So, as my title say's, it's been crazy around here. Not really in a good way. I'm learning with being a mommy, it will always be something. Especially being a SAHM and having two little ones. Just when you think you've got something figured out, your kids will throw you for a loop in another area. Take my last post for example. I was so proud of Shae' for FINALLY sleeping at night! Only to turn around right after I posted that and start waking up again. ugh. I ended up taking her to her doctor and practically begging him to find something wrong with her.....ear infection please? pathetic, I know. I was just so desperate to find the solution to her night waking. His comments: "she's perfectly healthy. I think it's mostly a personality issue." oh great. Is this really what I have to look forward to for the next 18+ years? His suggestion: wean her. He thinks it will help her sleep better at night. I had already been thinking this same thing. SO, that's what I've been working on for about 3 weeks now. We successfully switched to a cup (with goats milk) for her lunch and dinner feedings right away. That left a bedtime feeding and morning feeding. We've gone this entire week with no bedtime feeding (just a cup about an hour before bed, which she doesn't take much from). That just leaves the morning feeding, which will be the hardest to eliminate. See, she wakes about 5 or 5:30am every morning, nurses, then goes back to sleep til about 7:30-8am So I'm not sure how I'm going to stop that 5am nursing session yet. Suggestions anyone?
She did start sleeping better when I took out the lunch and dinner nursings. Mostly going from 8p.m.-5a.m., waking to nurse, then back to sleep til 8ish. However, this week has been rough. Since I've stopped the bedtime nursing, she has been waking again. Not sure if it's related, but I hate to backtrack at this point.
And in the midst of it all, we have started potty training Carter. Potty training one kid and weaning the other at the same time=INSANITY! Seriously, what was I thinking? Actually, Carter was the one who initiated the potty training. While his cousin was visiting a few weeks ago, he suddenly wanted to wear underwear one day. It happened to be the day we were going to be in the city all day. Fab, huh? I let him and thankfully he did not have any accidents. How could he when I took him to the potty every 20 minutes? HA! Well, since then, it's been touch and go. He absolutely will not poop in the potty. He pee's in the potty well, but still doesn't tell me when he has to. I take him frequently during the day. He still has accidents, but usually only one pee accident during the day, sometimes none. But he has a poop one everyday. ugh. The worst part is, he doesn't care if he is poopy or wet. He doesn't tell me. It's like it doesn't even bother him. I would LOVE some advice from my mommy friends on this! It's only been 1 week of hardcore potty training, but I'm already wanting to throw in the towel and stick him back in a diaper! I feel like I spend my entire day in the bathroom with him. And Shae' trying to crawl all over us doesn't help any. Oh Lord, I need strength! This week, I did go and buy prizes for him. He gets a small prize (candy or cookie) for peeing and I have large prizes (wrapped in paper bags) sitting on top of the toilet for going and pooping in the potty. He has yet to get a big prize, but he has tried several times to go poop because he is REALLY wanting to know what's in there!
So, this has been my life. Aren't you envious? HA! Not so glamourous, but it's my life! Here's a few pics from the last few weeks.....
Carter and Parker riding the train
Me with my baby girl
After the boys had jumped in a mud puddle and soaked their clothes....they had to ride home in their underwear! HA!
My princess is pretty in pink :)
If you've survived this post until the end, you must be strong at heart! Or better yet, you must be a mommy too ;)
5 comments:
Lana,
I seriously know what you're going through.
Since you asked... :) I would never allow a doctor to tell me to wean a child from breastmilk before a year old. Honestly, it sounds more like her being accustomed to someone "rescuing" her when she wakes up and it may take a few nights of ignoring her to figure out that waking up isn't going to help her. Her internal clock might be stuck, so to speak. That is completely unrelated to nursing.
As for the potty training - what worked for Isa was taking her outside and making a game out of peeing in the potty rather than on the ground/concrete. She'd stay out there naked for hours and I'd pump her full of her favorite drink. We also had a doll that would go potty at the same time and doll would often get a prize and Isa wouldn't - and that did not go over well so Isa would want to do better in order to get a prize like the doll.
Chin up, it gets better... there's nothing wrong with that baby girl... sometimes we know what to do, but just don't like it very much. Been there several times already. :)
Love ya girl!
I tend to agree about the weaning. If you feel ready, do it. If not, don't. I started supplimenting w/ Jon at 5 mos. At 7 mos he weaned himself and I was both glad and sad. At 11 months, he was totally off the bottle. The fact that you are going to a cup is a HUGE HUGE success. Good for you!
