Away To Me

My kid rocks!

About 30 minutes after yesterday's potty training blog post, my big boy walks up to me and says, "mama poop" then dart to his bedroom (not the bathroom). I was a tad irked, thinking he had pooped in his underwear. He was pointing to the wipes up on the dresse. So I grabbed the wipes and as I was turning around preparing mentally for the task at hand I notice Jake dart towards the bathroom. 

Amazingly, he was headed to the toilet. Not the small new potty I bought, but rather the big toilet with the small potty seat in it. Mind you we had purchased the small potty earlier in the day specifically for poop! So I thought he was just going to go pee.

Wrong again mom! He jumped right up on the big potty and sat there with a grin as he did his manly  business. He pointed toward a magazine and so I handed it too me. I asked him if he wanted a book. And he said, yes. I realized within seconds that he had already pooped. He kept saying poop. Which just cracked me up. 

I read him two books while he sat there and finished up. Then he proudly jumped off the potty. Flushed the toilet and waved to the poop saying, "Bye bye poop". Then he jumped on the small potty and peed. LOL 

I am so proud of him I can't even believe how impressed I am not so much with the potty training part, but his good attitude about it all. I was really second guessing myself on Friday. I thought maybe I was rushing him. But you know, by the actions he is taking now, I'm thinking we are on the right track. I know there will be good days and bad days. But yesterday was an awesome day. Not a single accident and we even got poop on the potty! I'm just thrilled!

Potty Training

Today has been a really good potty training day. We have had zero accidents and more importantly zero resistance to use the potty when asked. The reason I say today and not potty training in general is because we are taking this one day at a time.

Tomorrow we will hope for the best!

Today he woke up and as soon as I took his Night time Pull Ups off he went and used the potty. No hassles. From that point on he was in underwear. He asked to use the potty once, but also used the potty every time he was asked. We went  to do some shopping today and he had no accidents during our 1 1/2 hours away from home. (yesterday he went nearly 3 hours away from home with no problem).

After lunch he needed to take a nap so I put a pull up on him. He used the potty first! When he woke up he was dry in his pull up and went and peed on the potty when I asked him to! I'm so proud of his attitude today. 

We did pick up a new potty chair today. He seems to have issues pooping on the big potty even with the seat that fits on it. I think he needs the leverage of having his feet on solid ground. Yesterday he pooped in the bathroom .... just not the potty! LOL In addition to the new  potty we bought more big boy underwear that he got to pick out. He seemed excited about it. I'm sure once they are out of the wash and he can choose which pair he wants to wear he will be more excited!

So that's our progress thus far. Today was day 4 or 5. My pregnant mind has forgotten if we started on Tuesday or Wednesday. Either way I'm delighted in his attitude. He even helps with his soiled laundry. He puts things in the wash and takes them out and puts them in the dryer! 

25 five weeks and post Thanksgiving update!

Twenty-five weeks pregnant. I shake my head every Friday when another week clicks by. I'm so very thankful for each day of this pregnancy. I'm feeling really well and everything has gone so smoothly and I do NOT take that for granted. Not one bit! 

Thanksgiving was okay. I'm a little irked at a few aspects of it, but you know, that's how it is when you are hosting a holiday event. Add pregnancy hormones and normal aches and pains to the mix and you get irked.

One thing I learned is that when I need help from my hubby I should just ask nicely and not pout and be a bitch about it. I guess I knew that before, but I was re-awakened to the idea yesterday. I was not nice at one point. Instead of saying "can you please help" I instead walked over and whispered in his ear while he was sitting on the couch, "Comfy" as sarcastically and bitchy as humanly possible. Oops. Not my proudest moment I can assure.

I won't try to defend myself on this. No matter what the cause of my actions, I know better than to treat my sweet hubby like that. He also admitted his faults and said he was sorry for his actions (or lack there of) during the day. So we learned a lot yesterday. He learned that just because I'm smiling and looking like I'm happy and okay, doesn't mean I don't need help. 

My MIL and SIL rocked! They did so much to help. MIL was probably the happiest I've seen her. She seemed to be feeling really well and was in good spirits. It was so nice to see her this way. SIL is always fun. 

