The Potty Training Update

I said I would give it three months and I kept my word.  It has been three whole months since she abruptly decided she only wanted to wear panties.

The first couple of weeks held many accidents and some unexplainable phobia of pooping in the potty.  It was crazy stressful because I wasn't prepared and had unrealistic expectations.

However once that first month was over things changed drastically.  Not only was she peeing AND pooping in the potty but she could do it pretty much all on her own.  We are still having the occasional accident but many mommy friends have reassured me that that is normal.  The most important thing is that we are handling things much calmer than we did in the beginning.

Overall the process was fairly straightforward and I'm relieved for the hard part to be over.  Surely it's all downhill from here.

What have we been up to?

Well October was a whirlwind.

Miss Zoe turned one and became a toddler.  She is full blown walking now and is becoming quite the little ham.  She also knows how to throw quite a tantrum and demands personal space.  She still looks so much like her daddy, even more than big sister.

Miss Emberlynn turned three and became a preschooler.  She's growing up so fast and acts even older than she is.  She's all about princesses and dressing up.  Discipline and parenting are taking on a whole new definition.  The challenges are bigger but so are the rewards.

Hubby also had his birthday and turned twenty-six.  Just four years away from thirty.  But he's not one to get bent out of shape over a number and LOVES birthdays.

We're still adjusting to him being home and back in work and school.  We had hoped to be settled in by now but the government shut down affected us financially as well as interfering with his retraining at work.  Thankfully we serve a big God who has been with us through all of this.

 Speaking of hubby, we also celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary.  It's been a full five years with two deployments and two small children.  Right now we're working through this post deployment, reestablishing "normal" phase but I know we'll make it and be even stronger on the other side.  I'm so glad God brought us together.

We also had Halloween, a much beloved holiday in our family.  Emberlynn was old enough to remember and be excited.  Zoe was old enough to actually go.  Best of all daddy was home.

Hope you enjoyed the update and pictures.  I'll try to check in again soon.

Potty Training, Oh My!

Yes we are indeed potty training our oldest who will be three next month.  It's still rather new.  We've only been at it a few weeks now and it's a slow process.

I have heard so many opinions and read about all of these one-day and three-day potty training methods.  Honestly, all of that really screwed up my expectations and attitude toward the process which did a disservice to me and my child.

A couple of friends of mine kind of put me in my place (in a good way) which led me to searching out other resources.  In my search I found a book called The No Cry Potty Training Solution.  The same author writes books about infant and toddler sleep (which I own).  It was a relief to find a book by an author I am comfortable with who is gentle in her approach which is what I strive for.  However when we first started potty training I was anything but gentle.

All this talk about how fast potty training should be really skewed my outlook.  The consequence?  I did not handle the inevitable accidents in the right manner.  Where parents are encouraged to stay neutral and matter of fact, I responded in an emotional and angry way.  Not a pretty picture and only made the whole ordeal harder.

This week I decided to step back and change my approach.  I'm working more on how I handle myself than how she is doing with the process.  Accidents are natural and normal.  I have come to believe that potty training in one day or even three is not.  I'm sure it works for some but it's not for us.

My trusty book says that it can take anywhere from three to twelve months for a child to be completely daytime potty independent.  That seems much more believable and reasonable to me.  Instead of counting each accident as some sort of failure and putting so much pressure on having at least one accident free day (which we haven't had yet), I plan to step back and take each day as it comes.  I'm sure I will still be elated the first day she makes it all day without any kind of accident but I plan to wait out the minimum three months and then reevaluate.

In the mean time, if you feel the need to tell me how easy potty training is or was for you please refrain.  I'm not in the right head space for that.

The importance of a mother's intuition.

