All in a Day's Work

Today after nap time, Hailey helped me put away laundry...

...change her sheets...
...and make the bed.
Then she read a story to her baby...
...and burped her bear.
The first thing that came to mind was that I could get a job when Keelyn is born, and Hailey could watch her baby sissy while I work. Then a better idea came to mind...hire Hailey out and stay unemployed. Anyone need a nanny? I'm thinking 30k and she'll take care of the house and kids...add health coverage and she'll babysit one evening a month so you can have a night out on the town.

Sludge

The past few days have been extremely difficult, and I am so happy to say that we can rest easy now. Friday night I was awakened by a horrible abdominal pain...so horrible I was over the toilet attempting to not lose my dinner...which was a 1/4 pound hot dog and large fries from Fat Daddy's. (Every doctor has gotten such a kick out of that). Hold your judgement...I am in my final month of pregnancy. I'm supposed to be able to eat what ever I want. Anyway, by 3am I decided I better call the doctor. This pain was familiar, as I'd had it a few times in the previous weeks, but never this severe. The doctor guessed I was having gallbladder trouble, likely a stone which can happen in pregnancy, and told me to take some meds, and try to sleep. There was nothing they could really do for me at the hospital at that hour, so he felt I'd be better off at home. He wanted me to call in the morning, and then come in.

Jump to Saturday...my baby celebration!!! I certainly wasn't going to call at 8am on Saturday when I had a party to go to at 11am...I had to keep my priorities straight. So I waited and called in the afternoon, again in excruciating pain. Different doctor on call...thought there was no reason to spend my weekend in the hospital, as there's not a thing they would do for me at this point in pregnancy...so we scheduled an appointment for Monday, and he basically told me to deal with it. By the end of the weekend, the pain was so bad that I was barely eating, baby was barely moving, and my emotions (and lack of sleep due to pain at night) were getting the best of me.

So, in the past 48 hours I have had lots of blood drawn, an ultrasound of my intestines, an ultrasound of baby, a 30 minute non-stress test, a pelvic exam, and just about all the other poking and prodding you can imagine. I have seen/talked with 4 doctors at my OB, plus a couple of radiologists, and I think the triage nurses know my phone number by heart. I am so happy to say that every single test came back normal.

The biggest concerns were possible gallstones and liver function...normal. Baby heart rate and movement...normal. Cervix...normal. Pain...not so normal. The general consensus is that I may or may not have a very mild case of a disease called cholestasis of pregnancy. Basically that means that the recent surge of hormones here at the end have caused the bile produced in my liver to be thick and sludgy, and therefore painful as it moves through the gallbladder. This would cause a bit of swelling in the liver, making it painful even to the touch, and of course the gallbladder pain is much worse with food...particularly Fat Daddy's. Since that explains my symptoms, and we know my liver is functioning at full capacity, there is no reason to investigate further to be sure if that is a proper diagnosis or not.

So there you have it...I am stuck with plain pasta, grilled chicken, and vegetables with no butter or dressing for the remainder of the pregnancy. Forget my God given right to live off doughnuts and McDonald's for the last few weeks as a reward for eating my broccoli every night and keeping my weight gain under control.

The doctor who did the ultrasound yesterday happens to be the one I have seen for most of my appointments. He feels that if the pain continues as it has, there is no reason to take the pregnancy to 40 weeks or more. Keelyn's organs were put under as much scrutiny as mine, and everything looks healthy. She is measuring in the 35th percentile, and so she should be healthy enough at 38 weeks to be born. Hailey had already come on her own by then, so we'll see if I make it that far anyway. If so, my appointment two weeks from now is with that same doctor, and we will discuss an induction...or start it then, not sure.

The pain sucks, but it was so nice to go to bed last night knowing every test has been run, and every test was normal. It's also nice to know that if I am still miserable two weeks from now, at least there will be a baby on the other end of it all. Right now, my excitement is taking over the pain!! Then again, I haven't eaten breakfast yet...

Celebrating Baby

I think this entry will make up for my neglect to post photos recently...

