An exciting slow day

I will probably do another update late tonight or early tomorrow (and add pics to this post later) since my in-laws are coming over to celebrate Christmas with us at 7 tonight, but I wanted to do a quick update for now too.

Today has been fairly relaxed. The kids are still having so much fun with their new toys. C and J and I have been bowling, doing pretend animals and dressup, working in their activity books, and playing with E on her new play mat. And amidst the play I even had time to start another hat for C to match E's one I made last night and blog about our animal games.

However even on our most relaxed of days we still have some exciting moments. This started late last night when I heard a little voice mumbling sleepily from the kids room. Thinking it was C up for a midnight bathroom trip since she'd drank a lot of water yesterday hubby got up to help her to the bathroom only to be completely surprised that it was J! He did need to go to the bathroom and his night time pull ups were completely dry. He went and then went right back to bed. I was amazed since I didn't expect him to be able to have dry nights and want to get up instead of just wetting his pull ups for awhile yet (though he has had dry pull ups when he awakes we still weren't sure he'd be safe without them in this very situation), but sure enough he's got it. Tonight we're going to let him wear big boy underwear to bed too. I'm hoping we won't need any late night sheet changes.

One more step in our potty training excitement was when C and J woke up and came into our room hand in hand and we asked them if they needed to use the potty (morning ritual). C went to our bathroom and J went to the hallway one and shortly after we hear "Mommy, Daddy, I pooped!" from both of them. Now from the non-parents this may seem silly or unfortunate even but for us this was a moment of great pride (and thankfulness we have two bathrooms lol). It was also a reminder how big both C and J are now and that E is my only baby in diapers now. It's another step in this whole growing up thing, exciting and a little sad as well, but wonderful.

Another bit of excitement for the kids and I was playing with E today. Her big Christmas gift was a playmat (link, it's awesome and on sale right now). And all three kids love that now she can be down on the floor with big sis and big bro playing. This makes things more exciting for her and her seem more exciting to her big siblings too.

C, J, and I sat with E playing with her. C even got out her magnadoodle and told E she was going to draw her lol. It was so cute and so much fun to have them all playing together. E loves her mat and loves to kick the toys, grab them and pull them towards her mouth, and of course roll all the way from back to belly and back again across the mat. When she reached the edge of the mat she would push up on her belly and attempt to kick her legs while lifting them up and down (in what I call her flying position). She would reach towards C or I and try to pull and push her way closer and closer and got so angry when she couldn't get as far as she hoped then would calm down, roll some more, and attempt it again. I really saw today how much E already wants to be mobile and closer to big sis and big bro and I know in years to come they'll have to put up with her lovingly trailing them wherever they go. I can't wait to see them interact more and more as they all get bigger (the good and bad, but hopefully more good than bad).

I know I've said this time and again, but it still amazes me how fast children grow and change. Each one so unique, beautiful, and amazing in their own way. Once again I'm reminded how blessed I am to raise these three miracles, to teach them, and to witness their growth and change as they develop into wonderful people.