Day 92

Middle of the week seems difficult for us all... especially with the last day of March being in the 70s. It's amazing that anyone got any work done at all today. But the world keeps running as usual, even when the weather is to die for!
Annie continued to signal fairly well today but seemed fussy at times. I had a very hard time deciphering her signals vs. her cries. So I guess with each passing day there is always a chance to do better tomorrow.


Today I learned: Even a good day can have some improvements!
Diapers saved today =4
Money saved today = $.80
Money saved to date = $111.40

Day 91

What a great day of EC! Perhaps it's the wonderful weather that is helping Annie to be so attentive! She continues to put me in awe each day. Today she was very vocal with her signals and it was awesome! I couldn't believe how much she has grown in the 90 days we've been practicing EC. Before, Annie didn't know what a potty was... now she asks to use it. Hopefully this continues!


Today I learned: EC is growing on me... it's hard not to tell everyone I know about it.
Diapers saved today =6
Money saved today = $1.20
Money saved to date = $110.60

Day 90

Trying to get back in the swing of things. But as I was doing so, I realized that I never wrote about how great Annie did last week while we all had the flu. It amazed me for two WHOLE DAYS!! Annie would whine/fuss even more so than she usually does. She had diarrhea and did not want that sitting in her pants for even a second. It was such a blessing. If not for EC Joe would have been changing some pretty nasty, smelly diapers. YEAH for EC!!


Today I learned:It's hard to get back to a regular schedule.
Diapers saved today =3
Money saved today = $0.60
Money saved to date = $109.40

Day 89

Home sweet Home. We are back safely from a GREAT trip!!! Annie's first vacation and she loved it. She's told me that she can't wait to go back and play with her cousins again and again. Still feeling a little under the weather at our house. Will write more later this week.




Today I learned:6 hours is a long time when you can't stop for EC.
Diapers saved today =3
Money saved today = $0.60
Money saved to date = $108.60

Day 88

On vacation in rainy Omaha visiting family. Annie has been doing okay with EC while out of her normal element. She isn't signaling as much as she used to, but she's getting it down. She tried to teach her cousin how to use the potty and it was successful. Naomi peed in the potty... and got a treat! It was so fun!!! Funny how little things make our weekend!
Headed home tomorrow... the fun must come to an end.



Today I learned: Potty training is exciting no matter what the age! YEAH NAOMI!
Diapers saved today =6
Money saved today = $1.20
Money saved to date = $108.00

Day 87

First road trip experience today. Annie even used a rest stop. EW! But when you gotta go you gotta go! I'll explain more later... for now we are still fighting the flu. Hoping to feel 100% better very soon! Stay tuned for fun stories from the rest stop and road trip...

Today I learned: How amazing it is to use EC when using a rest stop... no using that disgusting baby changer that NEVER gets clean!!!
Diapers saved today =6
Money saved today = $1.20
Money saved to date = $106.80

Day 86

Still fighting the flu bug around here... hoping to keep it all to ourselves.

Today I learned: Annie still tries to smile even with the flu!
Diapers saved today =3
Money saved today = $.60
Money saved to date = $105.60

Day 85

Another day of the flu... Joe's been doing a great job trying to catch Annie's signals. Me, not so much... hopefully tomorrow will be better. Stay tuned


Today I learned: Annie still is trying so hard when she doesn't feel good.
Diapers saved today =6
Money saved today = $1.20
Money saved to date = $105.00

Day 84

Today started out great... then Annie and I came down with the flu. Better luck tomorrow!


Today I learned: It's hard to practice EC when you have no energy
Diapers saved today =7
Money saved today = $1.40
Money saved to date = $103.80

Day 83

I've often wanted the life of a baby... no cares in the world. However, since I became a mom I realized that Annie has a rough job. She's expected to be happy most of the time which she usually does a pretty good job of. To top that off, when she does cry or act crabby Joe and I look for ways to ensure she quickly switches back to her happy mood. No crying in our house!
Of course there's the constant playing, which at first I thought would be fun. When I really stopped to think about this one it must be overwhelming.. all these toys in your face and the expectation you know what to do with all of them. Then, if Annie doesn't know what to do with all her toys we try and teach her so she can learn quickly. I'm sure there are days she just wants to lay back and relax.
A post can't be complete without some EC talk...most babies are able to continue their daily ventures and go in their diapers. Not our little one. She has to stop what she's doing and try and use the potty. So.. all in all maybe she needs a break from being a baby. But then again that will come soon enough.
Speaking of taking her to the bathroom....


