Day 3.5 : Wednesday 3/14 continued...  Worship rehearsal night.  I have not picked up my music for various reasons, so I want to leave early so I can look it over.  At 5:30 I wake up Kate and sit her on the potty.  She goes!  Feeling triumphant, I promise her a lemon slush and chicken nuggets from Sonic.  "That's a great idea, Mommy!"  She scrunches up her eyes and laughs her fakey chuckle, which is what she does when happy but something isn't particularly funny.  So we put on a pullup, stop in at Sonic, and have a picnic at the church. 

Paul was a little late coming to get her but it wasn't a problem.  They stopped for more fast food (I told you nutrition was out the window this week!) and came home and watched Cars.  She only makes it to about the same point in this movie every time.  My rehearsal ended early enough that I got to see her before bed.  Apparently she had an accident during the movie (probably she was so into it that she didn't notice herself peeing).  But during bathtime, she asked to get out of the tub, sat on the potty and went, and then got back in to finish the bath.  Now that is progress.  She needed lots of hugs and kisses before bed, which we were both so glad to give.  For the rest of the night Paul played Warcraft and I answered email and read knit blogs.  Once again we stayed up too late.

Day 4:  Thursday, 3/15.  She tinkled in the potty upon waking.  We are starting to establish a pattern!  I let her watch some tv as a reward.  So now for the real test:  I have a Gymboree coupon.  The best stuff goes on the first day of the sale.  So I overpack the diaper bag and put a portable potty seat in one of those humongous ziploc bags, and off we go to the mall.  As soon as we are heading in, she asks to go potty.  I head to the closest bathroom I know of, in JCPenneys, and fortunately it is pretty clean and has a place for me to park the stroller.  She wet a little in the pullup, but I put that potty seat on the big potty and set her on it.  "It's kinda scary, Mommy!"  Still, Supermom has come prepared with books and a sucker, so with distraction and bribery she actually goes in the big potty.  Woohoo!  Girl deserves a sucker!  We clean up and head for Gymboree, where I spend one hour and $120.  But hey, with the exception of shoes, she has her entire summer wardrobe.  That will really help me out when I have TWO kids.  I even got cute matching outfits for her and Audrey.  She sits like a zombie in front of Gymboree's little tv, licking her sucker, and squinting at any other kids that get within three feet of her.  We go to the play area for a while, but she is feeling shy even though there aren't very many kids there.  She does not want to climb and play much.  Once she does loosen up a little, some really big kids arrive and get rowdy so we just leave.  I forgot it was spring break.  All this time she has been dry.  Of course, 5 minutes out of the parking lot she wets her pullup and begins to cry.  At this point it is just better that we head home.  At home, before, during, and after lunch she has several accidents and never successfully goes in the potty.  I think maybe tomorrow we had better stay home or close to home for consistency's sake.  I would really like to go to the yarn store though...big sale...

To confirm that Mommy has absolutely no life, here is the chronicle of our Potty Training Saga so far:

Day 1:  Monday, 3/12.  After we went to the HEB and picked the dog up from boarding in the morning, Katelyn went down for a nap and Mommy began her preparations for the Potty Extravaganza, which started upon waking from nap.  I assembled all of my supplies in the upstairs bathroom: potty success chart, potty procedures list (so that Daddy and Mommy can be consistent), stickers, lollipops, fresh pull-ups, flushable wipes, and all kinds of cleaning supplies.  Suddenly I discovered that I only bought 2 pair of waterproof trainers and about 12 pair of actual underwear.  And a whole pack of pull-ups, which are so much more expensive than diapers that I hate using them.  Oh well, I thought, we will make do until I can get to the Target.  When Kate wakes up I put her on the potty, read about 400 books (or maybe 4 books 100 times), then finally allow her to get up.  Of course the potty is dry, so I put trainers on her and within 30 seconds pee is running down her leg.  Since she hates to be messy, she instantly began to freak out, so we cleaned up and put on the second pair of trainers.  She was very excited about her big kid underpants.  She ran into the game room and after another 30 seconds she began to shriek, "Oh no!  What happened to my underpants???"  I removed the trainers, cleaned her up, calmed her down, and put a pair of underpants on her (unwisely thinking that she must be out of pee).  So you can see where this went.  By the time Paul came home I'd already done two loads of trainers/pants and used them up again.  Thank heaven we had Olive Garden leftovers for Paul's dinner because I had no energy left to cook.  Once she went to bed I ran to Target, bought them out of trainers, then came home and ate 3 bowls of cereal.  Before bed I managed to throw some laundry (literally) at my poor husband and then go on a crying jag until 1 am.  Surely we had nowhere to go but up the next day.

