Amazing Race

Kids amaze me. My own being no exception.

For months I've been fretting because Bella refuses to wear panties and is very sporatic with going in the potty.

Last night while playing with her Disney princess ball, she started talking about each character. Then the light came on. She has those same characters on little panties given to her by Grandma! I don't think I've ever moved so fast as I did to retrieve the princess panties. We laid them out on her floor and she carefully picked a pair to wear. I was so excited I nearly peed my own pants! She went to the potty, washed her hands and came into the living room wearing...panties!**

I didn't want to hold out too much hope that this new trend would continue today. But it has! She woke up this morning, took off her night diaper for a bath and then we once again carefully picked out some panties. She had a tiny accident so I quickly put her on the potty where she finished, then a fresh pair of panties were picked out and put on.

I cannot TELL you how amazed I am. It really is true that it is best to wait till kids are ready. Potty training is a monumental step in leaving babyhood and it has been, and will continue to be, an emotional rollercoaster. But at least we have some friggin progress!!

And then there's Ava. She is doing everything so fast I wish she'd slow down! She's standing in her crib unassisted until her chubby legs give in. She is rocking on all fours and I can see the wheels turning in her head as she tries to figure out what should move first. Hand? Knee? Head? She still gets frustrated but I imagine in the next few weeks she'll be zooming about the house tasting new carpet lint and stray leaves.

She feeds herself Gerber star snacks, concentrating hard to capture it between her thumb and forefinger then getting into her mouth. Sometimes she'll have a star on the tip of her lip and I have to refrain from helping her as she works it into her mouth. And she's totally over eating anything too pureed. Toothless Wonder can chomp on banana and avocado like nobody's business.

What's happening? I'm trying to stop and smell the roses with my babies but they are in a hurry to move on to the next thing!

I can see it now. I'll be one of those parents who breaks out the baby videos at 2am to watch in the dark, reminisce, sob and eat a tub of ice cream.

** It is nearly 5pm and 6 pairs of panties later, Bella is still onboard with this whole idea. I did realize rather quickly that my new job is to locate restrooms immediately upon entering buildings. A sanitary toilet ring that sticks to a toddler's behind the whole day would be fabulous.