Potty Training

Well,  I don't want to jinx things, but I think I'm pretty safe to say that I have a potty-trained child.  The last time he had an accident was on Monday, when he went to Ms. Laura's house for the day.  When he is with me he very good about telling me.

Wednesday we went to IKEA with Chrisanne and Tenley all morning, and we made two potty stops while we were there and he didn't have any issues.  Part of my can't really believe it, my baby, who is clearly not a baby is 20 months old (Almost 21) and potty trained.  Like he doesn't use diapers anymore.  What is that?

It was quite the experience for us to potty-train him, though I feel like he was fairly easy to train (knock on wood). 

Just in case anyone wants to know how we did it, I'm going to write it here.  If not, I will have something to look at whenever we have another child to remember how we did it. 

First, right around 15 months we introduced the potty.  We put it in the bathroom, let him explore it and showed him how to sit on it.  We started just letting him look at it and get used to it, then we introduced giving him a mini-M&M every time that he sat down on the potty.  For a while, he sat on it a lot, and it was great.  There were days that he wouldn't sit on the potty at all, and that was okay too.  We also let him watch us on the potty whenever he wanted to, that way he saw what was going on. 

Then, we would only give him an M&M when he sat on it without pants on.  This lasted for a while.  Then one day, he sat down and I said "Finn, go potty" and he 'pee-peed' on the potty.  It was pretty exciting.  Then, he didn't go again for quite some time. 

Finn also has a very distinctive "poop face" so we knew when he was going.  We would start to try to take him when he was making this face, and then mimic this face when he sat on the potty so he knew what to do (the things you do for your kids!).

Another thing that really REALLY helped Finn was that Gus and V are here a few days a week, the fact that he could see Gus use the potty, and what he was supposed to do probably made the difference in doing this now, and 6-12 months from now.  He wanted to do it because he saw Gus do it. 

So, one morning he went on the potty twice, and it was a Friday so I just decided to keep going.  I stripped him naked and that was how he stayed for the next 4-5 days.  When he's naked he had no where to "put" his potty, and the kid does NOT like a mess on himself, so it worked for him. 

We used pull-ups during naptime and nighttime, which I think we'll continue to do for a while, though he has stayed dry for the last 3-4 nights and almost always at naptime, but I don't know exactly what the protocol is for that, so we will see. 

When we went out the first few times I put underwear on him (So he can feel it) and then a pull-up over that.  He also has a pair of cloth training pants called Charlie Banana that I've used several times when we have been out.  Then, we worked to get him used to sitting on the big potty too. 

Now, I just leave him in underwear and make sure to have extra underwear and extra pants with at all times, just in case. 

Thus far, he's only had one accident out in public, but he has told me that he has to go potty several times, and we have made it to public restrooms lots of times. 

Another thing that helped Finn is that he has a DVD called "Elmo Potty time"  Finn LOVES Elmo and when I saw this video I had to get it, and he watches it ALL THE TIME.  He absolutely loves it, I don't know if it helps, but he LOVES it. 

For the first two weeks, we gave him a mini M&M each time he had to go, and then made a potty chart where he could put a sticker each time he went.  After he went on the potty five times he got a prize out of the prize bin (Stickers were a big hit, hot wheels, books, animals, etc.  dollar store or dollar section stuff).  This worked really well.  We also made a huge deal about showing his chart to everyone that came over, and if no one was here he would show his chart to Ella and either Randy/I whoever didn't give him the sticker.  We also would call people and have him tell them what he did.  Our goal was to get him to feel proud of himself, and I know it worked for him. 

Last weekend we were gone a lot, and the stickers and prize bin just kind of fell by the wayside and naturally we eased off of them.  Now, we still do the M&M's, lots of praise and a prize/sticker at the end of the day for a no-accident day (and honestly, I think I'd do a prize at the end of the day for a mostly-accident free day too because I just would/will). 

So...that's what we did.  I think it worked really well and would definitely try it again (though I've heard that every kid is very different).  I don't know if anyone will want to know this information, but I will want to remember it at some point (hopefully), so feel free to not read if you don't want to (should have put that at the beginning, huh?). 

