So today was a good day to be a mommy, at least around my house. You get these days occasionally, and it's totally a thing of grace, because it reminds you how great your kids are and how much you enjoy being a mother. And why you're doing all this anyway. After a day like yesterday, which was kind of rough, it's a sweet thing indeed.
We told Sabrina this morning that I am going to have another baby, and she hasn't stopped talking about it all day. She is SO excited. She keeps wanting to see my belly and hug it, and has all sorts of plans about how she can help when the baby comes. And of course, lots of questions about what babies need and what they do. At one point, she asked what new babies eat, and I was explaining nursing to her, which really isn't a foreign concept, since she was nursed and she saw me nurse Nathan for nearly a year and a half. "Oh, yeah, Mommy," she said, "I know all about it. The baby will suck on your nickels, and that is how he will eat." LOL. I did go ahead and correct her and tell her that the right word was "nipples," but somehow, I'd rather she keep saying "nickles." The only bummer for her at this point is how long it will be until the baby is born. 4 months is an eternity when you're that small.
In other news, Nathan actually had a good day with potty training. We went ahead and hauled out the ol' potty chair last night, hoping that something smaller and more interesting than the actual porcelain throne itself might encourage him, and sure enough! He did a great job going in the potty (it plays music when the deed is accomplished, which thrilled him no end), and the only accident he had was in his pull-up when we were at the gym. And I knew that one was going to happen, because he didn't want to go potty at home before we left, and an hour plus is too long for him to wait. So I didn't mind that much.
And, lest you think all I care about is whether the kid has peed in the pot or not, he had a great day in general, all happy and funny and sweet. He's really getting big and smart, asking lots of questions and talking up a storm. I can't believe he'll be two in less than a month. My baby! Oh, it just tugs at my heart.
So between happy kids and a decent night's sleep last night, today was a good day in motherhood. I'm feeling satisfied and warm and fuzzy. I wonder how long I can get it to last...?
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
...And the beat goes on (whether you like it or not)
Have you ever noticed how unfair parenting is? Okay, yes, this is strictly sour grapes, but seriously...have you? Wouldn't it be nice if your needs came first once in awhile? I mean, you can be drop dead tired, so tired you can't even focus your eyes, and does it matter? Not really. Because the kids still need to be fed and played with and toted to school and various activities and the grocery shopping still needs to be done and dinner needs to be made. Take a nap? Take a break? I don't think so. And I work at home after the kids go to bed, so there isn't even the sweet victory of curling up on the couch after they are (finally!) asleep to watch some bad tv and relish the feeling of doing absolutely nothing.
Hmm, yes, perhaps I'm too tired to be writing this right now. I know I sound like one of those petty moms who complains about every little thing and everyone smiles thinly and nods like they're in total agreement with what she's saying, but what they're really thinking is "Geez, isn't this what you signed up for? Get over it!"
Well, I'll get over it. At the very least, I'll pray for a better night tonight than last night and hope that tomorrow will feel better than today. See, there was a ton of wind last night and it kept Sabrina awake, which made her panic and act all crazy for hours on end, and I'm sorry, we are simply not the most patient parents at 2am, much less 4am. Plus, I had just gotten my new pregnancy pillow in the mail and was really looking forward to a good night's sleep. It just makes it worse when you THINK you're going to get a good night's sleep and it doesn't happen.
Anyway, we're still at a stalemate with Nathan and the potty training. He steadfastly refused to sit on the potty today more than once or twice and cheerfully piddled all over himself and the floor instead. What else is new, right? The good news is that right before I put him to bed, he tooted and I duly asked if he wanted to go potty and (gasp) he said yes. So went to the potty we did, and he cheerfully sat on the potty and cheerfully pointed out the towels on the wall to me, and the toilet paper holder, etc., etc., and lo and behold, he went potty! I cheered and cheered for him and we went and got not one but two celebratory stickers for his sheet before we went and put him back down to bed. He was still cheering for himself as he went down, so there's hope yet.
