Center of the Universe!

That is what Alder is for now and what he will not necessarily be in the near future....and there is no way to prepare him nor us of what this will truly mean. I don't mean to suggest that we spoil Alder, but we certainly focus a large portion of our attention and energy on him - which I'm afraid will simply not be feasible here soon.Hopefully the transition to brotherhood will be smooth for you, Alder, and you will find fun and excitement in having a brother or sister. Two weeks to go till the due date, but I am thinking (probably wishful) that it may be a bit sooner....

Some fun we three have been having lately includes eating smoothies to fill mom's cravings - and Alder LOVES them too.
Dad and Alder riding the bike to the bus and then to school/work - this was a very exciting day for Alder considering he had never been on a bus before and only adored them from afar. Jason said that as soon as he got on the bus, he stood with arms outstretched in the middle of the isle and exclaimed "on the bus!" several times while others waited behind him....

A trip to the annual farm party where we own a share (Community Supported Agriculture). We walked around the 3.5 acre garden and nibbled on broccoli and kale while we marveled at the bounty.Oh yes, and I feel safe to finally report on Alder's potty progress. I hesitate to boast because last time I did, he went for two weeks refusing most potty opportunities that we offered. I feel confident now because I finally feel like he's got it. It works like this: he's tells us he needs to go, we ask him if he wants to sit or stand (they always sit at school), he often says "sit down" and nowadays says "go away mommy", then we quietly stand outside in the hall and listen to his interrupted breathing and occasional whisper-singing, then he shouts "Alright Alder!" when he is done. Then he flushes once (this is ample reward for him!) and moves on. Fun! And he is not needing a reducer for the toilet seat, thanks to his learning at school how to hold himself up and lean forward. Alder has not worn a diaper (except to sleep and he never has accidents then) for the last three weeks when at home and has only had a few accidents at first. We tried underwear at school a few weeks ago and he would not communicate with his teachers so we continued sending him in diapers until last week when I simply forgot to put one on him. And his teachers are really great about offering the potty to him so he has had no accidents at school in a week! Here is a note we got after his first BM at school...

In retrospect, though we have not been able to be with Alder at all times in the first two years, we feel certain that using Elimination Communication, even part time and starting at 6 months, has expedited his learning and the gentle transition into using the bathroom. We anticipate some regression once the new baby arrives, but are excited nonetheless! We may not have two in diapers after all!!

On a sad/worrisome note, we are concerned that Alder's right foot may be relapsing. Our current doctor suggested that we cease brace wear after his second birthday b/c all looked great and we politely refused his suggestion as all of our reading suggests brace wear need to continue until at least 3 years of age. Two weeks later we noticed Alder walking on the outside of his right foot. We have been the most compliant parents with ensuring he wears his brace every night so we are super concerned and disappointed with this possibility. We are working to get an appointment with a clubfoot specialist in Baltimore soon after the baby arrives to get a second opinion. Stay tuned for more details on this....