Today I learned: Maybe being a baby isn't all it appears to be...
Diapers saved today =4
Money saved today = $.80
Money saved to date = $102.40

Day 82

Sunday fun day.... Annie had another full day but seemed to do better with EC. I wonder sometimes if she senses when I start to get frustrated with this whole EC thing and then she steps it up a notch or two? I wonder if she's that smart... then again she is my child! With all the excitement of the weekend she deserves a full night of sleep. Hopefully she'll get that and we'll be on our way to start another great week. Trying to be diaper free for a while this week... this is bound to get interesting!!! Oh... and I'm still on the look out for great cloth diapers. Anyone have any ideas/suggestions????


Today I learned: Even a fun filled day can have successful EC outcome!
Diapers saved today =5
Money saved today = $1.00
Money saved to date = $101.60

Day 81

It hit me this evening as I was thinking back on the long day of EC that Annie doesn't get a weekend from her hard work. For those of you working 'normal' jobs you get to sleep in, rest and pretty much do whatever your heart desires over the much needed and deserved weekend. Not Annie, she is still expected to keep up with her signals as she continues EC. She does pretty good at it but today I wished she could just take a break. Perhaps that's because I wanted to take a break, but a break means WAY more work come Monday. So I guess that would backfire on me! For now I'm trying my best to listen to her cues and take her to her bathroom as quickly as possible.. but it's tough.
So...hopefully I get more motivated tomorrow. We'll find out!


Today I learned: It's hard to stay motivated on a Saturday!
Diapers saved today =3
Money saved today = $.60
Money saved to date = $100.60

Day 80

A celebration should be underway today!!! Not only is it FRIDAY but we have hit our $100.00 mark! YEAH!! It's amazing what a little (okay a lot) of work can get you in the end...or in our case the middle. Today was one of the most successful days we've had with EC. During the day Annie did WONDERFUL but at night when she started to get tired she had some slips. Maybe I just didn't listen as well to her cues because I was tired. We'll see how the weekend goes... stay tuned!

Today I learned: 80 days of EC earned us $100.00!!!!
Diapers saved today =7
Money saved today = $1.40
Money saved to date = $100.00

Day 79

Today was a much needed improvement from yesterday! Annie greeted the day with dual action in the potty! YIPPEE!!!! I knew it HAD to be a step up from her slow day on Wednesday! Annie started this new spitting thing and boy is it funny... although now she's not cuing me as often to go to the bathroom. Maybe when she spits she's telling me that she might as well be taken to the potty but she'd rather keep playing? Perhaps it's her form of 'back talk' but at such a young age? I sure don't know but it makes me laugh so hard!!!
Oh and as an extra special treat Annie slept through the night last night! I'm trying not to get too excited but it was amazing to sleep for 7 hours straight!!!
She's so happy to be sleeping in her bouncy and actually sleeping... of course she's happy to be peeing in her potty too.... SO CUTE!




Today I learned: You need to have a 'not so good' day to make normal days GREAT!
Diapers saved today =5
Money saved today = $1.00
Money saved to date = $98.60

Day 78

Apparently St. Patty's day is a day of rest for Annie. She's Irish (part Irish anyway) so I guess she's entitled to a day off every once in a while. Although I wouldn't want to take a day off of using the toilet.. would you?
Better luck for this little Irish girl tomorrow!
Stay tuned!


