Max and Eli are 6 months!

Max and Eli are 6 months old.... and I say it all the time but whoa has this gone fast! They have been in the cute smiley stage for a couple of months but I have the hardest time getting a picture of this. Every time I pull out my camera they look at me like... hey what is that thing and get a very concerned not cute look on their face.

I have been looking for differences in these two since they very beginning and there are still very little differences in appearance and personality.

We have not gotten an official weight since their 4 month check up (they will go later this month for their 6 month check up)... but they look to be close to weight and length... and have always been an ounce a part and 1/8 inch apart.

Eli has a small mark on his forehead that we have been using to tell them apart. However... it seems to be fading and has not been as helpful to tell them apart. We mainly go off of their ears (which are different) to tell them apart. Max has a pointy left ear and Eli does not.

Max at this point seems to be the more laid back one of the two and Eli seems to be the more needy or demanding one. Max is pretty happy in the swing, or laying on the floor, or in his crib and Eli prefers to be held a little more.

Max has an easier time eating then Eli and it seems that he can eat more. Max can finish 8 ounce bottles back to back where Eli struggles to do so. Eli seems to like 8oz, 6oz, 8oz, 6oz (most days anyways).

Eli is the first to wake in the morning... and he lets us know he is awake and hungry. The boy has some demanding lungs. When I walk in the room Max his always a wake but is just letting his bother do the screaming to get me in the room. Max will flash a big smile in the morning when he sees me and Eli will not stop crying until I pick him up... and I better have a bottle ready to give him fast or he will scream my ear off!

They both LOVE baths. They are both so happy and relaxed during them.

They are both eating 4 times a day every 4 hours 7,11,3,7 and sleeping 7 to 7, with a 1 hour nap in the morning and a 2 hour nap in the afternoon. Eli wakes up at 7 on the dot and his scream his my alarm clock. I stopped setting one because he will wake me up at 7 on the dot with out one!


They are both so happy and honestly pretty easy! I think they see the crazy that is our 2 years olds and just sit back and enjoy the entertainment.


We have not started solid foods yet... but this is something I am thinking about. I was going to wait until they went to the doctor to get the official okay... but I am not sure when the appointment is and I go back to work in two weeks (AH!) so I might do it sooner than later so I can get a solid food schedule worked out!

Anyways life is good round here!

Potty Training Day 9

For whatever reason this morning both of Presley and Noah refused to wear underwear, they both demanded a diaper. I don't remember who was first but they both seemed in sync about it. I guess they talked about it before I came in their room this morning!

I didn't fight them just gave them a diaper. I did say something things like "you don't need a diaper," while putting the diaper on.

About 30 minutes after they finished breakfast, Noah ran over to me and started shouting, "Mama, Noah, pee pee potty." I took his pants and diaper off and he peed in the potty. I checked his diaper and it was completely dry.  I ask him if he wanted underwear or his diaper back on and he said no to both and then told me to take his shirt off. So we have been having a naked a day.

I thought Presley might follow suit when Noah, took his diaper and clothes off but she didn't. Instead in the middle of lunch she started to scream about going pee pee in the potty... so I helped her out of her chair and helped her take her diaper off... and she peed in the potty, a BIG pee! I checked her diaper it was completely dry. This girl can hold her pee for a long time!

When Noah decided to be on board for pee peeing in the potty this morning after demanding a diaper... I decided I would re-introduce him to the BIG potty. He is a little scared of it and needs help getting on and off. But we can start learning that a little at a time now. Being able to use the BIG potty is important for public and preschool!

I got some cute pictures... these are the ones with no ding dings in them!

We had NO ACCIDENTS TODAY! 

Still using diapers at nap and night and plan too for a while! 

Potty Training Day 8

Potty Training Day 8: replace broken toilet handle/plastic lever with a new one made of metal!

Yesterday, our toilet lever broke. Too many 2 year olds, too many flushes! I so knew it was going to break.

Flushing the toilet is Noah's favorite thing! I am working on stopping him from flushing so much, but the boy is so fast! I am sure my water bill for this month is going to be up... and maybe diapers would be cheaper LOL.

Anyways Noah is using the potty a whole lot... and I think part of it is to flush. He will do a little drop in the potty chair and run to the bathroom to dump it... and it is so little it won't even dump! So I have had to tell him that his pee was too little and he has to have a BIG pee to flush. Luckily we have sister who waits until she has a BIG pee to go... so I have been able to show him exactly what I mean. "Look Presley has a BIG pee she can flush."

As a whole, potty training has been going really really well. We had some accidents when we switched to underwear (as expected) but really they haven't been a big deal and have been a learning experience in the whole process.

