Look, the majority of the content on this blog is going to revolve around potty training my stubborn 4 year old daughter for a while. I might break it up occasionally but right now her shiny little heinie is pretty much the focus of my days. If you're getting bored then go look at cat videos.
Today was day 2 of Operation Break Sophie's Will or Possibly Pop Her Kidneys.
She came out of bed with the diaper that ate Manhattan. I cleaned her up and left her pantsless. My sister calls this the "Winnie the Pooh" or "Donald Duck" method. Sophie knew what this meant and started getting cranky right away. I offered a potty trip and she fell to the ground howling. I said "OK!" and walked away.
She got up. Stared at me. Looked at the bathroom. I could see her little brain working it out. I didn't care? I wasn't going to make her do anything? What's the catch?
I watched her fight all day. I gave her cup after cup after cup of juice. Finally, I was sorting clothes in the hallway when it hit.
Sophie came SCA-REE-HEEMING down the hallway like she was on fire. Again, I calmly looked at her and asked her if she wanted to go potty. She screamed all the way to the bathroom and I heard clanking, banging, crashes and finally...a small tinkling sound.
The sound of victory.
Granted, she had ripped down my cute little potty chart and peed on it. She was also just hovering over the potty and had peed in / on it. It took 15 minutes to calm her down and convince her that she was not going to turn inside out and die right there on the tile floor. I cleaned everything up and brought out the stickers.
"Stickees?", she said while sniffling.
"Yes, baby! You get to put stickers on your chart now!"
She gleefully put a sticker in the box and another at the top of the chart. Then she came out to the living room and paced around and around. She kept going over to the laundry and bringing me her pants because she knows that pants mean a diaper as well. I knew she still had to go so I asked her again. She yelled as she ran into the bathroom...and then ran right back out into the living room.
It's OK. Mama has Resolve.
After getting everything out of her system, the fight just left her. She sat in my lap, exhausted and worn. She slept for 15 minutes that way. (Me praying the whole time that she didn't pee all over me.) When she woke up...something clicked.
5 more times today, she went to the potty and did her business. This time it was with clapping, dancing and elated stickering. One time, she even ran to me in the kitchen to tell me she had to go. She went to bed tonight with 6 stickers on her chart and a Pull-Up on her butt. She fell asleep in minutes.
I know not every day is going to be like this. Some days will be great. Some days will go through a whole can of Resolve and most of my resolve. Today, however, ended with 6 stickers. I feel like I earned them, too.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Four
Dear Sophie,
Right now you are in your bed with only ONE TOY. I'm a monster, I know. You're used to sleeping with about 4 but, since you keep pelting your brother with them, I now limit you to one. You've been potty training all day. Since 10:00 this morning you have been totally bare bottomed and have not gone in the potty at all. No accidents, no potty. Just pure stubborn I-refuse-to-do-this-on-your-terms. You went to bed early tonight because you didn't nap and were manic with trying to do the Potty Dance all over the house.
Honestly, you annoyed the crap out of me today.
Four years ago you were lying in the Baylor NICU with a feeding tube in your nose, 3 monitors on your body and an IV in your scalp. You weighed 5 pounds and 2 ounces. You were the smallest baby I had ever seen up close. I remember standing by your bassinet with your Daddy as the nurses told us about your feeding tube and what to expect over the next few days.
God, I was scared.
You were my first. My first baby. I thought I had done everything right until my water broke at midnight on the 16th. You were only 34 weeks along. After laboring with you for over a day, you entered the world at 6:48 AM on the 17th of January. Your little head was cone-shaped because you took your sweet time. You didn't cry. You were very alert. The doctor put you on my stomach and all I could see was your tiny right hand waving around as they dried you off. I was scared and asking why you weren't crying. As they tried to convince me that some babies just don't cry, I tried to convince myself that you were real by taking that little hand.
You held my finger and my heart shattered.
I was a Mama. I had always wanted to be a Mama and here you were. My baby girl. My Sophia Sakura. I held you for an hour that seemed like 3 seconds. Then they took you to the NICU and I didn't see you again for another 7 hours. It was a tiny taste of the most perfect feeling in the world and then it was snatched away from me.
That first night, I couldn't sleep. I crept out of my room at 3 in the morning and slowly made my way to the NICU. They were just about to feed you and offered to try breastfeeding. We couldn't make it work so they suggested Kangaroo Care instead. I sat in a comfortable glider with my feet up. You laid your tiny head on my left breast and tucked your feet under my right breast. The nurses put warm blankets over both of us and then put a screen around us.