Today I learned: St. Patrick's Day is a day of rest for Annie!
Diapers saved today =1
Money saved today = $0.20
Money saved to date = $97.60

Day 77

I've noticed when you have children you find out the best and most efficient way of doing things for your family. Cooking, cleaning, laundry, play time, running errands, etc. For instance cooking dinner early or right before it's time to eat... in a crock pot, range or oven. Then there's the cleaning that seems never ending... when is there time to get it all in? Well, if you're Joe, and there's a little rice cereal spilled on the floor while Annie's eating you just wipe it up with your socks... the reason "we wash our socks more often than our floor." What a perspective!
Of course there is the potty/diaper issue as well. Again, why not just take her to the bathroom and save us all a step in the end? That's how I look at it! It's a good thing we don't let her go on the floor... Joe's socks may need more frequent washing after cleaning up that mess!
Bathroom duty calls...stay tuned!

Today I learned: The best way for one family may not be the best way (or even a good option) for another.
Diapers saved today =5
Money saved today = $1.00
Money saved to date = $97.40

Day 76

Maybe it's the whole 'spring ahead' time change that has us all off a little. Annie's 'schedule' is thrown off and she is a little cranky. Yes, Annie does get cranky from time to time but is generally a happy baby. SO... my only guess is that it's the Day light savings time change. Oh and maybe the weather. It's hard to put her to bed when the sun is still shining...
With all these changes EC has been a little more difficult to keep track of. She's no longer following a schedule and seems confused as to what time it really is... then again aren't we all like that until we get used to the change? With that said, we keep putting forth our best effort and try, try again until sometime we get the hang of EC for yet another time. For now... we will try and adjust ourselves to this ever changing world. Send great thoughts our way... STAY TUNED!

Today I learned: You never realized you have a great schedule until there is interference!
Diapers saved today =4
Money saved today = $.80
Money saved to date = $96.40

Day 75

Toileting Annie is much like the weather... it gives people something to talk about when conversation may be scarce. I never thought I would be talking so openly about my daughter's poop and pee schedule and 'potty training' her as an infant. Nope, I assumed we would be like all the other new parents: just going with the flow and making sure we did everything EXACTLY by the book. Because after all, that's how you do things for your children... how everyone else does them and how they are supposed to be done...right? Apparently I was mistaken!
To my amazement I sit here typing on this blog and trying to provide many of you with your the next topic of the week. You know... the "can you believe what I saw/read" topic to bring up when you're at a loss for words by the water cooler at work. That is if you have a water cooler at work... but you get the picture!
Toileting Annie brings smiles to people's faces and a chuckle to their mouth... no one can ask us with a serious face "how is potty training your baby going?" It's just plain impossible. On the same token... we are unable to answer any potty related questions with a straight face. Pretty neat how something that seems so menial could become an interesting topic of conversation and a "wow" moment for some.
Speaking of WOW moment... I took Annie to the bathroom at church this morning and like always brought her into a stall. There was someone else in the bathroom too and I know she heard me cuing Annie to pee pee pee pee then heard a little tinkle tinkle. The lady walked out of her stall after Annie had finished and just looked at me and gave a smile/laugh. I wonder what conversation that started this afternoon? I can just hear it now... "you'll never guess what I saw at church... no really.. I'm not kidding!"
Stay tuned... more conversation starters are sure to come!!!


Today I learned: Toileting Annie gives us all something to talk about!
Diapers saved today =4
Money saved today = $.80
Money saved to date = $95.60

Day 74

A look into Annie's BEAUTIFUL blue eyes!