Hmm, yes, perhaps I'm too tired to be writing this right now. I know I sound like one of those petty moms who complains about every little thing and everyone smiles thinly and nods like they're in total agreement with what she's saying, but what they're really thinking is "Geez, isn't this what you signed up for? Get over it!"
Well, I'll get over it. At the very least, I'll pray for a better night tonight than last night and hope that tomorrow will feel better than today. See, there was a ton of wind last night and it kept Sabrina awake, which made her panic and act all crazy for hours on end, and I'm sorry, we are simply not the most patient parents at 2am, much less 4am. Plus, I had just gotten my new pregnancy pillow in the mail and was really looking forward to a good night's sleep. It just makes it worse when you THINK you're going to get a good night's sleep and it doesn't happen.
Anyway, we're still at a stalemate with Nathan and the potty training. He steadfastly refused to sit on the potty today more than once or twice and cheerfully piddled all over himself and the floor instead. What else is new, right? The good news is that right before I put him to bed, he tooted and I duly asked if he wanted to go potty and (gasp) he said yes. So went to the potty we did, and he cheerfully sat on the potty and cheerfully pointed out the towels on the wall to me, and the toilet paper holder, etc., etc., and lo and behold, he went potty! I cheered and cheered for him and we went and got not one but two celebratory stickers for his sheet before we went and put him back down to bed. He was still cheering for himself as he went down, so there's hope yet.
Monday, January 5, 2009
One step forward, two puddles back...
So we've hit the inevitable - setbacks in potty training. After a few days of continued improvement, Nathan has started to rebel, saying "No!" every time we ask if he needs go to potty and nearly throwing himself off of the potty if we take him anyway. He has even learned how to stiffen his body so it is basically impossible to sit him down on the toilet.
So I've had to take a deep breath (or ten) and allow for him to go back to piddling on the floor and his undies, even if I've just offered to take him to the bathroom and he said no. It's frustrating because he was doing so well, but I know intellectually that forcing him to go when he doesn't want to will only make things worse. And we do not need for things to be worse.
I did take an extra trip to the store today to sweeten the deal and buy new, exciting stickers to use as incentive. He was all about the stickers when we bought them, but has since decided they are simply not worth the effort of actually going potty to earn. So they remain in their packages on the counter.
It's also hard because Sabrina was a fantastic potty-trainer and yes, I know I shouldn't compare my children, and yes, I know that boys tend to be harder to train. But I can't help but remember her smooth and constant curve upwards towards success when it comes to this whole thing. Unless I'm just conveniently forgetting the setbacks and problems we had and only remembering the good parts? Entirely possible.
Meanwhile, John went back to work from Christmas break today and Sabrina returns to school tomorrow. The kids and I lurched back into our old routine with creakiness this morning but we're managing. It was just so much easier to have John around all the time to help and to talk to. When's that winning lottery ticket going to come in so he can just quit his job for good?
So I've had to take a deep breath (or ten) and allow for him to go back to piddling on the floor and his undies, even if I've just offered to take him to the bathroom and he said no. It's frustrating because he was doing so well, but I know intellectually that forcing him to go when he doesn't want to will only make things worse. And we do not need for things to be worse.
I did take an extra trip to the store today to sweeten the deal and buy new, exciting stickers to use as incentive. He was all about the stickers when we bought them, but has since decided they are simply not worth the effort of actually going potty to earn. So they remain in their packages on the counter.
It's also hard because Sabrina was a fantastic potty-trainer and yes, I know I shouldn't compare my children, and yes, I know that boys tend to be harder to train. But I can't help but remember her smooth and constant curve upwards towards success when it comes to this whole thing. Unless I'm just conveniently forgetting the setbacks and problems we had and only remembering the good parts? Entirely possible.
