underpants weekend update

well, underpants weekend didn't quite go as we had hoped. as you can see below from earlier posts, it got off to a great start. at nap time we told her she had to put a diaper on to sleep since while she was asleep she wouldn't be able to listen to her body. at first, she flat-out refused. we weren't even close to being ready to clean up pee-sheets, never mind deal with the trauma she would undergo waking up from her first underpants nap completely soaked. so we pressed her, and eventually she gave in. and that was the end of the underpants.

when she woke up from nap mommy suggested we change her diaper so that she could put her underpants back on, and she was like. 'no way underpants!' since we weren't heading into this round of potty training with a 'do-or-die' attitude, we pretty much just let it go.

but for a few short hours, one magical morning...

she roamed the house, doing all of the things she loves, only this time, with a slightly diminished-looking rear quarter profile.

she climbed up onto her towels, brought her milk, her water, her "chubby baby," and some books.

two drinks? those aren't the super-absorbent towels, you know.

how does it feel to not have all of that big, weird padding around your bottom?

"honestly, i feel a little... naked."

"i also feel free. but that sense of 'all-of-a-sudden' freedom is a bit scary!"

"like, without a diaper to strap it in, my fanny could just go flying off somewhere."

well, that's probably not going to happen.

"oh, i know. but maybe just to be safe"

"...i'll move away from the windows."

"that's better."

"rule number one when you're afraid your bottom will fly off and never be heard from again- put it facing a corner. with any luck, when it flies off it will ricochet and land in front of you."

i've heard they get sucked into jet engines on occasion.

then, for the THIRD time that morning, bebe listened to her body and made a whole lotta' pee in the potty:

"there is something satisfying about the noise it makes. in a diaper, no one can hear you pee."

that could be to your advantage, as well.

"run silent, run deep? run full of pee up to someone who doesn't expect that your diaper is full of pee? sneak up on them? to surprise them? with a diaper full of pee?"

okay, you're right. that's silly.

"i gotta cut these nails now that i'm wiping myself. yowza!"

"when i think of all of the things i'll be able to do now that i don't wear diapers anymore, i get so excited!"

"trips on airplanes, long car rides..."

"the smaller, finer things in life: entertaining for my close friends, dinners out with my family..."

"why, i could ride the orange train"

"...to go for long walks downtown!"

"trips to the zoo, trips to the tot lot, taking my babies for walks..."

"i'm giddy with excitement!"

that all sounds great, but you already do all of that stuff with diapers on.

"you're right!"

"i want my diapers back."

and so ended our potty training endeavors for the weekend. once she was up from nap, she refused to go diaper-less.

INTERLUDE:

in case you're wondering how pink baby got stuck on top of this lamp, i'll tell you only that bebe has begun to throw random objects while inside the house. i'll allow you to draw your own conclusions. it started with the big, bouncy balls and now includes pretty much anything from matchbox cars to clothes to silverware to anything she can get her tiny mitts on.

END INTERLUDE.

BEGIN SEGUE:

and speaking of throwing things, one of bebe's favorite things to do this summer has been to head to the creek in the arboretum and throw rocks in.

she searches and searches for just the right ones. some don't make the cut.

she moves into position, steadies herself

THROW!

"ooh. i see a great one over here!"

wow, that is a great one. i bet it'll make a huge splash!

HUGE SPLASH!

as we walked along the creek we came to this huge tunnel. it was so dark inside.

we wanted to know what was in there, so we got up as close as we could

and flashed it with the camera. more tunnel.

"holy crap! lookit this huge rock!"

i think that one is a little too big for you.

"oh man, it's so heavy!"

i think we'd need a digger to move that guy.

time out for dance moves.

and rest.

this is boston. ten minutes from downtown. crazy.

it's a huge part of the reason we love where we live.

you can walk for five or ten minutes in multiple directions from our house and end up in the woods. or the ghetto. we get a little bit of everything!

showcasing some of mommy and bebe's sidewalk chalk art.

all this week, beatrix "big girl" marie has flirted with her underpants. she's made more successful trips to the potty and continues to ease into the idea of a diaper-less existence. we're letting her go at her own pace for now, and that seems to be working out. we'll keep you posted...