Second Time Around - Potty Training!

I don't think there is a mommy in the great US of A who has much good to say about potty training. It's often maddening, frustrating, messy and time-consuming. Okay, maybe a few moms are just excellent with perfect children but many a mommy has found this milestone especially challenging.

Jon David went #2 in the potty around 21 or so months. We almost called the local paper to report it - we were THAT excited and THAT proud (okay, probably more so I was the one going nutso). I guess it should not have surprised me the next day when Jon David wanted nothing to do with that potty. Confused and disappointed, we decided not to push it and see when he would be ready to try again.


Fast forward about a year and my big boy was finally ready. In fact, as of this week, he has started to wear undies to bed and we are officially done with training pants in the night (or day, for that matter). VICTORY!


So, here along comes Josiah who finds the "pot pot" very interesting. In fact, one night last week when Daddy was watching them, he heard the dreaded words come from Jon David. "That's right, Siah - that's poo poo!" With lightening speed, Daddy ran and found Josiah getting a hands-on (literally) lesson in #2 from his big brother who had just finished his "business" on the pot.


Sensing that he was maybe ready and curious as to how it would go, I started to mentally prepare myself for round two of potty training. My smart mom found an article and sent it to me which basically states that the ideal window for training is 18 - 24 months of age. Turns out the author was a child development specialist whose stuff I have recently read and really like, John Rosemond.


So, today was THE day. Armed with new Elmo underwear and a good attitude, we started our day. The mantra from Mr. Rosemond kept running through my head: approach this like teaching Josiah how to use utensils. Over and over, I kept saying, "it's just like using a spoon!"


My goal for today: to get Josiah used to the sensation of being wet and for him to not like it. He had 3 "accidents" (and no actual "eliminations" in the potty) and each time he came to me soon after and let me know he needed help. Interesting, he started to look for the big pot pot and skipped the Elmo one. Hey - that's just fine with me since I can flush the regular toilet and not have to clean it like I would the Elmo one.


Towards the end of the night, the toilet was like a new toy for him. He kept wanting to get back on it. While I'm not sure if this is a good or bad thing, we succeeded in avoiding a power struggle and him telling me when he was wet/dirty. I think this is not bad for Day One.


Having him tell me that he has to go to the bathroom feels like a LONG ways away. But, today was manageable and I think we can continue with this. I figure that when we are home and he is not in bed, he can wear his Elmo undies. We'll see where this leads us.


Stay tuned...

Bend it like Jon David

Things were looking a little rough and I had my reservations about what to expect at yesterday's first soccer game for Jon David. His team, the feared Jellyfish, were to meet for a 30-minute practice and a 15-minute game. So, when Jon David woke up late from his nap and was more than slightly cranky, I did not see a great afternoon in our future. He then announced that he did not want to go to the soccer game. Big surprise. Ugh!

I really wanted to focus on Jon during this big event - it was a totally new experience for him. So, I lined up a good friend to watch Josiah. At the last minute, I found out that her whole family (including the dog) had a stomach virus. So, baby brother would be joining us. This could be REALLY interesting!

Once we arrived, things looked somewhat promising. Jon David greeted his teacher and allowed her to put his orange jersey on him. So far, so good. He somewhat participated with the 30 minutes of practice. You know, 30 minutes is kind of a long time so I'm not surprised that he got bored. Yeah, two pictures capture this perfectly. Yes, his face is really in the soccer net.

The team was on another field.

So, now it's time for the BIG game verses the pesky Goldfish. At this point, Jon lays on my lap (what's left of it) and announces, "I'm tired!" Oh boy - so this child may not actually play in the game today, I thought. But then, I reached into my mommy bag of tricks and pulled out "Bribery." Well, bribery might be a bit strong of a word - I provided a much needed incentive. I just sweetly whispered into his ear that there would be a big surprise if he actually played in a game. My goal was sometime within the 10 games of this season (2 a week), that at some point, he'd actually choose to participate. I had no idea what the surprise would be and quickly thought of something that would be a win/win for the whole family - dinner at Moe's followed by ice cream.





