Potty Training....again

Little man is really struggling with potty training - we tried it about six months ago in hopes that he could have it down before baby girl arrived...that didn't happen. So now we are trying it again!

The other day he was saying "mommy I can't poop on the potty" in this whiney, whiney voice and I said "baby you can! You are a big boy and you can do this!!!" So I made him repeat after me:

Me: "I can do......"

little man: "I CAN'T do...."

Me: "All things...."

Little man: "NOT all things...."

Me: "Through Christ"

Little man: "Through Christ"

Me: "Who strengthens me..."

Little man: who str*(&%()@ me...." (Strengthens is a little hard for him to say!)

So after repeating it a few times - he's now actually learned the bible verse and only says "I can NOT do" and "NOT all things" when he's trying to be funny.

We've poopied in the potty twice but it's still a struggle! Don't you think after the first time you succeeded you would continue your success? Not with this strong willed child..... (Pause the music to hear the video)

Take Two:

Numero Uno has also been feeling a little left out lately - he's got a lot going on in his little four year old surroundings - his Papa Jim - who he's very close with and used to seeing a few times a week has been sick since January and in the hospital where little people aren't aloud to visit. Also because he is the oldest, he doesn't get his needs met immediately when I'm dealing with little man (who's potty training and requires a lot of attention ANYWAY) and with nursing baby girl. I expect him to understand and be patient so I think this has been hard for him as well. So....me and my precious one went on a little date Saturday morning - just him and mommy. It was so great to be with JUST him and talk about what all is going on his brain! He picked the place - krispy kreme - it's sinful that there is one so close to our house! But that's where we went!!! And then he wanted to go to the library to get some more books - precious. I love these times with my children one on one.

And this baby girl is growing so fast!!!! At three months old she already weighs 14 lbs. 10 oz!!!! I can't take it! She is the sweetest most laid back baby. She sleeps great through the night and is such a complete joy! Her brothers are infatuated with her! They love to "play" with her - I thought this was too cute! They took all of their stuffed animals and put them in her swing with her.....stop it!

Baby girl is 3 months old!!!!

As a mother, you are faced everyday with challenges that reveal your strength and endurance... Endurance to run the race of parenting.....I had many, many challenges this week and was really shocked at how many I faced without reaching the breaking point. BUT....there always is a breaking point, right? - here is my week in review.


I did NOT reach the breaking point on Sunday when I stepped on the scale after a week of eating great and exercising everyday last week and had only lost ONE pound.


I even kept my cool when numero uno started throwing up Sunday morning into the afternoon causing us to have to cancel brunch with another family and dinner out with another couple that night! No date night for us!





Here he is the morning he had "Date with Dad" at his school - Can you tell he's proud of his dad?

Still calm on Monday when I had all three kids home (since numero uno couldn't go to school due to the throwing up) and attempted to clean my house (successfully I might add!) with them home. Any mother understands this is almost asking the impossible. How do you clean when you have a 4, 2 and 3 month old under foot? I also cooked dinner for my birthday club (12 girls) who were coming for dinner that night. This is a night I look forward to all month - to be with my girls and have some great conversation and catch up with everyone.

You would totally think I completely lost my cool when little man came to tell me goodnight with all the girls there and THREW UP in front of everyone - I'm talking power puke! All the girls evacuated within 20 seconds and dessert hadn't even been served! I did want to cry considering all the hard work I had put into it AND the fact that my girls night was wasted but I remained calm. I kept telling myself it's not his fault he threw up!!!

Tuesday morning should have been my "day off" with both boys in preschool but little man was now home sick - I was EXHAUSTED from his throwing up threw the night and now was bombarded all day with diarrhea diapers - wow. We were looking forward to small group bible study that night and it's just so great to have time alone with my husband and enjoy the company of 6 other couples but my babysitter said she was uncomfortable keeping babies so no big deal - I took baby girl and she fussed the entire time! I found myself isolated in a bedroom nursing her trying to calm her down and practically missed all of small group. By this point, I was really getting frustrated.


By Wednesday I was starting to feel really worn down but met a girlfriend for coffee while our boys played and that recharged me some - until I got home and realized little man's diapers had only gotten worse (if that was possible) I changed four dirty diapers that included baths to get him clean all in a two hour span - That's hard to do while nursing a three month old or having her in tow! I really really thought this was the breaking point and I had to meet with a bride at 4:00 that afternoon. I called my husband and told him i needed him home earlier than 3:45 - I couldn't just switch hats that fast and meet with this girl! I needed time to prepare, get up to the shop, unwind and put on my "professional" hat - not my "spit up on my shirt, diaper changing, burp cloth wearing" hat.


