Food!

A few weeks ago, I finally started giving Laney some real food.  I started with rice puffs, simply to give her something to do while we ate dinner.  It worked; she loved them, and she wasn't whiny during dinner!  (I know, most babies don't start off with finger foods . . . . we do things a little differently around here).  Then about a week later, I gave her some millet cereal (millet flour cooked in breast milk).  She liked that too.  But shortly thereafter, we all got sick, and she started acting like her tummy hurt, so I went back to just rice puffs (still more for the distraction effect than substance).  I just gave her some more millet cereal for lunch today, and she really liked it.  I think we're in business!

The videos are not very exciting, but, Christine, I posted them for Orva's sake.  Elaine's willing, I'm sure, to give private lessons.

Escape Artist

Mariah is one of a kind. Before we started the whole potty training thing, she (for some unknown reason) would take her pajamas and diaper off at night, and we'd find her in her bed completely naked. It was pretty funny the first time, but became old very very fast. So, we started safety pinning the zipper on her pajamas. We stopped safety pinning during the potty training, but started again when she chose to be back in diapers.

Well, tonight, I went in to help Elaine, who was crying. I checked on Mariah on my way out; she was naked. Yes, she somehow got out of her pajamas with the zipper safety pinned. We have no idea how. All we could do was take photos of the evidence . . . .

All in a Day's Work

Wow!

Why can't someone stand in congress and make this speech?

The Perfect Storm

Potty-training, viruses, and Mariah combined this past week to create a storm unlike any I've ever experienced; and I've experienced a storm or 2 in my day . . . .

Don't feel like you need to endure this post, but I'm going to document for history's sake.  And I think I need to get my stress out in words to begin recovery.

It's now a day after I started this post, and I'm feeling much less stressed.  But I will still document, for anyone who wants to endure, our week:

Last Tuesday, March 17, was the day.  I had planned for over a month to start potty training Mariah.  My mom had cleared her schedule to be with Elaine, and I was all prepared.  My cousin told me about this great system, 3 Day Potty Training, which I highly recommend for 99.9% of children.  Just not Mariah.  The basics of the system are we're out of diapers, you're a big girl, you get to wear panties now and go on the toilet.  The trainer (me) must be with the child every minute, spending positive, fun time.  There are not trips to the bathroom at timed intervals; the trainer just tells the child, "Remember to tell me when you have to go to the bathroom," and "Remember to keep your panties dry."  When the child starts to have an accident, the trainer rushes the child to the bathroom--the goal being to end production on the toilet.  Wonderful, logical, positive, fast . . . . I was so ready!

But, once again, my child surprised me.  Mariah did great the first day.  We learned she can hold it FOREVER.  And by the end of the day, she was choosing the big toilet every time and climbing up herself.  (She looked like a monkey).  She was even dry the first night.  I did notice, however, that she got the sniffles on Tuesday; I hoped she wasn't getting sick.

It's all a blur now, but the second and third days it became apparent that all of the extra attention (not on potty training, mind you, but on Mariah herself) was overwhelming and really worrying Mariah.  She started freaking out about the toilet; each episode was awful, and she absolutely refused to go #2.

Wednesday night we cleared up what I thought was a huge obstacle.  Mariah had somehow decided that it was bad to go to the bathroom at all!  In her panties OR in the toilet.  We had a little talk about it; I explained that it was a very good thing to go in the toilet, and she seemed much more relaxed afterwards.  But still no #2.

By Thursday morning we were both a wreck.  I had changed Mariah's sheets 3 times during the night, it was obvious Mariah was not feeling well, and I was so tired of her back-and-forth routine:

Mariah (crying):  I need to go to the bathroom.

Me:  Ok.  Do you want to do it yourself? or do you want my help?

Mariah:  I want to stay and eat breakfast.

Me: Ok.

Mariah (crying harder):  I need to go to the bathroom!!

And 'round and 'round we go.  My mom saved us and came down to help.  We all went together to her house, and then I left and came home.  I put Laney down for a nap, and I crashed for a couple of hours.  Thank you, Mom!

Mariah did ok there, but never really made it to the toilet in time, which was a step back.  And, it was pretty obvious she felt miserable.

The above pictures are eating breakfast Friday morning.  3 Day Potty Training should be over. It wasn't.  Mariah started throwing up Friday.

Laney got the sniffles on Thursday, Mike was not feeling very well on Saturday.  We took the kids to the doctor Saturday morning.  Mariah had spots on her throat, but no strep; Laney was just congested.  So, viruses and nothing we could do about it.  I got sick on Sunday and could not move!!  I felt so bad for Mariah--having to deal with potty training while feeling so awful!  I was so grateful it was Sunday, and Mike was home.  He actually took a sick day on Monday too.

Well, long story short, we did the sick, whiny, back and forth, clean up messes, no #2 routine all weekend, Monday, and into Tuesday.  (We finally got a glycerine suppository Monday night to solve one of the problems).

Just to put some emphasis on the "clean up messes" part, these are the messes we cleaned up, in one room, on Sunday:

• grape juice
• throw up
• stinks
• gingerale
• water
• cheerios
• ice cream

All except the grape juice were within a 5-minute period:  Sunday morning, Elaine found a sippy cup of grape juice hidden in a basket of toys.  Later that day, Mariah was on the love sac and threw up.  Most of it made it into the bucket, but some got on the love sac.  While Mike was attending to Mariah, and I was cleaning the mess, Laney had a blow-out on the carpet.  Just as I was getting Laney's diaper changed, Mariah got off the love sac and kicked over my gingerale.  Bummer.  So, as I cleaned that up, I noticed Mariah's sippy cup of water had been upside down on the love sac the whole time.  Lovely.  Mike came back in and kicked over a cup of cheerios.  Mariah came back to the love sac and dropped her bowl of ice cream.  What a day.