I would say Noah gets it more than Presley. She has more accidents... so I don't really know if she knows when she needs to go or how to hold it. Presley will have an accident in the morning and get really upset about getting herself wet and then doesn't have another one. She doesn't pee as much as Noah so I think that is part of it. She waits until her bladder is full and if she isn't paying attention... she pees on herself.

Noah on the other hand hasn't had an accident since Friday. He pees a lot more than see does... so as soon as he thinks he has to go he does even if it is a tiny amount. I think his love for flushing and chocolate chips is also helping.

Today he was watching Dora and got up and walked away... I yelled for him because I couldn't see him (I was feeding a baby) and said, "Noah what are you doing?" And he said, "pee pee in potty mama." Sure enough he did pee in the potty... he didn't let Dora distraction him from that! The same thing happened later today when he was playing with his legos. He stopped playing suddenly and ran to the toilet... and pee peed in the toilet! So I really think he has got this.


Yesterday, however... I think was confusing for me and them... we went to the Watermelon Festival and I put them in diapers... no way I am ready to go with out diapers in public. Also we are still using diapers at nap and night.

Potty Training Day 5

Today went awesome! But we had more accidents...than in days 1-4... but these accidents were huge teachable moment accidents that HAVE to happen for them to fully understand the concept.

We started the day in underwear and both were on board including Presley! They both pee in the potty several times an understood they had to pull their underwear down first.





When I put their underwear on them I told them something along the lines of this is big girl/boy underwear, you can't go pee pee in this, this is not a diaper, you will get wet, you don't want to get dora/thomas wet they will be sad.

They went all morning without any accidents.

But as I was making lunch they started to play their favorite game which is to chase each other up and down the hall full speed and scream and laugh.

I thought they are going to pee on themselves... and just has I had that thought Presley came running over to tell me... oh no mama dora wet, Pres peed on Dora, Dora sad. Then Noah in my opinion kind of copied sister.

He said, Oh no mama Nono wet too and he was... but it was a dripple.

So I took both of their underwear off and said oh no they are dirty now we cant wear them because they are dirty and wet.  I kept them naked, feed them lunch, and then put them down for nap with a diaper on.

When they got up from nap, Presley had a poop and Noah was just wet.

After nap I put them both in underwear again and repeat what I had told them earlier about not peeing on Dora and Thomas.

The afternoon wet well too. We had several success of both Presley and Noah telling us (my grandma is in town staying at our us) they had to go pee and asking for help with their underwear.

After dinner I was cleaning up and they started their chase game again... and Presley wetted her underwear so I took them off.

Noah did not wet his underwear.

Before bath and bed... Noah pooped in the potty twice.

So we had a lot of process today with adding the underwear. We had less accidents when they were naked.... but Presley is way more into the whole process because she is wearing underwear.

They both really get the concept of how I have to pull the underwear down to go pee pee. But I think since it is so new they had accidents because with the underwear on they have to learn that it is not a diaper and if they pee they will get wet.

This is definitely a journey... but really this hasn't been too bad, they are doing great and it has been very low stress/effort.

Potty training Day 4

Today was Potty Training Day 4.

Today started with underwear and shortly later we had wet underwear. I didn't want to start in underwear that was all daddy... but it did lead to a teachable moment that I think made a huge difference by the end of the day and I think it will be a complete game changer in this whole potty training thing.

So after the peeing in the underwear shortly after they got them on. I took them off and said something like, "you have to tell mommy when you have to go potty and you have to pull down your underwear first, you don't want to pee on thomas/dora, they don't like that," etc.

My plan was to let them go naked. Noah was fine with this. But Presley demanded a diaper so I gave her one.

Noah continued to go pee in the potty all morning.

At nap time I put diapers on them and put them down for nap. They both woke with a pee and poop. After nap Presley demanded a diaper.

And then Noah demanded one too. His sister was wearing one... why does he have to be naked and his sister gets a diaper!

So here I am afternoon of potty training day 4 and they both have diapers on.

I was thinking so much for this... when Noah almost at the same time came over and said, "Mama, diaper off, Noah, pee pee."

I ripped the diaper off and he ran over to the potty and peed! I was so proud and he knew it! I gave him a chocolate chip like normal.

I asked him if he wanted to put his diaper back on and he said no. He continued to go pee and stayed naked waste down.

Presley stayed in her diaper.

After dinner Presley came over and said, "Mama, diaper off." I quickly took it off and she went and sat on the potty and peed... and it was a HUGE pee... like she filled that little potty seat up!

I almost couldn't believe it had happened! I made sure to show her praise... this all happened while Mike was taking out the trash... I was trying to keep the built up, up while we waited for him to come back in.  I told her you have to tell daddy, etc, etc.

The dog was running down the road and he had to chase her.

Before Mike got back in the house Noah sat on the potty and took a poop!

