Jupiter Beach & Potty Training Digression

Michael had a conference in Jupiter Beach this week at the Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa. The kids and I hitched a ride and hung out while Michael was in meetings. We left Sunday, the day after Anna Kate's party, and returned today. Here's Anna Kate checking out the view.





I'm a big 1-year-old girl and I know it!





Wesley showing off his potty candy for the camera. I finally decided it was time to get serious about potty-training about two weeks ago. I had taken the kids with me to Toys-R-Us to get gift ideas for Anna Kate's birthday. Wesley was mesmerized by the GeoTrax display. He got a freebie DVD with cartoons about the GeoTrax characters with a toy he got for Christmas, and it's long been a favorite. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw a GeoTrax display and realized it was his beloved cartoon come to life! He has talked about GeoTrax non-stop ever since. I decided to capitalize on the motivational incentive, and created a train track potty chart complete with a picture of the GeoTrax central station at the end. For nearly a year, we've had the Bob the Builder potty seat and the jar of potty candy in the bathroom closet, but Wesley failed to take interest and there was no point in pushing him. Now that Wes has a tangible (or at least visual) incentive, he's been making strides in potty training. He will tell any stranger he passes on the street, on the beach, or in the elevator that he goes poopy in the potty for GeoTrax. When he sits on the potty, he runs his finger along the tracks and says, "Wesley goes poopy in the potty, gets stickers, and the train goes chuga-chuga-chuga-chuga-choo-choo!! chuga-chuga-chuga-chuga-choo-choo..." until his finger reaches the picture of GeoTrax, and then he slaps the picture and says, "And we go to the store and buy the GeoTrax!" For the first week, it felt like we lived in the bathroom. The hardest part of potty training by far has been trying to keep Anna Kate occupied while I sit and monitor the potty process (I have to witness pee-pees to be able to reward accordingly). Initially Wes had to sit for long periods of time, and the pee-pee almost seemed to take him by surprise. Now that he's learning how to both hold his bladder and empty it on cue, our time in the bathroom has been mercifully shortened (he used to strain to no avail and yell, "Mommy, help!"). By last Thursday, Wesley was staying dry pretty much all day, even during naps. Then Mimi and Grandpa came and we went to SeaWorld on Friday and Anna Kate's party was Saturday, and Wesley threw potty training out the window. I had a little chat with Wes on Sunday, and I figured I could use our time secluded in a hotel room for a few days to get him back on the wagon. He's been doing great - he put all his poopy in the potty for the past two days! He even went poopy in a restaurant bathroom today! So when we got home this afternoon, I decided he was ready: I stripped off the pull-up and put him in underwear. It's actually training underwear, with extra padding, so he can go a little without making a mess. We went through 3 pairs in the first hour, but after that, he was putting himself on the potty on a regular basis. With the training underwear, he would start to pee-pee, feel it, stop, and run to the bathroom. He had damp underwear at first, but never enough to leak. He wore the 4th pair for several hours before it was time for bed and stayed dry, going to sit on the potty without prompting. He felt like such a big boy in his underwear; he kept saying, "Just like Caleb and Gabe!" (his cousins). He's earned over 10 stickers on his potty chart just today, and at this rate, he'll have his GeoTrax in about two weeks! I'm hesitant to celebrate too soon, and I know that potty training is a long process that includes occasional regressions and the accidents. But I've seen it click with him in the past few days, and I'm super proud of my poopy in the potty boy!

Michael spent all day in meetings, so Wes and I hung out on the balcony a lot while Anna Kate took naps. This was the side-view from the bedroom balcony. We had suite with a 2nd balcony off the living room. We actually stayed at this resort for the same conference two years ago when Wes was Anna Kate's age. We just had a single room then and I remember it being very difficult to keep him occupied in a room with just a bed. It was super nice to have the extra space this time! Three years ago this conference was held on Sanibel Island and I was about to pop with Wesley. My biggest memory of that trip is that I was excited that I could crank the AC up as much as I wanted and not have to foot the power bill. I kept it positively arctic in that hotel room - I remember Michael shivering and covering up with blankets when he came in the room! Last year this conference was held in Sarasota, but we missed it because I had just had Anna Kate! I'm digressing a lot tonight... focus, Hannah, focus!





Michael did get to eat dinner with us each night, and we enjoyed eating out at a restaurant 4 days in a row! A big treat for us! Here's Anna Kate filling Chili's with cuteness and Wesley giving Daddy luv'n in Atlanta Bread. (below) Anna Kate admiring a fountain outside of a restaurant. We had a wet-bar-type area in the living room of our suite with a microwave and mini fridge, so I was able to feed the kids breakfast and lunch in the hotel. It was nice to get out as a family at night!





The first night, I took the kids on a walk on the beach by myself so that Michael could get work done on his presentation. I carried Anna Kate in the backpack and Wesley walked, dragging a stick behind him "making GeoTrax" almost the entire way. We must have walked about 3 miles total, and Wes didn't pooter out until the very end. But for about 10 minutes I was in fact carrying Wesley in the front and AK in the back... a good 50+ pounds of Rogers kiddos! The second night, Michael went down the the beach with us. He's been walking slowly, putting very light pressure on his injured foot. It was slow going, but it was so nice to be together!





Wesley got drenched when a wave surprised him as he was hurling a shell into the ocean; we had to strip him down to his Pull-Up! I enjoyed being free to walk with my boy. Anna Kate snuggling Daddy because I gave her the cue word: "Awwwwwwww...." AK actually did fall asleep the night before when I carried her in the backpack; she fell asleep resting her head on her arms, which were crossed in front of her. So adorable! Every person that walked by had to admire. (below) Sweet Wes kisses!





I did spend a lot of time in the room with the kids during the day, letting AK take her morning nap and waiting for the usual Florida afternoon showers to clear. Wesley was so easy-going and good to entertain himself. I actually had a much easier time this year with two kids than the year we came with just Wesley when he was a baby! He would play "maggots" (magnets; he has several magnetic books) on the balcony, play computer games on the laptop, sit in his "tent" (the Pack 'n Play with a sheet thrown over it), or jump/dance on the bed.





Bust'n his groove thang!





In the afternoons, I'd emerge with the kids to the beach or the pool. The only way I got Wes to sit by Anna Kate was to tell him I'd go get his toys out of my bag if he'd sit with Anna Kate.... Wesley is always a blur of motion at the beach!





Makes me melt!





It was an adventure trying to bathe two kids in a fancy resort; we had two posh bathrooms with granite showers, but no bathtubs! Anna Kate crawling around in my shower.





Then I resorted to sink-bathing, although the shallow pedestal sink was less than ideal! Anna Kate had to hold on to the faucet to keep upright since all sides were slanted. Then of course Wesley had to do whatever Anna Kate got to do. I have to admit I set him up for this photo; I wanted him to look in the mirror and he wasn't cooperating, so I told him to kiss the mirror. So no, we don't have a little narcissist on our hands!