Have you ever looked at the world through a baby's eyes? I mean really looked from their perspective. If not, you should try it sometime. It's amazing what they can see. While playing with Annie today I began to think about what she sees and what she is unable to see. This brought me to look at the world through her eyes, you know... at her level. First I laid on the floor to see what she sees... not much unless there's a toy or a person in front of her. Of course she rolls from side to side and looks around at the bottom of the furniture... which got me thinking I really should vacuum those dust bunnies sometime before she starts moving. Annie spends a lot of time on her tummy during the day which again, doesn't provide her with much amusement. Although from this position she has better head control and can 'scoot' to where she wants to look. Oh and of course she can reach her toys better and chew on them to her heart's desire! Then there's the exer-saucer, the bouncy, chair and the famous Ergo (baby carrier). From here she can see just about anything that an adult can see... Although we maybe not pick up on the fine details like dirt and dust. (boy wouldn't it be nice to have baby eyes)
Then the AWESOME potty... yup... she sees herself and the holder of her (Joe or I) while sitting to do her business. Depending on the potty she sometimes sees Daddy's cologne, Mommy's hairbrush, or the 'under the sea' soap dispenser. All of these things intrigue her to the point where sometimes she gets distracted away from the goal of the session. I think I shall start drawing pictures on the mirror for her potty time... on second thought maybe that would be a bad example... Let's hope this isn't sign of what's to come!
I guess when I was looking around trying to see things from Annie's point of view I realized that she only sees what we allow her to see. Which is great but a LOT of pressure! But at the end of the day Annie sees the most important things in her life: the people who love her and take care of her... and her toys!
Ahh the life of Annie!

Today I learned: Looking through the world in baby's eyes puts everything in a new perspective!
Diapers saved today =5
Money saved today = $1.00
Money saved to date = $94.80

Day 73

This evening, as I tried to convince Annie that rice cereal is the most delicious thing ever made I couldn't help but wonder all the things in life we need convincing to do. In the short months since I became a mom I have had to convince Annie of many things. First to eat from me, want to wear clothes, stop crying, start sleeping, wear a diaper, be held by others besides her dad and myself, and adjust to a new living environment. That was just in the first 24 hours! Now there are daily challenges that present themselves and I'm left wondering what the perfect way to convince her is.
For starters...we try to make her feel as if using the potty is the best thing she'll do all day! We all know it isn't that exciting, but to a baby perhaps it could be. Or at least they are little enough to trick for a while. Eventually when it isn't one of the most exciting moments of her day, she'll be used to using a potty and think nothing of it as she goes along with her business (quite literally).
Starting rice cereal the past few days has been another challenge! Trying to convince her that this weird textured substance is SO delicious that she should eat ALL of her teaspoons worth of it.... yup we give her a WHOLE teaspoon at a time. Doesn't seem like much, but trust me to get the tsp down is a struggle. I do my best to try and put on my "yum" face and convince her that it's the best thing she'll ever eat... she's not buying my tactics.
It's funny to me that here I sit, trying to convince Annie to eat rice cereal and how great it is... when in a few years I'll try to do the same thing when she reaches for yet another cookie. I'll try to convince her how amazing it is to eat oatmeal or the other healthy alternative as opposed to fruit loops or some other delicious sugar filled morning meal!
My question then becomes... do we always need convincing from our parents? Will I always be saying "it's the best" to every new adventure I want her to try? For now... we're blessed... Annie truly thinks her blue potty is... yup you guessed it... the best. Who wouldn't... just look at it's beauty!



Today I learned: I will forever try to convince Annie to try 'amazing' new things!
Diapers saved today =6
Money saved today = $1.20
Money saved to date = $93.80

Day 72

We are still struggling with the sleep issue. I still can't figure it all out and have no clue why Annie just can't sleep. It seems a little ridiculous that during the day she uses her crib and at night she's fussy and can't stay asleep. Tonight we will try a few different tricks to help her sleep! As far as EC is concerned we aren't worried about keeping up this week. Although even without trying Annie is doing a great job. It still amazes me how she can stay on top of EC while she's tired and cranky...but I guess that's determination. Perhaps this is a sign of her personality to come? Stay tuned!


Today I learned: Annie's more determined than her mom!
Diapers saved today =4
Money saved today = $0.80
Money saved to date = $92.60

Day 71

Another day another dollar... quite literally! Still little sleep for us so EC is on hold... Annie's trying her best. As are her parents!


