14 month update

DS 14 months old on Monday the 1^st May

* We started at...

Birth

* Generally speaking we are doing...

Awesome-fabulous! A nappy-free baby is a breeeeeeeeeeze.

* How do you know your baby has to go?

Various signs – pickle tugging is pretty clear, plucking at underwear, frown, stopping activity getting up and looking around. Overt signals are things like approaching me and calling, making his ‘ghrrrr’ sound, (sometimes pshhh and now ‘sss’) tugging at his ear/hair, bringing over his pee bowl or brining in the potty (yet doesn’t even use it yet! My intuition is also really good now – or maybe he just goes easily every time I happen to offer – in any event ‘dry runs’, ‘test runs’ or ‘magic pees’ (thanks Bernadette!) are very, very few now – once a day perhaps rather than several times perhaps. The interesting thing about signals (overt) is that he will sign once ‘to the universe’, now he may signal overtly twice, but I’ll almost always catch it. Even if I think I hear it, off we go, and whammo! I am guiding DH in what to listen for with the vocal calls at the moment, as he isn’t hearing them as well yet. "Did you hear that sound? That was it" (or one of them)

* Is there a difference for poos and pees?

The only new insight to add here is that I *think* that massaging his calf muscles as I hold him in arms for a poo either helps him to relax to go, or somehow helps him to go. Poos actually smell now that he is eating something every day (fancy that?) As he has a morning pattern of 5.30 whoopsies, I put it beside the bed as I attempt to boob him off for a bit longer snooze so I can go on-line (occasionally works!) Gee, fhew! I almost gag at the thought of him SITTING in that, being forced to do it in his pants! I’ve found that allowing him/ helping him to stretch out one or the other leg, sort of twisting himself, then the slight bicycling, really helps him to get it started or out now that things are ‘chunkier’. I keep a little cloth UNDER my pillow so I know there is something ready to wipe his toosh without having to grope in the drawer one-handed in the dark. (Oi!)

* Which positions/receptacles do you use?

In-arms classic position, various makeshift positions! "potty modelling" is still occurring. Having head-scratching over how to ‘show’ (model) how to get onto the potty for him.

* Do you use nappies or training pants?

Since he turned 14 months, he has ONLY been in knickers so far. (or the usual nakey bum)

* How are you doing away from home?

He’s been nakey butt or in knickers in-arms since about 6-7 months, but into Onewets when we arrive somewhere that he has independent ‘floor’ time, as he’d either pee with excitement endlessly or not pee for hours in excitement, and I couldn’t tell which it would be! I’ve been using knickers more and more – practicing for short ‘floor’ times recently – as usual, at first this is a ‘brain strainer’ as I watch like a hawk for signs so there are no accidents when out, then the next stage is to realise that, well, he was staying dry in his Onewets more and more at these times, we could do it. I often use the ‘birthday’ each month for a new goal, or to move into a new comfort zone, and it is a great strategy. This week we went to a NEW playgroup in knickers for over two hours, then an ABA meeting for over 2 hours, all fine. I am SOOO excited – floor communication is always the ‘hit or miss’ time for us, now it is coming together! I am certain all the nakey bum time at home has been the key for us – I can watch for signs, reinforce the cue on misses, he gets the feedback etc.

* What are you doing at night?

Naked baby sleeps between us, rouses to dream feed, sleep-pee at 9pm, 2pm and 5.30am atm. He went 9 hours between pees the other night, so may be approaching the overnight pattern again. I am so excited about this, yet it would be bizarre to the "Is he sleeping through the night?" crowd, as I am more excited about him not peeing overnight, despite the fact that he feeds 3-4 hourly. What would the phrase be? It can’t be "he’s dry through the night", as he has been more or less since 3-4 months with my help, but ‘holding’ it all night? Hmm…

* Who takes baby to the toilet?

Me, dh

* Accidents - how many do you have and what times are especially accident-prone?

0-2 a day, related to my distraction (computer) or similar. Last month the much higher rate turned out to be related to a pineapple reaction: (here’s what I wrote on my web-page)

The Peril of Pineapple - Baby's reaction to pineapple - not good

* Other new insights:

 'Misses’ are self-cleaning! Maven goes and gets the flannel to wipe up any misses. He even cleaned up a poop accident when having some teething troubles for a few days. WOW. He wipes up any water he finds on the floor, or on things. I have in my mind from the ‘continuum concept’ how chn can be helping out more than being helped by four, and I can definitely see that happening! He helps dress/undress, puts his clothes away, hands me clothes to hang on the line, (all at a ‘baby’ level of attention and frequency of course), but wow.

* What do you like most about ecing at the moment?

My life involves taking the baby to places with a pair of knickers in my pocket that I never actually need. This is normal. Nappies are NOT!

* Do you ever wish you'd have never heard about it?

Of course not! I bring it up if I get the chance. Like many of you, I see everywhere babies reacting to the food from cans and jars being fed to them, and signs of elimination needs being mis-interpreted everywhere. THE major one being breast fussing being interpreted as either a sign of low supply or a ‘self weaning’ sign no matter the age -gagh! I only hope I can help change that for some people at least…sigh.

* A tip for this age/stage?

Responding to the first overt signal, even if the baby seems to be doing it absently or ‘on the move’. The stage is definitely still (for us) ‘mum in charge’, but beginning the ‘baby-in-charge’ starting with his overt signalling at the moment, currently him more frequently getting the bowl, going to the bathroom when I ask "toilet?" or "Lets go to the toilet" on seeing a sign or signal. Looking forward now to moving towards beginning independent using of a toilet place….whenever!

Charndra

Ds Maven 14 months