Meanwhile, John went back to work from Christmas break today and Sabrina returns to school tomorrow. The kids and I lurched back into our old routine with creakiness this morning but we're managing. It was just so much easier to have John around all the time to help and to talk to. When's that winning lottery ticket going to come in so he can just quit his job for good?
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Progress, progress
So things here in potty land are progressing. The number of times that Nathan goes in the potty is slowly, ever so slowly, starting to edge out the number of times he goes on the floor. Of course, it helped that I finally realized that the kid literally pees like every 10 minutes. I'm so not kidding. So by putting him on the potty every 10-15 minutes, the success rate has increased. I must admit, I am wondering how the heck we'll do this when we actually try to venture out into the world with him in undies. You can't even drive most places around here in less than 10 minutes. Will I need to put a potty in the car?
In other news, I have finally gotten my a*$& back into the gym after about three months off. It started simply enough - our membership at the gym near our old house expired and we thought it made more sense to just go sign up at a gym closer to the new house. And somehow, that task was just SO cumbersome that we kept not doing it. Naturally, time passed and it the excuses got easier and easier - oh, we're moving, and that's enough of a workout. Oh, it's Thanksgiving, who has the time? Oh, I'm pregnant, I really should take it easy anyway.
Well, ha ha on me, because now enough time has passed that I'm out of shape again and getting back into shape at around 5 months pregnant is not going to be an easy task. But hey, we did sign up at the new gym, and I did go 3 whole times this week. And it only sucked a little bit. Now I just need to keep going. And wait for my tummy to finally get big enough so that I'm unmistakably pregnant, instead of this in-between stage, where I get this look from strangers that is clearly scrutinizing in nature - is she or isn't she? Did she just REALLY enjoy her Christmas and is this her New Year's resolution, losing the weight? (In which case, she'll be like half the people in the gym, who will disappear again by February.) Or wait, is that tummy just round enough to mean there's a baby in there?
Don't get me wrong, I get these looks on a regular basis, but the gym is worse. Let's face it - other women at any given gym are checking out the other chicks and evaluating their bodies. Are they more fit? Less fit? More toned? Flabby? The women are checking out the other women far, far more than the men are, trust me. So I feel like wearing a sign around my neck that says "Yes, I'm pregnant!" so that I'll get that sweet look people give you when you are all babyliciousness, instead of the slyly patronizing look you get when people think you're just a little bit chubby.
(And yes, this is my New Year's resolution. But no, I won't be gone by February. You'll still find my chubby little babylicious tushy at the gym. So there.)
In other news, I have finally gotten my a*$& back into the gym after about three months off. It started simply enough - our membership at the gym near our old house expired and we thought it made more sense to just go sign up at a gym closer to the new house. And somehow, that task was just SO cumbersome that we kept not doing it. Naturally, time passed and it the excuses got easier and easier - oh, we're moving, and that's enough of a workout. Oh, it's Thanksgiving, who has the time? Oh, I'm pregnant, I really should take it easy anyway.
Well, ha ha on me, because now enough time has passed that I'm out of shape again and getting back into shape at around 5 months pregnant is not going to be an easy task. But hey, we did sign up at the new gym, and I did go 3 whole times this week. And it only sucked a little bit. Now I just need to keep going. And wait for my tummy to finally get big enough so that I'm unmistakably pregnant, instead of this in-between stage, where I get this look from strangers that is clearly scrutinizing in nature - is she or isn't she? Did she just REALLY enjoy her Christmas and is this her New Year's resolution, losing the weight? (In which case, she'll be like half the people in the gym, who will disappear again by February.) Or wait, is that tummy just round enough to mean there's a baby in there?
Don't get me wrong, I get these looks on a regular basis, but the gym is worse. Let's face it - other women at any given gym are checking out the other chicks and evaluating their bodies. Are they more fit? Less fit? More toned? Flabby? The women are checking out the other women far, far more than the men are, trust me. So I feel like wearing a sign around my neck that says "Yes, I'm pregnant!" so that I'll get that sweet look people give you when you are all babyliciousness, instead of the slyly patronizing look you get when people think you're just a little bit chubby.