We had a great weekend filled with time spent focusing on Keelyn. My good friend Caroline hosted a great celebration for me and some close friends and family at 518 West, where we enjoyed lots of time to visit, eat good food, and look forward to what the next few weeks and months will bring. I was really happy to be in the presence of so many people I love, and especially to have my mom, both of my grandmothers, and of course Hailey there with me as well. I love the women in my life.

Pictures tell it best, so here you go...

Hailey and I, ready to go to the "Baby Party"...as you can see, she needed to bring her own baby along for the fun!

Our beautifully set table.

Me in my "Hot Mama" sash looking quite pregnant!

Hailey's "Big Sissy" sash which she refused to wear...

...mostly because she was too preoccupied with eating M&Ms for the first time ever.

Everyone there signed a ceramic plate that will be finished with Keelyn's birth date, glazed, and fired up, to hang on the wall in her bedroom.

Hailey got to decorate her own plate for her room.

Caroline did an art project of her own before the party began...each cupcake had a different word on it, like "baby, "Keelyn," "girl," etc...it was very cute!

Here I am trying to convince Hailey to share a cupcake with me...she had no interest...no interest in any of the delicious food at all actually...only M&Ms.

I have a LOT of pregnant friends right now...I believe there were six invited to the party, not including myself...here are a few of us...all due within six weeks of one another.

Both of my grandmas...don't they look great!?!?

The 4 generations of us...can't wait to add another little gal to the clan!

Hailey and Great Grandma.

Just to make sure Hailey had a ball and felt special the whole time, Caroline even packaged up a goody bag for her to open and enjoy at the party! As you can see, she made herself at home.

Here we are with Caroline...Thanks to her for such a fun afternoon!!!

Since it was a ladies only thing, we decided to have a little fun at home with Daddy too, and did a little art project this afternoon. Hailey was so excited to decorate shirts for Keelyn and herself. After seeing how much she enjoyed to paint, I realize this is something we definitely need to do more often...maybe when it's warm outside and we can worry less about where the paint is going in my kitchen??? ...Doesn't she look cute in her little smock that my dad and Wendy gave her for Christmas? It has just been waiting for a chance to keep her clean for a fun day with paint!

Nana, Daddy, Hailey, Renee, and I all took part in decorating shirts for the girls.

A few finished products...

It really was a fun way to do something for Keelyn and Hailey that we could all participate in. I know Hailey will love to wear her shirts with her sister, knowing she made them just for her!

So, beyond the fun stuff, we also managed to get the car seat adjusted, shelving fixed in the nursery, more clothes washed, a birth plan written, and more. Only one month to go...full steam ahead!!!

Big Sissy Book

I think two entries in one day is a first for me...but I had no choice...this was just too cute. Between the cable company and Hailey, I guess my days are pretty spicy.

***Key Phrases to listen for:

Haya knows words Baby book.....Big Sissy, know what? Baby cries.....Might play with toys.....When Kiki comes out, Mommy give Kiki milk all the time.

Um, the rest is up for creative interpretation...

The Age of Outsourcing

I could try to stretch this post to relate to Hailey for those who read simply to keep up with her life...but it's laughable. Let's say this: We switched over to satellite tv and dsl internet from our previous contract with the cable company because in doing so, bundled with phone, we will get more channels for significantly less money than we were spending. Having children made us rethink our spending habits...so there's your link to the little missy. Read on if you dare.

I called Time Warner today to settle up our final bill. I called the number printed on the bill...it had been disconnected, or so the operator told me. I tried 4 times. Then I called their generic "800" number. Press "2" for questions about billing. I did that. It transferred me to Comcast. That's right...a different cable company. I followed prompting to enter personal information, and then was told by an automated message that Comcast does not service my area. No shit. Pardon me, I'm venting here...

I tried again. Same messages. So this time, I pressed "1" to speak to a Time Warner representative about purchasing a service package. Todd answered immediately. I found that interesting. New customers get immediate service. I politely explained to him that I was having trouble reaching the billing department, and he kindly said he'd transfer me. I waited, only to find I had been transferred to Comcast. Do you find this amusing yet? I was starting to. Amusing in that totally frustrating, been on the phone for way too long to try to pay you what I owe you, kind of way.