The biggest irk of the day was SIL's step daughter. She is baggage in my opinion. She never offers to help at all. Yesterday was no exception. She brought her two kids, her boyfriend and his two kids and never did a thing. She brought deviled eggs and never even offered to wash her own pan. She and her brood left right after dinner, before dessert. She also brought rice crispy treats. But I told her to take them as we had plenty of desserts and all the kids were with her except Jake. So instead of just taking them, they decide to start eating them practically as they were leaving. I was upset about the kids running around with RC treats. Marshmallows and carpet do not mix so well!  So I said, "either eat them outside or sit at the table and eat them". The other thing that irks me, if you come to my home with a stranger to me, please introduce me. And kids are people too, introduce me to the kids as well! 

Other than that it was a fine day. I over did it. Even though I tried not to over do it. I was miserable last night. I've been experiencing some joint pain the past few days in addition to normal muscle aches. But last night I had it all BIG TIME. I also had bad leg cramps last night, in my calves. The best news though, my chiropractor must be working. I have not had ANY sciatic pain since Monday's adjustment and the muscle pain between my should blades is virtually gone. I was a big time skeptic, but you know what. It seems to be making a big difference! 

Potty training continues. Jake did well yesterday when the guests were here, no accidents. But prior to guests arriving we had 2 accidents in 10 mins. Not fun. But we are taking it one day at a time and I'm proud for every bit of progress he makes. 

Happy Thanksgiving

I have so much to be thankful for. So much!

Eh - potty training & Turkey plans!

Not going as positively today as yesterday. But I'm trying to think of today's challenges as good signs. By 10:30 this morning we had 1 poop and 3 pee accidents. The good news is, he doesn't like being wet. He immediately says, "oh man, mama pee". That's a good sign I have to think!

The bad news is, he is not wanting to poop on the toilet. I know he has to go, but he won't go. So it's sort of a battle of wills on that front. The other bad news is, he's sick of me asking and making him use the potty throughout the day. Oh well!

I've been making him help with the clean up of accidents. He likes putting things in the wash, so that's not a big deal. But he hates taking off his wet clothes. HATES it. But I make him take them off himself. It's part of the learning process I think. He needs to be inconvenienced in some manner otherwise, why try to use the potty?

This probably wasn't the smartest time to start this process tomorrow being Thanksgiving and all. But what the heck, it has  to happen sometime and at least I'll have an excuse to get away from annoying people tomorrow, "Oh excuse me, Jake needs to use the potty". LOL!

Today I made my greenbeans (which are so yummy) lots of bacon and onions and other good things involved. I blanched them and then dashed them in cold water. Tomorrow all I have to do is combine all the goodstuff with the green beans and there are good to go! I need to chop the onions and celery for the stuffing. So I can be ready to put that together tomorrow morning. My turkey is in the brine and has been since 6:30 this morning. It will be rinsed tonight and left in the fridge with no cover on so that the skin will be crispy! Yummy. MIL is bringing mashed potatoes and rolls. SIL is bringing an extra turkey (actually her husband is). And 12 fricking people. I expected 5 of them at the most, the extra 7 did not make me a happy camper to say the least. But I'm done complaining about that .... for now. LOL

My hubby is a sweet man who loves his sister, so I can handle anything for him. Besides, he'll pitch in and help all he can. So I really shouldn't worry. Besides, if it doesn't get done, it doesn't get done, I can't worry about it all. Oh and I bought pies this year. I don't care! Nobody offered to bring any and I'm six months pregnant with twins. I shouldn't be expected to make any! So there! 

Ring is off! Potty training is going well.

We went to the jeweler tonight and had to have the ring cut off. He said, "wow, that's about as tight as I've seen one on". I'm not going to have the rings repaired yet. I'll wait till after the babies are born and I've lost my swelling and then I'll have them re-sized. I was shocked at how much my finger changed after the rings were off. To give you an idea of the size difference. They sized my old rings, 5 1/2. My new ring is an 8. (It is really loose though). I'm probably really a 7 or 7 1/2.

The new band is boring, but inexpensive and appropriate. Hubby said that when the new babies are born we will have their birth stone and Jake's birthstone put into the new band and we'll call it the baby ring. I thought that was sweet. 

On the big boy potty front, we did good today. Jake did have an accident on the way home from dinner tonight. We tried to have him go potty when we went out to eat and right before we left. No luck. When we got home 45 mins later, he was wet. But I have to say, 11 hours with no accidents is awesome for a first day. I'm so proud of him. 

