Potty Training

This weekend has been dedicated to POTTY TRAINING!!!! Yesterday, we woke up and headed right to the store for you to choose your big boy underwear!  You chose a package of super heroes, Lightning McQueen, Thomas the Train, Mickey Mouse, and Ninja turtles! You were so excited about all of your new underwear and you were even more excited to run around the house wearing those without pants. Within about ten minutes, we were cleaning up Lathan pee off the carpet. You did not like how your big boy pants felt while they were wet - you grabbed another pair and said "change me!"  We took you to the potty every thirty minutes - you hesitated at first, but eventually you went in your Lightning McQueen potty! Daddy and I made one heck of a celebration out of it - we screamed and hollered, threw you in the air, told you how proud of you we were, and rewarded you with candy. The look on your face was priceless - you were so excited and so proud of yourself!! We called everyone and you very proudly told them that you went potty in the toilet!!! You had one more accident yesterday, but that has been it! The first time you "poopied" in the toilet sent you into a panic - you started to shake and said "I poopied in my toilet, oh no! I poopied! That's gross! Clean it!" You must have thought that you weren't supposed to do that or something because you were very upset that there was poopoo in there. Mama kept telling you that you were supposed to do that and that we would just clean it up - then you were fine!  Today, you have told us every single time that you had to potty; you have done absolutely fantastic!  We are so incredibly proud of you and how quickly you have caught on to it - I know that you will probably have accidents again, but this potty training weekend has been a total SUCCESS! 

You came home from daycare the other day and told us that you went potty at Nancy's house in the blue potty. Of course we didn't believe you. "Uh huh! Yes I did!" So mama called nancy and sure enough... She said you've used the potty a few times at her house. I acted happy and excited on the phone and then hung up and burst into tears - I wasn't there the first time my baby used the big boy potty. It literally broke my heart and I was pretty down most of the night. You have no idea how badly I would love to be home with you ...Mama doesn't choose to go to work, Mama HAS to go to work.  I hate that you spend your days with other people - I want to be the one that cuddles you and takes care of you 24/7. A mama can dream, I suppose.  I always try and make our weekends memorable though - even if it's just something at home like reading or having a picnic in your clubhouse...I want to do things with you that you'll remember and enjoy. 

You start a Tiny Athlete's class next week - you will focus on different sports. You really enjoy soccer, baseball, and basketball so I think a variety class will be perfect for you! Hopefully you behave a little better than the days of tumbling. Yikes. 

Your movie of the week is "Puss in Boots."  An animated movie about an outlaw turned hero Hispanic cat - you love to quote it. Hearing you attempt a Mexican accent could possibly be the cutest thing I have ever heard in my life!! You also have a new fascination with the Ninja Turtles - Michaelango is your favorite. In fact, you told me you wanted to be "Mikey" for Halloween... So I'm currently trying to find the cutest costume I can find. You have also mentioned SuperMan and Lightning McQueen so we will actually see what you end up being. (I do know you're having a McQueen birthday party though this year - the planning has started!!) 

You counted to eleven!!!! 

We work so hard on counting, but you just say 123,123,123. You won't go any higher than that!  You're so smart and have such a fantastic memory...but you're stubborn. You typically refuse to count higher. Well last night, you were counting your cars and went all the way to to 8!  I looked at your daddy and said "what in the world just happened??" Then you wouldn't do it again! You little stinker!!! 

We had a wedding to attend last night, so we dressed you and you ran to the mirror and said "ow ow!  I'm a nice looking guy!!" Confidence is not something that you lack! 

Summer is coming to an end - the days are still steamy but the nights are getting cooler. It's getting darker a little earlier, and I know our days of long sunshine are limited. You are such an outdoor boy! You have gotten really great at driving your jeep - you jump in there and take off!  You can steer and get around the neighborhood streets really well; of course, we are walking beside you, but it is obvious you feel really independent in your little jeep ;). Daddy worked really hard and got your swing set done in a few days - you're in love with it. The look on your face when you saw it was absolutely priceless - poppy helped daddy so the three of us covered your eyess and showed you your big surprise. When we leave for Nancy's, you say "Bye swingset!"  ;) 

We still have you in our bed and we still change your diapers. Those are two big changes that I know we need to address very soon.  Life is just passing by so quickly...you're growing up way too fast. You don't like to be held or carried as much as you used to, you talk in full sentences, you won't sit in a high chair or booster seat, and you call yourself a "big boy."  It makes Mama so sad. I just want to slow down the time.  

We were outside playing the other day while Daddy was mowing and you wanted to do every thing he was doing. You drove along side of him in your jeep while he rode the yard tractor the entire time. He stopped to work on his mower, so you ran and got screw drivers and "worked on your jeep."  He stopped and put his hand on your hip, so you jumped up and mimicked him - you did every thing he did...it was stinking cute. 

You are pretty indecisive right now - I do not know if this is part of your age right now, or what's going on. For example, Daddy was going to get gas tonight, you said you wanted to go with him...so I walked you over...you started screaming that you wanted to stay home. So lame e went to leave, so you screamed you wanted to go... It went on like that for several minutes. Obviously it's not just a game you're playing because you get really really upset...but we just don't know what you want? I hate making you upset, but at that point I don't think abything would make you happy. You were fine a few minutes after he left though but the whole thing just confuses me. 

