Potty Trained!

Potty training has been a LONG process. Not because Josiah didn't get it. But because of the life we live. The two biggest factors: we travel a lot and when we go out and about here in China, we rarely know where a close bathroom is. (Little ones still squat on the side of the street here. I'm choosing to not let my child do that. :) Josiah has been very willing and he's been doing well for the past few months. But while in Thailand, we had him in pull-ups a lot because we were out walking a LOT. Thailand is similar to China...ya just never know where a toilet is. I'm sure he was totally confused. We encouraged him to potty in the toilet when we were home...then encouraged him to potty in his diaper when we were out.

So when we got back to China, it was time to do this for real. I was still wary of nap time and night time, not quite sure how to conquer the two. Then a friend posted she was training her 2yo. I desperately asked for her method. It's one of those "3-day" methods. I skimmed some parts of it late one night and decided to put it into practice the next day. I was home alone with the kids all day and really tried to focus on the tactics. He was perfect! Same pair of underwear all day! I even kept him in underwear through his nap...perfect! Then night time came. The method suggested banning liquids 2-3 hours before bedtime. We usually do this naturally since he doesn't usually eat or drink much after dinner. We decided to put him in a pull-up anyway, though. We just weren't confident because he usually wakes up with a fairly wet diaper. And the kicker, he asked for a drink as he was laying down...a big drink. :) But, I told him several times if he needed to go potty, to yell for us. And if he kept his diaper dry, he'd get a special treat....

I guess the special treat (donuts) was a good enough bribe! He woke up DRY! I couldn't believe it! So, we'll kick the diapers now. I expect we may have a few more accidents along the way, but I think eliminating the diapers completely is the way to go. I think it just confuses him.

And, we can now confidently put clothes back on him. haha

Lots of updates

So much to update. Read if you want!

Our conference in Thailand was great. Most days, we had a 3-4 hour session including worship, teaching, and updates from workers in all the countries we represent. Then there were options for other specialized sessions and lots of free time to hang out with friends who live all over Asia. We decided to let Malachi sleep as much as possible in the room instead of trying to make him sleep in the carrier while we attended sessions. Thus, Michael and I switched on and off staying with him and missed lots of things. In the end, I think it was better that way. This little one just isn't a great sleeper to begin with.

Josiah had a blast with all of his "friends." (Friends = any small person) There was a large open space in our hallway and we families would gather out there to let our kids run and jump and play. Every day, as soon as Josiah woke up from night or nap, he said, "Let's go meet some friends!" Haha. I still wouldn't call him an extrovert; he took quite a while to warm up, opting to observe first. But, he'd eventually join in. And he did a great job sharing all his toys.

In all, conference was good, but much different than last year. Last year, I got to listen to all the teachings and worship. This year, I was tied down to the kids. So, as stated on the first night, I had to find Him in my own space. Good advice for my life right now. I also got to connect with lots of other moms and talk about our struggles. Some have been here much longer and gave some great wisdom and insight on life with kids in this difficult place.

Once we got back, everyone got sick. AGAIN. This time, just colds/coughs..but man, they've been nasty! (BTW, with this trip, Malachi continued his streak of getting sick every time he arrives at his destination. This is #4.) Malachi is still struggling to get over his. Poor kiddo. His throat is probably so sore. I tell ya, with all these viruses, our family is going to be immune to things all over the world!!

Since we've been back, we've just tried to get into a new routine. Malachi was still taking 4 1.5 hour naps and I decided it was time to go to 3. Well, he doesn't understand that. Most of his naps have still been frustratingly short. He'll get the hang of it someday, right...??

In other news, he enjoys rolling over and laughing/smiling when he's awake. I'm truly amazed he's a decently happy baby with such terrible sleep habits. This morning, he arched backwards out of the Bumbo. Nice, kid. Nice. We also inherited an exersuacer from a friend. Hallelujah for something for him to do! He doesn't like it much yet, but hoping he'll learn to like it so my arms can have a break! We also ordered a huge rug so he can play on the floor. Our tile floors wouldn't be so forgiving if he konked his head.

And, I finally decided not to decorate. Sad, I know. I've lived in bare-walled apartments for 2 years. Last year, it was purposeful because we were told we were going to move 4 different times throughout the year. This year, I was determined to get things on the walls. I came late, in October, and didn't feel like I had my feet under me until December. Then everyone was majorly sick for 2 weeks. Then we went to Thailand for a month. And here we are, with a mere 4 months left. Honestly, it's not worth the effort to figure out how to hang things. We have cement walls. Which means we can only use those 3M sticky hangers. I also ordered wall decals, but am afraid they wouldn't come off the walls to take with us. Sooo...here we are, left with white walls. Oh well. Our next move I MUST decorate. We should be there for 2 years, so that should be some incentive. :)

He LOVED walks every day. He liked to relax with his feet propped up!

Friends and sunshine. Who could ask for more?!

Lots of babies dedicated with our ELIC family.

All smiles with his new toy!

Potty Pep Talk

Josiah is mostly potty-trained. We've been working on it for a while, but being out and about so much in Thailand makes it difficult. We never know where the nearest potty is. And NO, we don't consider the ground an appropriate place to let him go.

The toilets in this hotel flush particularly loudly and he's not a fan. They scare him. So he proceeds to give himself a pep talk as he approaches the commode. It goes like this:

"Don't be scared. Don't be scared. Just a toilet. Don't be scared."

Hilarious. And oh so cute.

Michael..? Miiiichael!!

Josiah's been saying this one for quite a while...

