After much build up, preparation, discussion, promises, bribery, and hoopla... Potty Training Day #1 was nothing short of an epic failure. It started with a tantrum at the suggetion he run around naked, tears when we pulled out the awesome underwear, and fist flying wrestling to eventually get Owen into pull-ups. A trip to Target to pick out a new potty ring (Diego!) and some potty prizes brought a small glimmer of promise. But in the end, we learned that Owen does have great bladder control and has ZERO desire to exercise that control in any location other than his diaper. Not so awesome.
Thankfully, Scott and I were able to recognize that we won't ever win a battle of wills on this topic. So this morning, we put all the potty-related items back in the closet and told Owen we would use diapers for a while longer until he chooses to try using the potty again. He seemed very relieved (and frankly, so were we) and his behavior was infinitely better today - further confirmation that all the "potty talk" was stressing him out.
And then this evening, after his shower, he did his first ever poop in the potty.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Thursday, July 08, 2010
Where We Were
1 Year Ago: Sitting at the Blacksmith Restaurant, contemplating what it would be like to have 2 boys in our family.
2 Years Ago: Finally feeling "in the groove" as parents and so appreciative of the wonderful community of friends we enjoy in Bend.
3 Years Ago: Just home from the hospital with tiny, baby Owen (and I think take-out pizza). We had no idea how the energy in our home would forever be changed.
4 Years Ago: Recently returned from a much anticipated trip to Belize; talking about starting a family.
5 Years Ago: Just moved to Bend and then promptly returning to Washington. I spent the evening at Carole's Wedding Rehersal and Scott was at Brian's Bachelor Party.
6 Years Ago: Really settled and enjoying our house, friends, and community in Seattle. Thrilled that Scott had recently escaped a very draining job and exploring if we could work for the same company (ultimately not a sweet idea, but the commute was much more enjoyable!)
7 Years Ago: "Enjoying" one very lame celebratory dinner that still brings us laughs today. Quickly getting over it because we were in Hawaii for a week for Sheri's wedding. Preparing to scour the pet shelters when we got home for our first dog - Hudson!
8 Years Ago: New homeowners. Just brought home the tiniest kitten (Cisco), who was small enough to walk under our couch. Occassionally feeling overwhelmed by the responsiblity of caring for that little creature. (Overwhelmed by a cat - seriously? I guess times have changed.) Within a month, recruiting a friend for that fast growing kitty - Pippin.
9 Years Ago: Taking advantage of the long 4th of July weekend to spend some time in... Canada. Summer vacation on the cheap in Whistler.
10 Years Ago: Bundles of nerves, mountains of excitement, oodles of optimism, and the stunned look of two "kids" seeing each other on either end of a chruch aisle. We stood before more family and friends than will ever be gathered in one place and committed to tackle the adventure of life together.
Life is not easy. Marriage is not easy. Parenting is not easy. But the victories are sweeter when you have someone to share them with. Whether we're celebrating major milestones, wrestling with major decisions, struggling to find our footing, laughing at the absurdity of it all, or collapsing in exhaustion at the end of the day... there's nobody I'd rather be facing life's challenges with. I love you babe!
Let's give this marriage thing a shot for another 10 years.
P.S. Today: Preparing for lovely dinner out, contemplaing what's next for each of us and our family, and looking forward to a kid-free week in Mexico come September.
2 Years Ago: Finally feeling "in the groove" as parents and so appreciative of the wonderful community of friends we enjoy in Bend.
3 Years Ago: Just home from the hospital with tiny, baby Owen (and I think take-out pizza). We had no idea how the energy in our home would forever be changed.
4 Years Ago: Recently returned from a much anticipated trip to Belize; talking about starting a family.
5 Years Ago: Just moved to Bend and then promptly returning to Washington. I spent the evening at Carole's Wedding Rehersal and Scott was at Brian's Bachelor Party.
6 Years Ago: Really settled and enjoying our house, friends, and community in Seattle. Thrilled that Scott had recently escaped a very draining job and exploring if we could work for the same company (ultimately not a sweet idea, but the commute was much more enjoyable!)
7 Years Ago: "Enjoying" one very lame celebratory dinner that still brings us laughs today. Quickly getting over it because we were in Hawaii for a week for Sheri's wedding. Preparing to scour the pet shelters when we got home for our first dog - Hudson!
8 Years Ago: New homeowners. Just brought home the tiniest kitten (Cisco), who was small enough to walk under our couch. Occassionally feeling overwhelmed by the responsiblity of caring for that little creature. (Overwhelmed by a cat - seriously? I guess times have changed.) Within a month, recruiting a friend for that fast growing kitty - Pippin.
9 Years Ago: Taking advantage of the long 4th of July weekend to spend some time in... Canada. Summer vacation on the cheap in Whistler.
10 Years Ago: Bundles of nerves, mountains of excitement, oodles of optimism, and the stunned look of two "kids" seeing each other on either end of a chruch aisle. We stood before more family and friends than will ever be gathered in one place and committed to tackle the adventure of life together.
Life is not easy. Marriage is not easy. Parenting is not easy. But the victories are sweeter when you have someone to share them with. Whether we're celebrating major milestones, wrestling with major decisions, struggling to find our footing, laughing at the absurdity of it all, or collapsing in exhaustion at the end of the day... there's nobody I'd rather be facing life's challenges with. I love you babe!
Let's give this marriage thing a shot for another 10 years.
P.S. Today: Preparing for lovely dinner out, contemplaing what's next for each of us and our family, and looking forward to a kid-free week in Mexico come September.
