I think she's got it!

I have been hesitant to post this thinking that as soon as I do Morgan will for some reason regress, but I think she has officially got this whole potty training thing down! We are just so excited for her and she is so proud of herself. This has been a long time (almost two years) coming. Morgan was doing great in the spring, but really backtracked this summer. Then we finally made the decision to see a specialist. We needed to know if it was going to even be possible.

In mid-July we went in to see the urologist. At that time he wasn't sure if it was possible or not based on everything we had shared with him. He decided he wanted to run some tests and suggested that in the meantime we buy a "potty-alarm" to try. Typically these alarms are used for older children who wet the bed, but he thought that perhaps this alarm would help signal Morgan and help her learn 1. when she was going and 2. how to know before hand that she needed to go.

We left the appointment thinking we would for sure buy the alarm, but that we would wait until after all the tests to really start pushing it again. The tests were run at the beginning of August and we weren't scheduled to get the results until the 24th. In the meantime I was getting anxious and was talking to some girlfriends who were getting ready to potty train their own kids. They were telling me about this three day method they were thinking about using. It sounded close to what we had done in the past with lots of positive encouragement, rewards, etc.. The main difference was in the phrasing and in the theory that you have to throw all diapers away.

At first we weren't too sure about it, especially since we didn't have the test results yet. So on the weekend of August 20th we decided to try using the alarm. That first day the alarm went off so many times. I swear by the end of the day we had to have gone through 20 pairs of underwear, but by the end of the day she was already stopping herself once the alarm went off. On Sunday, the alarm only went off about three times and each time it did she stopped herself and was able to finish on the potty. We were so proud of Morgan. We decided that the alarm was helping and we would continue with it. Throughout that week Morgan did wonderful and filled two charts! By that Friday I decided it might be time to invest a bit more and do the whole throwing the diapers out. Since then Morgan has done AMAZING!

We are now three weeks and one day in big girls. We have only had to change bed sheets once! She wakes herself up at night and calls for us to come put her on the potty. During the day she has been doing well too with only one accident a day or so (some school days are a bit rougher than others. She is easily distracted at school).

This past weekend Morgan didn't have one accident, no alarms, NOTHING! She did it all on her own!!!!! We went out running errands and to a football game! Then on Monday we had three doctor's appointments back-to-back and were on the go for over 6 hours with no accidents. Morgan made it from Friday evening to Tuesday evening without a single accident. In all during the past week she has only had two very small accidents. I think it is official, my little girl is potty trained!!! Let's hope she can keep it up. We are a bit nervous with traveling to Philly in a week.

A Bunch of Randomness

School started a month ago and we have been so busy ever since. I am not sure exactly what we have been doing to keep us so busy, but we have been busy none the less. I thought I would share some random things that Morgan has been up to this past month along with some pictures.

1. Social Butterfly: This year one of Morgan's goals was to talk more during snack time and hold more conversations. Even though she was not a part of making this goal and we never specifically told her she needed to work on this she seems to just know. This year her teachers have all told me that she is a little social butterfly during snack time. She is talking all the time and trying to be a part of all the conversations. In fact, about a week ago we took Morgan to a birthday for one of David's co-workers children and she marched right into the room full of complete strangers, went straight up to some other little girls there and said "Hi, what's your name? I'm Morgan." We were so proud of her!

2. Reading: Morgan has always loved books and loves to be read to. One thing she has not done before than many kids do is "read" to herself. I would try to encourage her to look through a book and talk about the pictures, but she never would. She used to always insist that I read everything to her. That is until now. You can tell that she is immersed in reading all day at school. She is now mimicking what she sees at school with her peers and "reading" to herself. In fact a few weekends ago she asked to set up a tent and read to her animals. Too cute!

