Derek cut tooth #4 a few days ago.

Potty Training: "I'm just not ready"

Well I figured that Jackson might not be ready for potty training but I just had to try. We were intense for 4 days and he just never got the concept that he needed to run to the potty when he needed to go. I think that I was the one who was potty trained if anyone was. I was always running him to the potty and just making it. This same thing happened with Erica also. I tried to early and she just didn't get it. I don't think that this will hurt are chances for a second try later on though. He was so good to go with me and such a happy boy though the whole thing. I just wish that I listened to my gut and understood that he wasn't ready, but now we know and it wont be so hard to put a diaper on him wondering if we could just get rid of them.

Potty Training Day 4

Well I would say that today marks the first day of potty training for real. Jackson has been doing so well this morning. We have only had one accident and the rest of it has gone in the potty. I'm feeling really encouraged. He just went down for a nap. I hope he will be as good in the afternoon.

Potty Training Day 3

11:22 am: Well this morning has been pretty uneventful which I guess you could say is good. Jackson did wake up with a pretty dry diaper (that's if Brent didn't change his diaper before he left for work). There have been no accidents, and also nothing in the potty. Hope he does soon cause it's almost nap time.

12:18 pm: I just put Jackson and Derek down for a nap. Jackson still has not gone in is potty. I wonder if he was waiting for me to put his diaper on for his nap. Well I guess that we will find out soon enough.

4:35 pm: Poop accident.

5:30 pm: Victory!!!! I had to write down Jackson's real first victory. He went poop and pee in his potty and was so excited about it. I hope that the excitement will last for him I know that I'm feeling it right now.

9:12 pm: This evening Brent came home and I was able to go to Relief Society and then too book club. I was so ready to get out of the house. Before I left I can't tell you how many times Jackson peed on the flour and I was getting away from it all (to be nice i took Derek with me, for Brent's sake). While I was gone he did go in the potty once.

Potty Training Day 2

11:56 am: So far we have had two accidents this morning and nothing in the toilet. The two time he had an accident he didn't even come and get me to tell me he was wet. I keep telling myself that it's okay, and to keep going on even though I want to throw in the towel right now. He will be wearing a diaper for his nap and that will give me a little break. I'm starting to think that sending Derek and Erica somewhere else so the I can just concentrate on Jackson would make thing a whole lot easier, but I don't know.

4:35 pm: Yeah he woke up from his nap at 3:00 with a dry diaper, so i put him on the potty, nothing. I have had him on the potty three times since he woke up still nothing. He has even had a Popsicle and some pop and still nothing..

7:06 pm: Yeah we have had one success. Jackson was hating sitting on the toilet, but he also hated the potty chair at my sisters house we tried yesterday. So I got to thinking and pulled out a stainless bowl that I never use and placed his toilet set on the bowl. He likes it more right now. Just a while ago he had and accident and then sat down on his little bowl again. Then I hear Brent call to Jackson because he had found his bowl with a little puddle in it. Yeah for Jackson. I was hoping that was all it would take. Well Brent just left for YM's and Jackson opened the front door with just a shirt on and went pee on the front porch while waving goodbye to Daddy. One step forward two steps back isn't that right?!

9:01 pm: Jackson is done on his potty sitting by Brent. We had him put a diaper on because a friend came over and wanted to play outside. When I took it off there was only a little bit of pee. Not really any so we decided to see if he will go before bed. I hope he does, and I hope that tomorrow will be a better day for potty training. I can't wait to only have one kid in diapers.

Potty Training Day 1

Yesterday was day 1 of potty training Jackson. I'm doing it now because we have about 2 weeks before things start going again with school and dance. So here we are. We went and got him some cute underpants that have all kinds of balls all over them. He was so excited when I gave them to him.

We started trying to use the potty after nap time. A couple of hours in we still had no success and one accident. That's okay though. You can't expected them to get it right off. Erica and I have been trying to get him so excited about it. Derek has even been in on it too. He thinks that its fun to pull himself up on the toilet while Jackson is trying to go. Jackson doesn't like this so much. We try to keep Derek distracted with toys while we go in for another try.

Erica

A couple of days ago Brent was helping Erica clean up the family room.

Dad: "Erica will you help me clean up the toys?"
Erica: "Dad, that's not my deal."

Visit from the Longhurst Family

Last night Skye and Bracken came to visit us with their cute family. We had dinner together and let the kids all run around. They were all so good together. We didn't have a single fight. It's so fun to see them. It's been a few years since we all hung out together. They have three cute kids. Hayes just turn 5, Kamri is 3, and Layla is 4 months. It's so fun that we all have kids the same ages. Thanks for the visit.