Let's start at the beginning shall we...
On Easter, Emberlynn woke up with a slight runny nose but it was clear so no worries.  The next couple of days were rough thanks to Emy being congested and me also coming down with whatever crud she had.  Well I spent the rest of the week under the weather but Emberlynn rebounded super quick so I thought it was over.  The snotty nose persisted but stayed clear for the most part and she would randomly have a coughing fit but she wasn't acting sick.
Then yesterday happened.  She woke up with a low grade fever and her cough had gotten worse.  She's still not that sick but I just have this feeling I need to take her to see the pediatrician.  Well her ears and lungs are clear.  However her throat is a little red so they do a swab for strep and for RSV.  Honestly RSV never even crossed my mind so I was surprised when the doctor said she wanted to test for it.  I thought that was just a concern for infants.  Well turns out my precious toddler has RSV.  Thankfully for now it seems to be just a mild case.  She still isn't acting very sick.  The fever is gone.  She rarely coughs.  Just that darn snotty nose that is still clear in color.
So I say all of that to say this, mamas even though I'm new to this I know how challenging parenting can be.  Being responsible for a whole little human can be overwhelming.  But please trust yourself.  You know more than you think you do.  You know that feeling you get when you just know.  Face it, you've got mommy super powers.  Put them to good use.

I can't help...

But sit and admire my new header.  My beautiful baby girl is seventeen months old now, which is super hard to believe, and definitely coming into her own.  Her vocabulary is slowly building.  She's finally getting into eating solids even though she still nurses a good deal.  Oh and yes, I'm still nursing her with no plans to wean any time soon.  I realize that's a touchy topic but it's the best decision for us.  She's definitely a fiesty little one with a mind of her own.  She is a leader, rarely a follower.  She's just so cute.  Of course I'm biased, I know.  We have our rough days, but who doesn't when you're with someone pretty much 24/7, but I am truly blessed to have her in my life and love watching her learn and grow.

Trick or Treat!

While this wasn't Emberlynn's first Halloween (as she was five days old on Halloween last year), it was her first year to go trick-or-treating.  I'm pretty sure she didn't understand what was going on but she was a trooper.  We took turns carrying her and walked around my in-laws neighborhood.  After we made our rounds Emberlynn got to experience her first piece of candy and fell in love.  She has entered that stage where if you have food, she thinks she should too.  Candy is no different.

Enjoy more pictures...

She wouldn't stop running around so I could get her picture.  This was before going trick-or-treating.

First sucker.  It's a grape tootsie roll pop.

 I could blame this on the sugar but really Emy thinks anyone in the floor is fair game.

She loved the sucker!  And had a complete melt down when we took it away.

Despite being in head to toe pink, everyone but one person who commented on her gender thought she was a he.  People never cease to amaze me.  Overall it was a good experience though and the candy didn't seem to keep her awake.

My baby is now a toddler?

Yes, indeed.  My darling Emberlynn is now a toddler.  I can't believe it.  It doesn't seem like it's been a year already.  At her one year well check, Emy was 19lbs 4oz and 29in tall.  She's walking like a pro and even feeding herself with a spoon.  Although a bath is usually necessary after any meal that requires a spoon lol.  I already miss the 'baby' phase.  She has brought so much joy and happiness to my life.  I cannot imagine the past year without her in our family and I look forward to all of the experiences ahead of us.

Here are some pictures from her birthday party...

She was not happy about me putting a bow on her head.

She loved playing with Elias.

The before picture of the cake.

The first taste of icing.

Mmmmm Cake!

Mommy's Girl or Daddy's Girl?

I get this question a lot.  People want to know which parent Emberlynn favors.  Honestly, I don't think she generally favors one parent over the other.  I am home with her all the time so it's not uncommon for her to reach for me when she is upset.  Plus let's face it, she's a breastfed baby and I'm the one with the equiptment.  She loves to comfort nurse and that just isn't something daddy can do for her.  On the flip side, there are times when daddy is 'better' at playing with her or calming her down.  I use the term 'better' not as in superior but mommy and daddy just have different ways of doing things.  We rock differently.  We sing different songs.  We play differently.  Neither one is better or worse, just different.  It all depends on Emy's mood as to which she prefers although sometimes she doesn't get a choice (like when her daddy is at work or school and she's stuck with mommy's way).  And that's okay!  Mommy and Daddy don't have to do things the same.  We're not the same person, why would we?  I think small variations are good for children.  As long as hubby and I are on the same page as far as how we want to raise our daughter, it's okay if there are small differences in how we go about achieving the relationship we want with her.  We both love her and she loves us both in return.  At the end of the day, that's all that matters.  Well that and God.

