P.S Post about potty training

Quick post to ask for any good tips on potty training!! I would love to really start potty training Caitlin. I got her favorite candy's (peanut m&m's) as a reward and we will put her on the potty but I need help. I of course know the basics and what to do but anyone at all have good advice on what they did or are doing?? Would love some feedback!!!!!!

Dillon's First Day At School and more.....

Crazy girl!!!!!

Just before walking out the door for first day!!!!

Quick pictures before we leave for school!!!
Dillon right before going into class
Caitlin giving big brother hugs after he is done with school
All done with our first day of school!!!!!!

Dillon's first day of kindergarten was on Wed September 3!!!
He did great. Of course he did. He does great with anything. He does not have trouble with changes at all. You can put him in any situation pretty much and he adapts really well. He likes his school and his new teacher. I don't think he is quite getting the whole school thing though like that this is a forever thing now and he has to go. The other day he said can't he just stay home with me today and I said nope you in with the big boys now its mandatory stuff now. He'll get the hang of it soon. then today when I told him its a school night and tomorrow its school again he got excited. However he rather buy lunch then take it , I didn't think this faze started yet but I guess it does so we have made lunches much more exciting for him now and told him that he could buy lunches every Friday. See we met in the middle !!! Can't wait to see how much he is going to learn this year and what a difference one year will make.

Onto Caitlin now. We went for our check up with the endocrinologist on Thursday. Went good, Caitlin weighs 22lb12oz and was 34 inches long. But..... because now she gained the couple inches in a short time now we have to test her to make sure she is not growing to fast. Its hard its to slow one minute then to fast the next. I don't get it but its OK rolling with the punches. I understand the reasoning behind it. And its only precautionary because if a child grows to rapid as well then it can be early signs of prematurity which can make other things come along faster such as even bone growth and can make the bone pallets close to early and actually stop more growth later on. Its all complicated sometimes but I get it. We do have to have some more labs drawn on her which I really hate doing but I have to say she is such a champ she really is.

Not development wise she is doing well. Like I say probably in all my post her talking is getting better and better by the day. She talks alot and ask alot of questions such as what's that, what's that noise and ect....... She ask if certain people are coming and its funny because just watching her say that it looks like she puts so much thought and concentration in that sentence. She will look at me and if dad isn't with us she will concentrate and ask me "Mommie, Daddy coming too?" then normally I will say no daddy is at work then she goes ohhhhh daddy at work?? and the end of her sentences is always higher pitched. Another thing and her it comes is I think terrible two's have hit us and they have hit us hard. She likes to tell me no, likes to run for me and thinks it is hilarious, will tantrum with the best of them. Likes to do everything opposite of what I tell her and get brother in trouble at times. Will not stop asking for what she wants until she gets it as well. she is determined and girlfriend knows what she wants!!Oh and yes can't forget to mention that she thinks she is a break dancer. Everywhere we are all of a sudden she will just get on the floor start dancing and then go on her hands and start throwing her feet up in the air waving em around like she don't care ohhhh ohhhhhhh.

3 more months till December then Caitlin will be 3. She will start getting evaluated through the school district soon to see what her needs will be. I have already spoken to one of the directors and asked for certain things to be looked at and evaluated so that she will get the things that she needs help with so we will see.

Well that's about it for now still same old stuff for the most part just getting older and bigger. Oh one accomplishment we made over the weekend was Caitlin was able to eat apples!!! she had three slices yesterday without spitting them out. She ate the whole slices!!3 slices!!! This is a major deal for us because as much as she loves those darn things she couldn't quite figure out had to swallow those little puppies. So another milestone marked off!!!

Fun in the sun

Caitlin Caitlin Caitlin. she has been talking so much lately. I love listening to her little voice. She has a few different ones. She of course has her normal cute little voice, then she has her oh so tiny cute voice whenever she sees something cute or she talks to her baby doll or just a baby. she says really tiny and pitchy, Hiiiiii Babyyyyy!! or Ohhhh how cuteeeee!!!! Then she has her monster voice and says raghhhhh I going to get youuuuu!!!!!! Then her Other voice of anger which normally says STOP Diddon!!!!! Leave Me Adoone Diddon!!!!!

I have to say i had a my favorite moment yesterday. Me and Dillon went to go pick up Caitlin from group and her speech therapy and she saw Dillon and said "Hi Diddon!!!"I missed you Diddon in the cutest voice then she grabbed his hand and said I wubv you Diddon!! Ahh talking about heart melting that has to be my favorite moment and its so cute because Dillon will say the same stuff to her sometimes when we pick her up and I love love it!!!!