So, this was a HUGE success for my boy. Really, it was. He's not always excited about change and new experiences. He's often VERY fond of his own plans and not so much of any plans that are contrary to his. He's never shown a great interest in soccer and tends to prefer building elaborate train tracks. So, this was all new for him and he really did well. We go again Wednesday and take on the Clams!

Opening Day 2009

If you are in our little family and it's Opening Day for baseball - you are THERE - no ifs, ands or buts about it. This is Jon's 4th opening day and the 3rd at the DBAP. His first was actually in the BIG leagues with the Washington Nationals. Si has made 2 so far (unless you count the time while in my belly). Here is 2007 and 2008.

Daddy likes to get to the park early. There is a real buzz of excitement in the air. And the DBAP is such a nice ballpark. But, this year, I had another idea. I felt like we used all up the boys' good behavior before the first pitch by an early arrival. This year, we had about 2 minutes to spare before first pitch.

The plan worked because we made it through 3 innings - a family record! Seriously, there have been years where we are there for about 4 pitches. Josiah probably had a few more innings in him if the hot dogs and popcorn kept coming. Jon Jon - well, not so much. After the thrill of sharing cotton candy with Mommy subsided, he was d-o-n-e, done. Still, we consider the night both a victory for the winning Bulls and our family.

As you see in the video, Josiah deposited his shoe at the Will Call booth. I guess he figured Daddy did not have enough money for the tickets and maybe his new shoe would cover the costs. Thankfully, with a little hoofing it from Daddy, boy and shoe were reunited.

One thing is for sure - baby girl better get with the program. This is a SPORTS family! We'll get her a little Durham Bulls cheerleader outfit! Yahooo!

PLAY BALL!

(special shout out to my sister for this video!)

Boys will be boys

I don't have a little girl so I'm not sure if this phenomen is a boy-thing or if girls also find this incredibly amusing. Potty humor. Yes, the more fart sounds one can make, the better. The more words that can incorporate the word "poop", the better the world would be - according to my big boy (and now my nephew, Mason).

It's actually been a bit of a problem that has improved with the promise of a washcloth and some soap meeting the mouth of a certain three-year-old whom I happened to give birth to. I forgot about this other trick until my smart sister-in-law reminded me - Listerine strips are also handy and equally unpleasant. Next time I'm in the grocery check-out lane, those convenient strips will be coming home with me. Thankfully, I've not had to use the soap method but I'm sure the day will come.

But, today we went to visit Mason and his baby sister, Ella Kate. We celebrated her 2nd birthday and had a great time. I heard loud giggles coming from Mason's big boy room and had to see. This is what I came upon...

"Mommy, I miss you!"

JD told me that when he used to go out of town, his dogs would poop on his bed as a punishment to him. It was their way of saying, "Take that, Daddy!" Well, we had our own version of that upon my return from a girls weekend. Oye!

My sweet sister-in-law invited me to join her and some friends at the Outer Banks this past weekend for some R&R and SCRAPBOOKING! I completed 24 pages - which is quite a lot!

It didn't help that our week started with Jon David catching pink eye on Monday. I thought we were in the clear until Josiah turned up with it Thursday night. And it's not just the pink eye, it's the accompanying cold that makes for a long weekend. Daddy did a great job taking care of two little boys with colds who missed their mommy. When I called home to check on everyone, all sounded well until Saturday night.

"Mommy, I miss you!" cried my big boy on the phone to me Saturday night. Tug, tug on my heart. I was then determined to get on the road early Sunday and make it home for naps. I made excellent time and was there for lunch. My big boy greeted me with a somewhat lackluster greeting. That should have been the sign that we were in for a humdinger of an afternoon. So, suffice it to say, he made his feelings about my absence known quite clearly.

We're slowing getting back to normal and the bad behavior maybe getting a little better (with the MAJOR exception of our mall outing to get haircuts for the boys - that's another post... ugh!).

Are You My Mother?

Are You My Mother was a childhood favorite of mine. I remember reading it over and over and really enjoying it. So, when I saw it at the pediatrician's office, part of me was excited to introduce Jon David to this literary treasure. But, that part of being a mommy where you really KNOW your child kicked in. Perhaps my somewhat sensitive lad would find it sad that the little birdy could not find his mommy. Tentatively, I began reading. The mommy bird leaves the baby birdy in the nest to find food.