3. I.pad: Yes, we now have an i.pad at home. We were all issued one at school and told not to leave it at school when we are not there (for security reasons). Since we can bring it home we are allowed to use it for personal use as well. Well, Morgan LOVES the i.pad and if I had realized earlier the value it would have for her we would have bought one a long time ago. Because of some of the challenges Morgan has physically with both gross and fine motor skills things that most 4 years can do like walk to the TV, put in a DVD, start the DVD, etc... she couldn't ever do. Not because she didn't understand how but because the physical actions of all that got in the way. Now, if she has my i.pad she can on her own open Net.flix, scroll through to find a movie she wants, and start the movie. She also knows how to close that and choose a new activity like the magnetic alphabet. Another thing that most children can do simply at the fridge with the old fashioned real magnets, but for Morgan always posed a challenge. It was difficult to have her be able to stand at the fridge and actually reach it, her walker wheels get in the way, the wheelchair can't get her close enough, etc... But now she can do the same thing just on the i.pad. She loves to open up that ap and ask me, "Mommy, how do you spell...." and then we sound out the word together and she spells it. One of her favorite aps is the B.ob books. She plays these all the time and is doing amazing with them.

4. Doing chores: Lately Morgan has been very interested in helping out at home. Again, this always poses a challenge of trying to figure out how she can help. The other night when we got home from school I needed to empty the dishwasher. Morgan was still in her wheelchair so she drove over and asked if she could help. Her favorite thing to do is to help out with the silverware. Usually I hand her one piece at a time and show her where to put it. That night though I decided she is now big enough to try it on her own. I pulled out the silverware bucket and put it on the counter by our silverware drawer. Morgan then sorted them all out. She did a great job and got all the forks, knifes, and spoons separated correctly. The only challenge was the big spoons (serving ones) vs. the little spoons. Now, if we can just work on the rest of the dishes maybe mom can get a night off.




5. Writing her name: Morgan has recognized her own name since she was about 18 months old. Since the time she was about 2 she has known that her name starts with an M and for a while now has also known the other letters of her name and the order they go in. For Morgan it again has been more of a motor challenge than cognitive challenge when it comes to writing her name. Her para and her have been working very hard on this for the past year and now she is starting to get it. When I opened her homework folder that other evening I found this inside:

She is really getting it!

6. Horses, Horses, Horses: What can I say, this girl really loves her horses. Not a day goes by when she isn't talking about horses, playing with horses, and/or reading about horses. They are her world. This past Tuesday Morgan was "Star Student" for the day. That meant she got to bring in something special from home for the "guessing bag" and to lead calendar for the day. Morgan of course brought a toy horse. She chose the one she calls Monty. When it was time to describe what was in the "guessing bag" to her friends in class Morgan was so excited she just shouted out "It's a horse!" Yesterday, I went out to my school with Morgan to observe an after school robotics club that a parent of one of my students puts on. She allowed Morgan and her youngest son (who is also 4) an extra set of L.egos to build their own "robot". Well, Morgan wanted nothing to do with that. She kept telling him "We need to build a stable. Let's make a horsey too." It was too funny, he kept looking at her like she was crazy, he wanted to make the robot. This morning Morgan decided that she wanted to pull out her rocking horse "Giddy-up" and go for a trail ride. She didn't want to ride alone so she insisted that Big Monty and Big Morgan (a doll she named after herself) needed to ride too. And of course Morgan is all about safety first. She insisted that before they climbed on their horses that said hello with a gentle petting and that they put on their riding helmets.

Going for a trail ride.

And that folks is all the randomness that has kept us all so busy for the last month. Hopefully now that we are back into the full swing of school and our routine is starting to get back on track I can get back to blogging more often. No promises though.

Pre-K

Wow, where did the last year go? It seems like just yesterday we were preparing Morgan for her first day of preschool. She LOVED her first year of school and it was such a wonderful experience for all of us. Morgan's speech took off last year and she truly enjoyed every minute of school.

Last week Morgan started her second year of preschool. This year she is in Pre-K, meaning next year she will already be a kindergartner. Morgan was very excited for her first day of school and couldn't wait to see her new teacher, Ms. BJ. BJ is a good friend of mine, we used to teach together at Sycamore before she moved over to the preschool last year. Morgan has known BJ since she was born and feels very comfortable around her. David and I were so excited when Morgan was put into BJ's class. She can at times be very shy and last year it took her almost a full quarter of school before she started to open up and show her true colors. Since she is so familiar with BJ as well as her para, Ms. JoLynn, and most of the kids in class she wasn't nervous at all.

