This morning, we all got up and drove out to Eden Prairie to see the knitting group I’ve joined for the last couple of weeks. I wasn’t really planning to go because I felt like it wasn’t fair to Julie to make her sit through two coffee shop knitting groups every week, but one of the ladies has the cutest little girl named Katie, and Julie talked about Katie all last week, so last night when it was Katie this and Katie that all up until bedtime, I decided it would be just fine to go on out there and what the heck, we didn’t have anything better to do anyway. I’m so glad we went – those ladies are really fun (hi, ladies!) and Julie had a great time playing with Katie. Here’s a picture of the two of them sharing some snacks. Actually, Katie is shoving snacks into Julie’s mouth, but my little Hoover didn’t seem to mind. It was hilarious.
Next, we headed over to Target, where we picked out some presents for baby Nathan. I bought a few little outfits and quick ran home to wash them so I could give them to their family pre-washed and ready to wear. I mean I know Sarah had a ton of clothes ready for him, but that was when they thought he was a she, and I thought they could use a couple extra baby gowns to throw on him if his diaper leaked or something and that way he wouldn’t have to wear pink. Not that pink on a boy is the end of the world or anything, but it’s my own little hangup kind of like putting Julie in boy’s underwear.
And speaking of underwear, Julie has been doing awesome at this potty training thing. She’s been waking up dry in the mornings, and is lobbying hard for underwear at bedtime. I told her if she stays dry for a week we’ll give it a try. There was only one accident today, but boy it was a doozy! Brace yourselves, and if you don’t want to hear the scatalogical details, why don’t you just scroll on down till you see some more pretty pictures. Ready? Okay, so she didn’t poop at all yesterday, and this morning I kept putting her on the potty and telling her to take her time and try to make a poopie. She tried. I know she did. But it just didn’t happen on the potty. Finally, when we got home from Target, she snuck off to the living room while I was heating up our lunch and did her business like she is used to. I stuck my head around the corner and noticed a giant – blob – in her pants and knew what had happened.
I am a mom who has been changing dirty diapers for almost three years now. Not just changing them, but washing them too because we use cloth. I have no problem with sticking my hand in the toilet and swishing the poo off of a diaper, but something about the mess today just really threw me for a loop. Part of it was that I had to keep a positive game face. I didn’t want to act mad or upset or utterly grossed out, because everything I have read or heard is that the last thing you want is to make it a power struggle, and I’ve heard too many first hand accounts of kids getting constipated during potty training and then it becomes a real nightmare. So I smiled and said no big deal. But the other factor was the “Where the F do I start cleaning this mess up?” problem. I ended up picking her up, carrying her into the bathroom and stripping her down, in the process getting it all over her legs and the rug in there, not to mention the tile floor and the toilet. And I was really trying to keep it from spreading everywhere. It was like a Mr. Hankie scene on South Park. Well, I got that all wiped up, and just stuck her in the tub and hosed her down. Which she hated, but it had to happen. Ten minutes later it was all over, and we sat down to lunch, which I had to force myself to eat because the appetite was gone, but my hands were shaking because my blood sugar had dropped.
Poor Sophie – she sat on the kitchen floor and played with her toys, oblivious to all of this mess as it was going on. I’m sure we have a scene or two like this in her future some day as well. Now on to more cute kid pictures. We got to go meet baby Nathan tonight, and here is a picture of me holding my Sophie and little Nathan. Just six months ago, she was the size that he is now! He is such a teeny feather of a thing, and very sweet. He slept the whole time we were there. By the way, this picture of me? This is what I consider a good picture of me. This is what I look like inside my head. Not that super-fat cow in the weird sunglasses and her hair in a ratty pony tail and wearing a raggy shirt that you saw on the carousel at the county fair a few weeks ago.
Here are Nathan’s big sister Katelyn and Julie sharing a chair. They were fighting over two toy cars that another friend of the family brought with their little boy. Julie is giving me a dirty look because she doesn’t want me to take her picture. It’s starting already.
Oh! News from my friend J! She made it through the biopsy fine, and of course they are all cagey about the results till the lab tests are back, but it sounded like good news. They think it was just a hematoma and not something long-term to worry about. I dropped off a cooler of leftovers on their steps this morning thinking she wouldn’t want to cook dinner tonight, and I spent the whole day wondering what I was thinking, why would she want to eat my stupid left over supper from two nights ago? But when I talked to her tonight, she said they did eat it and that her hubby even liked it – it was a bit spicy, and apparently he approved. Whew!
Tomorrow, we go meet Julie’s pre-school teacher for orientation, and then I am off to the fair to meet some lovely local knitters, oogle over all the Creative Activities once more, and gorge myself on greasy Fair fare. By myself. The Joy! The Glory!
One last thing. Happy Birthday, Joe! We didn’t get to really celebrate because we had to head off to meet little Nathan, but I’m going to make him a special dinner on Friday night.
New baby is very cute. Hope the potty training gets better. I think people in crisis always appreciate not having to cook. It was a lovely gesture
Hang in there Shelly! The scene you described with the “mess” sounded very familiar…there seems to be something about the particular process that makes finishing the potty training difficult – but you are really close. If she didn’t like the shower cleanup process very much she just might convince herself it would be easier to do it in the toilet…hope to see you next Wednesday!
When my DD potty trained (at 3 1/2-4 due to total unwillingness) she finally did ok with the pee and but would only poop in her own potty at home. So when we went away for Christmas, she held it in. For six days. We even told her she coudln’t open presents (not in a mean way, just because she couldn’t enjoy anything when all she could think about was holding it in). She said okay, no presents. I’m going to poop in California! This would unfortunately have involved the ER. Eventually we had to just sit in there till she did it. I’ll never forget it. Sitting in the bathroom in my in-laws’ house with my daughter screaming at me like I was beating her to death. I would have gladly taken the poop in the panties!!
Is she using a big potty or a little training one? I remember when my kids were learning that, I read that it is easier for them to poop in a little potty because their feet touch the ground so they can push. Might be an idea, anyway…I feel you on the mess, though. Like someone told me: “Cheer up, hardly anyone goes to college in diapers!”
Ah yes, the potty training constipation thing. Definitely to be avoided! Keep it up!
Hi Shelly! Tell Sarah congratulations on her new baby…and that Fred (my brother) and his wife Jean also just had a baby girl yesterday–7 lbs 2 oz (they were not told her length) named Kira Hayoung. I will email Joe a pic as soon as I get one! Wow, lots of babies.
Oh, and if she’s using the big potty, a stool in front of it helps with the feet on the ground thing, too.