TMI - Toilet Training

 Toilet Training Shopping List:

Toddler training seat

Step stool

Pull-ups

Toddler underwear

M&M's

Flushable wipes

Laundry detergent

Bissel Wet Vac solution

Got all that over the course of about 2-3 months, and finally decided to try it out "for real." Oliver kept showing interest in toilet training...I got the hint when he'd go in and try to sit on the pot, tell me he needed to go when I was going to go and then try to sit on it before me, tell me when he was going to go "too too," and spending hours sitting naked on the froggy-potty we got for him (that, unfortunately, just became the cool naked-chair and had nothing to do with peeing - why would it, no one else pees in a giant green frog...), then sitting for 3-10 minutes at a time on the toilet...nothing ever coming out, but he got big smiles from everyone for sitting there, and often sat with a giant grin on his face.

SO, we did it one day. After a quick pep-talk from my mom, we went from morning diapers to all day underwear. I had read that because modern diapers and pull-ups are so effective, kids often can't tell when they're wet. So, I decided to go straight for underwear so he (and I) would know when he pee'd and I could figure out his elimination-schedule. Oh fun times.

With the first pee-accident, he said "tee tee" when he was wet (up until now, "penis" and "pee pee" were synonymous, so I think he now knows the difference a little better now - yes, we use the real words in this house...most of the time...if we had a girl, I don't know if I could stop using the word "va-jay-jay" though, the other is just too much, ha! Oh, and as per the previous post, "ta-ta's" is a scientific word as well). Anyhoo, back to the excitement of potty training. Oh yes, and I call it TOILET training because of Oliver's issue with port-o-potties, but I'll bring that up again later. So, Oliver was far more concerned with the wet spot on the floor than going to the toilet, but by accident #3, he decided we weren't going to clean it up before walking calmly and sitting on the toilet, praises for sitting, and changing out underwear. Our wet-vac got a lot of exercise, and can I say, I really appreciate the automatic cleaning action of that little thing. ("Just set it and forget it!" Ok, different appliance, but verse two of that song) I found out he pees just about every 50 minutes, and was SO happy when it was nap time, since that was diaper time :) Oliver seemed relieved too (punny, ha ha) and pooped in the diaper and asked for it to be changed - Oh I'm so glad I didn't have to deal with poop in underwear.

After nap time, back to undies, and being told "tee tee!!!!" after the fact. By the end of the day, Oliver was not super excited about mounting the toilet every hour and being wet. Watching him all day, I have come to the conclusion he still doesn't realize when he's going to pee until after it's started. So, I have decided, in my great wisdom and experience, ha ha just kidding, according to "the books," to wait another month or so and try again. He just turned 2 on Sunday, so it's a tad early for a boy anyway, but he now knows about peeing and being wet, and we do that in the toilet, but he just doesn't have the ability to coordinate it all yet. So rather than making it a loosing battle, frustrating him, pulling my hair out, and having a urine-stained house (even though our wet-vac is pretty awesome) we're going to wait a month and try another day and see if he can feel when he needs to pee BEFORE it's dribbling out. By the end of the day, I was so sad Oliver didn't get any pee in the toilet, so no M&M's, so we shared a bowl of M&M's for dessert as a little pat on the back for surviving a confusing and somewhat rough day.

Ok, back to the port-o-potties. Do you remember Oliver's obsession with the green and blue "yuckies?" Here's an excerpt of the post to refresh your memory:

"He's also obsessed with "trash" and "yucky" things. Has been since he was 6 months old and would point to every spot on Wal-Mart's floor and say "trash." He's very excited to throw away anything that looks garbage-worthy, loves the garbage truck, has to count all the garbage cans on trash day, and has this weird need to go see the "yuckies" or port-a-potties on our block in front of the houses under construction. Everyday. Several times a day - although we only go once during our evening walks. He wakes up talking about the "blue yucky" and the "green yucky". It would be endearing if he weren't also a little scared of them and SO obsessed with them."

They have taken away the blue one (thank goodness) and the "green-yucky" still stands. (In Oliver's language it's Nyagucky), and in a strange twist, Oliver now uses it as his word to express frustration and anger. Much like a swear word. Much the way people use the word "S**T!" which Nich and I find hilarious considering he doesn't hear us swearing, and what happens in a port-o-potty is so similar to the "SH" word, so hearing "Nygucky!!!" shouted from somewhere in the house makes up crack up, and we have now taken to using it as our swear word of choice.

TMI - Bras...

I must say, I am always impressed with everything a woman's body goes through in order to birth a human being. Apart from the enlarging of the heart, increased blood volume, organs compressing to half their size and crammed into whatever tiny place they can find plus the surge in hormones, moving of bones and dumbing down of the brain...so nicely called "pregnancy brain" that I'm still not convinced ever truly goes away...what I am most impressed with at the moment is the change in the feeding organ, the ta-ta's. Yes, I like to be scientific when I write, and in my book that's the correct term.

So I have noticed more backaches and bad posture that are annoying, but more than that, the "hoochiness" that comes with the spillage-over or "bubbling over" of an ill-fitting bra (you know, that oh so attractive look of having 4 ta-ta's, or an udder, when you're wearing a t-shirt.) So, even though I am in my largest pregnancy bra from Oliver's pregnancy, just 26 weeks in, I already "runneth over." Oh me oh my! So while Oliver was in school, I went and got fitted by a very sweet woman, and she brought me something a tad bigger than the pinching, cutting-circulation, leaving red marks, and showing a little too much bra I was wearing.

Um, so, slight difference. But can I say, HEAVEN!! It's for sure a Granny-bra, what with the wide shoulder straps, the giant band with 3 hooks in the back, and gigantic underwires that start at the center of my armpits. But, I stand up straighter, have happy shoulders, look "perkier," (not that that matters with the giant belly below, but I'll take it), and most importantly, the "girls" are happy! Held in a normal shape, in their natural position, and no bubbling over anywhere, I no longer look like a pregnant cow, just a beached whale with nice ta-ta's.

I'm still in shock...here's my hand in comparison to the cup. Eek!!! And I know things are just going to get bigger, so I'm a little worried about how THAT will work. There's not really room for much of anything to get bigger and yet, the baby still has a good 5-6 pounds to put on. Oh I'm going to need some help! (Maybe TMI #2, but Nich has offered to walk behind me and "support me" as much as I need. What a sweet guy...)