Potty update 2

**Warning! For those not interested in a potty update, you may not want to read ahead. This post contains words like poo poo and poopy more than once. :) **

So, for those who are just dying to know how our "potty" venture is going ;) For the record we haven't officially started potty training yet, but because Miya seems to go number 2 at the same time every day I thought why not just put her on the potty and see what happens. I had tried that around 15 months and she definitely didn't seem ready.

We have the little seat you sit on the top of the regular toilet. I thought I'd give it another shot yesterday. Much to our surprise she actually went! She has also been telling me "poo poo" before she goes which definitely helps.

This morning I tried again after breakfast (which seems to be "the time") and after a minute or 2 she started to say "all done! down down!" but she hadn't gone yet. I kept trying to distract her with books and then finally I remembered yesterday she had only wanted her "peek-a-boo" book. So I quickly ran to get it, and as soon as I gave it to her she went. I told Lew it looks like we will have to keep this one near the potty as her reading material :) Amazing how much of a creature of habit she is.

Then when she was done I got her down and stood her up and soon after noticed a puddle at her feet, looks I need to keep her on for another minute or 2. But I told Lew I will gladly clean up pee pee off of the floor over changing a poopy diaper :)

Not sure if we will really begin to more aggressively potty train yet, but for now I am enjoying one less poopy diaper change a day. We'll see if she continues to seem interested.

Still can't get over how big she is getting. Kind of bitter sweet for sure.

.Wait.

I feel like we are currently in the "school" of waiting. Waiting for a new job for Lew, waiting to figure out where we are going to live...eventually :)...waiting to decide if we should buy or rent a home...waiting on more children...

I think we are always "waiting" for something. But certain seasons the waiting seems more daunting and wearisome. But in each season I am SO aware of how God's grace carries me through the waiting and how much I am learning in the process. It's so easy to be looking forward to the outcome...the thing we are waiting for. But really it's the process that bears the sweetest fruit. These 2 things encouraged me so much this morning as we continue to wait:

Wait on the Lord. -Psalm 27:14

It may seem an easy thing to wait, but it is one of the postures which a Christian soldier learns not without years of teaching. Marching and quick-marching are much easier to God's warriors than standing still. There are hours of perplexity when the most willing spirit, anxiously desirous to serve the Lord, knows not what part to take. Then what shall it do? Vex itself by despair? Fly back in cowardice, turn to the right hand in fear, or rush forward in presumption? No, but simply wait. Wait in prayer, however. Call upon God, and spread the case before Him; tell Him your difficulty, and plead His promise of aid. In dilemmas between one duty and another, it is sweet to be humble as a child, and wait with simplicity of soul upon the Lord. It is sure to be well with us when we feel and know our own folly, and are heartily willing to be guided by the will of God. But wait in faith. Express your unstaggering confidence in Him; for unfaithful, untrusting waiting, is but an insult to the Lord. Believe that if He keep you tarrying even till midnight, yet He will come at the right time; the vision shall come and shall not tarry. Wait in quiet patience, not rebelling because you are under the affliction, but blessing your God for it. Never murmur against the second cause, as the children of Israel did against Moses; never wish you could go back to the world again, but accept the case as it is, and put it as it stands, simply and with your whole heart, without any self-will, into the hand of your covenant God, saying, "Now, Lord, not my will, but Thine be done. I know not what to do; I am brought to extremities, but I will wait until Thou shalt cleave the floods, or drive back my foes. I will wait, if Thou keep me many a day, for my heart is fixed upon Thee alone, O God, and my spirit waiteth for Thee in the full conviction that Thou wilt yet be my joy and my salvation, my refuge and my strong tower."


And one more from a friends blog

“…waiting is living through those moments when you do not understand what God is doing and you have no power to change your circumstances for the better…So much of our daily comfort comes from the fact that we are able to make sense of our circumstances… Waiting is hard for us because we tie our hearts to other glories. We so often live for the glory of human acceptance, of personal achievement, of power and position, of possessions and places, and of comfort and pleasure. So when God’s glory requires that these things be withheld from us – things we look to for identity, meaning, and purpose – we find waiting a grueling, burdensome experience. Waiting means surrendering your glory. Waiting means submitting to His glory. Waiting means understanding that you were given life and breath for the glory of another. Waiting gives you opportunity to forsake the delusion of you own glory and rest in the God of awesome glory. Only when you do that will you find what you seek, and what you were meant to have: lasting identity, meaning and purpose, and peace in Christ…”

Big first...