Love

Sometimes I wonder if my parents felt the same way (about me) that I feel about Finn.  It's difficult to conceptualize that someone loves me as much as I love him.  That they would do anything for me, even if that meant that they wouldn't do something because they wanted to make sure that I would learn a lesson, or learn to do something, or even just to learn that life isn't always easy and perfect.

I think you realize so much more what your parents did for you when you have children.  What they did right, and what you want to change, but the love is the same. 

I have to believe that my parents looked at me as a child and thought "wow, she is beautiful, I can't believe that we created her."  I think that on a daily basis. 

The fact that I love Finn so much, has forced me to look at myself a bit differently these past few weeks.

Randy and I did Whole 30, and much like every diet I am on, we failed.  I haven't eaten meat in almost a week, and I already feel better about life.  Eating meat was such a difficult decision for me, and I feel like I should have done this months ago.  I am not saying I'm eating "clean" or "healthy" or even well, but I feel more like me again. 

I have such a hard time looking at myself these days and finding anything that I like about the way I look.

Yesterday I was at school, and went to the bathroom, and they have a full-length mirror in there (which, under normal circumstances, I am morally opposed to). I looked at myself, and I thought for a split second, "I hate my body."

But then...apparently I was feeling rather philosophical...I thought to myself that body created Finn, and it birthed him and fed him for 19 months...and it's pretty fucking awesome.

So, while I am trying to eat a bit healthier, and trying to do Jillian Michaels (I hate that bitch btw) 5 days a week...I am also going to try to remember that while my body isn't perfect, it's doing it's job...and I'm happy with that.

General updates

I'm sorry I'm not the most interesting blogger as of late. 

I mean, let's be honest, I was never a terribly interesting blogger...but, lately things have been really dry.

When I say dry, what I really mean is...things are mostly great.  I have nothing to bitch and complain about...and it's WEIRD. 

So sometimes I think about what I should blog about...my great day?  Finn? Photography?  Life?  And it all seems so damn happy and cheerful, and I'm not necessarily the most happy and cheerful person, so it seems weird and fake and dishonest in some way...so then I just don't blog.

On that note, I will give you a brief synopsis of what's been going on lately. 

1.  I still love my job, like a ridiculous amount.  On Friday the kids were jumping on the couch after we made a fort, and I was being the monster who came to attack the fort.  After a really awesome attack (if I do say so myself), Gus gave me a hug and said "I love you Bocky" and I could have died of the cute. 

2.  Whole30...well, much like...every other diet I ever try Whole30 didn't quite turn out the way I planned.  Randy and I went to a wedding in Indianapolis...and, well, it was the first time we had spent the night away from Finn since he was born...and so we wanted to drink...a lot.  So we did, and we ate whatever we wanted, and that turned into Saturday and Sunday eating pretty much whatever.  Then we got back on track for another week, and then Friday came along and I blew it all.  It was my fault and I peer-pressured Randy to eat like crap too.  It sucked, and I feel way worse in general since starting to eat not-so-great again, but...I'm so apathetic about it.  In better news, I have done the 30 day shred for the last 4 days, so I guess that's something. 

3.  I'm pretty convinced that Finn is a genius.  I mean I know it COULD be that I'm his mother.  And it COULD be that I'm a bit biased.  He can count to ten, and yesterday he counted to 8 without any prompting.  He repeats everything, and I stopped counting the words he says months ago.  He knows a few of his colors already...and he is (normally) just the sweetest child ever.  Don't get me wrong, he has his moments where I want to ring his adorable little neck, but still...I'm pretty proud of him!

4.  I have to go to the gynecologist today.  This could be TMI for some of you, but I just thought I'd share...I am going to an actual doctor now because my midwife unexpectedly left the practice, so I'm nervous about that.  Also, I thought I had a sitter for Finn, but turns out I don't...so I have to bring him with...which is going to be all sorts of uncomfortable and ridiculous.  Hopefully it goes quickly, as I haven't had a pap done since Finn was born (oops). 

5.  I am (seriously) almost done Christmas shopping...and I'm hardcore happy about it.  Finn is completely done, and I have less than 10 gifts to buy...I have never been done this quickly, and I'm loving it. 

Happy October everyone!