Now, let's talk about Comcast...or at least Shirley, my friendly service representative. She answered with a canned hello, and I explained that I am a Time Warner customer, confused by why I am now on the line with her. She responded by saying that they were accepting Time Warner's overflow calls, as their representatives were all busy. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but last time I checked McDonald's didn't serve Wendy's customers as a friendly gesture to help when the lines were long. Maybe I need to revisit the definition of Capitalism? But that's neither here nor there...In more than one way, Time Warner had pushed me into the lap of Comcast, and I wanted my question answered.

So I proceeded with Shirley. I explained my dilemma about my bill, and she responded, I KID YOU NOT, with the exact same phrase she started with.

Something like, "Ma'am, we are accepting Time Warner's overflow calls, as their representatives are all busy."

I said, "So does that mean you can't help me?"

She said, "You need to call back to the number you have for Time Warner at a later time."

(I'm wondering what happened to the hold music they used to put me on when "all of their reps were busy?")

I said, "It was disconnected, they sent me to you."

She said (you probably guessed it), "Ma'am, we are accepting Time Warner's overflow calls, as their representatives are all busy."

I paused, then I asked, "Can you please clarify the number for me that I am supposed to be calling?"

She said, "Ma'am, we are accepting Time Warner's overflow calls, as their representatives are all busy."

I said, not sure whether I myself was being silly or rude, "Ma'am, are you a real person???"

LONG PAUSE..."Yes ma'am."

Me, "Can I talk to a different one?"

Her, "Okay."

I waited, she returned. She said, "Ma'am, you will have to call the number on your bill." I asked if Comcast is buying Time Warner out, and she said that was a question for them.

So I called Time Warner. This time the line was not disconnected. This time I pressed "2" as a current customer with a billing question. This time I waited nearly 20 minutes. Turns out they actually owe ME money. Do you think this was all some kind of way to sock it to me for switching? Maybe they give people one last run around to make sure they are worthy of the refund?

They had to be screwing with me.

It goes something like this:
"Let's just see how far this woman will go with us at the cost of saving $40 bucks a month."

Answer:
"I'll go pretty far, thanks for asking. I love staying home with Hailey, and you are too expensive. I definitely don't want Shirley's job, so we'll cut back where we can."

I'm laughing now.

I can't believe I asked if she was a real person. I really wasn't sure. These days, you never know. You can press "0" and swear into the phone all day long and just hear, "I'm sorry, that was not a valid entry." This satellite thing better work out. I don't want to be there when the cable company implodes.

Hailey's Birth Story

It seems that lately Andrew and I have been doing a lot of reflecting on what it was like for us to have a baby the first time around. It also seems that everyone I talk to asks questions about how things went, in anticipation of how this one will go. I'm not so naive to think we can predict number two solely based on number one, but it's nice to reminisce nonetheless.

I was 37 weeks pregnant, and had gained a whopping 47 pounds. I was retaining quite a bit of fluid thanks to a combination of a desk job, 102 degree summer days, and, well, pregnancy itself. I had pitting edema. If you don't know what that is, picture one of those stress balls that you can squeeze tightly, or stick your finger in, and then watch it slowly return to original form...then picture that on my skin from the waist down. I was a stress ball, no pun intended. My blood pressure was spiking frequently, and on Friday, October 7th, my doctor put me on bed rest until baby came. I only had three weeks left, and I actually thought the rest would be nice. I finished things up at work that afternoon, and headed home for some "rest."

The next day Andrew had a little 4 hour seminar at the hospital called "Daddy Boot Camp." Just as it sounds, this is a class designed for new dads, by new dads, to teach things like how to change a diaper, how to swaddle a newborn, and how to convince a new mom that she's beautiful even though she still has another 40 pounds to lose after the baby is out. My mom, who was supposed to be at the hospital with me during labor, had decided to fly to Ohio with my brother for a quick visit with my grandparents before we got "too close" to my due date. We discussed whether or not she should go the night before, and I said, "of course." Despite the fact I had commented earlier that day that I felt like I was sitting on the baby's head, I was, as I knew last, not dilated, or anything close to that.