A few pages into it, my mommy-instinct was right. This book was too much for my little one. I quickly changed the storyline to be more of the little birdy making friends along the way. That seemed to help some, but the sweet little bottom lip kept a bit of a quiver. Such a tender heart he has.

This brings me to my little bird friend. Maybe someone can tell me what kind of bird he is - maybe a blue bird? He visits me often and sings to me. Seriously, he is tapping on our window and hanging out almost every day for weeks now. I think of the Seuss book and that maybe this bird knows that I'm a mommy. Maybe he wants me to take care of him too? I know - silly, but I see this bird and think he needs his mommy. Why else would he visit me all the time. While I hope for their happy reunion, I am pleased for his company and his sweet song.

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Blog update:

So, I was looking at my blog the other day and really enjoying the trip down memory lane. Upon thinking about why my blogging has taken such a backseat to FB, I asked myself - "Are your boys no longer cute?" Umm - NO! Again, talking to myself, "Is it still important to me to 'treasure these things in my heart'?" YES! So, I really want to get back to more regular blogging.

Because I can't do a post without including my sweet boys, here is a picture and a video. The boys are watching Dora and I just love the tenderness of Josiah sweetly playing with Jon's hair.

And Baby makes... Five!

Party of Five! That's us!! Praise the Lord, we are pregnant with our third child. Baby's due date is quite memorable - 9/9/09! Love it! Just being realistic, I'd be SHOCKED to actually make that date. But, with God, ALL things are possible. And we're super excited because we are not going to find out if we're having a boy or a girl. We'll just be surprised on birth day!

The good news is that I'm still feeling LOUSY. That means that the baby is thriving. The bad news is that I'm not sleeping well and feeling lousy. I was blessed to have a third glimpse at our baby this afternoon with an ultrasound. I had a freebie at the local pregnancy center who needed "models" for their techs and then my OB does one at each of my first two visits as standard care. The first time was around 6 weeks and, while wonderful, it was hard to really see much. The second time we saw a beautiful heartbeat. But TODAY, I saw little nubs for arms and legs, a body and a sweet little face - moving all around with a sweet little heart going beat-beat-beat. I could have watched Baby all day. >sigh<>

Si wearing Daddy's boots

Josiah - still a MESS! He's a talking machine! He's either asking about dogs ("Dog Dog???") or demanding a "Nack!" (translation: Snack!). I just could squeeze and kiss him all day. He plays with my hair and hugs me so tight. Such a little lover!

Jon David - such a big, big boy! He is a puzzle champion! I am impressed by his tender heart and desire to be a good boy. Smart as a whip, he is always counting, telling me what time it is or just singing silly songs. He is getting excited about having another baby around too!

Jon Jon getting in on the action.

Snow Much Fun

With so much excitement in his little voice, Jon David bounced into our room at 7:11 am this morning and said, "Mommy, there is SNOW on the ground! Snow!!!" It was just so cute. What fun we had on this special day with probably about 5 inches of that fun, white powdery snow!

Little Josiah was about the cutest thing you ever saw with his little puppy hat. Oh, and he had to learn how to walk in the snow boots. He only wears Robeez (soft-soled shoes) so the chunky boots were quite tricky for our little guy. We stood him up with the boots and he immediately fell flat on his face. Poor guy! But, he's a determined a little fellow and after a good amount of falling, he was able to walk a good bit without toppling over.

In our early morning adventure, the little mittens he had on kept falling off. A friend gave me a tip to put socks on his hands and that was a great trick for our other outings today. But, with the layers of clothes, bulky boots and hands wrapped in a couple layers of socks, Josiah stood no chance (no pun intended) of getting up after falling down. And to make matters worse, he often fell face first in the snow. He even managed to get some scratches on that sweet little face. But, no worries - Josiah loved his time in the snow!

And, and big brother had a great time too! He especially enjoyed having snow ball fights and eating snow cream. It was quite sweet and sad when he got up from his nap with little tears as he told me, "Mommy, I'm so sad that the snow is melting..."

It was also neat to teach Jon David that God designs each snowflake to be different - not one is the same. If God takes so much time and care with His snowflakes, how much more does He care about us!