(And yes, this is my New Year's resolution. But no, I won't be gone by February. You'll still find my chubby little babylicious tushy at the gym. So there.)
Friday, January 2, 2009
And the score is...
Day 3 of potty training, and the current score is 2 times of actually making it to the bathroom and going tinkle in the potty (well, all over the potty, but at this point I'm not going to be picky) to 1 million times of going in the undies, on the floor, in the highchair, you name it. Hmmm. Not the best ratio, I realize. But I'm choosing to be pleased with the 2 times we've sat him down on the potty and had success. One of those times, he even TOLD us he had to go. So this is progress from yesterday and if we can keep it up, tomorrow should be even better, and so on and so on.
Here's the potential snag - when I put him down for his nap just now, he felt a little warm to me, and I checked his temp. Somewhere around 99.0, which isn't technically a fever, but if it's on the rise, then something's up. And if he's sick, then potty training seems kind of a lot to ask from him. But I'm a big believer in consistency and sticking to something once you start. So I'm not sure how we'll proceed if he does get sick. Stay tuned.
In other news, I tried to do a quick-and-dirty cleaning of the house this morning (pun intended). If nothing else, the floor definitely needed mopping and the bathrooms needed cleaning, what with all the piddling going on. So I whipped through as much as I could, but the rest of the house still needs to be vacuumed, etc., etc. And when I went downstairs to grab a drink in between putting Nathan down for his nap and dealing with Sabrina and her own petty refusals to go down for her quiet time, the lunch dishes were still sitting on the kitchen table and everything was still out. John had disappeared downstairs to watch TV once the kids were supposedly put down. I know he saw the dishes, he had lunch with us, he knew they were there. Why couldn't he have cleaned up the food and put the dishes in the dishwasher? I get so tired of being the one who is constantly cleaning up around here. John can just hang out in all the mess and be just fine. And I can do that too, to an extent. Then I get tired of the mess and just have to clean it up. However, this time, instead of dealing with the dishes myself, I simply had to walk away and tell myself they'll be there later on. At some point, even I need a break.
Right?
Here's the potential snag - when I put him down for his nap just now, he felt a little warm to me, and I checked his temp. Somewhere around 99.0, which isn't technically a fever, but if it's on the rise, then something's up. And if he's sick, then potty training seems kind of a lot to ask from him. But I'm a big believer in consistency and sticking to something once you start. So I'm not sure how we'll proceed if he does get sick. Stay tuned.
In other news, I tried to do a quick-and-dirty cleaning of the house this morning (pun intended). If nothing else, the floor definitely needed mopping and the bathrooms needed cleaning, what with all the piddling going on. So I whipped through as much as I could, but the rest of the house still needs to be vacuumed, etc., etc. And when I went downstairs to grab a drink in between putting Nathan down for his nap and dealing with Sabrina and her own petty refusals to go down for her quiet time, the lunch dishes were still sitting on the kitchen table and everything was still out. John had disappeared downstairs to watch TV once the kids were supposedly put down. I know he saw the dishes, he had lunch with us, he knew they were there. Why couldn't he have cleaned up the food and put the dishes in the dishwasher? I get so tired of being the one who is constantly cleaning up around here. John can just hang out in all the mess and be just fine. And I can do that too, to an extent. Then I get tired of the mess and just have to clean it up. However, this time, instead of dealing with the dishes myself, I simply had to walk away and tell myself they'll be there later on. At some point, even I need a break.
Right?
