Is Levi taking a cold bath right now? Yes he is. The hot water made his "ouchy" hurt. So, I emptied half of the hot water and replaced it with cold water. And he's perfectly happy. Splashing, smiling, pouring water in and out of his boat, wanting to throw water across the bathroom. I just stand by and keep watch. I also keep watch for poop. He has pooped ... I think it's been 5 times today. I'm not sure if it's diarrea or if it's just teething. He's never pooped in the bathtub before, but that doesn't mean anything to me now, I'm always on the lookout, you can't let your guard down.
I think what we've been experiencing lately has just been teething. Hopefully not the terrible twos. I was just hoping that as I was starting the bath today. He has been so demanding this past week, so angry when he didn't get his way. We have had loud screams, hitting, throwing objects, kicking and just direct disobedience. Jesus, please help me. Please please help me.
It's difficult because you want to give them what they want. You want them to be satisfied, you want their needs to be met, that's your job as the mom. But when they are demanding and disobedient, when they complain and don't get their way... that's when you have to put your foot down. I realized today as I was emptying the bath halfway for the cold water that this is a war that goes on inside of me. The child needs a certain thing and you have to decide if it's worth it, if it is good for them, is there a good reason for this thing? And then you either tell them "yes, we can do that, let me serve you." or you can tell them, "no, that is not necessary" or "no, that is bad for you." This is the constant state of parenting. If i give in this one time I am at risk for having to give in forever. If I told him "no" for this earlier I need to follow through and discipline him. How do I discipline? Do I spank for this thing or just pull him aside and tell him "no"? Do I take that thing away?
Lately Levi has been spitting out his food. He takes a bite, chew it up and then if it is too much or he doesn't like the taste, he just spits it up. I tell him no when he spits it out, but this doesn't seem to make a difference. I have taken away the item of food or the drink that he is spitting out... so frustrating.
Yeah, so those are the things we have been dealing with lately.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Potty Training... at 20 months
Well, we are doing potty training little by little. I have heard many people say either do it or don't do it, you will confuse the child... all that stuff. I'm ignoring advice right now. :) As usual.
It's not full our potty training because Levi can't talk all the way. He knows what the potty is. He knows what going tee tee is, I think he knows what poop is too. He knows he doesn't like diapers. But, I'm not sure he likes training pants that much either. I wouldn't like them, they are Walmart and the elastic seems too tight and rough on his skin... Might need to go shopping for some softer version.
So, I put him on the potty after he wakes up usually, he hasn't pooped on it yet, but he has peed a couple of times and he receives lots of praise when he does. Then he gets to help dump it into the big toilet and flush it. He usually tells it "bye bye" ... which is adorable if you could just hear it in his sweet little voice.
Last night I put him on the potty for a little while. I don't ask him if he has to pee as much, I just say, "Now we're going to sit on the potty." Because usually he replies "no" to any question at all. It's his default. Also, I've heard some kids just don't want to stop doing what they are doing so they just hold it in. I want him to know that he HAS to sit on the potty sometimes and at least try. This is what we do, this is part of being a human being. So he sat on it for about a minute or two, played in the shower curtain, tried to get up and play in the bathtub, we talked about how when you have to go poo poo you have to push it out, we talked about going tee tee. Finally, there was nothing so I said, "Okay, I guess you don't have to go" and I let him go. Of course then I was lazy and didn't put a diaper on him. I like to let him run free sometimes because I feel like it's good for his skin. He loves it too :). Of course about ten minutes later I caught him peeing on the carpet. I don't think it was on purpose, it just sort of surprised him. He looked at me worried and I said, "whoops! We don't tee tee on the carpet, we go on the potty." So I took him to the potty and he didn't have to go anymore. Then I cleaned it up and we talked about how if he needs to go he can tell mommy and I will take him to the potty.
I never get angry at him or spank him for going on the floor. I don't stress out if he's not going on the potty. It's all just a trying game. We talk about everything. We talk about how we won't have to weary yucky diapers if he will go tee tee on the potty and how we will get to wear big boy pants like daddy when he stops going in his diapers. (He wants to be like daddy SOOO badly and it's adorable).
Yep, so that's my story.
It's not full our potty training because Levi can't talk all the way. He knows what the potty is. He knows what going tee tee is, I think he knows what poop is too. He knows he doesn't like diapers. But, I'm not sure he likes training pants that much either. I wouldn't like them, they are Walmart and the elastic seems too tight and rough on his skin... Might need to go shopping for some softer version.
So, I put him on the potty after he wakes up usually, he hasn't pooped on it yet, but he has peed a couple of times and he receives lots of praise when he does. Then he gets to help dump it into the big toilet and flush it. He usually tells it "bye bye" ... which is adorable if you could just hear it in his sweet little voice.