Today I learned: Even when you don't focus on something it can happen!
Diapers saved today =5
Money saved today = $1.00
Money saved to date = $91.80

Day 70

Ten weeks of EC. Can you believe it? Time flies when you're having fun... or in Annie's case peeing in a bucket. When I started all of this nonsense I had the ambition of continuing EC for 365 days but in all honesty never thought it would happen. Never would I have guessed that I would have told our story to strangers... and kept writing even though I don't know how many people actually read my rants. It's amazing to me that I've kept it up this long. As long as I've been consistent I figure what's another 42 weeks? Nothing right? EC just gets easier and easier so that's the good news. We'll see what the next 10 weeks brings us. We're sure to make it to the $100 mark soon too. Oh.. and for those of you that have been asking I promise pictures of the new potty this week once we get more sleep! Stay tuned!

Today I learned: 10 weeks sure flies by!
Diapers saved today =5
Money saved today = $1.00
Money saved to date = $90.80

Day 69

A struggle of a day... three hours of sleep in the last 24. That's for both Annie and I. Needless to say we are not concentrating on EC tonight.

Today I learned: Annie can smile on three hours of sleep!
Diapers saved today =6
Money saved today = $1.20
Money saved to date = $89.80

Day 68

After being up all night and sleeping very little today... EC is on the back burner. Joe and I aren't quite tuned in as well as we could be but Annie still is trying her hardest to signal to us when she needs to use the potty. Thank God for caffeine... or in my case fake caffeine that has the placebo effect!
Annie's teeth must be coming in full force. She'll fall asleep for a while and then wake up crying. As soon as I pick her up she starts to find the best surface to bite. Boy oh boy does she bite hard! At first I thought it was a little funny to have her bite down on my chin, I mean if it makes her feel better then why not. Lately I think she's going to break the skin. So... she has resorted to my shoulder or my shirt. YUM!
Maybe this is all a sign that Annie's ready for cereal. Who doesn't like a good bowl of cereal?! So... in the weeks to come we will introduce rice cereal and pray that helps her sleep through the night. We'll also start to take her to the bathroom regularly throughout the night so she can sleep in a DRY diaper. We'll see which approach helps Annie sleep better. For now... EC will remain a constant variable in our lives but we need to figure out the sleep thing before potty learning takes full control. Wish us luck... and as always tips are welcome. Stay tuned!


Today I learned: Sometimes you have to focus less on what you want to do to get where you want to be.
Diapers saved today =8
Money saved today = $1.60
Money saved to date = $88.60

Day 67

Trying something new can be exhilarating! I often think how much fun I have trying something new and then wonder how amazing Annie must feel. She tries something new daily... a new potty... a new sight...a new sound...etc. No wonder she's such a happy baby!!!

Today I learned: Trying something new can be amazing!
Diapers saved today =5
Money saved today = $1.00
Money saved to date = $87.00

Day 66

It's 8pm and Annie has had the same diaper on since 3:00. AMAZING!!! I think this is the longest she's gone without wetting her diaper even just a little bit. Not that I think Annie wouldn't make progress, but at the rate she's going she'll be completely diaper free sooner than I thought! It's just great! Now watch, I say this today and tomorrow we're back to square one. Hey... at least I can see the sun shining today (both inside and out, literally and figuratively). Annie still amazes me each day when she sits on her potty and makes a true effort at going to the bathroom. YEAH!
The weekend is upon us and we may be doing some running... we'll see how she holds up with being diaper free! STAY TUNED!



Today I learned: Annie brightens my day by all the effort she makes to use her potty!
Diapers saved today =10
Money saved today = $2.00
Money saved to date = $86.00

Day 65

"My mom got a little deep on all of you yesterday... sorry about that. I'm learning that moms can do that from time to time! Like get all teary eyed when you get shots... but not stop the nurse that is poking me. Or call Daddy in awe when I roll over...sometimes even laugh and make a big deal out of razzing! It's like she didn't know this would happen.... weird!
Well, EC is going great today! I'm loving my new potty... blue and all. It's a nice change to have something blue to look at. I LOVE LOVE LOVE pink, but I think it's good to change it up every once in a while...change of scenery is always fun! My mom has put me in bloomers about an hour everyday since Saturday and boy oh boy is that amazing!!! I now feel how great it feels to be diaper free. I even communicate WAY better when this happens... it's just great! She says that she's working up to more hours of diaper freedom... I'll keep you posted."

