{two}

***don't know why I didn't post this when I typed it last week***

Our Little Bean turned 2 on Friday. 

I took the day off of work so I could keep her home with me and soak up all the 2 year old goodness I possibly could! As we woke up that morning, I sang her "Happy Birthday" and wanted to just snuggle her.. I wanted to tell her all about all the ways she's grown and changed our lives, all the love she's brought to our home, how much we adore her... but she had another idea. She immediately climbed out of bed saying "I poopy, Mommy!? C'mon Mommy. Go Fast!"

So, there went my moment of sappy affection... off to the potty. 

Where she did in fact need to poopy. 

I tried to help her get her diaper off, but was met with "I do it SELF, Mommy! NO help!"

Okay.

Then she sat on her little potty (which she insists on using instead of the big toilet, now that she uses a small toilet at school), she did her thing, then asked to wipe herself (with my help), then wanted to flush it herself, wash her hands herself... all the while exclaiming "NO help, MOMMY! STAY! NO! I do it I SELF!"

:sigh:

Our big girl turned two, and even though she's been growing and changing and learning every single day, suddenly she seems so big. And smart. And independent. And two.

The potty training thing has been a slow and steady process for a very long time now - if you recall, she started pooping in the potty around 15 months after she decided pooping in the tub every night was the cool thing to do. Once she started school, we backed off a little bit because her toddler room couldn't accommodate potty training. We kept asking her to sit on the potty before bath time, but that was only a success a few times a week. No consistency. 

Last week she started in her Early Preschool class at school, and one of the perks is potty training. They have a little tiny potty in their room, and she was put in a class where most of the kids are older than her by about 6 months... which means she's seeing lots of kids using the potty throughout the day. 

At every diaper change, they set her on the potty, and they mark on her daily sheet "potty attempts" and "potty successes". I love getting that email at the end of every day and seeing how well she's doing! As the week progressed, her successes started outnumbering her attempts. My big girl. 

Since I would be home with her all day Friday, over the weekend, and again all day Monday, the Husband and I decided to jump right in. No diapers during the day. Only panties or bare bottom. And ya know what? We are on Day 3 - and ::knock on wood:: - NO ACCIDENTS! 

She has been telling me when she needs to go potty or poopy, she does most of the process by herself (with help in the wiping and flushing areas). And she is so proud of herself!

I just love seeing her tiny little bottom in panties. She's so stinking cute. But at the same time, every once in a while I get these pangs of sadness. The bedtime bottle is (finally!!) gone. The pacifier is on the way out. And now diapers. My baby isn't a baby anymore. 

She makes me so proud.

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Her transition to Early Preschool is going much better than I anticipated. I was really worried about dropping her off in a new room with new teachers because after 6 months in her toddler class, I still got tears most days of the week. I knew she calmed down immediately because by the time I made it to the lobby to see the cameras, she would be happily playing.. all of 90 seconds after her waterworks saying goodbye. Little Stinker! But the tears as I was walking out the door were still painful. 

I thought for sure the hysterics would be a bit more dramatic in a new room, and the first day they were.. but since then? Nothing. She happily says "bye bye Mommy, go see babies!" and finds something to do with her new friends. And according to her new teachers and her daily sheets, she has transitioned very well. She has had no problems with nap-time. She is rocking it out at circle time. She loves eating her meals in the cafeteria. She is doing really well making trips to the specialty classrooms (the Library/Computer Lab and the Art & Animal Science Room), and much to my surprise and relief, she is not falling from atop the gigantic playground. Whew. 

I am (getting) over my sadness about her being on the opposite side of the school from me, and I am now very much looking forward to all the things she will learn in her new class. 

My big girl.

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Party Pics and Recap Coming Soon!