Bear aint Bare...

Okay dare I say it is official. Our bear is not BARE anymore.

I had been potty training him for 2 weeks now with out underwear on when we are at home. Now for the past 3 days I have had him in underwear (here at the house) and he has stayed dry.

Last night we went to a party and I left him in his underwear and shorts. The drive was 20 min appx and we even stopped for gas.

We got there... DRY! I asked my cousin to take him to the restroom while a whole battalion cam out and unloaded the rest of the troop and goodies from our vehicle. (J was working... so I was going solo with all 3 littles!)

We stayed there for about 2 plus hours... NOT ONE ACCIDENT! And he did good to say "potty" when he had to go (if we weren't asking him first!). Then the car ride home... DRY! YES! We then had to put a diaper on him. It feels to me like we are helping him regress by putting a diaper on him but what else can you do if you want him in a dry bed.

He still wakes up in the morning with a soaked diaper so he is not officially out of diapers yet. I have asked the question that I would love input on... "how long until he can go through the night? And what do I need to do to train him for overnight?"

I have got one reply from J's Aunt... "I woke up with mine every morning at 2 AM for 2 weeks and they never had a bed wetting problem". Love this. I think that is what will have to happen but then what... do they just go on their own at 2AM? Or do they just learn to hold it b.c now they are more aware of what is going on during sleep? I will ask her and get back to you on that.

But for now... if you have ANY words of wisdom please feel free to leave them for me in the comment section of this post! Thanks so much!

Getaway day.

J had planned a surprise getaway a while back and we finally got to go on that adventurous day this weekend. We (all 5 of us) drove to Salado (45 min from our home) to stay at a motel and play downtown at their fun antique shops and stores.

We got there a little later than anticipated due to stopping off along the way to drop off some goods to my family so we got there and checked into the motel and then went to eat. We then drove around down town and from the back seat Bear saw a play ground and started frantically repeating "pway, pway, pway" and with his sweet voice we could not resist {and we were going there anyway} So it was a win, win situation!

While getting completely dirty at the playground we spotted the river and decided to take a walk down that way to see what we could get into!

WATER... lots of cold WATER. The boys jumped right in and LOVED every minute of it. As a child I grew up at the lake with my mom and her friends. So I love being at the lake and all that entails! Rivers are even better ESPECIALLY when they are clean and clear. We love going to a little place about 30 min from here that has a natural spring waterfall and the water is crystal clear but it is also ICE COLD! So awesome! We generally go camping close by and then take a day trip to the falls to play. We are planning another trip real soon. I can't wait!!!

So anyhoo we got the boys out of their clothes and into dry diapers and drove them back to the motel for bed. Ahhhhhhh.... What a wonderful night.

The next morning I stayed at the Motel and got "Miley" ready and bathed for the day and fed her while the others went to get breakfast nearby. When they returned we loaded the rest of our things and drove back down to the river and played some more! This time in respective swimming clothing! :) It was so much fun even though our Bear could not get a word out that didn't sound like he was sitting on a washing machine during the spin cycle! He was freezing cold but would not hear of getting out to warm up! At least daddy was in there having all the fun right along side his boys! Miley and I stayed up on the shore (rocks) and soaked up some rays; she was loving lying on her blanket and kicking her little legs!






































































We then drove back to our home town to have lunch with the In laws. We came home and J napped and then we took Moe's Daddy F to dinner and then to a park to play with his son for Father's day!

We had a great weekend overall! So much fun to get away from our home town every once in a while!

Maybe he will...

be a good zoo keeper; cleaning up after goats....



....Maybe not.


The one thing I DO know about him is that he IS a great "*big brother*"; no matter how long or short lived it may be... he does it well for the time he has been given.



***No they are not related***

5 AM

That is exactly what I saw on the clock when I retrieved Miley Bird from her cradle this morning. Time to feed & change bird and sleep for 2 more hours until "morning" in the Wachsmann household.

That was before my race to the restroom before my bladder exploded this morning. I had to set bird down and go to the restroom QUICKLY. Upon arrival in the restroom and my trying to get my eyes to stay open I heard a thumping noise coming from the boys' bedroom.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Sure enough; as I entered the room there sat a wide eyed and bushy tailed little Bear. With one shoe on none the less!

When he saw me he proceeds to tell me... "Maaaawwwwnin'"! So to keep sanity for the other sleeping child and for me later b.c he is a CRAB APPLE if he gets woken up, by say... a noisy brother!

So I take him to go potty and then bring him into the LR with me to finish feeding Bird and he never showed a sign of being tired. I on the other hand was dead walking! Forget sleep walking! We did however get Miley back to sleep and then we shared some fun Mommy - son time together before the household started breathing for the day!

