Potty Training Confessionals

So... Potty training: 1, Kassi/Ryan: 0

Last week I mentioned that we were starting the potty training process.  I talked about being emotional about the whole thing, but I was actually really excited to get started because Lyla is typically very good with direction and responds really well to rewards - particularly chocolate and donuts.  I was truly excited to see her successfully check one more milestone off her list.

We've read all of the Baby Wise books, and chose to go with Potty Wise for our adventure, and more specifically the progressive method which should typically take about 2-3 days.  Well, after the first day and some very slight progress I was left feeling a little unsure.  By the end of day 2, without going into too many details, I was feeling even less confident about the whole thing, and very sure this wasn't going to be a 2 or 3 day process.

When the morning of the third day was going far worse than the days prior I made the decision to stop and try again at some point in the future.  It was an emotional and confusing decision because I hate to quit anything, and one of the hardest parts that I think comes with parenthood is making these decisions and not really knowing at the time if it really is the very best for your child or not.

The next morning I woke up feeling so much better and just at peace with the decision I made.  I know at some point we will both be ready and it will just click.  But this is the thing - this girl right here? 

Every single one of the days of her 23 months of life have been my brightest.  There's been hard one's for sure, but every night I go to bed with a smile on my face, thinking about her and all we'd done that day.  I am painfully aware that our days of just her and I are becoming more and more limited and I just can't reconcile the idea of making these last 53 days (but who's counting, right?) anything but carefree and joyful.

So for now, pass the diapers.  Please and thank you. 

- K

Cutie

 

 

I remember when my sisters and I were kids we would go through these obsessive phases where we loved one particular thing, and everything revolved around it for a while.  For me there were Mickey Mouse, frogs, and then anything sparkly.  Savannah had an awesome "Lil Homies" fetish, and Jo loved horses and Beauty and the Beast. 

We're suddenly getting into the beginning of those stages with Lyla.  Girlfriend definitely has some obsessions these days.  For example, she cannot get enough cuties...a habit I happily obliged until the diaper situation went really wrong.  We've since had to closely monitor that intake, which means keeping them completely out of sight or she will literally freak out and not eat anything else.

She's also learned how to make elephant, cow, and fish sounds, and therefore is completely infatuated with any and all of those animals.  She walks around all day making that cute little elephant sound and bringing books with elephants in them to us to read, pointing out each elephant and making her sound.  (Have I mentioned how freakin smart she is?!)

I am having so much fun watching this girl grow up.  How can every stage possibly be even better than the one before??

- K

Dad's Turn

doing tricks with dad

Let me begin by saying that I don’t read blogs.  When Kassi suggested that in addition to being a stay at home mom AND working a 40 hour a week career she would start a ‘blog’ to document our lives; I thought she had finally succumbed to the insanity of sleep deprivation.  When she really did it I decided I had better chip in.  I also made the mistake of saying 'well I am the writer of the family so it wouldn't make much sense if you wrote everything and I just sat idly by’.   So here we are.  In regards to our little family I would say that the one thing the books leave out about having a child is that no matter how hard it is... it will inevitably get harder.  That is relevant for us right now as just this last couple weeks Lyla has not only began crawling around but also seeking incessantly to prop herself up and then dive head first off of everything she can find.  So in addition to having to change diapers that look more and more like they were filled by an adult, teething, and fewer naps there are also the apparent suicidal tendencies to deal with.  Coming to terms with the fact that I may never again relax and watch a football game with my feet up is something I battle with everyday.  Come share in the journey with us.

-R