Momma Vs Mom: No, It's Not The Same Person

I've mentioned Mom (aka Mommy #2 sometimes) before but I have never really explained how things work.  Mostly because no one has ever asked and it's too complicated for me to try to explain without any prompting.  However, it has been brought to my attention that people may be confused so here it is: Who is Mom, who is Momma, and how the heck does a child get this?

Potty Training: A Year Later

As the Fourth of July passed I realised it had been a year since I started the potty training journey.  Lots has happened in one year and I can say with confidence that he is fully potty trained.  He has the errant accident but our dry days largely outnumber the wet undies.  He sleeps in underwear and I've had less than a handful of night accidents.

So all is great, right?  Gotta love this diaper free life like everyone said I would... NOT!

Teen Suicide: A Little Close to Home

It's been too long, a lot has happened, and the truth is I've been lazy.  Catch up may come later...

A little less than a year ago someone shared a video somewhere, I'm not really sure where, called "60 Days Later..." which was made by the parents of a teenager who committed suicide and how they were doing 60 days later.  Through this video I found their Facebook page and have been following them since. 

Yesterday, this page posted a link to a page recently created to keep people updated on a teenage girl who attempted suicide this past weekend.  Apparently she shot herself in the head and, as of this point, looks like she may recover (though with many problems).  As I was reading through the page and the comments I was overwhelmed by how many people were posting that they lost children to suicide.  I couldn't keep count!  I knew it was a problem and in recent years bullying has been highlighted as a major cause but I just hadn't been forced to see so many actual accounts.

3 Years, 12 Months!

I know, it's been 18 days and no big birthday post.  It's just not happening this year, much less than last year.  It's just too hard this year, I cannot accept it.  From his fitting into 4T pants, to him insisting he is 5, to this sudden expanded vocabulary and expressiveness.  It's just too much.  I need my baby!!!!!!!  Or get knocked up again... but that's a post for some other place.

Anywho, here is the synopsis of the celebrations:

The Potty Thing

We've been potty trained for a while now and I'm still not fully satisfied with it.  Not with the results, we're doing quite good, but how it all works.

My child only pees 2, maybe 3, times a day.  While this is good because I don't have to make a potty stop every couple minutes, it can be quite frustrating with planning.  I know he can hold it for several hours but that is several hours after he has gone.  So if he has not gone I do not have several hours.  And I can't make him pee.  I've tried sitting him on the potty when he has not asked and he simply does not pee.  So I have to resort to back ups like diapers or disposable trainers just in case he decides he needs to go when there is no way I can take him, like on the bus.  It would be great if I could have him pee right before we leave and know with certainty that I can get to my destination that is only an hour away with no problem.  But he won't pee.  And if I have a time I need to leave by and he does not pee I have to go through the process of undressing him to put on a disposable trainer.  Then when we get to our destination undress him in the bathroom to get him on underwear.  Too much hassle!

Missing Out

Every day I feel like I put down to bed one kid and get a whole different one the next day after work.  I'm missing out on so much and it makes me real angry.  Every day I'm told of the new things he says and does and tries and I don't get to experience them.  He is like a one hit wonder, he'll say something or do something once and then you won't hear or see it again for a long time.  And what's worse is that I can't even say it's all for a better future.  I'm at a crappy job earning less than most high school drop outs.

I look at this little person, A PERSON, and I don't recognise him.  I had a baby, I strapped in a baby into that car seat not too long ago.  Where did this little person come from?  Who is this?  I don't even recognise him anymore.  He does things and says things that are totally strange to me, completely unlike who I had with me before.  He is practically a stranger sometimes, at that really saddens me.

This really bites, and I am unhappy.

Potty Training - Week 11

Days 71-77

9/6-9/12

I may be getting ahead of myself, but I think we have achieved day time potty training.  It took 11 weeks but he is now consistently telling me when he needs to go before he goes and we had only one accident this week (half a block away from home) so I think we've got this.  He has even told me he had to poop and pooped in the 'the big potty.'  I think a little celebration is due!

I am not naïve, I know we may face some regression and accidents will continue, but I refuse to let that burden our accomplishments.  Right now, at this moment, we have done well.  He has mastered this skill and I am proud.

Night time potty training is another obstacle.  He does wake up most days dry but still has days where he wakes up with a wet diaper.  I am not stressing this right now.  I do try to get him to pee before he goes to bed but we still have times when I find him sleeping on the couch or I simply send him to bed because he's being cranky.  All in time.  I am proud of what has been accomplished nonetheless.

I will now stop the weekly potty training updates.  The last couple of entries have been difficult since I have no time and there is very little to report.  The final hurdle was pending for a while and now we have passed it.  I will now only post a potty training post when there is something of note to post.