Morgan getting ready for her first day of Pre-K. She requested braids. I had to put this up to compare. This was Morgan in 2009 at age 23 months. She is standing on the same stool, but the stool is up on a small table. She is so grown-up now.

Posing for a first day pic to show off her new outfit. I found a shirt that was just so Morgan, I couldn't resist. It has purses all over it and says "which one do I choose." Too perfect since she insists on bringing a purse just about everywhere and always wants to switch it out. The girl has more purses than I do.

Posing in front of her preschool.

Entering her Pre-K classroom.

All tuckered out after her first week back to school.

This is the BEST day EVER!

Well really it was the best weekend ever, but I couldn't resist stealing the line from Morgan's favorite movie, Tangl.ed, because it was very fitting. We just got back from one of the best weekend's ever.

It all began Thursday afternoon. Morgan knew we were going on a trip and that there would be a BIG surprise, but she didn't know what. We had wanted to wait to tell her so she would sleep for the last month. So Thursday afternoon around 1:15 we finished loading the mini van and headed in to Tucson to pick David up from work. We then made the drive to Phoenix and met up with my sister, Jen, her girls Caity and Lindsey, and her husband Mark. We had dinner at the Chipo.tle along the I-10 and 101. Originally Jen and the girls were going to follow us to Cali, but Thursday morning David pointed out the fact that since we decided not to bring the wheelchair we could technically fit my sister and the girls in the van with us. It would be a bit cramped for the person in the way back (we can only fold up one single seat back there due to the lift) and they would have to sit among all the luggage. Anyway, Jen and the girls decided they didn't care that it might be tight, they would rather ride with their cousin, enjoy some movies, and save the gas money. So... we met up with them at dinner. The girls had been texting me all week wondering when we would be telling Morgan or if she had found out yet. At one point I texted back and told them they could reveal the big secret. They were so excited. So after some yummy food the girls went up to Morgan ready to spill the beans. David captured it on video, but it is too long to post. It was priceless. You could see the wheels in Morgan's head turning trying to comprehend what they were telling her. It went something like this:

Lindsey: Morgan, do you remember we have a big surprise for you...

Caity: Well, we are going to...

The girls together: Disneyland!

At this point Morgan's face looked a bit confused, like I know I should like this but I am not sure what that means so Lindsey continued.

Lindsey: You know Mickey Mouse.... Do you want to go to his house?

Morgan: Yeah!

Caity: And you know who else will be there.... Nanny and Pa!

Morgan instantly began squealing. Things were beginning to click and she was so excited. Right there in the restaurant she started shouting and squealing about Disneyland, Mickey's house, and seeing her Nanny and Pa. It was so cute.

We then loaded Jen and the girls in the van, said good bye to Mark and were on our way. I drove with Jen up front keeping me company. We stuck David in the way back so he could relax, the poor guy had been up working until 2 the night before and had gotten up at 5 for work. I thought with only 3 hours of sleep it was best to let him rest and not allow him to drive.

The drive there went pretty fast. At one point we had just about every electronic you can imagine going in the car. Morgan's portable DVD player, the girl's i.pods and nin.tendoDS, along with David's phone streaming net.flix, and David working online on his laptop. Jen and I wondered how our parents ever survived long trips because even with all that going on around 9:15 Caity began asking every 10-15 minutes if we were there yet.

We finally arrived at the hotel around 10:15. My dad and JoAnne were still awake waiting for us. Morgan had fallen asleep in the car around 8:30 and would usually stay awake...but not that night. She was so excited to see her Pa and Nanny that she woke up for about 30 minutes until everyone was settled and ready for bed. My dad and JoAnne had gotten us this great hotel suite to share. It had a master bedroom, a full kitchen with living room and pull out sofa, and another bedroom with two double beds and a bathroom. Caity and Jen braved the pull out sofa while David and Morgan shared one bed and Lindz and I curled up in the other. We were all tuckered from the long drive and planned to hit the park when it opened.

