We're going to Disneyland!!

Well, we went to Disneyland earlier this week. We promised Baby Bear that when she was a big girl and went to the potty like a big girl, meaning no pooping in her undies, that we would take her to Disneyland. Well, she finally met up with her end of the bargain and so we kept our promise.

She was so excited to go to Disneyland and wanted so badly to see Minnie Mouse. She even decided to wear her Minnie Mouse costume, she said that if she wore it that Minnie would think she was her friend. So cute!

Grandma Bear decided to come with us, which was just as fun for her.



The first thing Baby Bear wanted to do when we got there was see Minnie Mouse. So we made our way to Toon Town, which is on the other end of the park from the entrance. Along the way we made a couple of quick stops at the Tea Cups and It's a Small World. It was the perfect day to be at Disneyland, it wasn't very crowded and the lines were short. We finally made it to Toon Town and made our first stop at Minnie Mouse's house. The last time we went, we weren't able to see Minnie, she was getting ready for a nap. Baby Bear remembered that (and that was a year and half ago!) and so I wanted to make sure she saw Minnie this time around.

With daddy in Minnie's living room.



A first glimpse at Minnie.



Wishing Minnie a Happy Birthday! Disney Junior has been advertising Minnie birthday on tv and Baby Bear made it a point to wish her a Happy Birthday. Minnie's handlers were impressed since they all knew Minnie's birthday is this next week.



My Minnie with Minnie Mouse (and daddy too).



She was so excited that she got to see Minnie, she thought that Minnie liked her. That was the longest line we had to wait in all day and it was totally worth it to see my Minnie so happy. The rest of the day we breezed through lines. We headed next door to visit Mickey Mouse.

Mickey liked our little Minnie, he spent a little more time with her and held her hand. Maybe because he thought she was Minnie. We know how fond he is of Minnie.



Mickey liked to hold her hand.



We also visited with Goofy.



Baby Bear asked where Daisy's house was, but we weren't able to find her. So we head out of Toon Town to have lunch. After lunch, we headed over to Pirates of the Caribbean. Baby Bear was a little scared during the ride, but walked out of the ride singing, "Yo ho, yo ho, a pirates life for me..." So I think she rather enjoyed it.

Next up to Critter Country and the Pooh Bear ride. Then we hoped on the train to Tomorrow Land. Since Grandma Bear was with us, daddy and I could take a moment to ride Space Mountain. It was so awesome, the lines were quick and it had been forever since I had been on that ride, it was so much fun.

While daddy and I were on Space Mountain, Baby Bear was with Grandma Bear doing a little driving.





We then went to go see Captain E-O



Baby Bear wanted to go on a few more rides before we went to see the parade. So we headed to Fantasyland for the Carousel and Dumbo.

Along the way we ran into Cinderellla. She didn't have time to stop since she was getting ready for the parade.



The carousel.. a fun shot.




We also love Dumbo!





Baby Bear really enjoyed the parade.



We finally got to see Daisy. She wasn't in Toon Town earlier in the day because she was getting ready for the parade.



We love Pooh Bear.



and Eeyore too.



It was a great parade and Baby Bear had the chance to see a lot of the characters she had been looking for. And she also got to see Santa!!!



We had such a blast. What was awesome was that right before we left, they lit up the castle and made it snow on Main Street! It was the perfect end to an amazing day. We all had a blast. Disneyland really is the happiest place on earth. I know that my girl had the best day and that was what it was all about. It is so fun to see Disneyland through her eyes.

It's Official: We are a diaper free home

We have gone a full week without pull-ups at night and Baby Bear has been dry. We are finally diaper free! Baby Bear has woken up dry for a while now, but a part of me was too lazy to transition away from that night time pull-up. It was a security blanket for a lazy mama bear. The only reason we transitioned was because we ran out of them one night and I was too lazy to go to the store and get some. Baby Bear said she didn't need a pull-up so we trusted her and she was right.

It is definitely nice to have one less expense! It is also nice to have a diaper free household! It is so nice to not have to deal with changing diapers anymore! My baby really is growing up, she's not really a Baby Bear anymore. Sigh!

Preschool 2012: First Day of Preschool

Yesterday was the first day of preschool and Baby Bear was really excited.

Papa George was pretty excited too. He wrote on the sidewalk with chalk ready for Baby Bear. He was wanted to see her off.