5 hours - no accidents!

So my big boy is doing awesome in his big boy underwear. I now have a dilemma, do I let him nap in the big boy underwear? I'm thinking probably best not to. I don't want him to get down or learn that it is okay to be wet. So I'm probably going to have him pee on the potty before nap, and the switch to pull ups. As soon as as he wakes up I think we will use the potty and then switch back to big boy underwear.

Do you know how much easier my life would be if he is potty trained! Oh my goodness, just not having to get up off the floor after changes would help me immensely!

Big Boy Underwear

My Big Boy, is in big boy underwear. Can you believe it! And dumb mommy is going to leave the house with him. I've got 3 changes of clothes, ready for the trip. Baptism by fire I suppose! Wish us luck!

Crappers

I've had swelling in my feet and hands the past 3 mornings. Nothing terrible, but noticeable. Today I tried to get my wedding band and engagement ring off and it won't budge! I've read on line some ways to get rings off, but thought maybe some of you had some first hand experience. Any suggestions. I really don't want my wedding ring cut off. Makes me all weepy just thinking of it! 

By the way, by this afternoon, my toes looked like those little cocktail wieners you serve at parties! 

Hodge Podge of things.

I think I'm in nesting or preparation mode. Slowing down has forced me to look at my options the next few months. My biggest concern is Jake. I'm starting to feel mommy guilt due to my couch time. So I'm looking at options that will be good for him. One option I'm interested in is Montessori school, a few hours, 3 days a week. I never thought I'd enroll him in any sort of pre-school or daycare. But frankly I can't take him on our hikes and our herding adventures. Heck, I can't even take him to the park to swing cause I'm not supposed to pick him up to put him in a swing! I'm feeling like it is not fair to him to be stifled at home just because I'm stuck here. The montessori program appeals to me for a lot of reasons. I spoke to the owner of the local school here in town. It is a new school with very few children enrolled right now. I'm going to go visit them a week from tomorrow to see if this is something I can do or should do. Jake is going to need more physical activities than I'm going to be able to give him in the next few months. Anyone have any thoughts or experience with the Montessori program?

I also ordered Jake some flash cards. We have been working on numbers and letters lately. He takes to letters big time. Numbers, not as much. The letter "H" for some reason is a big hit. He spots the letter H in everything and screams "Mama, H!" I love it! Flash cards are an activity we can do on the couch together.  I also bought him a new booster chair that fits on our bar stool hight chairs. So he has been sitting with me and helping me prepare dinner. It really is fun! He also colors while I'm doing dinner stuff. It is nice cause I can strap him in there and he is sort of stuck. It saves me lots of worry and he actually likes it. We turn on opera music (his favorite - he didn't get that from me) and he relaxes and enjoys the sitting time.

In other news, I ordered Hypnobabies today. I'm a tad skeptical, but since I'm sort of out of options to take classes near me, the self study program seemed appropriate. Plus, if you have read my blog for any length of time, you know I'm going to do a med-free birth. (if at all possible) 

The babies have been kicking like mules! It is crazy and honestly so much fun. As I type this one of them is going nuts. I think it is Poncho, not for certain. The move so big now, you can see the movement through my shirt and if the TV remote is on my tummy, it moves. Some times I can tell who is doing what, but other times the movement is in the center of my tummy and I just don't know who it is. Last night hubby put his hand on my tummy, one baby made a huge move and hubby removed his hand like he had been snake bit. He said it didn't freak him out, but he certainly acted like it freaked him out. Made me laugh so hard I about peed myself.

I went to the chiropractor today. I think he is working. I'm not having near the soreness in my upper back as I had even pre-pregnancy. The sciatic pain isn't horrible as long as I take it easy. All and all I'm not feeling really good if I pace myself. Breathing is getting difficult. I'm having a hard time getting comfortable at night. If my lower back/sciatic is comfy than I can't breath as well as I'd like. That's sort of a problem. LOL But really, it isn't too bad. 

I went shopping today after the Chiro appointment and bought a few new maternity tops and some baby stuff. The store was having a good sale. I just bought some basic onesies and cotton outfits. And Jake got a new sweater. I didn't see anything else that looked cute enough for Jake! 

So that's the latest and greatest around here!