Unfailing Love: Potty Training?

Vincent Gerard

This is my hubby. Also known as Vinny, Dowey, Dowebally, and (as of last night) Pickle Juice. (You may learn that I have an affinity for nicknames, comes from my daddy!) Unbelievably, the hubs and I have been married for 9 years! I can't believe it! Seems like just yesterday I was a freshman in college and my friend introduced me to this hunky senior with a hot red car! Vince is working hard to support our family and traveling here and there. Vince is a WONDERFUL father and his girls (all of us) are the most important things to him!

Barclay Kathryn

What to say? I'm Barclay, usually known as Barclay (not much you can do with Barclay). I was an elementary teacher for fours years until I had Bella. Now I am doing the job I have wanted to do ALL of my life, being a mom. I love these two girls more than I can possibly express and it is my joy and privilege to be able to spend each day with them. I recently entered the blog frontier, and although my blog followers will probably be able to be counted on one hand, I thought it would be exciting to be a part of something so neat. I love that there are many other moms out there facing the same joys, hardships, questions, surprises, and challenges that I am. I also hope to be a sort of medium to spread awareness for others that need prayers, help, or just someone to walk through life with!

Isabella Kathryn

Usually referred to as Bella. As well as Bells, Bellie, Belly Boo, Bellsie Bubs, Bubs, Bubba, Bells and Whistles.... Bella is our first born daughter. She is 6. Bella enjoys school, reading, riding her training-wheel free bike, she could color and write for hours, she loves singing to the Momma Mia soundtrack, anything princess or pink, having bows in her hair, playing dress up, and her little sisters! God blessed us with Bella a month early but she was perfectly healthy. In six years she has become such a bright, outgoing, sensitive, and fearless little girl. Bella really is the sweetest girl you will ever meet. She is eager to please. If she hurts or disappoints someone it literally crushes her to tears. This last year she asked Jesus to be her Lord and Savior and we could not be more proud!! Love this sweet, blonde, blue eyed beauty!

Bryanna Karina

Usually known as Brynn. As well as Brynnie, Miley, Miley Moo, Geegs, Geegers, Brynnie Boo, and many more. Ten days before Bella turned 2 years old we were blessed with another beautiful, healthy girl by planned c-section. This time I was able to see my baby right after birth, watch her get weighed, bathed, etc. I couldn't wait for Bella to meet her. Brynn is now 4 and keeps me laughing all day long. Brynn, since she was about 2 months old has been the smiliest baby I have ever met. All you need to do is look at her and she will flash you a world class smile. Brynn is smiley, more shy and reserved about things than her big sis, can be quite the clown when she feels safe or gets in a silly mood, amazingly brilliant, she's been speaking full sentences since she was 19 months and continues to amaze us with what comes out of her mouth. She loves doing whatever her big sister is doing, dressing up, looking at books, her blankie, being held, twirling in her dresses, singing, and dancing whenever she hears music! Brynn is my compassionate baby, she hates to see people hurting. We just love this sweet, shy, snuggly, smiling little girl!

Brooklyn Blythe

Also known as Brookie, Brookie Cookie, Cookie Lu, Lulu B just to name a few. Sweet, sweet Brooklyn is our family's latest addition! We welcomed Brookie into our family on August 23rd 2010 at 12:23pm by planned c-section. I was nervous she would be a bit high maintenance since she came out screaming bloody murder and continued to wail anytime anyone touched her- get her footprints, take her temperature, etc. Amazingly, she would instantly stop the moment the Hubs touched her or began talking to her. And since her birthday, we have barely heard a peep out of her..... And fast forward 18 months, she definitely makes plenty of peeps now! :) We are full blown in the the terrible twos (which IMO last from 18-36 months) I believe. To make matters worse she's also cutting her 4 molars. She definitely knows what she wants but can't quite articulate it, so gets frustrated. Eating is also a hit or miss these days which is very foreign to me. Mixed with the crabby days though is the funniest personality ever. She is a riot! She LOVES chasing after her big sisters or having them chase and imitate her. She also has this adorable chubby face and will peek out of the corner of her eyes and just melt your heart! She is definitely shy at first but if you can get through to her she will keep you in stitches with her antics. We love you little BB and couldn't ask for a sweeter addition to our family!

Friday, April 12, 2013

Potty Training?

So potty training.

Blech.

Every mother feels the pressure of getting on their child to be potty trained.

With Bella as soon as she was 18 months I brought the potty out so she could start learning the vocabulary and the how to to potty use.

And right at 2 we said ok lets do this.

I tried the setting the timer route or asking her and wasn't having much success.

Soon my mom came in town and it was nice to have reinforcement. She suggested I leave Bells butt naked, so we did, and she immediately got it. Never once had an accident. She would feel the sensation, not want to get it on the floor, and run to the bathroom. She tackled nap and night time later by the time she was 3.

Score one for us! Awesome potty training mom here, right?!

Um, no.

Then Brynn came along.

Seeing her big sister do it all the time I thought oh this time around will be a breeze too. I was due in August with Brooklyn so it was my goal to have her trained before then to only have one in diapers, Ha!

I attempted that summer but our naked method did not work with Brynn, she would just pee all over the floor. And she could hold it forever, so I could never catch her on the potty. So I decided to just wait till she was ready but then I had Brooklyn and I was not dealing with potty training. After Brooklyn was a couple months old (Novemberish) than I was feeling more ready (she would be 3 in Feb.). Since I waited a little later, I think, she did staying dry at day time and sleep time all at once. But I could not get #2! She would just hold it and go at nap and bedtime since I still had a diaper on her at sleep time just in case. Grrr...

This went on for months. Finally out of frustration, and I fully regret now, I took away her diaper at nap and bedtime. I knew she wouldn't go in her underwear so I was curious about what would happen. Wanna know what happened?

She didn't poop for a week.

Yikes, yeah not so much of an awesome potty training momma anymore.
I won't go in to all the long details but check out my post here and here.

Anyway, after the nightmare experience with Brynn I was in NO HURRY to potty train Brooklyn. I figured I'll get to it when she starts preschool and I have to. I was determined to wait until she ready. I've tried a couple times here and there since she turned 2 to see if she was ready but naked also didn't work for her and she could hold it forever like Brynn. It just became so easy to just change her once or twice a day when she was poopy, than having to deal with a potty trained toddler. So I have been trying to ignore my stupid mommy guilt as I hear of others her age getting trained. So this week the hubby had two work trips fall right in a row making him gone all week long. :( So obviously now is NOT when I would want to tackle potty training. However the day he left I noticed Brooklyn give me a look that afternoon like she was sensing something, so I asked her if she had gone potty. She said yes. Hmm. So that night she asked to get out of the bath so I asked her if she had to go potty, she said yes, and actually went!! I had been trying for 6 months to catch tinkle and hadn't yet so this was huge. And now ever since Sunday evening she has been tinkling in the potty!! Crazy! Like I said, not when I would have chosen to do it but it really does pay off to wait until THEY are ready. It was a breeze! I literally didn't do anything, it was all her. Now Monday we were home all day so I was able to be better about catching everything but the rest of the week we have preschool pick up and drop offs and MOPS so she hasn't #2 on the potty, just goes in her diaper (I've been throwing one on under her undies when we're out and about) or her undies today because I was not being good about paying attention to her. So I'm not saying she's potty trained but we're definitely in the trenches. So just praying since this was her doing it will be a much smoother process than with Brynn! I'll definitely keep y'all posted on her progress. :)