Last night I put him on the potty for a little while. I don't ask him if he has to pee as much, I just say, "Now we're going to sit on the potty." Because usually he replies "no" to any question at all. It's his default. Also, I've heard some kids just don't want to stop doing what they are doing so they just hold it in. I want him to know that he HAS to sit on the potty sometimes and at least try. This is what we do, this is part of being a human being. So he sat on it for about a minute or two, played in the shower curtain, tried to get up and play in the bathtub, we talked about how when you have to go poo poo you have to push it out, we talked about going tee tee. Finally, there was nothing so I said, "Okay, I guess you don't have to go" and I let him go. Of course then I was lazy and didn't put a diaper on him. I like to let him run free sometimes because I feel like it's good for his skin. He loves it too :). Of course about ten minutes later I caught him peeing on the carpet. I don't think it was on purpose, it just sort of surprised him. He looked at me worried and I said, "whoops! We don't tee tee on the carpet, we go on the potty." So I took him to the potty and he didn't have to go anymore. Then I cleaned it up and we talked about how if he needs to go he can tell mommy and I will take him to the potty.
I never get angry at him or spank him for going on the floor. I don't stress out if he's not going on the potty. It's all just a trying game. We talk about everything. We talk about how we won't have to weary yucky diapers if he will go tee tee on the potty and how we will get to wear big boy pants like daddy when he stops going in his diapers. (He wants to be like daddy SOOO badly and it's adorable).
Yep, so that's my story.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Learning things about Levi
I was going to post something that Levi did on Facebook, but then I realized that it would be too long. Then I remembered I have this blog :)
Some things he's been doing:
Today he used a level (the tool you use to make sure something you're hanging is level) as a push toy. He was just pushing it around the house, back and forth. He likes to push things, especially long things. Brooms are a favorite as well as mops, rakes, long sticks in the front yard...The other day he was pushing a paint roller around (minus the sponge thingy) I don't know what is so fascinating about that stuff, but it is to him.
I am realizing more and more that he needs physical touch. I will be trying to cook dinner or just get ready and rushing through... and he is at my heels crying for me to pick him up. Sometimes I just have to go sit on the couch with him and just hold him. He loves to be roughed around and tickled. It's like it just satisfies him or something. After we hang out for 5-10 minutes he seems to be fine. He just was needing to be touched, played with, loved on.
An annoying thing lately is just the fact that he poops a ton. He eats a ton and therefore of course poops a ton. Maybe like 4-5 times a day. An irritating facet to this is that I'm rotating cloth and disposable diapers so that I can use a rash cream for his rash we are fighting. It seems that he likes to poop the most in his cloth diapers. Are you kidding me?! Not only do I have to wipe and clean it all up but I have to go rinse them in the toilet too. That would be why I would want to potty train early. I put him on the potty every once in a while, I ask him if he's going poopoo when I can see him grunting. He doesn't really care. He hates having his diaper changed so I try to explain to him we won't have to do this if he will learn to go poop and pee on the potty. He doesn't understand yet. I'm not pushing anything or worrying about anything, I'm just going to keep my eyes open to when he will be ready.
There's my update! Hope y'all enjoy
Some things he's been doing:
Today he used a level (the tool you use to make sure something you're hanging is level) as a push toy. He was just pushing it around the house, back and forth. He likes to push things, especially long things. Brooms are a favorite as well as mops, rakes, long sticks in the front yard...The other day he was pushing a paint roller around (minus the sponge thingy) I don't know what is so fascinating about that stuff, but it is to him.
I am realizing more and more that he needs physical touch. I will be trying to cook dinner or just get ready and rushing through... and he is at my heels crying for me to pick him up. Sometimes I just have to go sit on the couch with him and just hold him. He loves to be roughed around and tickled. It's like it just satisfies him or something. After we hang out for 5-10 minutes he seems to be fine. He just was needing to be touched, played with, loved on.
An annoying thing lately is just the fact that he poops a ton. He eats a ton and therefore of course poops a ton. Maybe like 4-5 times a day. An irritating facet to this is that I'm rotating cloth and disposable diapers so that I can use a rash cream for his rash we are fighting. It seems that he likes to poop the most in his cloth diapers. Are you kidding me?! Not only do I have to wipe and clean it all up but I have to go rinse them in the toilet too. That would be why I would want to potty train early. I put him on the potty every once in a while, I ask him if he's going poopoo when I can see him grunting. He doesn't really care. He hates having his diaper changed so I try to explain to him we won't have to do this if he will learn to go poop and pee on the potty. He doesn't understand yet. I'm not pushing anything or worrying about anything, I'm just going to keep my eyes open to when he will be ready.