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Tinkle, Tinkle, Little Star
Happy New Year, everyone. I'm curious - how many of you parents out there actually stay up until midnight any more? I think we've only done it once since Sabrina was born 4 years ago, and I'm not even positive about that...I'm wondering if my memory is making it up so that I won't feel like such a dork, because I can't stay up past 10pm these days. Last night, we didn't even bother with the pretense. John made a rather fabulous fondue dinner for us after we put the kids down, then we cleaned up and went upstairs and climbed into bed. Why bother pretending? We were both asleep by 10 and although we both woke up briefly to the sounds of happy revelers at midnight, it didn't last...and neither did we.
Anyway, in the spirit of the new year and all that, we started potty training Nathan yesterday. He's almost 23 months, which is either very early or late in the whole potty training thing, depending on your point of view. Our pediatrician had us start potty training Sabrina when she was 18 months, and she was totally potty trained at age 2. So in light of that, we're late to the gate with Nathan. But of course, everyone tells me that boys do it later and I know some 3-year-olds who are struggling with it. So who knows?
Right now, it's a lot like having a puppy around - there are a lot of puddles on the floor. Not to mention the continuous laundering of little boy undies. And Nathan rather merrily will allow us to take him to the potty, take off the sodden undies, place him on the toilet, clean him up, put on new undies, and keep on going. I'm not sure the connection is really being made. Although he did poop in the potty this morning, he kind of started going in his undies before we made it to the bathroom and he finished up there. I keep reminding myself that the first few days of any new skill are the hardest...and that he'll catch on. We just have to be consistent. And in the meantime, the sight of my little guy toddling around in his tidy whiteys is pretty darn funny and totally worthwhile.
So we'll see. He may catch on to this quickly, or it might be hilariously slow. Not sure which way it will go yet. But hey, it's a new year, right? So I'm guessing he'll be potty trained sometime in 2009. (364 days to go.)
Anyway, in the spirit of the new year and all that, we started potty training Nathan yesterday. He's almost 23 months, which is either very early or late in the whole potty training thing, depending on your point of view. Our pediatrician had us start potty training Sabrina when she was 18 months, and she was totally potty trained at age 2. So in light of that, we're late to the gate with Nathan. But of course, everyone tells me that boys do it later and I know some 3-year-olds who are struggling with it. So who knows?
Right now, it's a lot like having a puppy around - there are a lot of puddles on the floor. Not to mention the continuous laundering of little boy undies. And Nathan rather merrily will allow us to take him to the potty, take off the sodden undies, place him on the toilet, clean him up, put on new undies, and keep on going. I'm not sure the connection is really being made. Although he did poop in the potty this morning, he kind of started going in his undies before we made it to the bathroom and he finished up there. I keep reminding myself that the first few days of any new skill are the hardest...and that he'll catch on. We just have to be consistent. And in the meantime, the sight of my little guy toddling around in his tidy whiteys is pretty darn funny and totally worthwhile.
So we'll see. He may catch on to this quickly, or it might be hilariously slow. Not sure which way it will go yet. But hey, it's a new year, right? So I'm guessing he'll be potty trained sometime in 2009. (364 days to go.)
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Hello (again) world!
Okay, so it has been way, way, WAY too long since my last post. I know you hate excuses as much as I do, so I won't blab on about just how crazy everything has been. Which, of course, is true, but nevertheless.
Here's a few things that have gone on since my last post:
1. We bought a house. And moved 3 days before Thanksgiving, which resulted in much insanity, but hey, we have a house! It's ours - well, it really belongs to the bank, but what else is new?? They of course are expecting money on a regular basis, which sure makes it feel like ours!
2. One of our beloved cats got out and was missing for 3 days. If you aren't a pet person, this won't mean much to you, but if you happen to love animals as much as I do, you'll understand that I was absolutely frantic. Our cats are indoor-only and we lived in a neighborhood that had a lot of wildlife, such as coyotes and foxes...need I say more? We were very, very lucky that a neighbor around the corner saw our cat in her backyard 3 days later and found one of our "Missing Cat" flyers and gave us a call. Our beloved Danger Kitty (yes, that's really her name) is back. Whew!