Randomly, when he calls out to one of us, he'll say "Michael." Naturally, he learned this because that's what I do. Occasionally, he'll throw in "Honey" since that's also what I call him. Even better, he doesn't only use those names to call Daddy...he'll call me "Michael" as well. So funny. I try not to laugh, because I know it just encourages it, but sometimes I can't help it.

A Thai Clinic

When we come to Thailand, we like to get all of our medical/dental appointments taken care of. The quality is good. The prices are fantastic.

Yesterday, I went to a small clinic suggested by a colleague to see a dermatologist. I've had this pesky spot of skin cancer (detected almost 2 yrs ago) on my forehead that need to be removed one way or another. I was excited about the referral because my colleague said it was run by Aussies (always nice to have English-speakers) and cost next to nothing. Double win!

I arrived. It was definitely small! Instead of filling out pages of  new patient forms, I filled out a credit-card sized piece of paper written in Thai. I managed to write my name, birth date, and phone number. Guess that's all they needed!

I waited about 5 minutes with one other patient in the "waiting room." I was then escorted to a small office by a nurse who spoke great English. Whew! I was a little afraid up to that point. Behind the desk was a Thai man. Not even sure he was a doctor. Running through my mind: "Where are the Aussies?!?" I told him my issue. He looked at my spot through a magnifying glass the size of my head. He said, "It's difficult to tell what kind it is. We'll have to take a biopsy of it. But not until tomorrow. That's when the doctor (making me believe he wasn't one!!) will be in. You must come before noon." Ok, that's fine. Thanks for looking at my head anyway...!?

As I stood up to walk out, he said, "Oh, and you'll still need to pay the consultation fee at the front desk." For real?! All you did was tell me to come back tomorrow!! I would have been more upset, except that it only cost $2. Ok, sure, take my $2 for your expertise. :)

I went back today and took Malachi with me. I mommy-diagnosed him with eczema on his sweet little cheeks a few months ago. After the REAL dermatologist (Western..but not sure he was Australian. Who cares; he spoke English!) looked at it, he confirmed my diagnosis. He prescribed some cream, and that was that. Then he took the giant magnifying glass and looked at my spot. He wasn't too concerned. He asked some questions about it..if it changed, etc., and after replying "no," he said it's not so urgent. So, I'll wait until I get back to the States. No big deal.

Malachi's consultation + mine + 2 meds for him = $6. Yet another reason we love Thailand. :)

From the Land of Thai

I write this from Thailand. Please don't be jealous; it's been way more work than rest!

We arrived the 3rd (MUCH earlier than planned) because Malachi's visa expired. We had to leave China to get a new one, and we need to be here for our conference anyway, so we just came early. The past 2 weeks have crawled and flown all at once.

The search for our hotel was excruciating. We needed one with some space; not only for the kids to have some breathing room to play, but also enough rooms for everyone to have their own space to sleep. We have trained our kids to sleep alone in a quiet, dark space. This always comes back to haunt us when we leave our home. I usually want to give in and let them sleep with us, but we've tried. They don't sleep. They don't equate it to bed time. So, we have to get creative. Josiah is in a pack n' play in one side of the bathroom. Malachi is...should I reveal this?....on a shelf in the closet. :) I promise it's soft for him, and he can't fall off! There just wasn't any other place quiet or dark enough to put him.

However, that means he's in our room. Which means we hear everything he does. We're not used to this! I wouldn't call him a good sleeper (compared to Josiah, anyway), so he's still trying to get the hang of sleeping at night. This has caused some pretty sleepless nights for Mom and Dad. We (mostly I) take naps almost every day to catch up. I've never been able to fall asleep so fast in my life, and in some pretty uncomfortable positions.

During the day, we go for walks through the winding streets that make up this city. I was hoping Malachi would do well sleeping in the carrier. Not so much. He'll take a short nap, but then wake up and want to see the world. So, our trips are limited as a family. We take turns taking Josiah out.

Eating great food here is always a highlight. Since it's so focused on Western tourists, there are lots of Western restaurants. After our first meal out, though, we had to put an end to it. It included a very cranky toddler and a baby who had the biggest poop explosion of his life, and wailed the entire time we cleaned him--and everything else--up. So we now order in from a nifty delivery service. After doing the math, we happily realized we're actually saving money on delivery versus paying for taxis to and from. Sweet!

And, to wrap it all up, 3/4 of us are sick again. Michael survived the last virus. This time, it's a cold/bronchial thing. Malachi started it, and is really struggling to get over it. Michael got a touch of it, now it's hitting Josiah. Sheesh. The kids will basically be immune to the world in a few years.

Amidst the trials of "vacationing" with little ones, it's still been nice to be in warm weather. Actually having the option of leaving our abode has been awesome. We're soaking it up as much as possible.

Some colleagues/friends are starting to trickle in, so we're excited to reunite with them! Then our conference will start and we'll get to be with our whole company, worship (haven't done this corporately since we left the US!!), attend seminars, and share stories. Such a blessed time!

Before I forget...

All season, Josiah has been calling the tree "Christmas treat." I purposely don't correct him because it's so cute.


Also, right now, I'm predicting Malachi is gonna be a firecracker. Josiah was such a laid-back baby, and is very much a laid-back kid. Malachi...uhhh...not so much. During awake time, he does NOT want to be laying down. He either must be in some arms, experiencing life with you, or standing up, looking around. He also hates to sit. Especially in the bumbo. Bummer for Momma! I'm hoping to get the munchkin a walker/exersaucer soon so he can expend some of his energy by himself.