There's my update! Hope y'all enjoy
Thursday, April 21, 2011
A difficult day.
I hate it when I mess up Levi's naps.
It was all my fault. I didn't feed him enough. I left him with my husband who wasn't feeling very well and he didn't know Levi's schedule and didn't feed him enough and laid him down for a nap too early (any mom knows the consequences of laying a child down for a nap too early: they don't sleep long enough!) and then when I came home he had a terrible diaper rash (should not have put him in his cloth diapers, should have kept slathering on the nystatin and desitin).
Twice I tried to lay him down later that afternoon. Twice I failed.
I am so tired. I'm tired of dealing with a whiny, fussy little boy, I'm tired from all the other stuff in life that is stressing me out, I'm tired of the rain, tired of having to plan and fix dinner, I want to go to the prayer meeting tonight, but Levi for sure won't last...
It's me, it's me, it's me O Lord, standing in the need of prayer.
I feel like I'm hanging by a thread sometimes. The schedule is off and I'm annoyed at everyone. I'm discouraged from some interactions with other believers today... believers? I hate it when that happens. How does that happen? I want to be renewed.
I am weary.
Please help me Lord, I know that You can give me the strength. I know that Your will is perfect, and if that is to stay home with my little boy, then that's okay.
Jesus, I am in your hands. My family is in your hands. Help me to have an eternal perspective.
It was all my fault. I didn't feed him enough. I left him with my husband who wasn't feeling very well and he didn't know Levi's schedule and didn't feed him enough and laid him down for a nap too early (any mom knows the consequences of laying a child down for a nap too early: they don't sleep long enough!) and then when I came home he had a terrible diaper rash (should not have put him in his cloth diapers, should have kept slathering on the nystatin and desitin).
Twice I tried to lay him down later that afternoon. Twice I failed.
I am so tired. I'm tired of dealing with a whiny, fussy little boy, I'm tired from all the other stuff in life that is stressing me out, I'm tired of the rain, tired of having to plan and fix dinner, I want to go to the prayer meeting tonight, but Levi for sure won't last...
It's me, it's me, it's me O Lord, standing in the need of prayer.
I feel like I'm hanging by a thread sometimes. The schedule is off and I'm annoyed at everyone. I'm discouraged from some interactions with other believers today... believers? I hate it when that happens. How does that happen? I want to be renewed.
I am weary.
Please help me Lord, I know that You can give me the strength. I know that Your will is perfect, and if that is to stay home with my little boy, then that's okay.
Jesus, I am in your hands. My family is in your hands. Help me to have an eternal perspective.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
A change in direction
I have wondered if I should shut this blog down since I'm mainly focused on my other one... But I kind of feel like I could just turn this one away from stories about me trying to do early potty training into just a blog about my little boy and mothering and stuff like that.
I think I will. I will probably include poop stories and things like that, but they will be less of a focus.
The changes in Levi's personality have been really interesting. I want to always be a student of my children and allow them to change. I don't want to pigeonhole my kids. I feel like sometimes I was pigeonholed into a certain role in my family. I think I went through changes in my life, I see how my siblings went through changes and I feel like my parents didn't adjust to them.
Okay, so I thought Levi was going to be really gregarious and outgoing. When he was 8-12 months he would go up to anyone, he was always smiling, always liked to be around people. He would always wave goodbye, etc. Well, now he will not go to anyone. He is so shy toward others and possessive of me or Ben or his grandparents, it's kind of embarrassing. He doesn't wave bye bye anymore, just sort stares blankly at them. People try and try to get him to smile. He will smile after a while, but it will be a hard-earned smile.
He's totally fun with me and Ben and people he knows. He likes to laugh and play, but outsiders wouldn't think so. He occasionally flirts with people at the grocery store or someplace when we are out and about, but it seems like it's just a random thing. I'm hoping this is all just a phase. The doctor said he would be shy and that I need to keep working on getting him out. So that's what I'm trying to do, but it feels like forever right now.
Words he can say: dada and mama. "poon" for spoon. shoes. "nana" for banana.
Whoops, gotta go, Levi is awake :)
I think I will. I will probably include poop stories and things like that, but they will be less of a focus.
The changes in Levi's personality have been really interesting. I want to always be a student of my children and allow them to change. I don't want to pigeonhole my kids. I feel like sometimes I was pigeonholed into a certain role in my family. I think I went through changes in my life, I see how my siblings went through changes and I feel like my parents didn't adjust to them.
Okay, so I thought Levi was going to be really gregarious and outgoing. When he was 8-12 months he would go up to anyone, he was always smiling, always liked to be around people. He would always wave goodbye, etc. Well, now he will not go to anyone. He is so shy toward others and possessive of me or Ben or his grandparents, it's kind of embarrassing. He doesn't wave bye bye anymore, just sort stares blankly at them. People try and try to get him to smile. He will smile after a while, but it will be a hard-earned smile.
