Tough Twos?

All the posts about the new baby, there hasn't been a lot of posts on how Brody is doing these days.  I hate to call them the terrible twos, but he's definitely full of challenges as he's making his way to three.  So, I'll call it the good, the bad and the ugly of the twos.

The Good

 
There are so so many good things about this stage, that I am sure I won't do it justice when I get to the "bad" and the "ugly."  For starters, the independence of a two year old is great.  He's great at playing by himself, listens to directions and can even climb into his booster seat on his own.  This allows us to do a whole lot more as parents, which is great, but it's also amazing to watch your baby's personality develop even more by watching what he does when you're not right there next to him.  I LOVE sneaking up on him when he's playing and watch what he does / what he's playing with.  Some of his favorites these days are: his Little People Zoo toy (listening to animal sounds), legos, playing baseball (his absolute favorite) and singing with Elmo.

Communication is also great.  He can tell us what he wants, how he feels and remembers things he's done.  This is absolutely the best thing about this age.  The phrase "kids say the darndest things!" is so true.  Especially at 2.  He sees the world so differently that it often opens my eyes to how innocent and impressionable he is.  I often have to remind myself that he's absorbing everything I do and to be careful about what I say.  My favorite though? "I love you mama"  Best words ever spoken by a sweet little boy.

Leading me to my little boy's developing personality.  He may be rough and very much a boy, but he also has the biggest heart.  And he definitely loves his mama.  Last weekend he was being a little crazy and jumping on me.  When I said "ow! you need to be more careful, you're hurting mommy."  He said, "I'm sorry! I'll get you some ice!"  With purpose in mind, he went straight for his stool, opened the freezer and then realized he couldn't reach the ice.  So then of course he asked for help and held the ice up to my arm.  So sweet.

The Bad

Remember how great I said it was that he can communicate?  It's also the "bad" of two year olds.  He can be stubborn, defiant and downright sassy.  He'll argue with us over the silliest things (the difference between fog and smoke, whether or not his food is hot, etc), but it's just how he is discovering and interpreting his world.  He's also learning to push our buttons and is real good at it.  No one should be surprised by any of this though, he comes from two very stubborn parents and his Mom definitely has a sassy streak to her.

In typical boy fashion, he's messy, high-energy and can get a little crazy at times.  But these are all things we've learned to love about him.

The Ugly

Here is where I would insert a super-cute picture of Brody posing in his big-boy underwear...but since it's not something I think should be posted on the internet, you'll just have to picture him in super-cute Nemo underwear.

So, the ugly?  Potty-training!!

**If you don't want to read about a toddler's toilet habits...you can stop here** 

He's been amazing at peeing in the "potty" and has been wearing underwear for over a week with only 1 accident where he didn't make it to the bathroom in time to pee.  He's doing great and even started to tell us when he needs to go (as opposed to us reminding him to go).  The 1 M&M reward system worked great at home and daycare uses a sticker reward system that has been awesome.  Truly a peeing super-star.

However...he REFUSES to poop in the toilet.  We thought underwear would help motivate him to go, but so far it hasn't.  Instead, at least one pair has ended up in the garbage and several pairs have had to be cleaned & sanitized.  Ick!  We've tried bribing him with absolutely everything (treats, toys, the party he gets to have at school).  I've tried pulling the "big-boy" card: "Only babies poop in their diaper."  I've even tried making him feel guilty (not my best parenting moves) by telling him that Mickey Mouse is sad that Brody pooped on him (he was wearing Mickey underwear). 

It's been a little stressful, but can be pretty hilarious at times too.  The new method I tried this weekend, was staying on top of him, watch for sign that he's going to poop and then trying to get him to do it in the bathroom.  Picture 8 1/2 month pregnant woman running (well, waddling) through the house with 2 year old held at arms reach saying "no!! poop in the toilet!!"  Only to get there and have him poop, in his underwear, 2 inches from the toilet.

His teachers assure us that he's not going to go to college in diapers, so it has to happen eventually, but it would be real nice if it happened sooner than later!