-natured and lighthearted about it.

And we can even laugh...now.

False Alarm

This is an entry that will live in infamy in the Gibbs household.

It was the end of our Sunday morning church service. Scott was down in the fellowship hall, manning the PA system for Kids Town; I was on the platform, having just finished singing a closing song; and Reagan was in her Toddler 2 classroom. Before Pastor Paul could utter "Amen", the fire alarm went off.

Our pastor quickly dismissed everyone, and I rushed down to the end of the building where Reagan's class is held. (They had already evacuated the children, so the room was empty.) Everyone was walking out rather casually at that point, feeling certain we were facing a false alarm. I was near our associate minister's wife, and I jokingly reminded her of the time her oldest daughter (probably around age 2) pulled the alarm. She made the comment that hopefully this time it wasn't her kid, and I said something like, "Well, I guess it could be Reagan."

I made it outside and spotted Reagan's teacher holding her. I went to retrieve her and said, "Did she freak out on you when all the noise started?" She replied, "No. Actually, she was the one who pulled the alarm."

Utter disgrace and mortification are words that come to mind. Yes, our darling two-year-old was responsible for the evacuation of about 400 people. The firetrucks came, and the firefighters secured the building. All because of our little climber.

Reagan joins an elite group of kids who have done this at our church, and the club includes two of our pastors' children. Apparently, the placement of the alarm pull in the toddler classroom has been a problem before (about half a dozen times in as many years).

As I took the walk of shame to retrieve my purse at the other end of the building, word was spreading about who the culprit was. (Reagan, by the way, had no clue what she had done.) Other parents were helping us laugh it off with a "Hey, it could happen to anyone" and even the occasional "My kid did it two years ago." Everyone was very good-natured and lighthearted about it.

And we can even laugh...now.

Reagan Loves the Pool

Last week Reagan and I were at my parents' house in Indiana. They recently put in a pool, and Reagan has been in it a few times this summer. The first couple of times she got in, we put Elmo water wings on her but still held her the entire time she was in the water. On our most recent visit, however, Reagan didn't want to be held. In fact, when one of us would reach out to stabilize her, she would push our hands away.

She doesn't actually swim, per se, but with her water wings to assist her, she can get to where she wants to go. She also enjoys standing on the top step inside the pool (steps that will one day lead to the deck that hasn't yet been built) and jumping into the water. It really doesn't matter if there is someone there to catch her--she is fearless.

Reagan enjoys singing while she swims (Disney Princess songs--especially "A Whole New World"), and she's not afraid to take the occasional drink from the pool. She loves to play with anyone, but she especially likes it when Grandpa is in the pool with her.

What I'm Reading Right Now

Lately I've been too busy reading what I have to read to read anything for my own edification or pleasure. But due to a difficult family situation, I was inclined to pick up a book that had been in my "get to it someday" stack for some time. And what a blessing it has been!

Back in my days as an assistant at Word Publishing (now W Publishing Group), I had the pleasure of working with Dr. Chuck Lynch. (He was a dream author to work with, by the way. Extremely accommodating and humble.) He is a psychologist and president of Living Foundation Ministries. His book, You Can Work It Out, is about restoring relationships by tapping into the power of personal responsibility.

Now this may all sound like psycho-mumbo-jumbo, but his idea is really very simplistic: Everyone involved in a conflict has his or her own circle of responsibility. One person's circle may cover 75% of the conflict, while another's may cover 50%. Still another could cover just 5%. The point is, a conflict is never just one person's fault.

Lynch's method is to establish where the parties are AT and determine where they want to BE, before establishing responsibility. Then the parties take an X-ray of their conflict, identifying their circle of responsibility. (Lynch offers step-by-step examples of how to do this.) Only when responsibility is established can the parties move toward where they want to BE.

Dr. Lynch primarily addresses marital issues, but his principles can be applied to other relationships. He offers biblical insight to back up his methods. He also tackles situations involving others who won't accept their responsibility. (Guess what? You're still responsible for yours!)

God is teaching me how to deal with someone I just don't know how to handle. He's prompting me to pray more and get angry less. God has also assured me that vengeance is his (Yes, even God has a circle of responsibility!) and hidden sins are made known. For my part, I have to dismiss bitterness and not allow anger to cause me to sin.