Derek was 9 months on the 19th.
It's so crazy all of the new things that he does now, and most of them he has mastered in the last couple of days.
Crawling on all fours.
Pulling himself up on chairs and the coach.
Cut his third tooth yesterday.
Clapping his hands.
Blowing raspberries.
Saying sound dada.
He also wears between 9 to 12 month clothing sizes.
Last night he pulled himself up to a standing position on me and then stood on is own for a few seconds. He thought it was fun so he kept doing it.
He has also picked up crawling up stairs. We have to really watch him because now he is trying to crawl up the stairs to the top floor. He can get up a couple of steps and then rolls down again. He doesn't like this part so much though.
Now that he can move around were ever he wants to he doesn't like to sit still anymore. I can't help but wonder if he is going to be just as active as Erica and Jackson were and still are.

Today Derek climbed up the stairs from the family room to the kitchen. That is about 4 steps all together. I no longer can use the family room as my play pen for him.

One funny side note that happened today, my sister Marie called and told me that her and Dan watched "knowing" last night. We told them that it was the best movie ever (which it is not). Anyway they watched it last night and were wondering the whole time how we could have liked this movie. It is about this guy who gets this paper from a time capsule that has all these dates of tragedies. The movie might have been okay except for the aliens at the end. Anyway thanks Marie and Dan for being such good sports with the whole joke.

On a sad note today Brent's parents lost their dog Ping today. A few months ago they lost Chelsea's dog Toto and then Ping started going down hill. They found out he had diabetes and he was also losing his vision. The last few weeks he went down hill fast. He was afraid of everything and could not see and was in a lot of pain. He was such a cute little dog and a good friend to Brent's Dad and Mom. It all came as a shock. It's always hard to lose someone that is such a big part of your life.

Story for Jackson

Dad's Best Helper
Written By, Carol K. Davis

My name is Jackson.

I am Three.

I am my Dad's best helper.

The thing I like to do most is work on the digger.

I sit on my Dad's lap.

Then he lets me turn the key.

The digger starts to shake. That means it's digging time.

Together we scoop up the big rocks.

They are heavy.

Soon we will take a break.

We work hard all day long.

When we are done Dad tells me what a good helper I am.

I am my Dad's best helper.


(I know that Jackson isn't three yet, but I felt that three was better. I don't think a two year old could tell the story this way.)

Jackson's Rescue

This year Brent and I were able to go to my Mom's family reunion. We haven't been able to for a long time because of traveling long distance, and also having young children. Now that we live in Enoch we decided that we would go up to the cabin and camp with the Marie and Dan, and Cheryl and Tony. The cabin tends to be crowded even though it is very large. When we arrived Erica and Jackson almost immediately went down to the pond to play. I followed while Brent set up the Tent. My Mom, Janet, and Marie were done there with me. After being down there for a while I heard Erica on the little dock calling to me. I looked up and thought that she wanted to show me something. When I came closer I saw Jackson in the water. He was completely covered and his little eyes looked so frighted. I jumped in immediately and brought him up. Thank goodness the water was shallow enough for me to stand. We were all a little shaken. Erica came running up to me crying after I brought Jackson out of the water. I held both her and Jackson to comfort them.
The night before I had gone looking for a life vest for Jackson because I was worried that something like this might happen. I was not able to find one anywhere. I could not believe that he could have fallen in the water without me even hearing it happen. My sister Marie told Brent later that it was so quiet when it happened. We didn't hear a thing. I'm so grateful that Erica called out to me. She was able to understand that there was something wrong and that Jackson needed help.
I have this memory from when I was on the swim team that still terrifies me. One of the coaches had a little boy a little younger than Jackson. One day he fell into the water. His mother was leaning over the edge trying to get him out. I remember the boy falling into my lane. I was standing pretty far from the edge of the pool but I could have swam to him. I went into shock because of what was happening, and it seemed that everyone else did as well, all except for his mother. She finally jumped in to the pool to rescue him.
I have always wondered what I would do if I were in the same situation. I'm so grateful to know that I could act quickly in this situation. I still think of that moment and wish that it could be taken from my mind. I never want to see those image in my mind again. I'm so grateful for Erica, that she was prompted to call to me and let me know that there was something wrong. I'm so grate for Brent. Because he is a worthy priesthood holder he was able to give me a blessing to comfort me. I love my little Jackson so much and I am so grateful everyday that he is safe.

Uncle Fester

Little Derek with no hair!

His hair. It looks like some kind of fur it's so soft.

Well just a few minutes ago I cute Derek's hair. I was just going to trim it because he had a lot of hairs that were really long. I wanted to make it look all nice and neat. Well thank goodness he is a boy because I forgot to put the trimmer on the clippers. I went to far into his hair line that I just had to take it all off. Doesn't he have a good shaped head though?! :)

Brent thinks the he looks just like Uncle Fester.

Summer Camp July 12-14

A puppet, book, and a cute look and find toy.

Erica showing me her book.

Last day of class. Showing what she made.

The neighbor girl next door did a cute summer camp. Erica went and had the greatest time. They would do an activity and then make their own lunch.

Up on all fours

For the last couple of weeks Derek has been up in the crawling position. He is really determined to get this crawling thing down.