Highs and Lows

Last week was a challenging week, filled with highs and lows.

LOWS

Potty Training
We've been prepping Jacob quite a while for potty training. In weeks prior, we let him pick out big boy underpants, treats for pee pee-ing and poo poo-ing in the potty, stickers for his potty chart, and a special potty. Over the past 6ish months he's had some potty success, but we've never jumped full in until now, and it was a complete and total disaster.

Things started off promising. He eagerly put on his underpants and sat on his potty a few times. (So did Monkey).

He gulped down a few juice boxes.

And he even kind of smiled for a picture.

We were on our way! He had one pee pee accident, but it was no big deal. He sat on the potty afterwards and put on fresh underpants.

Then things went downhill very quickly. He needed to poop. He's pooped on the potty before, but for some reason it upset him that day. He started crying and begging for a diaper. He pooped a little in his underpants, so I put him on the potty, but he wouldn't go. The crying escalated to extended, hysterical screaming and thrashing about, which led to a completely unproductive state, so I put a diaper on him.

After that, he refused to even sit on the potty. My frustration was through the roof. I was prepared for messes, but not this. I never expected total resistance. Why wouldn't he just sit on the potty? He obviously felt the urge to go. It took every bit of self-restraint I had not to throw a tantrum myself!

I decided to back off a little. Obviously this isn't going to happen how I envisioned it, so I have to let those expectations go. (Sigh) Jacob isn't going to be one of these cooperative kids who potty trains in a couple of days.

As the week went on, he warmed to underpants and quit crying for diapers. However, he simply will not sit on the potty. He just holds it for HOURS. He has a bladder of steel.

My boy is stubborn. You might think you understand, but trust me. You don't. I didn't even fully understand until I started all this. I'm not a pushover or a softie. I taught middle school for 6 years. I know a little something about power struggles and managing difficult children. Someone said to me, "He's three. Don't ask him if he wants to potty. Just make him." I smiled politely, but I wanted to tell her (among other things) to give that a try with him, and let me know how it goes. Because I can tell you, it doesn't go well.

Until he buys into it, no reward or sticker chart or demand from me is going to make a difference. And I'd really like to know how you MAKE a kid pee or poop in the potty. The reality is, you can't. You can do everything right, provide every opportunity, try every trick, but in the end you really don't have control over your kid's bodily functions.

So that's where we are. I'm frustrated and tired and just hoping I don't have to send Jacob to kindergarten in diapers! ;)

HIGHS

Big Boy Bed
We finally got around to transitioning the crib to a toddler bed, and it has been a huge success! Jacob loved using his tools to "help" Daddy fix his bed. He kept squealing, "I SO EXCITED!!!!"

When it was finally ready he was so proud! When I asked him what he thought of his big boy bed he said, "I CANNOT BELIEVE IT!!!!" This is the first time in almost 7 months that Jacob has knowingly and willingly smiled for a picture. (He started boycotting photos when Lydia was born.)

So far he's done really well with it. He gets up some before falling asleep at night, but he stays in his room. It's been quite entertaining to watch on the video monitor!

Sleep and Lydia's 3rd Tooth 
For the past month Lydia's nighttime sleep has been horrible. I'm talking waking every 2 hours or less kind of horrible. But for the majority of this week she's only woken once or twice during the night! She cut her third tooth, and is working on her fourth. I think teething pain has been part of the sleep problem. Hopefully we'll have a little break before the next one comes.