Potty Training AND Easter!

Well what a week it has been! Last Tuesday I set out on a major adventure called potty training. I was all set to go...had done my homework (read "Potty Wise") and had taken Carrie on a mega Target run to pick out all the panties and treats she could dream of. We ended up with princess panties, Dora panties and My Little Pony panties. We also had a counter full of C R A P...cookies, candy, fruit snacks, juice boxes, chocolate milk, gold fish, chips, you name it. Carrie was really pumped to get the panties and the treats so I was glad she was at least geared up! I had picked that week because it was Spring Break from the MDO program she goes to twice a week so I figured we had a whole week of nothing. My mom was very helpful because she took Hayes all of Tuesday so I could focus solely on Carrie. I truly could not have done it with Hayes there. Let me just say, day 1 was hell. I am just gonna lay that out there. I mean pee everywhere. She did make it to the potty a few times, but mostly not. I thought it was all insane and that it would never work. THANK GOODNESS for dear friends who encouraged me and told me day 1 is bad, but day 2 is so much better. I wanted to throw in the towel, but I did not because of them. And day 2 was SO much better. We had no tee tee accidents after day 1 which was a huge help! She got that pretty quickly and loved getting the treats. It was #2 that has been a struggle. Girlfriend is pretty private so giving that up has been a little bit of an issue. But she is doing it. We just barely make it every time :). She is even napping and sleeping in panties...I did not want her to use a pull up at night as a crutch so we just did it all. I knew she was ready because she had been waking up dry in the morning for a long time. So that part was super easy for her. So overall I am feeling good about all of it. I still check with her every now and then to see if she needs to go, but usually she is telling me now. I am a little anxious about school tomorrow since there will be so much more to distract her, but we will just take it day by day with that. It was a long, draining, exhausting week, but I am so so glad to be where we are and I am really proud of her. Only changing 1 set of diapers is mighty nice and throwing away C's diaper champ was a happy moment for Graham and I since it grossed us out :). So now C is in a big girl bed, in big girl panties, but still has a paci at night...not in a hurry to get rid of that, though :).

And then it was Easter weekend before I knew it! It was time to trust Carrie out and about in the world! (Friday was a good test bc mom and I took her for ice cream as a reward for a good week and she told me she needed to go when we were there and I took her to the bathroom and she did! Good practice for a big weekend!) So I had bought egg dying stuff, but with a week of potty training, we did not get around to it until Saturday afternoon. But C was really excited to do it. It was a really pretty day so we just took it all outside and let her go to town!

She dyed all the eggs about 10 times. A dozen eggs just was not enough. And when they would dry, either we or she would hide them and then go on an egg hunt. I think she went on 20 egg hunts Saturday afternoon. She was so into it and it got her really excited for Sunday.

Mom and Dad had a beer while she did this and H wanted to join in. She thought the cold bottle would help her teething :).

That night the Easter bunny came. He hid eggs and filled baskets. The hunt is a long video so no pics of that on here, but she got lots of candy!

The chocolate bunny she got at the end of the hunt. (Note she is already in her new Ariel dress.)

H was happy with her new squishy blocks.

After Church, we went over to Aunt Allisons and Uncle Frank's like we do every year. They have a big egg hunt and then lunch. C had SO much fun at the egg hunt.

She was ready to go! I had to keep telling her to wait until it officially started.

There she is running around collecting her eggs!

When she had filled her basket, she was content and just came on in. She did not feel the need to stay and get as many as she could because she was too anxious to open the ones she had!

She spent most of the party right on the porch with her eggs.

Hayes got to the party, burst into tears and fell asleep on Cy Cy's shoulder. She was too tired to party because she had a short morning nap at Cy Cy's. This is the sweetest thing...

After a good nap, she was ready to party. She was pretty chill the rest of the time after that good snooze.

C is still w her basket. At this point, she had already eaten lunch sitting in that same spot.

Hayes and her great grandmother, Big.

I always have big plans of cute family pics on days like this and things just never go quite the way I think they will so right before we left, I just wanted to squeeze in a picture of the girls in their pretty matching dresses. I wish C would learn how to smile more naturally at the camera haha. She does this cheese face every time! I did not get one I loved, but these will do!

Afternoon was spent trying to juggle 2 kids and the Masters on TV followed by cooking out with my parents. It was a nice Easter, but totally exhausting. None the less, I always love Church on Easter with the beautiful hymns and the reminder of the amazing sacrifice made for us by our Savior. We have life because He gave his and for that, I am thankful.