Potty Books

Hunter likes to have a book to read when he goes number two. We call it a potty book. Tonight, Hunter was pulling out his usual stall techniques before bed, and said, I need to go potty. I opened the gate on his door so he could go to the bathroom, and he said to me, "I need a potty book", which means number two. I grabbed a book from his room and of course it wasn't his first choice, so, to stall further, he had to go back in his room to pick out a book, and then he returned to the bathroom. I left him alone to do his business and a few minutes later went back to the bathroom to help clean him up and send him back to bed. He wasn't quite done with book, so I tried to wait patiently. Finally, after what seemed like eternity, he stood up and looked in the empty potty and said, "I guess I didn't need a book after all."

Sleep

Just a quick bed update... Xavier loves his new bed. I have never seen a little boy so proud and protective of his bed. He often yells, "No, Huntah, dis is my bed!" He is also very good about going to sleep. We read our books and I tuck him and he goes to sleep without getting out of his bed. The last thing he says to me is, "don't get out of bed." It's pretty cute. The bad part is Xavier's little body clock wakes him up at 4:30am and he will not go back to sleep! When he does wake up, he doesn't cry or yell for me, he will quietly look at books and play in his room for the first hour. Around 5:30 he starts to get a little restless, and will usually poop. The other morning he yelled, "I need a diapers change", and a minute later said, "I do it mommy." That got me out of bed fast! I am hoping the novelty wares off soon and Xavier will figure out how to go back to sleep when he wakes up in the four o'clock hour. Even though I am not going into his room, I am still listening on the baby monitor and not able to fall back asleep, and it's completely messing up his nap schedule. As of now, all I really want for Christmas is a little more sleep!

Bye-Bye Bed

Well, it's official, Xavier is no longer sleeping in a crib. I had a feeling this day was coming after we visited Gaga and Papa in Palm Desert for Thanksgiving and Xavier demonstrated his ability to climb out of the Pack'n Play while we were there, however, I had no idea it would happen so quickly upon returning to LA. It started earlier this week, when Xavier was up in the middle of the night because of a cold. He was extremely upset, overtired, and just plain of his mind upset about being awake at two in the morning (let's face it, we all were) and during his middle-of-the-night tantrum, I witnessed him flip out of crib. I wrote the whole night off as fluke. Then, Saturday morning, around 5:30am, I heard Xavier talking through the baby monitor and then I heard what sounded like toys. I jumped out of bed to find Xavier in his room, playing on the floor. I said, "Xavier, how did you get out of your crib?" and he answered, matter-of-fact, "I jumped out mommy." I removed the bumper out of the crib that morning, thinking he was getting leverage from it to climb out and Xavier took his regular afternoon nap without any issues. I thought we were safe, until Sunday I woke up to the sound of a door opening, and found Xavier in the living room at 4:00am. I put him back in bed two or three more times without success and eventually brought him into bed with me, exhausted and defeated. After church this afternoon I headed straight to Babies R Us to get a "crib tent" and a gate for Xavier's bedroom door. After finding out Babies R Us doesn't carry crib tents, Doyl did a little research to discover they have basically been taken off the market because they are hazardous to children. Great. So, we were left with no other choice. We took the crib apart and packed it away in the garage with baby swing and high chair, and Xavier is sleeping on a twin bed tonight, happy as can be (with a gate on his bedroom door).

Xavier Sings the ABCs (20 months)

Crossing the Street

Hunter has a balance bike, which he loves to ride. He is getting very fast and Xavier and I can't keep up with him on our walks around the block. I am trying to teach Hunter to stop at the corners and wait for me. About two weeks ago, Hunter had gone ahead of me and Xavier decided he wasn't going to move any further (he had been pushing his red Little Tikes Car). After a few minutes trying to negotiate with a 20 month old, I was getting more concerned that I couldn't see Hunter and that he hadn't turned around to come back towards me. I picked up Xavier and walked briskly to the corner to find Hunter across the street, standing in our driveway with juice boxes in hand (that he had taken out the refrigerator in the garage). I was furious, and grabbed him and his brother, stormed into the house, and put Hunter in a time out. Afterward I said to Hunter, "Hunter, you never cross the street without a grown up, that is very dangerous." Hunter looked at me and said, "But God was with me mom." I was still pretty angry, but it took every ounce of will power not to burst out laughing. I looked at Hunter, and in a stern voice said, "that doesn't count, you need to be able to see the grown up." For the rest of the week, as we continued to revisit the subject of street safety, Hunter stubbornly held to his belief that he wasn't alone when he crossed the street, that God indeed was with him. After much negotiation, Hunter and I have come to the agreement that he must have two grown ups with him when he crosses the street, God and mommy (or daddy or the babysitter).

As a side note, Hunter goes to Sunday School nearly every week. Since September they have been learning the concept that "God is near, and God is here." I think he gets it :)

Brothers Hug

The other night, without any staging or suggestions from me, the boys climbed up in the rocking chair together. I ran as fast as I could to get my camera and captured these shots. (Yes, I did dress them in the same PJs but I often do that because Xavier likes to match his big brother.)

It's Peanut Butter Jelly Time!