You love The Lion King!  You sing the songs and get quite a kick out of Pumba. I always fast forward the sad scary part though - you're too young to see that violence! You still love the jungle book, Cars, and Disney's Lucky Duck! (A short movie about a Rubber Duckie that doesn't squeak and is actually extremely unlucky!) We went to Huff and Puff this weekend (a hot air balloon rally at shawnee lake) and you had your face painted like Lucky Duck. I have never seen a cuter face!! Aunt Sheena's mom had a face painting booth out there and you were fantastic while turning into Lucky Duck! You sat on mama' slap perfectly still.  You really enjoyed seeing all the balloons - we watched them

Full up with air and then take off. You waved at all of them and just ran through the rally quacking and flapping your duckt wings. It was such a cute night. We spent the rest of the weekend visiting uncle Dave and Sheena - they don't get to come to town very often with his school schedule so we take advantage of any time we can get with them.

Kambree is your current little BFF...but you two are quite the duo. I just know that you'll be quite the ornery pair over the next few years. You're little rascals :) of course you love all of your girls, but as Kambree gets older...you two love to play together. You actually torment her...haha, but she tolerates it.  They love their little Lathan...everyone does! :) 

First Vacation

We are on our way home from Omaha, Nebraska!  It's not very far away, but it was the perfect first vacation for you!  We left Friday morning and arrived about ten am. We started off at the Omaha Zoo - it was just voted the number one zoo in the world!  You really enjoyed it - they have such neat exhibits and it's HUGE!!!  We rode on the Skyfari which takes you across the zoo by a sky tram. I was afraid you would be scared, but like always... You had no fear. Mama was the one that was terrified the entire time... Not because of heights, but because I was terrified you were going to fall out. I had the death grip on you. In typical Lathan fashion, you told me you were a big boy and to let go of you. Can you stop growing up so fast??  After about five hours we headed to the hotel - Coco Keys Water Resort!  We just did a little walking around downtown, did some shopping, and grabbed dinner. You did ok in the hotel; at first, you told us you wanted to go home and you didn't like that bed... But eventually you fell asleep. You didn't nap that day so we knew you were exhausted. 

Saturday was the Children's Museum!  You were on sensory overload there!! That place is absolutely amazing.... It's a place for kids to run around and explore. You were amazed with the mechanical working room - it was a series of pipes, cranks and levers that would shoot balls out of them. You loved shoving the balls in and watching the air push them through - we spent a lot of time there. To also really enjoyed the miniature grocery store, and the special dinosaur exhibit they had. There was a free picnic outside so we sat outside and are hotdogs and played on their swing sets.  After your naptime, we went to the water resort in the hotel (which was also huge and amazing) and ended the day at the Amazing Pizza Machine. It is similar to a GIGANTIC chuck e cheese - large dinner buffet, a lot of arcade games, rides, and your surprise at the end - go kart racing!!! Any arcade game that involved racing, you always found your way to it - that's your obsession right now. You were really surprised when we took you to race go karts at the end :) 

Today, we went back to the zoo. You said you wanted to see the lions and monkeys again, and you wanted to go for another ride.  (Skyfari) so we went for another three hours and then hit the road and headed for home!  We couldn't have asked for a better weekend - the weather was perfect, the places were not too busy, and you were such a well behaved little boy!  You told us "I like this vacation!" "Fun day!!" "This vacation is neat!" "I like this hotel." It made us so happy to know that you had such a great weekend - that was exactly what we wanted. :) 

I still find myself staring at you in awe sometimes... Or watching you sleep and feeling my heart just fill up with love. I do not know how I fall more in love with you every single day, but I do. I can not get enough of your cuddles, hugs, and kisses. My heart melts when you put your hand on my cheek and tell me you love me or ask for me to hold you. I know there will come a day when Baby Boy will outgrow Mama; the thought of that day immediately brings tears to my eyes.  You are my world and I just can't fathom the thought of losing my Lathan snuggles.  You're laying beside me on my pillow and the sounds of you snoring fill up the room... My perfect little boy. I wish I could keep you little forever. 

We had your 2 1/2 year old check up- no shots! Yay!  You are in the 85th % for height and 21st for weight - the same trend since birth... Tall and skinny!  Just like always, the dr was very impressed with you and said you're way past your milestones. Your speech is amazing and range of vocabulary really pleased them - again, just like always... GENIUS!  We talked about potentially starting potty training and she gave us some tips. I'm still very concerned how you will do with that because you do not handle change well at all. We will probably start that fairl soon. If you're reading this, and still in diapers, obviously we failed. :)

You really love the movie CARS and still want to race any and every thing you can race. You want us to race cars that we see while driving, you race your toys, you race Rocky, and so on and so on. You're just a little racer! :) Another one of your new favorite movies is The Jungle Book - I knew you would love that movie because of all of the singing and the different animals - specifically the marching elephants. You get down on your hands and knees and put your "trunk" in the air and "march" while chanting 123123123 (You won't count past 3... So that's as far as you will go with your marching chant.). 

You are always singing and dancing to any and every song that is on TV, the radio, my phone, etc. You just love your music. You have a special dance you made up consisting of just tapping your toe different ways. Pretty fancy! Haha. You still love baseball, pizza, and your buddy Rocky!