He's totally fun with me and Ben and people he knows. He likes to laugh and play, but outsiders wouldn't think so. He occasionally flirts with people at the grocery store or someplace when we are out and about, but it seems like it's just a random thing. I'm hoping this is all just a phase. The doctor said he would be shy and that I need to keep working on getting him out. So that's what I'm trying to do, but it feels like forever right now.
Words he can say: dada and mama. "poon" for spoon. shoes. "nana" for banana.
Whoops, gotta go, Levi is awake :)
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Things lately
Brushing Levi's teeth is hilarious. He leans back and closes his eyes and lets me just brush away. Then he takes the toothbrush and looks in the mirror at himself as he brushes.
This morning as I was cooking us some eggs Levi was in his high chair and all at once just yelled "Dah" at the top of his lungs. I almost jumped out of my skin.
Levi's favorite thing is to go outside. He goes and gets his shoes, comes and sits on my lap and lets me put them on him. I have an amazing little boy.
Today as I was wiping him up after breakfast he took the washcloth from me and started wiping his face. He is so smart.
The best part is when he says something "blah dah, baba..." and has the most intent look on his face as he is telling me this important thing. I SO wish I could understand these little deep thoughts he is thinking. I love it.
I never knew being a mom could be this amazing.
This morning as I was cooking us some eggs Levi was in his high chair and all at once just yelled "Dah" at the top of his lungs. I almost jumped out of my skin.
Levi's favorite thing is to go outside. He goes and gets his shoes, comes and sits on my lap and lets me put them on him. I have an amazing little boy.
Today as I was wiping him up after breakfast he took the washcloth from me and started wiping his face. He is so smart.
The best part is when he says something "blah dah, baba..." and has the most intent look on his face as he is telling me this important thing. I SO wish I could understand these little deep thoughts he is thinking. I love it.
I never knew being a mom could be this amazing.
Monday, March 7, 2011
A Funny Story
Sometimes Levi just amazes me with the way he picks up on things.
And sometimes it just makes me laugh.
Last night Ben went out to get a movie for us. I was getting Levi ready for bed and was taking my time getting his clothes on him after his bath. I like to let him run around without a diaper for a little while. He has recently learned the word "no" and says it in a very deliberate way. I was changing his crib sheets, thinking, "I really need to get a diaper on him, he's probably about to have an accident." I got distracted and was doing something in the hall bathroom when I heard him saying "No no no." I thought, oh no, he's probably tee tee-ed on the floor. I came into his room where he was and looked all around. He was getting something off his shelf as he was saying "No no no." He got a cloth diaper (which I usually get when he has peed on the floor) off the shelf and was toddling into our room, still saying "No no no." Then it became clear to me what he was doing and I followed him into our bathroom where he got down on the floor and started wiping up the place where he had peed. The poor little fella was trying to clean up his own mess! He was telling himself no, I just couldn't stop laughing. Maybe this is counted as one of the joys of EC'ing your child. :)
I have a precious little boy. All the ups and downs and silliness. I'm sure we're going to have to have our carpets steam-cleaned someday, but I don't care, he's way better than any stupid carpet. :)
Oh yes, and he has been peeing on the potty occasionally. I'll be interested to see if I have totally ruined him for potty training or not. Who knows. I'll love him either way though.
And sometimes it just makes me laugh.
Last night Ben went out to get a movie for us. I was getting Levi ready for bed and was taking my time getting his clothes on him after his bath. I like to let him run around without a diaper for a little while. He has recently learned the word "no" and says it in a very deliberate way. I was changing his crib sheets, thinking, "I really need to get a diaper on him, he's probably about to have an accident." I got distracted and was doing something in the hall bathroom when I heard him saying "No no no." I thought, oh no, he's probably tee tee-ed on the floor. I came into his room where he was and looked all around. He was getting something off his shelf as he was saying "No no no." He got a cloth diaper (which I usually get when he has peed on the floor) off the shelf and was toddling into our room, still saying "No no no." Then it became clear to me what he was doing and I followed him into our bathroom where he got down on the floor and started wiping up the place where he had peed. The poor little fella was trying to clean up his own mess! He was telling himself no, I just couldn't stop laughing. Maybe this is counted as one of the joys of EC'ing your child. :)
I have a precious little boy. All the ups and downs and silliness. I'm sure we're going to have to have our carpets steam-cleaned someday, but I don't care, he's way better than any stupid carpet. :)
Oh yes, and he has been peeing on the potty occasionally. I'll be interested to see if I have totally ruined him for potty training or not. Who knows. I'll love him either way though.
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