Shortly after Andrew left the house for the hospital, I got out of bed. The television remote fell on the floor. I bent down to pick it up, and my water broke. Just like that. No bed rest, no Daddy Boot Camp, and no one was answering their phones. I called Andrew three times before he picked up. He was getting bad reception in the hospital parking deck, but managed to understand that he must TURN AROUND NOW and come home to me. It was hours before I was able to reach my mom who also had to TURN AROUND and fly back home on the same day. I think I have mentioned before, the next few hours were spent with me sitting on the bed losing amniotic fluid while Andrew frantically cleaned the house. I chatted with family and friends...he slaved away. I showered, he cleaned the shower. It was about 4 hours later when we finally left for the hospital.

When we arrived I was 2cm dilated, and was not in labor. Since my water had broken, they started me on Pitocin. In just a short time, my contractions were a minute and a half apart, lasting a full minute. That means one minute of painful contraction, 30 seconds of rest. That was how my contractions were from the very first until the very last. I have no idea what people are talking about when they say they started farther apart, getting progressively more painful and closer together. Two hours into it, I dropped the idea of "natural labor," and went for the epidural. This was based on the fact that I had not progressed at all, and the doctor thought I had a good 12 hours left. It was 2:30pm.

At about 8:00pm I was fully dilated and ready to push. Actually, I think I could have started a bit sooner, but being a newby with the whole thing, I kinda didn't realize she was ready...or maybe I wasn't ready...not sure. Anyway, shortly after the whole pushing thing started, we found that Hailey's heart rate was dropping each time I had a contraction. This meant it was important to move her as quickly as possible. She had a different plan. She was sunny side up...that means head down, looking at the sky instead of the floor. Apparently that was the reason my contractions were so darn painful right from the start...that and the broken bag of waters, and the Pitocin...all a recipe for disaster. Anyway, apparently even a tiny baby like her is hard to push out in the wrong position, and given her heart rate, it became a sudden emergency that we use a vacuum extractor or c-section would have been imminent.

This was right around the time my mom arrived after spending the entire day on an airplane (not to mention a ridiculous price to get her and my brother back on the same day they left). The L&D nurse wouldn't even let her in to say hi. You see, my birth plan specified that she and Andrew were the only people allowed in the room during labor, and that when it came time to push, it was just to be Andrew. That was before we knew a birth plan is really just something to make you calm before the whole thing begins, and means nothing once it's for real. No one plans to use Pitocin or a vacuum extractor, or to have their very tiny baby taken away for 2 hours after delivery for special very tiny baby screenings. Anyway, Mom had to wait...I had to push.

The vacuum extractor...yes, it is a real vacuum. No joke, 12 or more people swarmed into my previously quiet room to run this thing. The doctor turned it on, attached it to Hailey's head, put her leg up on the bed for leverage, and pulled with all of her mite. If you think I'm exaggerating about any of this, you're wrong. She was out in 2 pushes.

October 8th, 9:37pm, 5 pounds, 8 ounces, bright blue eyes WIDE OPEN, and ready for action.

STOP the Press!!!

I

cut

her

hair!!!

Seriously.

Isn't she a doll? It looks like I cut a lot because it's curly...really it was only a little more than an inch, and only in the very back. It sprung right up shouting, "I have the curly genes...cut me a little, shrink me a lot." I decided it was finally long enough that I could justify straightening it up while still maintaining some length to show off those pretty curls.

I can't believe I cut off her baby hair (yes, I kept it). I can't believe she sat still long enough for me to do it (no, she really didn't). I can't believe how darn cute she is (seriously).

Moosey

This is "Moosey."
Go ahead and give yourself the deserved pat on the back if you were savvy enough to recognize that Moosey is actually a hippopotamus. Hailey actually has another moose, who is really a moose, also named "Moosey." The pink Moosey is preferred most of the time, and the name thing is cute now. The first day she named him though...that was a different story. She was crying incessantly in bed at nap time for Moosey, who I of course pointed out was already in bed with her, and left the room. With no end to the tears in sight (or earshot), I got her out of bed, and asked her to take me and show me what she needed. She took me to this Moosey, and now that we are clear on things, life is much easier for the both of us.