By Tuesday, I knew I was not going to survive another day.  Mariah was getting worse, not better, in the potty-training realm, and she hadn't held anything down since Thursday. (Today's actually the first day she's eaten and not thrown up).  I finally came to grips with the fact that this 3 Day Potty Training thing just wasn't for her.  When she woke up from her nap, I told her, "You know what, Sweetie?  While you were sleeping, I found some more diapers.  I'm putting all of your panties and your diapers in this bin.  If you want to wear panties, get some panties out.  If you want to wear a diaper, get a diaper."  She immediately got a diaper and brought it to me.  Sigh of relief.

So, we're both feeling much better today, and she's down for a nap . . . wearing panties?

My Mariah

crawling and other things

Beans

I started a new positive reinforcement thing this morning with Mariah.  When she's obedient, happy, helpful, etc., she gets to put a bean in her special jar.  She's very excited about it.  The power of a bean is amazing!  (Thanks to whoever posted about their bean jar a while ago.  I don't remember who it was, but I borrowed your idea).

Anyway, we've been having issues with napping.  Yesterday's nap, for example went like this (this is an excerpt from an email I sent):

"she is currently in her bed, supposed to be napping.  i could hear her playing in there, so i was just ignoring.  until she started banging her crib into the wall.  laney's also napping, so i couldn't have that.  i finally went in and moved the bed at an angle, so it can no longer bang.  i also moved everything (well, i thought everything) that was within mariah's arm's reach from her crib.  this included taking a picture off the wall that she also bangs, moving things from her dresser, etc.  i thought all was well.  not so.  45 minutes later, she's still playing in there.  then i hear what i think is a drawer opening.  i peeked in.  she could reach her dresser and had emptied the top drawer of all socks--into her crib.  she said, very pleased, "i got all the socks out."  i ignored her and proceeded to take all of her drawers out of her dresser and stack them on the other side of the room.  i left the bottom drawer in cause there's no way she can reach that from her crib.  she said, "i want that one out too."  i ignored her.  i almost made it out of there without showing any emotion/reaction, but just before i left, i noticed she had found and put on a pair of mickey mouse socks, which i totally forgot we had, she has never seen before, and she's never in her little life put on her own socks.  i tried to hide my laughter and quickly left the room.  she's now using the dresser as a drum.  and laney's awake much too early.  such is life."

So, something had to be done.  Before her nap today, I told her if she went to sleep with no playing, no banging, no getting things out of her drawers, etc., she could put 2 beans in her jar after her nap.  She was very excited about the idea.  I also explained the opposite.  I said, "But if you bang, or I hear you playing . . . ." and she added, "or sulk and storm around the house,"(thank you, Fancy Nancy, Bonjour Butterfly)  "yes, that too, you will not be able to put beans in your jar."  She was silent for 15 minutes, and I thought, how wonderful, it worked.  And I started this post to tell you all the power of a bean.  Well, a few minutes ago, I think she took all the socks out of her drawer.  She is in there playing and banging, etc.  So, I take it all back.  Any ideas?

*An update:  I finally went in there.  She had taken off her dress and pants (yes, she was wearing a dress AND pants) and was trying to put a pair of tights on.  At least she wasn't completely naked like a few nights ago . . . .

**Update #2:  She removed the make-shift bumper pad Mike put on her crib and was banging against the wall again.  I went in and moved the crib at an angle so it can't bang.  I helped her lay down, and said, "Go to sleep," to which she said, "Lullaby and good night."  Yes, Dear.

Mobility is Great!

Elaine is very very close to a conventional crawl.  She crawls with her left knee down and pushes off with her right foot.  Kind of a half crawl half bear walk.  Anyway, she is loving her new-found freedom.  It, however, has gotten her into a few tight spots.  Yesterday she crawled into the girls' tent, and then, apparently, tried to crawl up the wall, rolling the tent onto its side.  She started calling for help when she realized she couldn't get out.

"Special Necklace" and More . . . .

Thank you to all who responded to my email call for help!  Mariah is napping, and I haven't heard a cough for several minutes.

Mariah has herpangina (blisters on her throat), which also comes with basic cold symptoms--runny nose and cough.  Last night was one of our worst nights ever, with me being up off and on with one girl or the other until about 2:30 a.m., when Mike took over.  He was up until 5:30 a.m. with Mariah, who finally slept from 5:30-7:30 a.m.

Part of her problem was an incessant cough.  She also, however, has an ear infection.  We started her on antibiotics last night, and her wonderful mother forgot that she does not sleep when she has red dye.  The amoxicillin is pink.  So, with the dye, and her cough . . . . she was doomed.

Anyway, thanks to all for your suggestions.  Here's what I did before her nap.  I didn't want to risk trying just one thing at a time in case it didn't work, so I don't know which of these remedies, or a combination of all of them, has done the trick.

Garlic Necklace.  Thread 5-6 skinned garlic cloves onto a thread (or ribbon) and tie it around the child's neck.  This is Mariah's favorite.  She calls it her special necklace, and she's very pleased about it.  Apparently, the pungent garlic smell doesn't bother her.

Whild Cherry Bark.  Dad brought me a cough syrup from Good Earth with this in it.

Coconut Oil.  Heat some coconut oil and massage it on the child's chest and back for about 5 minutes, just before putting the child to bed.  Dad also brought this to me.  Mariah liked this one too, except "it did tickle" her chest.

Transfer Factor.  Thanks, Mom.  This is a great immune booster made, I believe, from pig colostrum?

Vick's Vapor Rub (or cheap imitation).  Slather child's feet with Vick's Vapor Rub and then cover with socks.  Mariah also thought this was great.

Colloidal Silver.  I love this stuff.  It's a natural antibiotic and soothes a soar throat.