Day 2:  Tuesday, 3/13.  I awake with a sense of dread, realizing that the REALife group was coming that evening on top of everything else.  But hey, it's a REAL life group, isn't it?  So if they walk into a house covered with laundry that smells like pee, that's a slice of real life, right?  And I'm setting a good example by not pretending to have it all together.  Ha ha.  Anyways, Kate wakes up and I whisk her downstairs to sit on the potty in my bedroom while watching Go Diego Go.  She bats her eyelashes fetchingly at Diego (who, oblivious, continues to rescue talking animals).  Meanwhile I use this opportunity to say a few words to my long-suffering mate ("I'm sorry I threw bedsheets at your face."  "Thanks for listening to my whining until 1 am.") and make us some MUCH needed coffee.  A few minutes later I check on Kate to find that she has tinkled in the potty!  Huge celebration, both parents dance a jig, Kate gets a sucker before breakfast.  That kind of treat doesn't even happen at Nana's!  Feeling somewhat encouraged, we smile and wave at Daddy as he drives away to his laundry-free place of employment (lucky!)  After breakfast, the fun begins.  We have 7 accidents, 2 crying jags (Kate's), 2 time outs, and 2 loads of laundry before naptime.  Thank God for naptime.  Kate is upset that I put a diaper on her for naptime.  I explain that there isn't a potty in her bed, so she has to wear a diaper to sleep in.  She sighs in relief.  Poor thing.

Jen calls during naptime and I feel encouraged.  How on earth does she make cloth diapering seem so easy?  As always, she is very kind and listens patiently to my rants.  Ok.  I can do this.  It's only been 24 hours.  Don't be a wimp, Amy.  Of course I must consider that being 8 months (which feels like 80 months) pregnant makes anyone miserable and crazy, and makes it that much harder to get up and down from a tiny bathroom floor.  I ignore all non-diaper laundry and pre-REALife group cleaning and sit down to knit for 15 minutes before passing out.

Kate wakes up and I immediately take her to the potty, where she holds it for countless dramatic book readings.  I give up and put trainers on her and she pees.  Repeat this process 6 times.  How much pee can such a tiny person hold?  I remind myself that this is easier than trying to train her when the baby is here, because I can give her my undivided attention.  Two more loads of laundry.  I am starting to think that 8 trainers isn't enough.  It's time to start cooking dinner.  It occurs to me that she tinkled this morning while I was not watching her.  Hmm, maybe the child needs a little privacy.  We've been trying to teach her this about her parents - well, about Daddy at least.  Mommy has sacrificed privacy entirely so that Katelyn can become familiar with the potty process.  Anyways, I decide to let her sit on the potty while I try to start dinner.  And talk on the phone to Paul.  I was completely distracted from her.  And guess what - she tinkled!  Only a little, and she wet two trainers within minutes afterward, but hey, it was a start.  Many stickers, a lollipop, and creative songs to celebrate the success.  Guess she needs her privacy, too.  Peeing for an audience is a lot of pressure.  She likes the celebration part, but seems to want me to ignore her while she is actually going.  Interesting.  Uh oh.  It is 6:30.  Group starts at 7 and I have only 2 ingredients assembled to make dinner.  I call Paul back and we debate take out for a while and then finally decide to eat cereal.  So I have eaten nothing but cereal and Olive Garden leftovers for 2 days.  Oh well.  At least we are eating.  Group comes and the kids go upstairs to play (Kate is in a pull-up).  I feel almost human for all of the adult conversation.  No one comments on the fact that every single dish I own is in the sink.  During group and before bed Katelyn actually asks to sit on the potty.  She doesn't go, but she seems to think of it as the fun place where we read books.  Instead of actually going to sleep immediately like we probably should, Paul and I watch 2 episodes of 24 and relax a little.

Day 3:  Wednesday, 3/14.  We all oversleep - I have to wake Kate up at 9:20, and put her on the potty downstairs.  I bustle about like yesterday, only the TV is not on - she is looking at books.  She tinkles in the potty!  Celebration with Daddy!  We eat breakfast and get ready very fast (with one accident) because today is playgroup at Crystal's.  And she has a "bouncy bouncy" indoor inflatable jumpy thing.  Kate is very excited.  At playgroup I actually get her on the potty a couple of times, but she stays completely dry all morning.  She gets really upset and oversensitive near lunchtime and has to have a time out.  I start to wonder if she needs to poop and feels uncomfortable - she hasn't pooped in 48 hours, which is weird.  But she is freaking out over every little thing so it is time to go anyways.  At home I check her and she is dry and refuses to go to the potty, so we have lunch.  After lunch she is much calmer and in a happy mood.  It is raining so we aren't going to go outside (our usual after-lunch activity)and she asks to watch Little Einsteins.  I am exhausted so I agree, but only if we go "try" first.  So we go upstairs and sit on the potty and read lots of books.  Suddenly, during a dramatic reading of "Dora's Potty Book" I realize that she has become very still and squinty.  And stinky.  I ignore her and continue with my wild and over-the-top rendition of Dora's potty adventure.  The end.  I read one more book for good measure, then ask her if she is all done.  She says, "I need a wipe."  Ok, I give her a wipe.  "I'm all done, Mommy.  I need a sucker."  So I get her up and we look in there together.  Tinkle!  And poop!  It was like winning the lottery.  We dance a jig and clean her up.  She gets to flush and wash her hands.  She gets to pick out her sucker.  We call Daddy with the big news.  We put stickers on the chart and all over her hands and head off to watch Little Einsteins.  I'm amazed!  I never thought she'd poop in there so soon.  Ok, maybe this is all going better than I thought.  About halfway through her show, she bolts upright and says, "Mommy!  I got poopy diaper!"  I snatch her up and we run to the potty.  She is BARELY wet and finishes tinkling in the potty.  Now I am REALLY excited!  After more jigs, some jelly beans, stickers, and finishing the tv show, she heads off to bed completely dry and super proud of herself.  She tells me that she is almost a grown up lady like Mommy.