These are "horsies." Not pony tails or pig tails...in fact they are not tails at all...just horsies. Learning that part of her vocabulary wasn't quite as stressful. Ever since we found out I was pregnant, we have been telling Hailey that she will be a big sister...or sissy as she likes to say. It has been apparent for quite some time now that she identifies "big sissy" as someone other than herself. This makes sense when you think about it because we keep saying that she will be a big sissy, as it hasn't happened yet. For a while I thought she was referring to Keelyn as big sissy, and was just confused about who was who in the whole relative organization. When I would correct her, it made her only more confused, so I dropped it for a while. Yesterday she was hugging my belly, and I told her the baby would be here soon. Here's the conversation...

Me: Hailey, do you know where the baby is?

Hailey: In Mommy's tummy!

Me: What is her name?

Her: Kiki. (pointing to my belly)...(then pointing to her belly) Big Sissy in Haya!!!

OHHHHHHHH!!! I get it now!!! Big Sissy is coming out when Keelyn does...Hailey is impregnated with her alter ego, and soon they will become integrated. It all makes sense now. It's too late to enroll her in L&D classes, so she'll just have to wing it.

More Potty Talk

I realized after all the posting I have done about our last week of potty training, I failed to provide you with any visuals for the entire experience. Don't worry, I'll spare you the cute photos of Hailey sitting on the potty or wiping her bottom...some things are sacred, even for me.

On that note, I also spared you the descriptions of her bout with constipation and the aftermath, tempting as it was. I considered it...I mean who are we really if we can't share a sense of humor about poop, right? Like Oprah says...everybody goes. But seriously...this is my two year old daughter we're talking about here. I have to at least cut her some slack until she is old enough to post rebuttals. And again, some things are sacred.

I should share with you that in the last few days she has done beautifully...finally letting us know when she needs to go more regularly...going on a real potty when necessary...and even a trip to the JC Penny public restroom. I've got to say this...never have I cared more about the cleanliness (or lack thereof) in a public restroom, until I had to sit my daughter's pure little angelically soft tushy on a seat that I won't even touch with my own. Ugh. She's fearless.

So where are those pesky photos I mentioned at the beginning of all of this? Here you go!

Hailey studying up for the big day.

The potty party begins...the kid loves a tea party, even when I provide real versions of her favorite beverages.Our sticker chart, which is now full. She loves this part. It's so cute to see how proud she is of her accomplishments.
And what to do with all those extra diapers and changing pads lying around? Hailey had a great idea this morning and entertained herself for a good while changing diapers assembly line style. I was particularly fond of this idea with a new baby coming. Maybe I will have more help than I thought! Ha!

She Rambles

Throughout the day with Hailey...

...mommy, where are you?...um yeah, and we walked to hailey's house with ana, and kate, and nana, and kiki, and mommy, and daddy, ty, see duckies, i walk, and um, see duckies, and, um, oh yeah, grandpa, and blankie, and um...daddy work all day...haya give dada big hug tomorrow...oooh! santa brought new crayons...i wear tutu, tutu dance, do, do, do...haya go peepee, haya go peepee!!!...MOMMY, WHERE ARE YOU???...happy birthday kiki, sing happy birthday...uhoh, haya make mess...you wanna go grocery?...what was that? oh, haya toot...cold outside, burrrr...um, how 'bout we go for a walk?...nummy?, nummy?...mommy, where are you?...you like my pockets, where'd my hands go??? uhoh, where haya hands???...um, see you tomorrow? night-night, kiss, how 'bout big hug...........MOMMY, WHERE ARE YOU???

repeat.

Getting Over the Hump...Literally

The past few days have really gotten me thinking about what my life is like right now. I have a beautiful two year old daughter, and I am 33 weeks pregnant. My big belly hump blocks my usual view of the floor, while acting as a spring board whenever Hailey comes running at me full force for a hug. I have to catch her, or she'll bounce right off like Shannon Miller on a trampoline. Lucky for her, she has recently mastered the art of somersaults, so she takes it in stride.