That indeed wasn't the breaking point - shocking really! I know you are wondering what was the straw that broke the camel's back? Well, it was unexpected Wednesday night and came while I was downstairs nursing baby girl - Little man had gotten into the A&D ointment and we're not sure if he ate it or what but he had it all over him and the floor and the entire tube was gone! I was so angry at him! When was he going to learn not to put all of this stuff in his mouth! (Don't forget this is the same child that swallowed the G.I.Joe necklace!) Poison Control reassured me he'd be fine but that it would act as a laxative - oh great!

Today has been much better and his diapers haven't been all that bad - I guess he didn't eat that much after all! Plus, we are turning a new corner - whether we are ready or not! I've told him that once the diapers are gone....they're gone! Well....THEY ARE GONE! Am I ready to potty train him? Yes - I just hope he's ready to do it this time! Pray for me.

Oh and sweet baby girl is 3 months old today and she's just the sweetest thing! I had to wake her up this morning at 7:55 am to feed her! Isn't it great when they start sleeping through the night?

Relishing this small town!

Some may say the City of Roswell is a small town with a population of only 49,000 and I even feel it gets smaller and smaller as we get more involved in our community, meet new people through preschool and church and even start to recognize the same people at various spots around town.

But Thursday I decided to leave my car parked and enjoy this city by foot! I think I've told some of you that we are doing a "weight loss challenge" with some friends of ours so I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone and walk to get the kids at preschool! Our preschool sits on the corner of the downtown Roswell square so I did some window shopping in some of the cutest boutiques, then walked to the post office - mailed a package and then headed to the preschool!

The kids were so excited....at first! As we set off out of the parking lot, little man says "I want to get into a car!!!" I just kept saying "no, we are almost home" and really we probably don't even live a mile from their preschool. Numero Uno practically ran the entire way home - he's definitely going to be a runner like his dad but he was always so sweet to wait up for us at each stop!

As we turned the corner for the homestretch, I gave the kids the option of walking down into the first subdivision (ours is the second) and picking up baby girls Easter basket from the girl who monograms for me or we could go home and they chose picking up the Easter basket! I couldn't believe it! So we even got some additional unplanned excercise on the way home! I was so proud of my boys and proud of myself for enjoying this precious city, saving gas and getting exercise all at the same time!

long overdue

So i haven't been doing a very good job keeping up with my blog lately - along with other things in my life! But this week is a new week. A new start. Sort of like New Years Resolutions - only in March.

Because when New Years came - I was 2 weeks postpartum and couldn't think about getting any order in my life. But now that baby girl is almost 3 months -night sleep is continuous - it's time for me to kick it in gear.

For me, this means a fresh outlook - give myself a makeover - spiritually, mentally and the oh so dreaded physically (why is it so much easier to be fat than it is to be skinny?)

Today we started a weight loss challenge with another couple. Originally it was the husbands competing against each other until the other wife thought it would be fun to include the wives as well (WHAT?) but quite honestly, I need a little motivation - a little kick in the butt to get off my butt! So today was the day - no more break n bake cookies, no more krispy kreme, no more doritos, no more eating the kids snacks, no more double portions! I'm the first to admit it's not a diet - I'm nursing and I need my food! Just a way to "watch it" - so I'm putting it out there for the entire world to see and hold me accountable. Having three babies in four years, I am embarrassed at how bad of shape I'm really in. Now that we feel our family is complete - I have no more excuses! So there it is.....it's out there now.

With that being said, I set out to do 100 pushups this morning and made it to 25 - I'm seriously convinced now that there is NO ab muscles whatsoever! I had always assumed but now I KNOW!

Then I went walking on my old route that I used to do all the time - before baby #3 that is! It's about a 3.5 mile walk through the streets of downtown Roswell and usually quite pleasant. Passing the galleries, shops and restaurants - today? There was nothing pleasant about it. You would have thought I just ran a marathon! What in the world is wrong with me? Anyone should be able to walk 3.5 miles right?

Well, I did it but I also just took two tylenol and can't wait to hit the sack - Please feel free to send any words of encouragement my way (Paige!) I long to be in my prepregnancy lucky jeans!

Oh and just had to include pics of the kiddos- the boys in the snow (spring is just around the corner! YEAH!), baby girl snoozing and her in her big girl pj's!