3 Sevens

Don't you love a good deal?

On Friday, Mommy 2 Mommy, the second-hand shop that I like to frequent for baby and maternity stuff, sent out an email saying that they were discontinuing their maternity section and selling all of it for a dollar an item! Needless to day, I was there within 10 minutes of the store opening. I always bring along something that I've come across in the week or 2 beforehand that doesn't fit Ariel properly (I keep most of the stuff that she simply grows out of, for Felicity, but not things that are completely out of proportion. I'm betting on them having similar builds...). This time I had a little pair of unworn khaki pants and a cute little Tommy dress.

I went upstairs and promptly found a black jersey dress, a cute little striped summer skirt, a pair of striped capris, a brown fitted T-shirt, and a blue button-down blouse, all of which fit well - hey, you can't beat a buck! I also got a skirt for Ariel ($1) and a little blue onsie and shorts outfit for in case "Felicity" turns out to be a boy ($1 each). I went downstairs, where I found a cute little pair of jean sandals for Ariel ($3) and a stuffed dog (she LOVES dogs and didn't have a stuffed one).

I get up to the register, and it adds up to like $10.50 or something ridiculously inexpensive like that. Amy says I can have the dog for free cuz they have too many stuffed animals and have been giving them to the kids who come with their parents and such. I asked, "Now, the 50% off coupon [that I had gotten from a mailer] doesn't apply for this, right?" She glanced around sneakily and gave me a little beckoning motion. $5.25! I hand her the clothes I had brought to sell, and she goes, "Do you wanna just do a straight trade? Because I probably would have given you about that anyway, because this dress is really cute!" WOOHOO! And then she threw in another stuffed dog. Watching her put all my clothes in a big bag, I couldn't help but feel like I was robbing someone...

When I got back, Ariel was napping. Dan took one of the dogs, and I took the other one, and we went in and woke her up (it was time for her to get up anyway). I have never seen such joy on that child's face - ever! She took one, and then the other, and proceeded to hug and KISS them over and over again! It was SOOOO cute! You know, those little open-mouthed baby kisses! Then she would bark quietly, "woof! woof!" Every little while she would look up at us with eyes that just said, "I have never been so happy!" I tell you, it was absolutely priceless. The dogs aren't a worshiped novelty now, of course, but she still plays with at least one of them at some point each day.


On to less pleasant things! About a month ago - maybe a little more - Ariel started to develop a rash on her upper bottom - like where the spine ends - that stretched horizontally across her. It itched a lot, and she would scratch herself raw. We've gone to the doctor (twice) and to my lactation consultant, and the general consensus on this mystery rash (which has now spread to include her private areas, lower stomach, and upper thighs) is that it is a reaction to her diapers - either a sudden allergy or a result of her increased mobility (or both). So, in addition to slathering creams on her every day, we've decided a few days ago to take the advice of both experts and let Ariel have some "naked time."

This requires patience, cooperation among parents, and odor neutralizer. My sister-in-law recommended Nature's Miracle (quite a bit, actually - she is a big fan of the stuff), and she is an immaculate housekeeper, so we're trusting that our carpets will remain stench-free . Sometimes she spaces out the peeing, but other times she's more like a little sprinkler. It adds an extra level of stress to an afternoon or evening to be trying to watch her every second and check the floor by her feet for dark spots. The length of her "naked times" directly correspond to my patience and energy levels!

According to Early Start Potty Training, Ariel's age is the best time to start potty training, in terms of how long the process will take on average. My lactation consultant said that she has known many moms who have been successful at this age, and that all of them have used the naked method and kept potty chairs all around the house. So both chairs are out (which she carries around the house on occasion), and we occasionally bribe her with butterscotch chips to sit still on one for awhile. We've gotten the pee INTO the potty twice - once by setting her on it, and it on a dining room chair, and letting her use it as a booster seat during lunch, and once with the "grab the pee-er and set her on it QUICK!" method. That's a start, right? She sometimes decides to go sit on the chair on her own, but it obviously isn't related to a desire to go to the bathroom yet. Still, interest is a good thing! I am simultaneously encouraged and exhausted as I think about how things have gone and what is left to be accomplished.


On Sunday, I had an older couple at church tell me that I was "looking very mature" and "just like your mother." Last night, my hairdresser told me I look 8 months pregnant, not 6. And then I got a total mom haircut, which, to be fair, is exactly how I asked her to cut it, but I still feel old. Old and large. Mercy. Here's me from a few weeks ago, but I'm already bigger, I think. I have a long way to go still...


She's supposed to be napping right now, but I hear her laughing hysterically in her crib. I have no idea why. Kids really are hilarious. Allow me to end this post with a very sweet picture of something that practically NEVER happens, and may never happen again:


NOTE: Wondering whatever happened to the potty training we were doing when she was like 8 months old? SOMEONE who will remain nameless said that we should switch her to a bigger chair. We did, and she totally spooked and stopped going in either. Not that this person could have known, but it's nice to have someone to transfer blame to...