During those next hours we managed to wear mommy's no show socks as knee highs; eat strawberries and play with suds in the kitchen, make breakfast (eat your heart out Pampered Chef! Here we have the ahem... un-pampered chef!) and then he was put on dish detail! Ahhhh he's growing up. I am glad to have moments like these to spend with him alone! He is so precious to me.






































Then you have the little ruffle muffin bottom that woke again to grace us with her presence! She is getting bigger by the day. Her court hearing was today and they are requesting a paternity test on the alleged BF because there are family of his that want to take her but in order for that to happen they have to verify paternity. If he is indeed the father then they will be candidates for Bird to go with them. If not then there is no reason for them to take her and we will start seeking other potential fathers and family members to take her. If all that falls through then we are first pick in getting to keep her.













It is still WAY early in the case to determine things from one standpoint or another but we can hope right; I mean right?

As for Moe baby; CPS is having a staffing Thursday and we will then start the transitioning. Wow it is so close!

Hope you enjoyed this 5AM just as much as I did.

from the land of Nod...

Hello faithful blog readers. I am so sorry that I have been incognito. I have been doing all the fun paperwork that comes along with placements and fostering. As well as squeezing in training hours and visits with 2 of our 3 children! OH yes... and teaching, playing with, feeding, diapering, potty training, bathing all of our littles! AND the normal house stuff...dishes, cleaning, laundry. Then there's the dog, cat, fish feeding, tank cleaning that goes on.

Needless to say we have been busy. We are all adapting well and getting along just fine. Some days are still testing the waters but I am loving our 3 littles!

I took "Miley Bird" to her first visit a couple days ago. I have to say I was at a loss for words. I did type up a letter and print off some pictures of their precious daughter for them. I prayed about it and felt like it was from the Lord so I proceeded to type the letter not knowing anything about them. I got to the visit and saw some people sitting in the lobby. I thought the woman looked WAY too skinny to have a 3 week old baby! But then the CPS CW came and took baby bird from me and then the people in the Lobby left to go back too. Hmmmm guess that's them.

I am in no way judging them but I really hope they can get it together if they are serious about getting her back! I gave the CW her diaper bag and showed her the letter that I had written to them. She shook her head in acknowlegement and proceeded on.


Other than that newness... Bear is still in potty training mode. He is doing amazing. He can go all day without a diaper (if no one comes over OR we don't go anywhere) and not have an accident. Even for naptimes he is good at holding it until he wakes and then gets out of bed when I come to get him and goes potty repeating "haiwy, haiwy, haiwy Pot-T".

He has been sleeping in a toddler bed now for about 3 weeks. We just took the front rail off his bed and left it open. He only fell out maybe twice and now he is sleeping like a champ in his bed. He stays in for the most part. I did go in there one day and he had a shoe on.... and unless it was hiding in his bed when I put him down I am POSITIVE he got out. It was under his bed so he could have just dangled over the edge and grabbed it. I have seen this act before; who knows! :)

He can now put on his own shoes and get himself dressed from the waist down. His shirts are still a bit tough and slow going so we still work with him and help him on that. He is getting so independent and he is so smart. He can say lots of stuff now. He can say some things that resemble sentences missing the conjunctions. It is fun to hear him speaking and telling us what he wants now.

He has also started this lining things up bit. I came into the kitchen today and found these cars parked just like this along the bottom of the cabinets.



I later went into his room and found some of his toys lined up on their play table.

He is really getting into his tee ball set and his cars. He loves hitting the balls off the tee and running to get them... He has become Duke's best friend! With his cars he drives them all over the place making car noises and he loves to take them to bed with him so that he can drive up and down the back rails of his bed while lying there. Eventually he falls asleep with them tucked beneath his arm as to not let them fall off the bed. He is so fun and we love him dearly! He loves his newest role of big brother. He has always been a big brother but Moe is not that far behind him in age so now he has someone he can hold and just stare at that doesn't move all that much!

Moe is still doing Moe things. Still removes his diaper from time to time. Still pees in his bed when he does remove it. He is still our little comedian. He makes us laugh most of the time unless he is having a day! Then he makes you want to pull your hair out b.c he is so clingy and needy. I love that he is my snuggle bunny but when I have 20 other irons in the fire I have got to do something more than sit on the couch while he whines! Those days he goes and sits in his crib until he is ready to be good then he comes out with a changed attitude for the most part. He is good like that. He will change his behavior when corrected. He is learning new things too. He watches Bear all the time and pretty much tries to do all the things he sees big brother doing. He is still the typical little brother but he is loved and taught right beside big brother!

That is about the updated version of our lives right now. Check back and maybe; hopefully, I will have filled in more about our lives. I sure hope to post some pictures soon. Maybe someday!

We are alive and well!

Well here she is... we have been a bit busy with a sick little Bear. He has been running really bad fever and is trying so hard to stay away from this little bundle of bows and pink!