Today I learned: Change of scenery always makes Annie happy! Especially seeing her BLUE potty!
Diapers saved today =8
Money saved today = $1.60
Money saved to date = $84.00

Day 64

Do you ever have tunnel vision? As if you are so focused on the end result or a particular goal you forget to notice other life happenings along the way? We all have done it at one time or another... for us Minnesotans it may be that we are so focused on the coming of spring and summer we forget to look around and enjoy the way the sun is reflecting off the remaining snow. OR perhaps we are focused and looking forward to spring break and forget to enjoy our Saturdays in hopes to accomplish everything before we leave for vacation. Maybe you're even too focused on tomorrow that you forget to enjoy the quiet of tonight...
Today I became too focused on getting Annie down for a nap. I was reading to her and trying to calm her down after putting her in her crib once already. Of course, getting anxious myself was not helping but I was determined to get her to nap. That was my first mistake. I forgot all about EC for the moment and wanted her so badly to fall asleep in my arms. She was quick to remind me to pay attention to the little things. Annie kept grabbing at me and turning towards me as if to say come on mom, I need you right now. All I could say was "it's okay honey... go to sleep." After a few minutes of this type of reaching she gave up...I heard her going to the bathroom in her diaper and it hit me. SHE WAS TRYING TO TELL ME SOMETHING! Why was I having such bad tunnel vision that I wasn't able to 'hear' her? I apologized to her, which I'm sure she didn't understand, in hopes I could reverse the situation. I learned a valuable lesson today: make sure to pay attention to the little things. I will make sure to pay closer attention next time and try not to worry too much about the end result. I need to enjoy the little things along the way. Eventually Annie napped and I got a nap in too while enjoying the little girl that was sleeping on me. In the end, it was a little thing that made my day!



Today I learned: Tunnel vision is all too common... pay attention to the little things!
Diapers saved today =7
Money saved today = $1.40
Money saved to date = $82.40

Day 63

Tough day for Annie. She's been fussy all day and it's very difficult to read her signals. Poor thing is teething (I'm pretty sure) and unable to settle down. She's so tired, but can't fall asleep. With all that she is still a trooper and tries her best to use the bathroom. She pooped many times in her potty today, it was exciting not to change a poopy diaper ALL day. Quite the change from the BIG blowouts she's had the past two days.
Annie has also figured out a way to let me know she does not need to go, or that she is "all done." While she's sitting on her potty she will arch her back and try to turn and reach for me. Joe and I are teaching her some sign language which we're hoping she'll learn eventually...but until then I'm happy she can communicate that she's done. Pretty smart!
Diaper free time continues daily this week... stay tuned!


Today I learned: The littlest things can be OH SO EXCITING!!!
Diapers saved today =5
Money saved today = $1.00
Money saved to date = $81.00

Day 62

I have officially met others who have heard of EC!!! HOW AMAZING it felt to talk with some women who knew about EC and what it entailed. I finally felt like I wasn't this crazy person making something up. (okay so maybe I'm still a little crazy but at least I felt like I wasn't pulling something out of the sky)
Annie and I signed up for a ECFE class and the topic came up about diapers. Someone in the class uses cloth and as you know we're eager to learn more about cloth diapering. I was asking questions and learning more about how to get started. Of course I want to pick her brain more, but I didn't want her to avoid me the rest of the class so I went easy for now. Anyway... I was explaining how we started doing EC and she'd heard of it!!!! YEAH!!!
This sparked a WHOLE new conversation which had me explaining all about EC and how it has been so successful. It was great to be in a room full of moms who understand and were genuinely interested.
Annie must have heard me bragging about her and humbled herself by having a HUGE blowout... had to get a wardrobe change and everything!!! Poop Happens...



Today I learned: I can learn a lot from other moms and they can encourage me without even knowing it!
Diapers saved today =6
Money saved today = $1.20
Money saved to date = $80.00