That night I barely slept. It was like I was a kid so excited to go to Disneyland. I was so excited... but going to Disneyland as a parent adds a whole new excitement to the mix. I didn't care what we did, which rides we went on, etc.. it was all about seeing how much Morgan would enjoy it that I couldn't wait for. I was pretty sure she would LOVE it!

Boy was I right. Morgan had the time of her life at Disneyland. Her face just lit up the whole time. I am so glad we decided not to bring her wheelchair. It was way too crowded for it, plus with so much to see she would have been very distracted and she would have tired out even faster than she did. Instead we opted for the stroller and threw her walker on the back. This worked out nicely because when the crowd was small we could put her down and still get some exercise in for the day.

Since we were going to Mickey's house that is exactly where Morgan wanted to go first, to see Mickey. In the package my Dad and JoAnne bought they received vouchers for early entrance into Toon Town. Although we only made it there about 20 minutes before it opened for everyone having the early entrance really helped. There was hardly anyone in there. The first character we spotted was Donald Duck. Morgan was very excited to meet him (she loves laughing at him on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse), but unfortunately when we got in line to meet him we were told the family in front of us was the last of the day and we should try back tomorrow. Morgan wasn't too disappointed because I told her we would come back first thing tomorrow and we moved on to Mickey's house. There was hardly anyone in line and Mickey was standing right at his doorway so we were able to get up there pretty fast. Since we would be waiting in line (which moves fairly slowly) I thought this was the perfect time for the walker.

Morgan spotted Mickey around the corner and her face lit up.

Getting Mickey's autograph. My sister had a great idea of making a book for Morgan after the trip with a picture of her and each character next to their signature.

Morgan told Mickey that she was Minne Mouse. He gave his Minnie a kiss. It was so sweet.

After getting pictures with Mickey we walked through his house. It was practically empty since most people either just left after seeing him or walked through very quickly. Morgan took her time and walked through most of the house. We were in there almost 45 minutes, but it paid off because while she was still walking through she saw Mickey two more times both coming and leaving from his break. After Mickey's house we met back up with Jen and the girls who had taken off while we were in Toon Town to do some "big girl" rides.

Caity, Morgan, and Lindsey in their matching Minnie shirts.

JoAnne, Jen, and I got matching Mickey shirts.

All the girls together.

Still in Toon Town we ran into Goofy on our way out. Caity and Lindsey are such great big cousins. They helped Morgan with getting autographs and posed with her for several pictures.

Before leaving Toon Town Morgan convinced David to take her on the roller coaster. She loved it so much they went two more times. She tried to go with the girls when they showed up, but it was down at that time. We then headed to It's a Small World, and then the Pirates of the Carribean. After that we enjoyed some lunch and then more rides.

Meeting Pluto.

The two Minnies meet face-to-face.

All the girls with Minnie.

Morgan's favorite ride of the trip was the Matterhorn. This was the only true roller coaster she was tall enough for and she loved it. She kept saying "I saw a Monkey." Meaning the abominable snowman. As soon as the ride ended she asked David to go again. We went on it two more times total during the trip. At one point Morgan asked me if she could ride California Screamin. I told her she was too small and she was very disappointed. She said " how 'bout the Matterhorn then." Too cute.

By the afternoon of the first day Morgan was very tired, but hanging in there. She did not want to give in and take a nap. We decided that while the big girls went on some big girl rides we would head back to Disneyland (from California Adventures) to enjoy the parade. That had been one of Morgan's favorite parts of the day at Sesame Place so we were pretty sure she would enjoy it. I knew that to get great seats we would want to camp out early and we also needed to get right out of the park after the parade to make our 5 o'clock dinner reservations (when in a party of 8 you need reservations to get right in). So we found a nice spot in the shade (thank goodness, who knew you would get so hot in 75 degrees, that sun really is warm). David and my dad found an ice cream shop for us while we held our spot.

