Potty Training and Pandemic Birthdays

Felicity is pretty potty trained at this point which is exciting! I don’t really feel like I did very much other than suggest she sit on her little potty and hey if she peed she could have a sticker for her chart and a couple M&Ms. Low and behold we should have known what this girl was willing to do for a little extra chocolate. In a matter of a couple days she took it upon herself to go whenever she needed to go. She doesn’t even tell us anymore! She just goes off on her own and plops down. We usually hear the bathroom door swing open and are running in to help her just as she finishes. She also doesn’t even ask for the chocolate anymore, she’s just totally accepted that this is what we do now. I am considering ourselves extremely lucky.

Sometimes we joke that we’re just going to build Felicity a little apartment out back because she is growing up to be so self sufficient! I put the potty chart away by day 5 because it was all filled up and I thought it was time to write on the back how quickly she picked it up and tuck it in her baby book. We’re haven’t attempted naptime and bedtime training yet but we’re really proud of her so far! I think she’s eager to get to those stages because she’s already popping her diaper off right when she wakes up.

Oh my friend Kristin. You can always count on her to make your birthday special because she loves celebrating birthdays. It might actually be her love language. For my birthday this year she came over to watch Felicity for a few hours and then we spent some quality time together, chatting and watching a movie while Lici napped. It was exactly what I needed. I wish I could go over the top for her birthday every year but it was pretty clear that this year we couldn’t do anything big. So instead Felicity and I spent most of our day baking cupcakes and mixing frosting for our bestest friend. We opted for cupcakes instead of a cake so that she could blow out her own candles.

Then we made party hats! Well, I made party hats while Felicity watched the Lorax, let’s be honest. I threw up a birthday bunting and some pink tissue poms, plus a few candles and it was a perfect intimate little birthday party.

Lici loves singing Happy Birthday since her own birthday, though she is always surprised when we say someone else’s name in the middle of the song.

I should tell you how many hours have been spent talking to this sweet friend of mine. How many tears shared. How her struggles have become my own. How she has carried my own burdens. How she’s listened with compassion to things she has not experienced for herself but somehow makes you feel like she has. I know that when I don’t know what else to pray she is standing in the gap and praying. God gave her the most gentle heart I have ever known and my life would not be the same without her in it. Happy Birthday dear sweet friend. You don’t look a day over 25! We love you!