Violet update

I'm going to try to be quicker about finishing this month's Violet update than I was last month.

The big news is that I think we are really and truly on our way to potty training.  The last several days, Violet has woken up in the morning and told me that she wants to poop and pee on the potty.  Part of me suspects that she says it because she knows that it's the one thing that will actually get me out of bed.  But when I put her on the toilet, she actually does go.  It's so cute, too, because she knows it's a big deal.  Every time she successfully goes, she gets this look of pleased surprise on her face.  It's also pretty funny how excited and proud Jack is of his sister.  Of course, he can't help himself but get right in her face and cheer her on loudly.  I keep having to tell him to give her some privacy.  She will also tell me several times throughout the day when she wants to pee on the potty, and lately she has been actually doing it.  This morning, she told me three times, and her diaper stayed dry until about noon.

I will admit that this is a little quicker than I was prepared for.  Potty training is enough of a hassle that I was hoping she'd be a little bigger and more self-sufficient when we really started.  Even though most people say that it's easier with girls, logistically I'm finding that it's much easier with boys.  Violet is still so small that I really need to be right next to her to make sure she doesn't fall into the toilet, which means that I'm pretty much squatting on the floor next to the toilet.  The idea of trying to get her not to touch the toilet seat with her hands is completely futile.  The entire operation is one big disgusting germ-fest.

Then there's the matter of her clothes.  If Violet is wearing pants or shorts, she usually wants to take them off completely while she's on the toilet, which is both a pain in the neck and gross when the clothes land on the bathroom floor.  If she's wearing a dress, it's hard to make sure that the skirt doesn't fall into the line of fire, so to speak.  This scenario has already necessitated at least one emergency wardrobe change, with I am sure several more in the future.

Aside from potty training, we are also well on our way to weaning.  We are down to that one early morning session where I, often futilely, try to get her to go back to sleep. I've taken to also having a few binkies on hand to see if they will suffice, but mostly she just uses them as toys.

Violet has also gotten pretty interested in "Ni-Hao, Kailan," which is basically a Mandarin Dora the Explorer.  Kai-Lan has surpassed Elmo and the Signing Time videos as Violet's current favorite.  She has a little Kai-Lan doll that she got for her first birthday that she never really cared about before, but now it is in the rotation as one of her top toys.  She still hasn't really attached herself to a lovey.  The closest thing she has is this fluffy white dog that I got as a baby shower present.  When she does ask for a toy to sleep with, it's usually that one.  Occasionally Pooh or Kai-Lan will also be requested, but usually it's "doggie."

She pretty much can strap the top buckle of her car seat now herself.  She really wants to learn how to do the bottom ones as well, but for now that's still a grown-up job.  She wants desperately to do so much stuff herself.  "Violet do it!" or "Me do it!" are frequent phrases out of her mouth.

She continues to be an incessant chatterbox in the car.  It's a little ridiculous how much she talks.  When I'm trying to focus on driving, her non-stop talking is quite a distraction, and I've had to tell her (way) more than once that she needs to be quiet so that I can concentrate.  She has a hard time with that particular instruction, no matter where we are.

There's more, of course, but I'm just going to post what I have to keep this manageable.  More to come. :)