Dressed to Nap

I've been noticing that Reagan can now open her closet doors from her crib. It hadn't been a problem, since she couldn't actually reach anything in the closet, just the doors. But last week I put her down for a nap while she was still quite energetic and active. (She was wearing a white tank top and a pull-up.) I heard some sounds for several minutes, but eventually it got quiet and I assumed she went to sleep. When I went back to check on her a few hours later, she was just waking up. Her closet door was open, there was an empty hanger on the floor, and she was wearing her most elaborate dress--pink and princessy, the one she wore for Easter! She had it on frontwards, with both arms in the right sleeves. The only thing she wasn't able to do was zip it. Since I only heard sounds at the beginning of her nap, I can only assume that she slept in the dress.

Houston: We Have a Poop!

Yesterday Reagan took one of her many trips to the potty. While waiting for something to happen she said, "Shoo-shoo." I said, "Yes, you can shoo-shoo on the potty. That would be great!" After several minutes of the same sort of banter, I saw the look of concentration and heard the sounds--Reagan had her first poop on the potty! It's completely ridiculous how proud a mother gets the first time her child does this. I had to call Scott immediately. We called Nana & Gran and Grandma & Grandpa! This is big news in the Gibbs house.

Two Incidents

Reagan gave Mama a bloody nose this week! I was bent down to her, holding the phone so she could talk to her cousin Ashley. She popped up rather quickly, hitting me square in the nose with the back of her head. I, of course, immediately got off the phone and started crying--which, of course, upset Reagan. (She wasn't hurt at all, by the way.) I decided to lay on the bed with her for a few minutes to calm her down before her nap. While horizontal, I started to taste blood. I put her down, then went to the sink and spit up a pretty good quantity of blood. Then I blew my nose and more came out. It didn't totally stop until later that afternoon. Now I have only a faint bruise, but two days later it still hurts!

We met some friends at the mall for Tahra Time on Friday. Reagan was pretty good for most of the show, dancing up front with the other kids. There were several big kids, so it was hard to keep track of her in the crowd. After what had to be less than a minute since the last time I saw her, we realized that Reagan was nowhere in sight. I jumped up and headed for the stage--still no Reagan in the crowd! Then it occurred to me to look under the stage where I had seen movement of the curtain earlier. Sure enough, Reagan and two other little girls were hiding under the stage! (It was very dark under there, as the curtain was black.) I had to be the firm adult, "All three of you, get out right now! I don't know your mommies, but you're not supposed to be under here!" They obeyed, and Reagan sat in my lap for the rest of the show.

Back on the Potty Train

It took a few weeks of setting potty training aside, but now we're back on a roll (pun intended), and things are going much better. In the last week, Reagan has used the potty multiple times each day. Also, it no longer takes her 30 minutes of drinking juice and watching a video to decide to go. Best of all, she's happy and proud of herself when she goes, not scared.

We haven't tried making the switch to panties just yet, but perhaps we should do that soon. I've heard other moms say that was the only thing that made their child cross over from being a casual potty user to being fully trained.

In the mean time, we have Disney Princess pull-ups to wear, stickers to chart her progress, and suckers as a special treat when she goes. (Oddly enough, she's not that concerned with getting the sucker. She usually takes a few licks and gives it back.)

As for the potty doll, we don't even bother with it. Oh, well. Maybe it will work for our next child.

A Very Princessy Birthday

Reagan celebrated her 2nd birthday on Saturday (her actual b-day was Sunday) with a fiesta, complete with pinata, sombrero, and lots of Mexican food. The party took a very princessy turn when she opened her gifts. She received a Disney Princess (DP) tricycle, a DP toy CD player, a Belle (from Beauty and the Beast) doll and purse, a DP toy organizer, a DP desk, a princess skirt, a Snow White costume with matching shoes, and a Dora the Explorer princess book that has a magic wand. There were a few other gifts that didn't have a princess theme, and she liked those too. But the day was really all about princesses.