3. The economy has been rotten. News, right? Hardly, I know. But it has hit our home as much as any other, and one of my biggest freelance clients laid off all of their contractors, which included me. Not good. Not good at all.
4. Did I mention I was pregnant? Oh, yeah! I'm pregnant with Baby #3 and while I'm terribly excited, I had a rotten first trimester. Hard under most circumstances, nearly impossible with two small children under the age of 4 who don't even KNOW about the baby, much less care why Mommy is so sick and tired. Luckily, that stage has passed - the first trimester, that is, not my kids caring why I can't be 100% all the time - and I'm really starting to enjoy the pregnancy again.
5. Life in general - John traveling, me backing the car into the (closed) garage door, the stomach flu going through the house, etc., etc., etc.
6. Christmas! With family in town and trying to be a good little Santa with the economy in the toilet. Sound familiar?
7. Sabrina turned 4. So, so hard to believe my little girl is that big! She has been really insane lately, full of talking back and refusing to listen to directions or well, anything I have to say. I feel like I'm talking to this insolent teenager, only a miniature one. I'm truly afraid to think of what she'll be like when she is a real teenager. But in the meantime, I often feel like I'm floundering, trying to find an effective way to parent her that doesn't include yelling or going insane. (Both of which seem like reasonable options more often than I'd like to admit.)
Whew. So I'm sorry I've been MIA. I promise to do better. And hey, what is a better New Year's resolution than to say I'll be here on a daily basis, keeping you caught up on our little life of mayhem?? Okay. So I'll see you tomorrow! Happy New Year!
Here's a few things that have gone on since my last post:
1. We bought a house. And moved 3 days before Thanksgiving, which resulted in much insanity, but hey, we have a house! It's ours - well, it really belongs to the bank, but what else is new?? They of course are expecting money on a regular basis, which sure makes it feel like ours!
2. One of our beloved cats got out and was missing for 3 days. If you aren't a pet person, this won't mean much to you, but if you happen to love animals as much as I do, you'll understand that I was absolutely frantic. Our cats are indoor-only and we lived in a neighborhood that had a lot of wildlife, such as coyotes and foxes...need I say more? We were very, very lucky that a neighbor around the corner saw our cat in her backyard 3 days later and found one of our "Missing Cat" flyers and gave us a call. Our beloved Danger Kitty (yes, that's really her name) is back. Whew!
3. The economy has been rotten. News, right? Hardly, I know. But it has hit our home as much as any other, and one of my biggest freelance clients laid off all of their contractors, which included me. Not good. Not good at all.
4. Did I mention I was pregnant? Oh, yeah! I'm pregnant with Baby #3 and while I'm terribly excited, I had a rotten first trimester. Hard under most circumstances, nearly impossible with two small children under the age of 4 who don't even KNOW about the baby, much less care why Mommy is so sick and tired. Luckily, that stage has passed - the first trimester, that is, not my kids caring why I can't be 100% all the time - and I'm really starting to enjoy the pregnancy again.
5. Life in general - John traveling, me backing the car into the (closed) garage door, the stomach flu going through the house, etc., etc., etc.
6. Christmas! With family in town and trying to be a good little Santa with the economy in the toilet. Sound familiar?
7. Sabrina turned 4. So, so hard to believe my little girl is that big! She has been really insane lately, full of talking back and refusing to listen to directions or well, anything I have to say. I feel like I'm talking to this insolent teenager, only a miniature one. I'm truly afraid to think of what she'll be like when she is a real teenager. But in the meantime, I often feel like I'm floundering, trying to find an effective way to parent her that doesn't include yelling or going insane. (Both of which seem like reasonable options more often than I'd like to admit.)
Whew. So I'm sorry I've been MIA. I promise to do better. And hey, what is a better New Year's resolution than to say I'll be here on a daily basis, keeping you caught up on our little life of mayhem?? Okay. So I'll see you tomorrow! Happy New Year!
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