Well folks...today is a momentous occasion! Yes it is the day of my birth, but not only that! Miya at 17 months did her first "number 2" on the potty. We cheered and celebrated and she just looked at us like we were crazy. Not sure she gets why we were so excited, but it's a start!

Our little girl is growing up :)

Ministry of Motherhood

My prayer as a Mommy...

"Choosing to be a servant-mother means willingly giving up myself, my expectations, and my time to the task of mothering; and choosing to believe that doing so is the best use of my time at the moment. It means that, by faith, I have already made a decision to make myself available in the routine tasks and myriad of interruptions of my daily life because I believe it is God's will for me to serve my family through them."

Sally Clarkson
The Ministry of Motherhood

Growing...

{some pictures from our recent beach trip}

Life is busy (what's new!) but Miya is growing and changing at such a rapid rate, I can't help but pause and make a few notes. I realize how quickly I forget to notice all the fun little things our girly is learning. She is almost 17months old and I can't help but ask the cliche question "where did the time go!?"

A few fun "miya-isms"

Shishy (still her fav snack)
Moooooowa (looooong O with a very high pitch squeak and a slightly British twang) = more
Hi Momma, hi! She likes to start with hi and end with hi (same for bye bye)
Awww bebe: I must say this and not realize it, but she says with little babies and dogs alike :)
I-lu-youuuuu: She points to her eyes, then her heart, then at the other person (usually the dogs!)
ah-dun= all done. She def tells us when she doesn't like something or when she has had enough
no no no noooooo: usually she says it to herself after she has done something naughty
hoisy (usually followed by a nay nay): horses seem to be one of her favorite animals currently
Roooooar: most animals if you ask what sound they make she will reply with a roar. Close enough I suppose :)
Shea=hair. She has a fascination for those teeny curls on her head
Owe-side=outside (your fav place to be)
Shoose=shoes (still your fav accessory)
Mwah!= her sound for kisses


Other fun things

You wave with the cutest little floppy wrist ever.

You love to say hi and bye bye to inanimate objects, and you do so with such enthusiasm (this includes saying bye bye to your crib when you wake up in the morning or from naps)

You love to hug and kiss all babies and all children for that matter. Have had a few awkward moments in public when you run up to kids you don't know and try to kiss them...on the lips!

You still amaze me with your sleep habits, sometimes 13 hours at night and then a 2-4 hour nap during the day. I am now convinced no sibling of yours will ever be able to spoil us as you have.

You love people and love being out and about where you can people watch. you love to wave to random strangers and get their attention, but when they try to approach you all the sudden you are overcome with shyness :)

You continue with your growling to sleep and when waking up. We know you are getting sleepy when you start growling, and know your waking up the same way.

You like to "hug" by bowing your head and nestling up to someone (or something) :) You usually also include a few "awww bebe" or "awwww papa" with your hugs. It melts my heart.

You have become very fascinated with "baybees" and tend to think any child your size or smaller is a baby...even though they almost always are older than you!
A family update
Things are going well. We are still living with my parents and overwhelmed with thankfulness to them for bearing with us and allowing us to really tackle debt and savings. We still aren't clear on what the best next step is (renting -vs- buying) but trusting God has a good plan. Lew continues to look for work and I am currently working nights at Shady Grove Hospital and loving it. God has continued to provide in amazing ways and we are truly blown away. More than anything I have learned to enjoy the simple things. Yes, I miss having my "own" home, and I miss all the joys that come with that, but I have learned that home is what you make it. It's more than a physical space to call "yours". It's been such a joy living with my parents, that's 4 generations under one roof! Miya loves getting to see her grand grandma, aunt "roo roo", Meema, and pop pop on a daily basis. And honestly I think it's going to be hard to transition once we move out because she is so used to being surrounded by family. But for now we are enjoying where God has us, seeking to enjoy His many gifts and not be anxious about where we will be 6months to a year from now. God has always been faithful!