Anyway, a few days ago we started potty training Hailey. Two days into it, I couldn't wait to get over that hump. I was experiencing the momentary insanity I have become quite familiar with since my start as a parent. When I say momentary, I mean anywhere from hours to years, depending on the hurdle. This was about a day I guess. We had one day that was a true turning point with the whole experience before it got a heck of a lot easier. I spent that whole day waiting for the next...planning the next moment...counting the hours until bedtime when I could breathe again free of the stress. Now I sit in amazement that that day is gone...as are the days when I put a little diaper on that tiny bottom and sent her off to play without a care.

I recently read a mother's comment about her life. It said something to this affect...looking back on life, the change she would make would be to enjoy her two pregnancies more rather than wishing them away with complaints of discomfort and sleepless nights. She commented that pregnancy is the rare, and maybe the only, opportunity we have as humans...and as women...to actually have a hand in God's work...she's right. When you think about it, we get to physically carry this amazing creation, entrusted by God, by our families, and ultimately by ourselves, that we will care for it to the best of our ability. I know we have many opportunities in life to help do God's work by giving to the greater good...and that's true regardless of your religion...but there is nothing so universal, so tangible, or ultimately so rare. Millions of babies are born every day, but in my little life, it is, and will be, a rarity. This may be my last chance to feel a baby moving inside of me...a last chance to physically create with God.

There were so many moments like the potty training that I wished away too quickly with Hailey. The pregnancy, the painful newborn nursing, the night time wakings. For her first 9 months of life, she took about 3-4 naps a day, and at least half of them were in my arms or curled up next to me in bed or on the couch. I couldn't wait for the day that she would take a nice long nap in her own bed so I could have a moment to myself...to get dishes done, or fold laundry. Why? Now, I would give anything to convince her to curl up on my lap and sleep for a few peaceful hours where I could watch her take each little breath. I remember being so eager to have her learn to walk. Such an exciting time...and I was so proud of her. I'm not saying I wish she was a two year old crawler...but that is just one more piece of infancy that will never come back. With each step she takes, she is further from the tiny little baby that I carried. Kids are constantly moving forward, and at the risk of sounding cliche, if you don't appreciate the moment in all its detail as it happens...it's gone.

A few months ago I received an article written by Anna Quindlen, Newsweek Columnist and Author, via email, with her reflections on her life that were similar to the feelings I have expressed here. The time is limited, it's precious, and when it's gone, you often realize that things happened too fast. It's easy to get so caught up in the act of getting in the car to go to the store, that you don't appreciate how cute a toddler is as she stops to pick up mulch and put it in her pocket, or to point out a bird in the sky. She has a thing or two to teach me about living in the moment, even if it takes 20 minutes (literally) to leave the house. Quindlen cited a memory of a picnic...a picture she had of her kids sitting on a blanket enjoying lunch...she wished she could remember more about the day than the act of eating...like, what was the conversation, and which way did the wind blow.

It might be a little late for a 2008 resolution, but I'll play the mommy card and say I haven't had time to think about it until now. Ironic when you consider what this blog is about. My resolution is to allow the moments to pass on their own time, rather than rushing through them...for Hailey's sake, and for my own. I am going to appreciate the process and bonding experience that is potty training (and other such events), rather than wishing away the diapers for the sake of convenience. I am going to spend my sleepless nights aware of the miracle that is this new baby, and marking my memory with what it feels like to have her with me. When she is born those humps I worked over with Hailey won't be as intimidating. I won't spend time worrying about whether or not the nursing will get less painful...it will. I won't spend time worrying about whether or not she will ever talk...she will. I won't wish away the naps she takes that immobilize me for 30 minutes...they are as rare in life as she. I will spend these last few weeks that I have "alone" with Hailey, appreciating the time we have. I will appreciate the knowledge I have gained from experiencing this once before, and allow the moments to imprint my life to the fullest, as I know they will go.

I will also be mindful of the thought that as I fondly look back on some of the wonderful moments I have shared with Hailey up to now, there are many more wonderful moments to come. I will rejoice in her independence, and in the things she can teach me about life...as a toddler, then as a big kid, and then as an adult. I know Keelyn holds her own bag of tricks, and together they will amaze me.

