Only Time Will Tell

Before my quick update on our week as far as Brayden is concerned, I just have to tell you all to be ready to see some super cute family pictures we got today! We swapped with the Porters and I think we got a bunch of keepers!  Unfortunately, I'm way out of practice on my photog skills, but I think there's a couple decent ones for them too.  Maybe.  Haha.

As for Brayden this week.  It was very interesting.  He fought his naps this week every day, which usually never happens! 3 of the 5 weekdays he didn't take a nap.  The other days I woke him up early, but he didn't fall asleep until 2 or later, so one day I let him sleep til 3:30.  We were out later on a date, so it worked out anyway.  Bedtime was also interesting.  First, he didn't use his binky! What??  Our little binky boy is getting all grown up!  He'd just play with it and then hold it while he tried to fall asleep.  Also, he wouldn't fall asleep by himself like he has for the past year.  He just kept coming out or crying unless I sat in there with him for about an hour until he fell asleep.  Well, there were a couple of the no nap days that he went pretty quick, but then he woke up for an hour around midnight.  I used a trick Brother Kiesling told me - use a finger to gently rub over the eyes until they finally don't open.  Brayden surprisingly likes it.  So was it a good/ better week?  I'm not quite sure.  Only time will tell if these changes in his sleep are for the better or not.  I am pretty happy about the bink though :) One less Mommy to-do.

The last crazy thing about this week was potty training.  I remember learning in a BYU class that the biggest reasons kids struggle with potty training is because the parents try to push them into it before they're ready.  So, I've been trying to just have him wear underwear or sit on his tiny toilet on occasion, but he'd always just hold it or have an accident and then change to a diaper.  He never went in his toilet.  Last Saturday I had him in undies and when he had an accident I asked if he wanted another pair and he did, so I figured, why not? He went all day Saturday with underwear on (minus naptime) and had 2 accidents in the morning, but held it all afternoon.  He still wouldn't go in the toilet though.  So throughout the week while we were home we would wear underpants and he only had 2 other accidents all week!  He would always hold it in when he had on the underpants.  He even started whimpering when he had to go because he didn't want to wet his pants.  But, I think he was still unsure about actually going in the toilet.  He got a few drips out on Thursday and got a treat.  He got a few drips out on Friday again and then 2 minutes later I heard him whimpering and knew it had been at least 2 hours since he'd had a diaper on, so I had him sit on the toilet once more.  And he went!!  He was laughing the whole time watching himself go in the toilet.  He was so proud!  We picked Daddy up that night and told him about it and then after dinner Brayden was asking for a treat.  I told him if he wanted to wet in the toilet again then he could have one.  So, Daddy took him in and he went again!! YAY!!  Today we didn't have underwear on until after nap, but he held it until he was finally able to go in the toilet again.  But the best was when we were getting ready for bed.  He wanted to brush his teeth (he loves it!) and I said he needed to try to go to the bathroom and then brush his teeth.  As he was walking out of his room he said "yeah, go brush teeth" which usually means that he ignored the part he didn't repeat.  I heard him moving his toilet/stool to the sink so I called out "Brayden, you need to use the bathroom before you brush your teeth."  As soon as I finished with Zander I went in and found Brayden sitting on his toilet with his pants off and already wetting!  What a champ!  He listened and obeyed.  What a good kiddo.  Anyway, we are officially potty training.  He even asked to wear his underwear to bed! (I talked him out of it)  Go Brayden!  He really is growing up!!