Where did my baby go?

Yes I realize it has been almost a month since I posted and I am sorry.  I honestly have no idea how this month passed me by.

My sweet baby girl is ten months old today and is becoming less 'baby like' each day.  I know she is still a baby and I will always view her as my baby but where has the time gone?  Has it really been ten months since she was warm and cozy inside me?  I guess so.  And this is only the beginning.  Yesterday my sweet, precious Emberlynn took her first steps.  Three slow steps not holding on to a single thing.  And the best part?  Hubby and I got to see it together.  It will forever be a wonderful memory.  My sweet girl is growing up and I'm not ready.  Only two months until she celebrates her first birthday.  It all seems so surreal to me.  Motherhood has been more rewarding than I ever could have imagined.

p.s. This is also post 500 for my blog!  How appropriate for it to be something big like my baby's first steps.

The Joys of Motherhood:

Having little tooth marks on my phone screen.
Seeing all the different positions my little munchkin sleeps in.
Hearing her sing (more of a babble/yell) during praise and worship or along with the radio in the car.
Getting slobbery CPR-like kisses.
The sweet conversations we have when she unlatches from nursing.
Sweet cuddles that make being up at odd hours of the night worth it.
The smiling face staring back at me after she has woken up from a good nap.
Her sweet little head laying on my shoulder.
Watching her learn and grow each day.
Seeing her personality emerge as she develops from a baby to a toddler.

...My sweet little 9mos old girl (yes she is 9mos already!  I can't believe it) is my world!

A love like no other...

My Dearest Emberlynn,

There is so much about you to love.  I feel so blessed that I get to spend my days watching you grow and learn.  I love the funny faces an noises you make.  I love the way you sound like you know exactly what you're saying even if all I hear is babbling and shrieking.  I love the closeness that nursing you provides.  I love how even though you don't like people tickling your feet, you stick those same precious feet in my face to kiss while you're nursing.  I love holding hands with you.  I love how you giggle.  I love your violent sweet kisses.  I love how determined you are even at such a young age.  I love how smiley you are when you wake from a good nap.  I love how you light up when your daddy walks through the door at the end of a long day.  I love how you wrap yourself up in my sheets anytime I sit you on the bed.  I love all of the sweet moments we share.  I love how you love the water.  I love watching you learn to eat and try new foods.  I love your sweet little 'one tooth' smile.  I love how easily you switch back and forth from serious to playful.  I love when you reach for me.  I love that God chose me to be your mother.  I love that my job is to protect you, nurse you, comfort you, play with you, teach you, guide you, learn from you, and most importantly love you.  You have been a true blessing in my life my sweet girl.  Thank you for being my daughter.

Love,
Mom

Memorial Day (a little late)

This weekend my precious child got to go swimming for the very first time.

I definitely have a water baby on my hands.

Here are some lovely pictures for your enjoyment...

Usually I post on Memorial Day, thanking those who serve and the families left behind by those who have given the ultimate sacrifice.  Of course, I extend that thanks again this year and am so proud to be an Army wife.  I strive to extend that thanks every day.  Our military should get more than a couple of days a year of appreciation.  They deserve our unwavering support and gratitude.  So thank you...

Yesterday...

Was an emotional day full of ups and downs.

This post might get a little long so bear with me.

First of all it was the five year anniversary of my first date with the hubby.  Five years may not seem long to many but considering I'm only twenty-one and hubby is twenty-three, I'd say it's pretty special.  We didn't do anything to celebrate but it was definitely a good feeling.  It's only about five months til our three year wedding anniversary.  I love him so much!