Timely Epiphanies

1: Giving up diapers has been almost as emotional as giving up nursing (for me, that is...or maybe for both of us)...just one more way she is growing up.

2: Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither is a baby in utero...Keelyn may in fact not come early as I have thought for a while now.

3: Bladder control DOES happen...days 3&4, only one accident. Hooray for Haya!!!!!

4: I only have 50 days left until Keelyn is due.

5: After putting my daughter to bed, hearing her last request of the evening was worth waiting for the whole day...I pulled her door closed, and she cried out "uh-oh, Mommy," I opened the door to see what was the matter..."Just one more big hug for Haya please."

Potty Training Notes

I should clarify after re-reading yesterday's post...

Hailey is doing an excellent job being an active participant in this whole thing. After all, who wants to pee on themselves repeatedly, be interrupted from activities they used to enjoy without having to stop to go potty, or hear their mommy ask every 5 minutes if they are dry? She is trying, and she is doing great. My frustration is with the process...and frustration for her because I know how badly she wants to get it right herself. She will. I just have to figure out the best way to guide her.

Adventures in Potty Training

Yep, that's right, we started the big girl stuff, and now we're in the thick of it. Hailey is, by all written accounts I can find, ready for potty training. She knows when she goes, she talks about it, she's interested when we go, and she is sick of diapers. Despite my certain decision to wait until after the baby is born up until about a week ago, I decided I am ready by similar accounts. I know when she goes, and I am equally sick of diapers. It also occurred to me that I have two more months to give her my undivided attention as needed before it will be forever divided. So I asked her on Wednesday..."Hailey, are you ready to wear big girl pants and pee on the potty, " and she replied, "Yeah, sure."

We picked out her favorite pairs of Hello Kitty and Elmo underwear, bought some fun snacks and sodas, and made a whole little party out of it. I can't tell you how adorably excited she was during our trip to Target, or when we got home and got everything ready. I could have cried at her cuteness. Yesterday morning we spent the bulk of our time enjoying said sodas and juice in the hall just outside the bathroom for easy access. We had a potty party. I even let her eat unlimited chips and chocolate to hold her attention and make her feel extra great about what she was getting in to. We read books, and peed about every 15 minutes. She was drinking about 10oz. an hour after all. It was great fun. She was excited, I was enthusiastic, and we were both very proud of her accomplishments. We diapered up for nap time, and woke up ready to go again.

Then came the overflow...let the accidents begin folks...and now, a full day later, they have yet to cease. Her excitement and my enthusiasm, however, have.

How do you make a two year old care that she is peeing on herself...the floor...her blankie...me? How do you make her understand that it is not in fact as terrifying as it may seem to poop on the potty? How do you keep her attention for a full day by talking about nothing other than pee pee? How do you effectively emphasize how great it is to be dry for the 400th time? How do you get her to understand the difference between telling mommy it's time to go during the peeing versus before the peeing begins? How do you keep her self esteem healthy when she pees on her favorite pair of kitty underwear...oh her self esteem...it's just so fragile...? How long is it okay to pump your heat up an extra 3 degrees because it is freezing in the house with no pants on?

The list goes on, and if you thought those were rhetorical questions, think again...I have no clue how to answer them, or this blog would be written completely differently. I really thought by now I could come to you with something like..."We worked hard all day for two days, and finally had a breakthrough, Hailey went on the potty all by herself without parental suggestion, and stayed dry all afternoon." Those were high expectations I guess, but you have to remember how well she started out...she appeared to be a potty training prodigy.

I have read books, websites, talked to friends, and even discussed these issues in great length with my two year old. I truly thought that letting her run around the house free to make accidents or get to the potty on her own accord would do the trick after a while. We have practiced, we have cleaned up together, we have felt the difference in wet and dry, we have had many drinks to offer many opportunities, we tought baby to go on the potty, we have celebrated the strides in the right direction, minimized the negative, we have done everything by the book...still nothing. Still not sure she cares.

I am so proud of the times she's gone on her potty...and there have been many. More in fact than the number of times she's gone elsewhere. We'll focus on that as we go into tomorrow, and I'll get back to you in a few days. You see, we do have to leave the house again at some point, so something's gotta give.