Potty training. I have no good news for you. :( Jon was 4. FOUR!!!!! Before he decided he wanted to wear "big boy underwear". I tried EVERY single trick, bribery, new undies, fav cartoon undies, undies like daddy. Sitting him on the potty with a sippy cup and a video, etc. etc. etc. He just didn't give a care about being wet or dirty. AT ALL. Even when he was wearing diapers he'd wear a dirty one for as long as it took for you to notice it. (Thankfully, Ella seems to be different in that arena--fingers crossed). I put him in the undies, then pull ups, undies, then pull ups. I was training him in a way...because we'd sit on the potty for HOURS (it felt like), we'd sing, we'd read, we'd tell stories...etc, etc. However, one day--after he was FOUR, he came to me and said, I want to wear big boy underwear. So, I put them on...and we never had one single accident. At all. Even at night. Once I stopped fighting him, he just did it.
I think you are doing a great job. You are concerned and careful and seek counsel...nothing wrong with that. Thankfully, this part of parenting/motherhood is TEMPORARY!!! Hallelujah!! And yes...it really always is SOMETHING. Some things are just worse than others. :|
Hang in there!!
Thanks Ladies for the feedback! You know, my goal with both kiddos has been to nurse up to a year. No longer, but at least a year. With Carter I was able to go up til a week or so from his birthday. Although it was strictly by pumping and bottle the last month of that. He started biting and I couldn't break him of it. With Shae, though, I WANT to be done. Since she has been drastically more difficult from day 1, I have been so exhausted, frustrated, etc. etc. that in SOME way I really wanted to have some of my old self back. I think with Carter I didn't mind nursing so long because: 1. he was the only baby I had at the time, 2. he took a bottle whenever I wanted him to. With her not taking a bottle, I feel like I have done nothing but nurse a baby for 9 months ( I kind of have!) and having another kid to take care of in addition to that has been a bit overwhelming for me. So I'm not weaning her simply because her dr. said to, I'm doing it because I WANT to. Desperately! I want Tom to be able to get up with her if needed, I want the kids to stay at gma's all day on occasion. I want my body back! At times, I feel selfish for all of this, but think it's the best for us. I may end up having to keep the morning feeding for longer than I want, but I can handle that. I'm also going to try the bedtime feeding this weekend again and see if it makes a difference in her sleep. She's slept so horribly the last few nights.....I want to see if there's a connection to us dropping that feeding.
Amber, you've got me thinking maybe I'm trying to push Carter too hard with potty training. My Mom suggested the same thing to me today. We actually had such a frustrating morning (he pooped TWICE in his pants) that I put him back in a diaper. I was too upset over it and he was getting to be too. Maybe we should take a breather for awhile. I do know that I have spent this whole morning feeling like the worst mother EVER. Funny how kids can make you feel like a million bucks then dirt all in the same hour!
Lana,
You are obviously such a great mom! You are a deeply nurturing mother, that is why you feel like you are "going crazy...."! Are you comfortable continuing with that morning feeding? She is still building an immune system and your breast milk is the very best thing for her for the first year +. But 8pm 5:30 is a pretty long stretch... it may be another month or two before she can stretch past that without needing some nourishment. This probably seems silly but there is a sippy cup that I want to recommend.....no wait....don't stop reading yet...lol...it is availabe at some of the coop places or you can order online at kleankanteen.com. I just bought one for my granddaughter Mia, she is 19 months old. This sippy is a stainless steel with a really good lid. She will be able to suck on the spout and drink goats milk even pumped breast milk from it. It isn't a nipple top...it is a rigid plastic of some kind, but it's the first one that I have found in years that doesn't leak and become a pain to use.
On to potty training. It sounds like he is interested in the process and that's a huge huddle already crossed. Are you using pull-ups? I think they are very handy to use when you have to go out, but I think that they are way to comfortable for the kids to pee or poop in. The old fashioned potty training pants with the rubber pants over the top...well they don't draw the moisture away from the skin...so it feels cold and icky. It's not long before the child connects that when they pee it is gonna feel icky and they will become more urgent about getting to the potty. Personally, I'm not a big fan of having them run around outside naked with a potty chair in the yard...my cousin did that and one of her children was still dropping her pants to potty in the yard when she was 6 years old, because she didn't want to leave the toys to go all the way into the house to pee. She didn't want to miss anything outside! yikes! Outdoor birthday parties were interesting with them!
You are juggling all this and doing an awesome job of loving your kids...enjoy these moments, it doesn't seem like it now, but they are gone in the blink of an eye. Praying for you to receive refreshing sleep. God Bless You!
Hey Sis!
I know you're frustrated, and I wouldn't want to trade places with you right now. You are an awesome mom, though, and you will do best if you follow your heart and your gut instinct.
Cross refused to potty train until he was almost 4! He told us when he wanted to wear underwear and was immediately potty trained! No accidents! You will do what's best!
Bring them down here for awhile and we will all help!
Love you!
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