It was the six year anniversary of the death of two wonderful young ladies I went to high school with.  I truly believe heaven got two new angels the day they went home.  They are so loved and missed.  We will always remember Hope and Lori.  I know I will see them again someday.

It was the last youth service for the first freshman Sunday School class I taught by myself.  That's right, my kiddos are graduating.  It was an emotional night.  I know God has wonderful things in store for them.  A whole new chapter of their lives is before them and I know they will all do great as long as they continue to let God guide them.

My beautiful baby girl also started crawling yesterday.  She is seven months old today and is officially mobile.  It's amazing how fast it feels the time has gone.  I wish it would slow down a little.  I already miss her newborn days.

This next point might be TMI so read on with caution but it definitely makes a difference on how I felt yesterday.  Aunt Flo returned for the first time in sixteen months.  Yes I said sixteen months.  She hadn't been an issue since January of 2010 (the month I got pregnant with my dear little Emberlynn).  It's one of the perks of breastfeeding.  Needless to say, my hormones made yesterday that much more emotional.  Plus with the cramping and a baby that wouldn't nap, it was an exhausting day.  Thankfully, Emy is napping better today because I feel like crap.  I definitely did not miss Aunt Flo but all good things must come to an end I guess.

If you made it all the way through this post, thank you.  I just needed to get everything out.  Hope everyone else is doing well!

Was she a C-Section?

Seriously.  I actually have gotten this question a few times.  Every once in awhile someone will ask me if my daughter was born via c-section.  Just today a man in the waiting room at the PT office asked me this.  It always catches me off guard.
Apparently my child has a really 'good' shaped head for a baby that was delivered vaginally.  At least that's what these people tell me.  They always seem surprised when I tell them that she was in fact a vaginal delivery.  I'm not sure exactly how my child's head should be shaped but I always find the question amusing.  I've gotten it ever since she was born.  I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact she was occiput posterior.  Maybe her head didn't get wedged down in my pelvis as long because of her positioning since she didn't start rotating until I was pushing.  Although she did drop down into my pelvis at least five weeks before her delivery so who knows.
No matter what the reason, I guess I should be proud of my baby's 'good' shaped head.  Interested to see how many more times I will get this question before my child grows hair.

Will I always feel this way?

Will it always seem surreal that my baby girl is as big as she is?
Every time I tell someone, "I can't believe how big she is!" I usually get a response similar to, "Just wait til she is [insert number here] old!"
Does that mean I will always be in denial that my baby is growing up?
Don't get me wrong, I look forward to watching her grow and learn new things.  I'm so excited for all of the special moments that each age brings.
But she'll always be my baby and I already realize that I will miss these baby days.

You did good!

I get this statement every once in awhile in response to my daughter's cuteness.  I will admit that she is absolutely adorable, of course I am biased.

 Photo Proof?  Lol.

I just don't feel right taking the credit.  Yes I know the birds and the bees.  I do realize that it is highly unlikely that she would be here without me and my husband.  But I truly believe that the credit should go to God.  He created her.  She is our blessing from Him.  I feel I was just chosen as a vessel for her gestation and birth.  God chose hubby and I to be her Earthly parents and raise her.  But God is responsible!  After all, do we not celebrate Jesus' virgin mother.  We've all heard or said the phrase "It takes two" but God used his power to send us a Savior.  Mary was pure and untouched.  Jesus' conception did not take two mortal human beings, just one amazing God.  Granted, my daughter was not a product of immaculate conception but I hope you get my point.  I will be responsible for how I raise my daughter but I do not deserve the credit for her cuteness or for her existence.  She is a child of God, just like her mommy and daddy.

A turning point in my breastfeeding journey...