We have been trying to do some potty training and its coming along so so. She has gone poopoo a few times in the potty and peepee and gets super excited but she is not crazy about the whole idea of ditching the diapers and going full force with it. The good news is that I have time. At first we thought that once she gets dismissed from early intervention we would put her in preschool so at 3 they have to be full on potty trained but I think we are going to ditch preschool for now and I am going to try to work on a lot of stuff with her and have some bonding time with my little lady. Since October she has had therapy 3 x a week for the first month and then after that she has had it 4 x a week so I kinda miss her then. I love the program she is in right now. She gets so much help and she has achieved so much since she has started these services. A total 360 actually. I am already starting to get choked up about her leaving in December when she does turn 3. She gets so much special attention there and it is just so much fun for her. I love all of her therapist there and Caitlin has an absolute favorite that she has grown extremely attached to ( Therese!!!) so once it is time for her to go I am going to be balling like a baby I get very emotional and attached. I think sometimes it is much harder for the parents who get attached to their therapist because these are the people who have helped get your children to where they are at and you appreciate them so so much that you just end up loving them so much but then you wonder what its like on other side because they see so many children. She has come a long way since then. Especially her eating has been a lot better. She still pockets and will have trouble chewing but she can definitely eat a lot more variety of things.

I was actually thinking back from day 1 of Caitlin's life and we have had so many Dr's that I never even knew existed. so here is the line up

NICU Dr's so we had about 7 different ones at different times of course along with nurses

PDA ligation Surgery Dr

Then her Ophthalmologist Dr who did her ROP Surgery

Also we get seen every 6 mos from another Ophthalmologist for her eyes to keep track of them

So then we of course have her Pediatrician

then remember the good ol kidney stones we had so we had a nephrologist and a urologist Dr

we went through 2 of the nephrologist Dr's because the first one we had I didn't care for to much.

We have a Gastroenterologist Dr

then we saw one ENT Dr again not crazy about him so we went with another and loved him

we also have a Endocrinologist Dr Who we love as well. Have to say this Dr is awesome and very on top of things!!

then we have our genetics Dr and I think that is all.

So lets count them

So that is 12 Dr's not including the different Nicu Drs so adding the 6 more of them that is 18 Dr's Caitlin has seen in her lifetime!!! Crazy!!! that is in less then 2.5 year lifetime.

I have to say though that I feel 100% blessed with our baby girl She has been so strong and such a fighter. She is so happy all the time full of this most beautiful laughter and so funny. She has the cutest personality and is filled with so much life. We have been extremely blessed by how well she has turned out. We do know a lot of preemies that do not have it as easy and who do have a lot of disabilities. There are times that I will get a little down because of her eating or minor things that come up with Dr's or what not but I always end up remembering well you know she isn't able to do this just yet but she will and she can do all this other stuff so well. I have to remember to keep my faith and know that everything is going to be ok.

When I first ruptured with Madilyn I was told by a few Dr's that I should terminate my pregnancy and that my girls were not going to survive and that I had a big risk of even an awful infection that could lead to possible death for even myself. Also that if my girls were to survive that possibly they would not be able to walk, talk, and see. So many things were against us and we defeated each and every single odd. I am so glad I did not listen to the Dr's because then we would not have Caitlin here today. I am very sad that I lost my daughter and I miss her so much. But I feel so happy Caitlin is here and that she is walking and talking and she can see and sing and dance and even tease brother!!! I often wonder how the girls would be together and how things would be but I really try not to dwell( which can be hard of course) on it and appreciate what I have right now I have 2 kids who need their mommy and not just half but all of their mommy. I am so thankful to God every single day I get with my children and realize how extremely blessed we are to have our family. Dillon as well he is such a beautiful little boy also filled with so much energy and the hugest heart. He is funny and kind and very animated.

He also cracks me up every single day. the things he can come up with make me laugh so hard. Kids are so innocent and can say the funniest things and have the biggest imaginations, its neat just to listen to what they have to say and how they view the world.

Ok so just some fun pictures of the kids. It has so far been a nice summer and all though we have had some hot days we have had some really nice beautiful weather where its not to hot and with a bit of a breeze. Its been in the mid and higher 70's which is perfect to me. I am sure we will be getting some hot ones coming soon!!!!