Random Updates

The easiest thing to start with is Maddy's potty training. I think we have had her potty for two weeks now and haven't really made a lot of progress. I will say that is mainly my fault because I really do not feel she is 100% ready to start potty training full force. I do not want to start her when she isn't ready because then it could potentially make her constipated or make the potty training process longer and probably not so enjoyable to her. The first night we got her potty I let her play with it while I was putting it together. In a way I feel that was a mistake, but I guess it wasn't really a mistake because it gave her the opportunity to explore. From what I have read the first step in potty training is to let them sit on the potty fully clothed while you potty, so that is pretty much where I am. She is wanting to stick her hand in her potty as well as my potty so I am trying to teach her that the potty is dirty and is only for potty. She seems so proud when she sits on the potty. I am working with her a little when she is in the tub because for a while she would "dirty" the tub so if she has that look about her I will ask her if she needs to potty. She always shakes her head yes and as long as she says yes I will sit her on her potty. She usually immediately gets up and wants back in the tub, but one of these days I just know she is going to actually potty in her potty lol. I know at some point she will, so I guess I should say someday soon. She almost did last week...she sat on her potty forever and I just had that feeling that she had to pee and the last time she stood up she did end up peeing on the floor and all over herself and she just looked at me like that wasn't supposed to happen lol. She is so super smart. I am really amazed at how smart she really is.
Random stuff about her is what I will talk about next. Her dad asked about when we would start taking her off her passy. I am not too worried about when that gets taken away from her. I don't want her to be 4 years old and still have a passy, but I think if she still wants it when she's 3 I will start working on getting rid of it. She really isn't that attached to passy. The only time she really wants it is when she is tired or if she is actually going to sleep. There has been a few times where she's gotten hurt that she would point to her passy, but she goes most of the day without it here at home. Bottles-doctor's want them off bottles by a year old. Maddy still has bottles and still takes them when she first wakes up and when she goes to sleep. During the day I give her sippy cups. She is ok having a sippy cup in the morning when she wakes up, but I have tried sippy cups for night night and she wants her bottle. I know they are worried about them hurting their teeth, but people in my family had bottles and passy's and fingers beyond when they were supposed to and our teeth are just fine. Maddy does really well with sippy cups of all kinds. She can actually use a regular cup, but I obviously have to hold it. She has been drinking out of a straw for a long time now.
Over the weekend I noticed that Maddy has a lot of my characteristics. There are times I have felt kinda bummed because I didn't really think she looked like me. I did when she was younger, but when she was first born I saw a whole lot of her dad's features. She has her dad's hairline, but my color hair. I think she has the shape of her dad's eyes, but my eye color. She has her dad's ears and feet and she may have his face shape, but I am undecided on that one. She has my lips and nose (i think anyways) and she has the shape of my legs. Her voice sounds is more of me and I really don't know how her teeth will be. I have some pictures that is just 100% her dad, but there are certain things I can see myself in but she just seems to carry more of her dad's looks. I've mentioned several times that she is a busy body...she is always walking around and never just sitting. As I was saying that I realized that I myself was up walking around and I do not just sit usually. I pace all the time...she has picked up on that one and she herself paces which is absolutely adorable lol. She does not like tv...well..i wouldn't say she dislikes tv, but she rarely watches it. I am the same way...especially as a child. I was always outside playing or if I couldn't play outside I would be inside playing something and never paid attention to the tv...it never held my attention like it did most people. It's those little things that I am noticing about her.
As far as updates on me there aren't really a whole lot. I am in my last week of orientation. So far I have met all the deadlines and am on track there. Sunday marks the very last day of orientation and then I get a week off. I will start my actual classes on April 25. I am nervous about that just because I am starting to question whether I will be able to pass my classes. I am going into it with a postive attitude and just taking it one step at a time, but if I fail a class I have to pay $1,045 out of my pocket. Kinda scary when you think about it like that haha...but I have to let that roll off my back. Work...well...I really don't even want to get started on that subject because it would make this post ten times longer than it already is. Life in general...I feel pretty good at the present moment. I have been able to get some things off my chest that were really weighing me down. I do have some things I pray for often...such as the fact that I am so super ready for God to provide me and Maddy our own place. I am very grateful for my mom allowing me and Maddy to stay here, but I am ready to raise Maddy in "our" home or apt or townhouse lol. Me and Maddy have been attending church with my mom and step dad at Woodland Park Baptist Church. No offense to the church itself, but that church is just not a place I can call home. Every Sunday I am there all I can think about is going back to my original church, Bayside, but I am little nervous about going back there. I've been really torn in the church arena, but I need to find me and Maddy a church home and soon. I will say that Woodland Park is having some opportunities open up that I really wouldn't mind helping out in because they involve the nursery/toddler room...that is where my heart is. My heart isn't with kids just because I am a mom myself, but because of my own childhood. I knew early on that I wanted to make sure no kid had to feel what I felt as a kid and that is the driving force of me trying to start my own daycare. I do want to get involved in church and I have never had that opportunity anywhere else so I am just going to pray about church and see where the Lord ends up putting us.
Well, I really could talk forever but I am going to end this here so I can get started in school work before my battery dies. I hope you all have a good rest of the week and I'm sure I will be posting more this week as I really have a lot to say.