Milestones!

My pre-schooler has been upstairs napping for the past three hours. This is the first nap he has gifted me with since 4th of July weekend. He still needs the nap but refuses to give in. Today I told him if he didn't nap, then I would tell Geedah and Peepa not to come until tomorrow (they are due to arrive later tonight). I know, dirty trick, but it worked.

So Jake has had quite a few milestones since I last updated. He gave up his binkie (pacifier), all on his own. Just handed it over one day. Actually, in the interest of full disclosure, he traded it for a Fruit By The Foot. And that was it! Hasn't had it since, and has only asked for it a few times since giving it up.

Next up, we have had significant progress in potty-training! Jake had switched from diapers to Pull-Ups, but still treated the Pull-Ups like a diaper, instead of the just-in-case backup they were intended to be. So I finally decided to just use up the small supply of Pull-Ups we had left, and then just switch to undies. Yes, there were a few accidents along the way, but he really started to get the hang of it and it just clicked.

One thing, funny enough, that made the biggest difference in the world, was letting Jake pee on a tree outside. We were at Ralph's softball game one night, and Jake told me he had to go. He had been going exclusively on his little guy training potty at our house, Mema's, and Geedah's. I knew he was going to get to the big potty in the strange restroom and freak out about trying to sit on it. So I asked him: "Do you wanna go pee-pee outside on the tree?" His little face lit up (he knew it was something he wasn't "supposed" to be doing), and he immediately went off to a tree with me, dropped his little shorts (all the way to the ground, an eagle-eyed outfielder would have gotten quiet a glimpse of his tiny heiney ), and immediately went to town watering the tree. He actually asked to go two more times after that too - turned out he was just practicing.

So that was what made Jake comfortable with going pee-pee while standing up. Previously, he had refused. He did it again later that night at home (in our bathroom this time, we let him know that pee-peeing outside is a rare treat, the exception rather than the rule), and again the next day. NOW, he can easily go pee-pee in any potty, anywhere - and he does! - the doctor's office, pre-school, public restrooms, Dutch Wonderland, etc. I'm so proud of my little boy, he is getting to be such a BIG boy! :)