Today is a bittersweet day.
Up to this point I have been solely responsible for my daughter's nutrition.  I have been successfully breastfeeding for six months now.  The beginning was ROUGH and even now there are rough moments but overall it has been a fairly natural thing for both of us.  At first, I thought it would be weird but it really hasn't been.  I love the special cuddle time I get with my precious baby.  She also finds nursing very comforting which has been a God send at times!  I'm glad I took breastfeeding seriously and dedicated myself to sticking it out.  I definitely do not consider myself an expert but I am definitely more educated on the topic than I was to begin with and I did a pretty good job at preparing myself.
But today we must begin to turn a page in the breastfeeding process.  Now that my precious girl is six months old, it is time to introduce solids.  We have let her play with chunks of food of our plate a few times but now we need to become more consistent.  Instead of the traditional way of introducing solids, we have decided to use the Baby Led Weaning method for starting solids.  Essentially, it means no purees and no spoon feeding her.  We will allow her to feed herself with finger foods from the beginning.  She will be in more control of what and how much she eats than most children her age.  After doing research and talking it out with each other, we have decided that its what will be best for our family.  Emy has already shown great skill with the pieces of food we have allowed her to play with.  We're still trying to figure out how to ensure she will eat healthier than we do but I'm sure we will work that out.  Thankfully, breastmilk (or formula for those who either can't or choose not to breastfeed) is supposed to continue to be a child's main source of nutrition until the first birthday and solids are only for playing and experimenting until then.
I just can't believe this time has already come and I hope that this transition goes smoothly.

Half a year already?

The day she was born:

And today:

Yes its true.  My baby girl is six months old today.  I just can't believe how fast the time has gone by.  Sometimes it seems like just yesterday she was still squirming around in my belly and other times it feels like she's been a part of our family for ever.  Forever, she will be our first born child.  She made me a mother.  No matter how many more children god blesses us with, she started my motherhood journey.  She is most definitely a blessing from God and we love her dearly.  I look forward to what our lives have in store simply because she is here.

Scary Moment...

Last night we had a very scary moment in our home.  Hubby had come home from school just as Emy had finally fallen asleep.  He put her into her bed from me, a Fisher Price Rock-N-Play sleeper that she has slept in ever since she came home from the hospital.  Then he decided to go work out in our apartment's fitness center.  After about twenty minutes I heard Emy babbling from the bedroom, not uncommon and well I was just glad she wasn't crying.  Then all of a sudden a thump and screams.  I go back to the bedroom and my precious baby girl is laying on the floor crying.  The poor thing must have flipped out somehow.  My guess is that she decided to practice sitting up, which she has been doing a lot lately, and it rocked forward causing her to tumble out.  She also likes to lunge forward on her own so it may have had nothing to do with the sleeper.  Needless to say we're packing up the sleeper and she's now in the pack-n-play until we can save up the money to buy a crib.  The sleeper was great while it lasted but I just can't bring myself to let her sleep in it anymore.  Guess we'll get to just pack it away until we're blessed with another child.
We were relieved at how well she slept in the pack-n-play last night though.  She has never really slept flat on her back for any extended period of time so we were kind of worried about the transition but all went well and she slept for eight and a half hours.  In fact, she's in there napping now.  My baby has gotten so big.

Recovery Update...

My baby girl is two weeks shy of six months old.  The time has gone by so fast.  About three months ago I posted about the trouble I was having recovering and I figure its time to update again.  Especially since I had yet another appointment today.
The granuloma is almost completely gone (which after five silver nitrate treatments, its about time) but there is still pain.  So now we are back to the issues I had before pregnancy but they've gotten worse.  I don't know if I've ever discussed those issues on here before and I'm not sure I want to now.  In simplest terms, I will start using the medications again but this time it is believed that I need physical therapy.  I'm not exactly sure how you do physical therapy on that particular area of the body but I guess we'll see.  Honestly, I'm nervous.  I'm really nervous.  The thought of physical therapy on such a sensitive part of my body scares me.  But I'll do what I have to in order to get rid of the pain.  Cause I'm more frustrated by the pain than I am scared of the physical therapy.
Either way, thoughts and prayers would be greatly appreciated during this delicate time.  We are struggling financially and that with the stress of my physical problems are really wearing me out.