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
Wrestle Mania
We've tried to delay it as much as possible, but two boys cannot be denied.... Wrestle Mania sessions are now part of our daily routine. Owen has figured out how to roll Josh off the floor and onto his tummy and Josh is sturdy enough to hold his own and vocal enough to let Owen know when he's had enough.
So far, we have set three rules to try and avoid any major injury:
1. No laying on top of someone smaller than you.
2. No jumping around Josh.
3. Only wrestle on the floor (lest you both end up falling head first off the couch and yelling for mom to rescue you)
So far, we have set three rules to try and avoid any major injury:
1. No laying on top of someone smaller than you.
2. No jumping around Josh.
3. Only wrestle on the floor (lest you both end up falling head first off the couch and yelling for mom to rescue you)
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
Baby J is 8 months!
Josh hit the 8 month mark on June 25th. True to form, he was kind of at the "more of the same" point at the end of June, but the last week has brought some significant changes. At 8 1/2 months, Josh is:
A Food Avoider: After 3 months of trying, Josh is finally eating some food. We've tried all our tricks, but in the end, I think Josh just needed a little bit more time to get ready. Now, he's doing a few bites of pureed fruit and veggies, plus cheerios, puffs, saltines, or graham crackers at every meal. This weekend, he delighted us by opening his mouth without major cajoling on our part. He's also very clearly signals he's finished by trumpetting his the lips that spits any remaining food across the table.
A Nature Lover: Josh is our nature lover! At daycare, he LOVES to sit in the grass and explore the textures. He is constantly trying to pull the leaves off our plants. He was completely entertained by his own sprig of basil while I made dinner the other day. He dug and kicked the sand forever at the beach. After our recent camping trip, I've been joking that we should just set up a tent for him in the backyard for the summer because he was peaceful and content watching the woods and then ate and slept so well, Scott kept asking "who's kid is that?"
A Music Lover: Dad's guitar is still a hit and we were told that Josh squealed with such delight at the piano at daycare that he nearly hyperventilated. An impromptu guitar concert by the grandparents on 4th of July brought a similar result.
A Lazy Roller: The motivation for movement is starting to surface, but Josh has been a front to back roller for several weeks and just today, he FINALLY rolled from back to front. I think crawling is a few months off, but he could surprise us.
A Talker: Josh has one "word" that he repeats in great frequency - ala, ala, ala - and loves to carry on a conversation of alternating "ala"s.
A Sleeper (....just kidding): Sleep is slowly improving. We cut him down to one feeding a night, which has reduced the night waking and helped me get over the fear that he was waking up from hunger. Now, we're working on putting him to bed "drowsy but awake," but most days he is so exhausted from all the excitement that he conks out 2 minutes into nursing. He probably needs a bit earlier bedtime, but it's a miracle if we're done with dinner before 6:30, so we do what we can.
A Budding Wrestler: Josh is quickly learning to hold his own in the daily brother wrestling matches. A separate post on those events is on the way.
A Little Swimmer: Josh LOVES, LOVES, LOVES the pool. I was hesitant about how I would be able to manage 2 kids at the pool this summer, but we went twice in one week when the weather heated up. Josh hung out in my lap, kicking, swimming arms, and floating confidently on his back for over an hour. If you're trying to find us this summer, you know where to look.
Owen's new nickname for Josh: "Josh-a-bee!"
A Food Avoider: After 3 months of trying, Josh is finally eating some food. We've tried all our tricks, but in the end, I think Josh just needed a little bit more time to get ready. Now, he's doing a few bites of pureed fruit and veggies, plus cheerios, puffs, saltines, or graham crackers at every meal. This weekend, he delighted us by opening his mouth without major cajoling on our part. He's also very clearly signals he's finished by trumpetting his the lips that spits any remaining food across the table.
A Nature Lover: Josh is our nature lover! At daycare, he LOVES to sit in the grass and explore the textures. He is constantly trying to pull the leaves off our plants. He was completely entertained by his own sprig of basil while I made dinner the other day. He dug and kicked the sand forever at the beach. After our recent camping trip, I've been joking that we should just set up a tent for him in the backyard for the summer because he was peaceful and content watching the woods and then ate and slept so well, Scott kept asking "who's kid is that?"
A Music Lover: Dad's guitar is still a hit and we were told that Josh squealed with such delight at the piano at daycare that he nearly hyperventilated. An impromptu guitar concert by the grandparents on 4th of July brought a similar result.
A Lazy Roller: The motivation for movement is starting to surface, but Josh has been a front to back roller for several weeks and just today, he FINALLY rolled from back to front. I think crawling is a few months off, but he could surprise us.
A Talker: Josh has one "word" that he repeats in great frequency - ala, ala, ala - and loves to carry on a conversation of alternating "ala"s.
A Sleeper (....just kidding): Sleep is slowly improving. We cut him down to one feeding a night, which has reduced the night waking and helped me get over the fear that he was waking up from hunger. Now, we're working on putting him to bed "drowsy but awake," but most days he is so exhausted from all the excitement that he conks out 2 minutes into nursing. He probably needs a bit earlier bedtime, but it's a miracle if we're done with dinner before 6:30, so we do what we can.
A Budding Wrestler: Josh is quickly learning to hold his own in the daily brother wrestling matches. A separate post on those events is on the way.
A Little Swimmer: Josh LOVES, LOVES, LOVES the pool. I was hesitant about how I would be able to manage 2 kids at the pool this summer, but we went twice in one week when the weather heated up. Josh hung out in my lap, kicking, swimming arms, and floating confidently on his back for over an hour. If you're trying to find us this summer, you know where to look.
Owen's new nickname for Josh: "Josh-a-bee!"
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