Morgan decided to stroll around for a bit while we waited for the parade to begin. I think she thought she was part of the parade. She kept marching up and down the way. It was so cute and great exercise for her.

As I figured Morgan loved the parade. She danced the whole time. Her favorite part was the princesses, especially when princess Repunzel looked right at her and waved. You should have seen the smile on her face. It was at that moment that I decided that I would for go an hour and a half of my day the next day so my child could meet her. Yes, there is an average wait of 90 minutes to meet Repunzel. She is a popular girl right now. After the parade we headed to the Grand California for dinner. Then back to the park for more playing. By this point Morgan was pretty tired. It was almost 7 and getting chilly. We spent some time shopping in downtown Disney. My dad and JoAnne bought Morgan and Lindsey matching sweat shirts to stay warm (Caity opted for a hat). We decided to split up for a bit since the girls wanted to hit some big rides and Morgan was about to crash. David and I walked with Morgan back to Fantasyland. I had wanted to buy Morgan a Repunzel wig as her souvenir with the hopes that she will wear her Repunzel dress from her birthday for Halloween. By the time we made it to the shop she was out. She slept the rest of the night barely even budging to get her pjs and braces on. We stayed at the park until about 9:30 that night heading out just before the fireworks so we could beat the crowd. It was an amazing day and we couldn't wait to do more the next morning.

We were all pretty exhausted from our first day, but I had promised Morgan we could meet Donald Duck so we were all up bright and early again. This time I set my alarm 15 minutes earlier (5:45) hoping that that extra time along with knowing where we were going today would get us there faster and we would be able to meet Donald. WRONG. We showed up at almost exactly the same time as the day before and again we were told sorry this family in front of you is our last of the day. Morgan was crushed. I very sweetly asked the girl if he would be at Goofy's Kitchen tonight (we were having dinner there) and she said no, but you can come back here tomorrow. I explained that that was what we were told yesterday and that this was our last day in the park. She then very kindly offered that Donald would need a "walking buddy" to walk with him on his way to his break. I think Morgan enjoyed this way more than just getting his autograph. She is still telling everyone she sees how she walked with Donald.


After that we hung around Toon Town for a while enjoying the roller coaster again. This time I think Morgan went on it 8 times in a row. After a while the guy working the line told us we could just go out the exit and turn around and come right back in the handicapped entry rather than continuing to walk all the way around (there was no one in line). By the 8th trip we were all tired of the ride, except Morgan, but we convinced her to check out Goofy's House.
By this time it was about 9:45 so I headed over to get in line for Repunzel. She would be arriving at 11. I am glad I got in line when I did. There were already about 15 people ahead of me and the line started growing quickly. While I waited David and Morgan went on rides in Fantasyland. About 20 minutes into the wait they opened up the official line. We moved forward and I was one group away from shade (DARN!). After another 20 minutes or so my dad and David stopped by with Morgan to say hi and ask if I needed water. I said sure and then told them that I spoke with the guy working the line and he said they wouldn't have to cut through the line at 11 because it curled around to the front where you meet Repunzel. Anyway, the group in front of me heard me say 11 and asked me why. I said well that is when she arrives. They thought the line was just taking a while because she was on break. They didn't feel like waiting another 40 minutes so they left.....heaven! That put me in the shade for the next 40 minutes and made the wait bearable. At 11 the door to Repunzel's tower finally opened. I expected the line to move quickly, but it did not. It was so SLOW. Once we were inside I realized why. They really give each child and their family plenty of time to not only take pictures with her, but to talk with her as well. Morgan was so excited and very pleased that Eugene (Flynn Rider) was there as well. She was really hoping to meet him too.

Notice Morgan pulling on her braid. It was too cute, like she was saying I have long hair like you.
We had forgotten her wig in the van, bummer.

After that long wait I was in need of some water and food. We decided to take a break with the family and enjoy some lunch. The plan was then to ride the Matterhorn one more time by Morgan's request and then head over to California Adventures for the afternoon. During lunch I mentioned something to my dad about dinner and he realized he forgot our dinner vouchers at the hotel. He and JoAnne decided to take off after lunch to get them and take a nap (We began to wonder if he forgot them on purpose. They were so tired. They had been there since Sunday with JoAnne's two sons and their kids).