Reagan did quite a number on her cake, and she didn't come down from the sugar high for several hours. In fact, we think the sugar may have been the reason for her bad behavior in her toddler class at church on Sunday. (It just happened to be our turn to watch her class, so we got to see her in action.) We were stunned to see Reagan hitting and even pulling hair. Yikes! Guess we'll have to ask the teachers each week to give us a report at the end of church. We can't have her being the bad kid in class.

Today, Reagan had her 2-year-old checkup with Dr. Lee. He said she was just about perfect. She is in the 90th percentile in height and the 60th percentile in weight. She's a very healthy, normal two-year-old.

More Potty Training

After setting aside potty training for a few weeks, we tried it again last weekend. This time, Reagan really used the potty. Before, she would just let a little out and as soon as I put a diaper back on her, she would fill it up. Also, she was visibly upset and even cried a few times before when she used it. Now, no crying and she's proud of herself! It still takes a LOT of water/juice, a DVD playing, and a little chunk of time to get her to go, but we're progressing.

I Give Up

OK, I gave this whole potty training thing a good shot, but it just isn't working out. I've decided to just forget about it for a while and revisit it after Reagan's second birthday. She actually used the potty four days in a row, but she was so visibly upset by the whole ordeal that I decided I was probably causing more harm than good.

Our latest and greatest obsession is Disney Princesses. Who knew a two-year-old could be so into princesses? They are the first thing Reagan thinks of in the morning and the last thing she wants to see before bed. We watch princess videos, read princess books, and color princess pictures.

But, all in all, if you have to choose an obsession, princesses are a good one. They're pretty and girly and lots of fun. And readily available. They make a Disney Princess version of almost everything--and I think Reagan is getting about every DP product made for her birthday in a couple of weeks.

We're planning a trip to Disney World in September, where we will be dining with the princesses at Cinderella's Royal Table. Stay tuned for more princess updates.

Obsessed with Princesses

Reagan is absolutely, completely, wholeheartedly obsessed with princesses--Disney princesses, to be exact. It all started when we began to plan a vacation to Disney World. I had been checking out their website, planning an itinerary. On their website are several short video clips of attractions there, one of which is Cinderellebration, the show that features all the princesses. Reagan must have watched that 15-second clip a dozen times that first day. She has been making us replay it almost continuously since. Fortunately, we found a longer clip (about 2 minutes) on the Disney Princess website. At least we don't have to replay that one as often.

I've shown her most of the princess movies: Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Snow White, Cinderella. We fast-forward through the scary parts. Actually, we fast-forward through most of the parts that don't include princesses, because they are all she really wants to see.

It's a good thing her birthday is coming up, because she's going to have a princessapalooza. Nearly everyone at her party is bringing her some sort of princess item. She's getting a Disney Princess tricycle, a Disney Princess desk, a Disney Princess costume, a Disney Princess DVD, and even Disney Princess panties (in case she ever does get potty trained).

Potty Praise

Reagan, who is beginning to potty train, often follows me into the bathroom. Yesterday, she came in when I was using the restroom. I said, "Mama's using the potty," and she began to clap for me. When I said I was all done, Reagan waved into the potty and said, "Bye bye, pee pee."

Potty Training 2

This whole potty training thing is harder than I imagined. Reagan is happy to sit on the potty for long periods of time, providing she doesn't actually have to use it. Once she really needs to go, she begins to get up, try to sit on my lap, hug me, run across the room--anything to keep from having to go on the potty.

At least twice she has cried after finally going. And it's not just a little cry; it's a "I can't believe you're making me do this, and if you really loved me you would stop this nonsense right now" cry.

And the potty doll...well, we decided to go for the deluxe electronic model. Only problem is, it totally freaks Reagan out! You "feed" the doll a bottle of water, and after a couple of minutes she begins to say, "Mama, pee pee." Then you put her on the potty and she drips into it. When she's all finished, she's supposed to say, "Dappa," as in "diaper," but we've never reached that point yet. We had to turn it off because Reagan was scared.

So, let's see. We spent around $20 on her potty chair. Then there was $25 for the potty doll and $15 for a potty video (which, by the way, she actually likes). Oh, and we also bought a potty seat to go on the big toilet for around $10. So that's a total of about $70 on potty training supplies, and we're no closer to being potty trained than before. In fact, with all the crying, we may have actually regressed!