She is so absolutely amazing and we are enjoying her presence in our family!




Life with 3 under the age of 2 is interesting. It is not as hard as I thought it would be. The TRYING thing is one little boy that wants to be independent but cannot comprehend all the things that independent little boys do. Moe baby is pushing every one of my buttons to see what he can and cannot get away with. He used to do this when he was sick or teething. I have been changing some pretty bad diapers and... ahem... sheets from him. So it could be that OR it could be that he is getting older and is getting more and more confused and starting to lash out at us. We LOVE HIM and are dealing but it is getting really rough. ON ALL OF US! This week we should be seeing a transition schedule. It is going to be good for him that he can now know "stability" and will know that he lives with his daddy. I will keep you posted.

In the mean time we are getting little Miley Bird on her schedule and she is doing great. With the boys we were on a 3 hour schedule... with Bird we are on a 2 hour schedule b.c she eats so little and it is very different. YES just an hour is a HUGE difference!

Bear has been trying to play catch with her. He brings her books and balls hoping that she will do something other than lay there! He is so enthralled with her and is always looking for "Miley" (he can even say her name and calls for her). So sweet and always looking to do for her. She loses her paci, he is there trying to put it in... he sees a bottle and says her name and points to her. If he finds a bottle low enough he will try and feed her. He just grins from ear to ear when he sees her! I love seeing them together!






So here she is... I have been having ever too much fun with her beautiful hair and mixing and matching fun outfits for her. This is way more fun than I could have ever imagined! hehe

Blog friendly!!! "Miley"

Today we ventured out into the great wide open. We had a visit for Moe's dad and decided to go to the museum. My niece Jessica is still with me and so she helped with Bear a lot. He was feeling a little under the weather I think so it was kind of dramatic at some points but all in all it was smooth sailing.

Unloading children: I took out the wagon from the trunk of our camry and then put Bear in first. Then put Moe in; strapped them both in. Then I put "Miley" in the Moby that I had put on before I left the house. Easy, Cheesy, nice and peasy!

She is getting the schedule down pretty well! Eat; up for an hour or so and then down to sleep. She fusses for a minute or two and then she's conked out. It is getting less and less time between laying down and falling asleep. I just swaddle her and put her in her cradle she is getting great at getting herself to sleep now. Ahhh I love Babywise :).

We are doing great. It is complicated with visits and all but other than that it is good! Thanks for your prayers!!!

"Miley"

She is a tiny little miracle and we are so pleased to be her family for this season of her life! She is very petite and so very tiny. She cannot weigh more than 5.5 or 6 lbs. She is in Preemie clothing and has already melted our hearts! Her little name is discreet but we will call her Miley for sake of keeping peace.

We do not know much (weight, height, middle name... etc) of anything. We have been hearing this story unfolding more and more and it is kind of all over the place and in the fog! We do know at this point that we will have her for at least 14 days min. That is when court takes place and we will know more.

But as of now she is as precious as you please and so very mild tempered! She took her last bottle at 11P and slept until 4:30 and even then she didn't make a noise hardly. I just happened to be up for a morning trip to the BR and i saw her moving around and heard her little squeak. I figured I would get her up and feed her and change her. I immediately put her back in bed and off to slumber she went. I then couldn't sleep so I went to Wal-Mart while all were still in bed and sleeping. I got some supplies that we needed to house this little girl for two weeks. And back home I returned to an awaiting two boys (7A) that greeted me with a "mmmaaaaaawwwwnin'" when I peaked in their room. I got them up and to the restroom (one of them anyway). Then started breakfast and by 8 they were all fed and then time to wake up Miley. woke her up and fed her and then she is down again!

I will work on some blog safe pictures of her and then you will get to see what we are so in love with!

Thaks for all of your prayers and love and support! We are blessed by friends and family!

What's this I hear!!!

A 2 WEEK OLD BABY GIRL!!! Okay so I don't hear her just yet but she is in route here as I type. It may not be until late tonight that we see her sweet face but we are in fact going to be seeing her sweet face!!!

All we know is that this is said to be temporary and that is okay too. I am just so excited that we get to snuggle a 2 week old baby girl tonight!!! and for a couple days to follow!

Please pray for our family that we can indeed hold it together like super glue! this makes baby # 3 under age 2! woohoo... Yeah adrenaline here we come!!! We are so excited but even more so that we have another parent(s) to minister to and reach out to! Please pray for them as well!

see you all "soon"!

Project J complete!

Here it is FINALLY! Project J. This is the prize won by The Beaver Bunch for naming my wordless wednesday (two weeks ago!) Finally her patient waiting has paid off! Thanks for playing Jess... Congratulations and hope to see you back again for another chance to win at WoRdLeSs WeDnEsDaY... contests!