So when my husband came back in the house we were all excited to report Presley went pee pee in the potty and Noah pooped in the potty!

So there it is Day 4 of potty training and we have defiantly had some things click! At the start of the day I thought our potty training journey was almost over and at the end of the day I thought OMG THEY GOT IT!

This potty training stuff seems like a lot of two steps forward two steps back... hints the statement I said in my first potty training post about not wanting to train until they were three.

"Start at 2 done by 3. Start at 3 done by 3."


I am definitely interested to see how tomorrow goes. I plan to start them both in underwear... I hope I havent jinxed anything by talking about it!

Potty Training Day 3

Noah really had going pee down. He went every time I asked him and even went a few times on his own.

 The morning of Day 3 Presley was okay being naked waste down but still refused to sit on the potty. She just had no interested what so ever in training. Presley still had no accidents that morning.

She also didn't seem to care that Noah was getting treats and she wasn't. I thought for sure seeing her brother get all the treats would motivate her to go potty. NOPE!

I put them down for nap with a diaper and when they woke up they were both wet and had pooped.

I called Mike during nap time and told him I really think Noah has this potty training thing down. I think the next step is underwear. Mike got excited and said ok can I take him to pick out underwear. I was a little jealous, because I wanted to take him to do this (I mean I am the one doing all the work during the day to train) but I thought it was cute.... so I said yes.

So after nap, Mike took Noah shopping and he picked out Thomas the Train underwear.

I was home with Presley (and babies) while Mike took Noah shopping... and Presley now demanded to wear a diaper. So by the afternoon of Day 3 Presley had completely lost intrest in potty training and was now demanding a diaper.

Noah and Mike got home and Noah was so excited about his Thomas the Train underwear. We explained that when you go pee pee in the potty you do not have to wear a diaper you get to wear underwear.

Daddy got a picture!






Presley immediately got mad that she did not have any underwear! And ding a light bulb went off... I had another in with her, she was interested in potty training again!

Luckily, we already had Dora the Explorer (she is obsessed with her) underwear from her older cousin so I went and grabbed a pair for Presley and put them on her.

So during the afternoon of Day 3 of potty training they were both in big kid underwear.

I would say within 30 minutes of the underwear they had both peed in them. See that is why I like the idea of nothing on... because they know nothing is there and they cant just go pee. With the underwear on they don't think about it differently than a diaper and they pee, a teachable moment, but it leads to more accidents. This is why I favored the method of naked training at first.

After they peed in their underwear I just took them off I didn't want to go through that again and we don't have that many pairs of underwear for constant accidents. I did tell them "oh no you got thomas wet, you got dora wet, don't pee pee on thomas/dora they don't like it."

So they spent the rest of the evening naked from the waste down and had no accidents.

Potty Training Day 2

We started off day two in the same way. Woke up (no poop) and started the day naked waste down. Today I decided I was really going to get Presley to go pee in the potty. On day 1 she would not pee in the potty but she had no accidents. I gave them lots of water on Day 1 but I am not sure they drank anymore than normal. So on Day 2, I decided I was going to give them chocolate milk, they have had it before... but we have never had it at our house, they have had at their grandparents and maybe out to eat.

So I made chocolate milk and they loved it and downed it.... and I gave them more and more!

Noah was peeing all morning on the potty and getting chocolate chip after chocolate chip, sometimes peeing so often it was so little it really would not dump out of the potty. But hey he felt like he had to pee and he did pee a tiny bit.

Presley still would not go pee in the potty. I knew she had to pee and I was just waiting for the accident. Which at this point I knew would be a teachable moment.

At lunch time I put them in their high chairs and I had a feeling this is when the accident would happen and it did. During lunch she peed all over the place.

She screamed, "oh no! wet! oh no mama, pee pee!"

To which I said, "oh Presley you had to go pee pee, that's what mommy wants you to do in the potty." I assured it was okay and didn't make a big deal out it. I cleaned her up and let her finish her lunch.

They went down for nap with a diaper and both woke wet and with poops.

After nap I repeated naked form the waste down.

I asked them to sit on the potty and go potty several times like I had been doing before. But now Presley was completely refusing to even sit on the toilet. She kicked it, hit at it, etc.

I just ignored it, didn't push it, and kept going with Noah would was interested and enjoying his chocolate chips.

Presley did not have and accident after nap, but she wouldn't even sit on the toilet for me anymore. She was frustrated I am guessing by her earlier accident she now wanted nothing to do with potty training.

 I think Presley didn't know how to go pee pee in the potty so she wanted some extra attention like her brother was getting from going potty so she decided she would seek negative attention by kicking, hitting, and throwing her potty... but I just ignored it completely.