Daddy came with us to meet the teachers since he couldn't make it to the Open House the day before.  When it came time for Daddy and I to leave, she barely even said goodbye. I had to get her to take a quick picture with me, but she was more interested in playing.



When I picked her up at lunch time, I learned that she did have a potty accident. She was in the potty but she didn't make it in the potty. She wasn't sure who to ask to help her but she did know where the potty was. Poor sweet girl. New teachers and she just wasn't sure. Luckily she knew where the potty was since we were there at Open House. In time she will learn.

Today, she was a little clingy at drop off, but no tears and no accidents. We'll get back into the routine of things.

Potty conversations

We are still working on the potty training. I know that she is ready, but she doesn't want to. I think she is just stubborn. Sigh.... We just keep working on it.

I know she is ready because we have days that are very promising, like yesterday. She went potty at school, at daycare, and at home before bath time. Because of that she got a big prize:



Aren't they adorable, I love them and want them for myself!!!

Then today, she did not go pee in the potty simply because she didn't really want to.

Mama Bear: Did you go potty at school?
Baby Bear: I don't go potty at school?
Mama Bear: Why not?
Baby Bear: I no go. sorry. I don't' want to.

A conversation during bath time:

Baby Bear: I go pee.
Mama Bear: oh no, you go pee in your bath?
Baby Bear: (smiles) next time I go potty in the potty. Sorry. Next time. I promise.

Thankfully, it was the end of the bath and so I just took her out. As a friend told me, at least she didn't go poop in the bath.

I guess when she really wants to go she will go. Hopefully I can convince her to go pee in the potty more regularly. She is definitely capable, she just needs to actually want to do it.

Potty training

We have been trying to work on potty traininig. Baby Bear is showing a lot more interest. At school and daycare, she has been sitting on the potty. We encourage her at home. She did go pee at daycare last week and so we are really excited. She is interested in it, so that is a huge step. In fact, she is training her doll, Baby Stella to go potty.

Going to the potty

This morning, Baby Bear woke up and asked to go to the potty, so we did. She been asking for several weeks here and there, but has never really gone since that one time. But this morning, she went! She was so excited. She said "I did it!" And we celebrated by singing the "we did it" song from Dora and dancing around. Baby Bear even wanted to empty her pee into the toilet. She was very proud of herself. So proud that she didn't want to put on a diaper or pull-up. I finally convinced her and as she was standing on the mat, she went pee again. This time the pee went all the way down her leg. Luckily, she was standing on the waterproof mat and she didn't get pee on the rug. She was not thrilled about the pee running down her leg. It was a learning experience for her.

Baby Bear definitely shows signs of being ready. She often asks the babysitter to go potty too and give it a try. She shows interest. I think it is time for me to get my butt in gear and get ready to be a little more serious about it. Sigh, my baby isn't much of a baby anymore.

Baby Bear goes in the potty

For the first time ever, Baby Bear went potty in her potty chair. She has been sitting on it for months but never went potty. It was totally by accident, but it is a step in the right direction and I will take it!

Every night at bath time, we strip her down and she goes and sits on the potty for a minute or so. Usually she just sits there and smiles at me and I watch her. Tonight we got a late start with bath time and so I was getting her bath ready and wasn't even paying attention. She went to the potty chair and then quickly came back to me to get in the bath. I had assumed that since she was back to the tub so quickly that she didn't go potty as usual. I didn't even realize she had pottied in her potty until after she was dressed in her pjs and we went back to the bathroom to clean up. It was then that I saw the pee in her potty chair. We were so excited. I wish I had seen it when she actually did it so that I could have praised her right then and there. We praised her and we were so excited, I just hope she associated the praise with her earlier action.

Either way, I am pretty shocked and excited. I didn't expect her to start potty training any time soon. I figured we would wait until she was in preschool in the fall since they would help potty train. We just had the potty chair to get her used to it and follow her cues for when she was ready. She is getting ready. Wow, my baby really is becoming a big girl.

A new potty for Baby Bear

We aren't potty training yet, but we hope to within the next 6 months. We got Baby Bear a new little potty chair so that she can at least get used to the idea of a potty and maybe sit on it.



Baby Bear has started to tell us when she has gone "poo poo." Not on a consistent basis but it is definitely a start. Now that we are in the house and she has some access to the bathroom it will definitely help to introduce her to the concept more. For now we will see when she is ready to actually go potty in her new own potty.