Every muscle in your tiny body relaxed and you fell asleep over my heart.
I sat for hours just marveling at the wonder that is You. I sang lullabies. I told you about your cat. I examined your face to see what family members you resembled. I will remember those hours for the rest of my life.
Happy birthday, my Sophie-chan. Please go to the bathroom.
Right now you are in your bed with only ONE TOY. I'm a monster, I know. You're used to sleeping with about 4 but, since you keep pelting your brother with them, I now limit you to one. You've been potty training all day. Since 10:00 this morning you have been totally bare bottomed and have not gone in the potty at all. No accidents, no potty. Just pure stubborn I-refuse-to-do-this-on-your-terms. You went to bed early tonight because you didn't nap and were manic with trying to do the Potty Dance all over the house.
Honestly, you annoyed the crap out of me today.
Four years ago you were lying in the Baylor NICU with a feeding tube in your nose, 3 monitors on your body and an IV in your scalp. You weighed 5 pounds and 2 ounces. You were the smallest baby I had ever seen up close. I remember standing by your bassinet with your Daddy as the nurses told us about your feeding tube and what to expect over the next few days.
God, I was scared.
You were my first. My first baby. I thought I had done everything right until my water broke at midnight on the 16th. You were only 34 weeks along. After laboring with you for over a day, you entered the world at 6:48 AM on the 17th of January. Your little head was cone-shaped because you took your sweet time. You didn't cry. You were very alert. The doctor put you on my stomach and all I could see was your tiny right hand waving around as they dried you off. I was scared and asking why you weren't crying. As they tried to convince me that some babies just don't cry, I tried to convince myself that you were real by taking that little hand.
You held my finger and my heart shattered.
I was a Mama. I had always wanted to be a Mama and here you were. My baby girl. My Sophia Sakura. I held you for an hour that seemed like 3 seconds. Then they took you to the NICU and I didn't see you again for another 7 hours. It was a tiny taste of the most perfect feeling in the world and then it was snatched away from me.
That first night, I couldn't sleep. I crept out of my room at 3 in the morning and slowly made my way to the NICU. They were just about to feed you and offered to try breastfeeding. We couldn't make it work so they suggested Kangaroo Care instead. I sat in a comfortable glider with my feet up. You laid your tiny head on my left breast and tucked your feet under my right breast. The nurses put warm blankets over both of us and then put a screen around us.
Every muscle in your tiny body relaxed and you fell asleep over my heart.
I sat for hours just marveling at the wonder that is You. I sang lullabies. I told you about your cat. I examined your face to see what family members you resembled. I will remember those hours for the rest of my life.
Happy birthday, my Sophie-chan. Please go to the bathroom.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Not Giving Up
"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 8:38-39
Do you hear that?!?
It doesn't matter that Sophie still couldn't understand my instructions about potty training and had a massive meltdown.
It doesn't matter that Gideon tried to destroy everything whenever I went into the bathroom with Sophie because he was jealous of all of the attention his sister was getting.
It doesn't matter that Milly freaked out whenever I not only left her sight but went out of her reach making nap time a really difficult thing.
God was still with me all day. He still loves me. He still believes in my ability to mother these children. He's going to be there as I cry tonight.
I'm still OK.
Romans 8:38-39
Do you hear that?!?
It doesn't matter that Sophie still couldn't understand my instructions about potty training and had a massive meltdown.
It doesn't matter that Gideon tried to destroy everything whenever I went into the bathroom with Sophie because he was jealous of all of the attention his sister was getting.
It doesn't matter that Milly freaked out whenever I not only left her sight but went out of her reach making nap time a really difficult thing.
God was still with me all day. He still loves me. He still believes in my ability to mother these children. He's going to be there as I cry tonight.
I'm still OK.
Potty Training is a Go
The bright pink potty chart has been decorated with pictures of Minnie Mouse and Daisy Duck. The sticker bribes are ready. When 10 stickers are stuck, a prize is won.
The waterproof panties are ready. We go barebottom the first day, waterproof the next few days and then the Minnie Mouse panties from Grandma are coming out.
The Special Bubbles are next to the potty. The Special Bubbles can only be used when cheeks are on the seat.
All systems are go. Operation Potty Train Sophie is ready.
Let's do this thing.
The waterproof panties are ready. We go barebottom the first day, waterproof the next few days and then the Minnie Mouse panties from Grandma are coming out.
The Special Bubbles are next to the potty. The Special Bubbles can only be used when cheeks are on the seat.
All systems are go. Operation Potty Train Sophie is ready.
Let's do this thing.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
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