I'm still working on getting Ella used to sitting on the potty each morning. She's doing well at sitting patiently and "trying."   Day 4 Day 5 During breakfast this morning, she made her "concentrating face." As I rushed her to the toilet, I told her that she needed to have her bowel movement in the potty. She said, "yeah." I put her on and a few minutes later I heard her tee-tee. We all clapped for her, and she got excited and clapped for herself. I went to lift her off and realized she had done something else, too! It was just a little bit, but we cheered her on. I showed her what she had done and told her she did well. She was happy, but she was even happier to get back to her breakfast :)

So I started introducing the concept of sitting on the potty to Ella three days ago. Each morning after breakfast, I place her on the potty and explain what needs to happen. I read "potty" books to her while she sits.  She has not accomplished anything on there other than sitting patiently without needing to hold onto me, which in itself is great.  Day 2 Day 3 This afternoon after lunch, I had her sit on it again for quite a while. Jack needed to go, so he did his business on the little potty we have for emergencies. I applauded him in front of her for telling me he needed to go and for doing it in the potty. She clapped for him.  I gave up and took her off. She walked to the living room and promptly peed all over the rug and the lower level of the coffee table before I could get in there with a diaper. I don't know how she managed to pee on the coffee table. 

I hate to even type this up because of the likely jinxing it will bring, but since reinstitutiing the morning nap three days ago, Ella's nights have been so much better. The last two nights I haven't heard her once. Which means, I, too, have gotten two full nights of rest. Hallelujah! I'm like a new woman. It's been so nice to be this happy and far less irritable.  That's pretty much it. A 45-minute nap in the mornings combined with a good 1 1/2 to 2-hour nap in the afternoons seems to have helped her nights improve drastically. We're still dealing with a little bit of rocking before she falls asleep, but we're staying on top of it. We remind her throughout the day that beds are for resting and not for rocking, and right before we put her in bed, we remind her again. We've also been snuggling with her more throughout the day, and I dance and sway with her often. She's been so very sweet (and far more obedient and helpful and loving) these last few ...

I got several helpful comments on yesterday's post, both on here and on the phone. I appreciate the feedback! I wanted to share with you some things we've tried today, most of which are based on the 18-month sleep regression article I read at 3:30 this morning. 1. I added back in the morning nap.  It took her half and hour to settle, but once she did, she slept for 45 minutes and woke happy and stayed that way the rest of the morning.  2. We were consistent. Each time we heard her sit up and start to rock, we went in and told her to lie back down and that it was time to rest. Her daddy swatted her leg the third time (she had on thick pajamas, and she didn't cry, but it was a physical reminder to her that she was not being obedient), and we didn't hear from her again.  3. I followed the same routine for her afternoon nap, and I had to tell her three times to lie down.  She woke an hour and a half in when police cars, a fire truck, and am ambulance pulled up lights bla...

Our Ella-Bella has changed so very much since she entered our lives a year and a half ago! She's such a big girl, who is learning something new every day.  Ella loves to play with her big brother. She will follow him and chase him and yell "hi" at him across the room. She gives him (and all of us) sweet hugs and kisses often. She kinda thinks he's great, and the feeling is mutual. Today, he has told me no fewer than 10 times that "Eya" is "pwitty!"   I was looking for something on my blog and came across this gem . I'm so thankful God is answering my prayers for them.  She enjoys looking at books almost more than anything else. I find her like this in the living room and in their bedroom many times a day.  She's learning to help clean up toys and to put dirty clothes in the basket, and she enjoys the praise from us when she does a great job.  She's still a good eater, but her table manners still need improvement (...