After the Matterhorn which Morgan enjoyed thoroughly and did "hands-up" we headed to California Adventures. Within a few minutes of entering the park she was fast asleep in the stroller. David and I went off from Jen and the girls so Morgan could relax. We found a quiet spot where the next Pixar Pals performance would be and enjoyed a cold soda.


Morgan woke up just in time for the show. While we watched the show David being the great uncle he is took Lindsey on the Tower of Terror. No one else would dare go on it. Morgan and Caity loved the show. We then all went to watch the Disney Dance Crew. That was great and Mickey made a surprise appearance which Morgan really enjoyed. At the end the crew invited kids from the audience up to dance so Caity and Lindsey went up. They then decided they wanted to see the next Pixar Pals performance to try to get in the show. Caity and Lindsey did manage to get in (I don't have any pictures of it right now). They did a great job and really hammed it up.

Morgan met Mr. Incredible after the show.

Enjoying the carousel while David took the girls on California Screamin.

Morgan and her wig (My dad stopped by our car on the way back from the hotel to get it for her).

Bumper cars in Bugs Life Land.

While waiting for David and the girls on California Screamin we ran into Jessie. We waited for her, but of course we were just a little too late. But the goodnews was they said Woody would be right there so we didn't meet Jessie, but we did get to meet Woody.

After that we headed over to dinner at the Disneyland Hotel to Goofy's Kitchen. I highly recommend character dining to anyone with young kids. It was so great and the food was wonderful too.

Love that Morgan had just shoved a huge bit of food in her mouth.

The best part of dinner was Princess Aurora. Morgan had just finished dancing with Pluto (they play music periodically and the characters dance with the kids) when she spotted Aurora. When Aurora came to our table Morgan very sweetly looked at her and said "May I dance with you."

Aurora was so sweet with Morgan. Although there was no music playing she agreed to dance with her.

She then knelt down right at Morgan's level to talk with her.

She then surprised us all when in ball gown and all she sat right on the floor and offered to hold Morgan for a picture. That made Morgan's trip. She was in heaven. A lady from the table next to us looked at me and said "If that isn't pure happiness I don't know what is. "

By the time we finished dinner it was 8:30. The kids were tired and the adults were wiped. I still wanted to experience more of the park, but my body was telling me I was done. With every step I took with my legs felt like jello and my back ached something fierce. We decided to take the walk through Downtown Disney to the tram and stop on the way for souvenirs. The girls are really into the pins and trading pins. They had bought Morgan a Repunzel pin earlier in the day so David and I told them they could each pick out a pin from us. By the time the fireworks began we were loading back on to the tram for the parking garage. It had been an amazing two days and we were all ready for some rest.

The next morning we all slept in til about 8. We then enjoyed some breakfast and packed up our things. We headed down to Hunnington Beach to play for a bit before heading home.

It was a bit overcasted and chilly at first. But Morgan really wanted to test out the water.

After a few minutes they decided to just go for it and get soaked.

Timing the waves with Daddy.

David is such an amazing Dad. They had a blast together jumping the waves.

After playing in the water we walked out on the pier to Ruby's for lunch. It was then time to hit the road. By the time we finally got on the road it was 3. We split up for the ride back with Jen and Caity riding most of the way with my Dad and JoAnne. We took Lindsey and Morgan expecting them both to sleep most of the way. Morgan napped for about an hour and Linz just curled up and enjoyed a movie or two. Just outside of Phoenix we took Jen and Caity back in our car. We were planning on meeting Mark at Chipo.tle again for a late dinner before heading back to Tucson. My dad and JoAnne were too tired and also knew a faster way to their house before the 101. By the time we finally got home that night it was after midnight. We were exhausted to say the least. It was such an amazing trip and we are so thankful for my dad and JoAnne for making it happen. I love that Morgan is building such wonderful memories with her grandparents, aunt, and cousins. She truly adores them all and is such a lucky girl to have such an amazing family.