Sigh.  Almost a grown up lady.  Probably maybe so.  I love that kid.

So only 7 weeks left...I will be having the C-section on April 27, if all goes as planned.  I have gained 20 pounds total (which is not bad, especially considering my chocolate intake lately) and am feeling pretty tired and sluggish.  My bloodwork showed some anemia so hopefully after a little while on iron supplements some energy will return.  But I am definitely getting ready to be done with this pregnancy business!  I want to see my little sweetie!

Kate has been a big helper, picking up things from the floor, dusting low-lying objects, and bringing me stuff.  Yes, it's more work being pregnant with a 2 year old, but there are definitely perks.  :)

Just wanted to share a pic of Her Cuteness playing in the "clubhouse", her little pink tent.

Ok, here's the latest pic of Audrey and me:

Still not too miserable, mostly due to her being kind of low.  The heartburn has been manageable and I can usually get out of a chair or bed without help.  I caught up on my weight gain over Christmas (shocker!) and have now gained a total of 13 pounds.  I am still praying fervently that the water weight will not pile on like it did with Kate, but only time will tell!!!  Audrey is super active, and very predictable in her routine:  Snoozing in the morning, snoozing in the afternoon, elbows in the evening, nap from 8-11:30 pm, and then dance party til 1 am.  Hiccups anywhere from 3-4 am that make Mommy have to go to the bathroom.  She likes the loud music at church (love that subwoofer) and when Mommy sings.  (Of course that may change, since Kate used to like my singing in utero, but now she frequently says, "No like Mommy to sing!")

Now that Kate is in her new room, I am really looking forward to personalizing Audrey's room and making it special just for her.  :)

Well, she's in her new room!  We worked like crazy and in one week the guest room transformed from "Boring Beige with Miscellaneous Clutter" to "April Mist Green with New and Vintage Furniture and Girlish Accessories."  Kate has been so excited about this project that once it was done, she had no trouble sleeping in her new bed.  This was fantastic because Mommy and Daddy were so worn out from the process that we needed our sleep too!!!

Most of the credit goes to Paul because of course Amy was useless when it came to certain types of paint, hardware installation, assembly, moving furniture, and anything that involved a ladder.  So if he seems extra sleepy or walks with a limp, cut him some slack.  Of course there are a few finishing touches needed, like curtains and stuff on the walls.  We'll get to that eventually...

For the complete transformation process, visit flickr here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/selzhanik/sets/72157594494447259/ or login and visit our page.  Look for the set titled "Kate's New Room."

We ordered Katelyn's big girl bed the other day, and it should arrive soon.  Now all we need to do is have the garage sale and paint the room!

It was kind of hard to find but we ended up with exactly what we wanted - a twin sleigh trundle bed in a dark wood color to match my grandmother's antique furniture, which is in her room.  Here's a link to a photo:

http://www.havertys.com/catalog/group.do?group=HVT122+Youth

It's the bed in the uppermost picture.  She's very excited about it!

Hey everyone, I just found out that they made available on the Hill Country website a video of the duet I recently sang with Dee Brauel.  It's basically a mix of DVD background images with some video of the two of us singing, i.e. what you would see on the jumbo-tron if you were actually at the service.  The audio is not fantastic because it was just a rough live recording (ooh, I sounded like my husband there for a sec).  But anyways, just thought you'd like to know.  Not sure how long it will be available.  Follow the link and click on "O Rejoice" under "Watch Live Music Performances."

http://www.hcbc.com/templates/cushcbcnw/details.asp?id=28485&PID=212441

Have fun!

-amy

Name: Audrey Jeanette Hooper

Current Weight: About 10 ounces
Fingers: 10
Toes: 10

Here's a link to the video, BUT FIRST please read the instructions!  Please do not just click the link.  It's only two minutes long, but it's still large!  First, right-click on the link below, and select "Save Target As..."  Choose a place to save it, such as your desktop, and click Save/OK.  Then, minimize your browser so you can see your desktop (or where ever you chose to save).  Double-click the file (default name: December-12-2006.mpg) and enjoy.  We've tested playing the file in Windows Media Player 11, and it works with that.  Hopefully it works with your player, too!

December-12-2006.mpg

It's official!!!

Our 2nd child is definitely a girl!  Stay tuned for more news, her name, ultrasound pictures, and maybe even an ultrasound video.