She also demanded a tutu which took away from the naked from the waste down but whatever.

Potty Training Day 1

The first day of potty training I was totally winging it as I had not planned to start on that day (this past Monday). When the twins woke up that day and both had poops I knew I didn't have to fear cleaning poop off the carpet.

So I got them dressed with a shirt only. No pants, no diapers, no underwear, just naked waste down. I told them today we are going to use the potty no diapers! 

I sat their potty chairs on the kitchen floor and told them to sit on them and go potty. They both sat on them but did not use them. 

I made breakfast and went about our day as normal. Just periodically asking them to sit on the potty and then saying going pee pee in the potty. I also encouraging drinking my giving them lots of water. 

Noah went pee several times the first morning. Luckily I had chocolate chips in the freezer so each time he went potty I gave him one. 

Presley would not pee in the potty. But she went crazy when I gave Noah and chocolate chip for going potty and did not give her one. I explained to her when you go pee pee in the potty you will get a chocolate chip.

She would scream NOOOOOO! and throw herself on the ground and a whole lot of other dramatics. I thought boys were suppose to be the harder ones to potty train? Not in my case!

Lunch time rolled around and Presley had still not peed in the potty but she also did not have an accident. 

I feed them lunch and before nap time I got them to sit on the potty again... Presley still nothing.

I put them down for nap with a diaper on and they both woke up soaked.

I repeated the process again and Noah continue to pee in the potty each time with no accidents. Presley did not pee in the potty at all on Day 1 but she also did not have any accidents. So that girl can hold her pee!

Noah on Day 1 did not poop, just pee, I also feel on day 1, Noah was only peeing in the potty because I was asking him too and then rewarding him each time.

I don't know if I gave him the chance to go to the potty on his own... since I was constantly say hey Noah can you go pee pee in the potty. He would say yes and got sit and pee. 

Day 1 went surprisingly well for Noah... but Presley was not on board yet. As most people would say she just isn't ready yet...  But I would say no accidents is a huge sign that she can hold her pee long enough to go potty in a real potty and not a diaper! 

Potty Training

You may have heard me say on here before that I had no desire to potty train as I just saw it as one more thing to do. One more thing that I couldn't put on my plate. Even before my life got crazier by adding two more babies into the mix... my thoughts on potty training were that I would wait until they were three so it would only take a few days. I remember reading somewhere something that said start potty training at 2 (years old) you will be done at 3. Start potty training at 3 you will be done at 3.

So I thought I would wait until they were closer to 3 years old because it would be less work.

Then the thought of 4 kids in diapers started weighing on me and I would still say changing 4 kids diapers is easier than cleaning up 2 kids accidents and 2 kids diapers. Which I still believe is true.

But back in December I purchased my first little kid potty and some books on potty training. The kids started watching me potty and asking more and more questions. So we talked about going to the potty a LOT!

When I would tell people this they would say oh you are potty training and I would say, "NO!" they are too young (18 months at the time) we are just talking about it. But really I was potty training... I realize now how much of an important first step that was.

We talked about the potty all the time and the twins would request to read the potty book!

They would sit on the toilet in their clothes and pretend to go potty by grunting and making ugly faces (I have no idea where they got that from) it was both funny and disturbing. They fought over the one potty chair... so we had to get two.

We started sitting them on their potty naked right before bath a couple of months ago and asking them if they could go potty. Noah peed a handle full of times and pooped once. Presley never did anything. We never pushed the issue just made it part of their routine before bath.


In the last few weeks of changing their diapers they started telling me each time... "ewh yucky."

So I started saying, "yes going pee pee and poop poop in your diaper is yucky, maybe you should try to go in your potty like mommy does."


At the start of summer I said I wanted to maybe try to train them in August before I had to go back to work... to see how it goes... because I wanted to be a part of the process. In my mind I was thinking it was potty train in August or December during winter break or wait until next summer.


I did more research on potty training before they turned 1 years old then I have done recently. One method that I thought seemed to make sense and I thought I would try was the go diaper less method for three days.


This method freaks me out because... well poop on the floor. We do have dogs so it is not like I have never cleaned poop off the floor... but I have a weak stomach.


On Monday when I got the twins up for the day... they both had poops! This was strange because they normally poop during nap time or after dinner... hardly ever first thing in the morning.

So that was my cue. I thought we are going to potty train today. I really wasn't prepared to do so I was only going off the method I read over a year ago. So really I was winging it that morning and then during nap time I was a google queen.

I am going to create separate posts for each day because this is getting long and I am tired. I wanted to start now before I forget because I am hoping this will be helpful for someone out there and for me with Max and Eli.

I'll link in Day 1 potty training here.

6 months old!

How it the world did that happen?!? My littles are 6 month old! It really does go faster the second time!