We love to Potty

... So, I have promised friends of mine that I'm not going to be that mom that makes my facebook status "So proud of my big boy for pooping on the potty!" or something similar. And I'm totally not. I am not that mom.

I am, however, the mom that will blog about it. At least to say this... B started potty training last week, basically of his own accord, and he's doing fabulously. As I wrote in a review post, we have the Baby Bjorn potty and have had it for months. B wasn't interested really at all, but a couple weeks ago we picked up some Thomas and Friends big boy underwear, as well as some "same as daddy's" fruit of the loom kind of underwear (same colors for those who are really curious).  Last week, he said he wanted to use the potty and ever since, he's been all over it. He hasn't worn diapers in days and he only wears pull-ups at nap time, overnight and occasionally for longer car trips. He even uses the restroom at stores and uses his potty in the back of the Jeep or Grandpa's truck (baseball games have proven to be much easier than I had imagined).

I'm not pushing him, but am asking him regularly if he needs to use the bathroom. He isn't afraid of it and I'm so happy that he's so successful at it!

Also, in reference to weaning... B did fabulously with that as well. After about a week, he never mentioned it again. He points and laughs anytime he catches me changing my shirt ... apparently now that there's no more milk, boobs are hilarious.

I know I've been absent... hoping to come back to blogging more regularly one of these days.

Weaning... The journey begins...

Last night we began the process of weaning B. We were down to only bedtime nursing sessions & it had been this way for quite awhile.  Originally I had been planning to allow B to self-wean, but honestly, it just doesn't seem like that's ever going to happen.  He is perfectly fine when I'm not around - he doesn't even ask for "mama milk". He goes to sleep perfectly fine without anything & he sleeps in, almost always.  At our house, he won't sleep past 7:30, & rarely does he sleep longer than 7am.

So, because he was away from me each night this weekend (although Saturday night, I kissed him goodnight & left him with his GG right as he was getting ready to take a bath & go to sleep) & he will be again this next weekend (Hubs & I are heading to Chicago for a couple days), I thought this might be a good week to go for it.  Last night, we tried a couple different things. First, I helped get him ready for bed, just like normal.  I then kissed & hugged him good night & left the room.  He did okay until Hubs laid him down & he really realized that he wasn't getting mama milk.  We let him cry for a few minutes, but then Hubs took him another of his lovies (we call them ghost puppy). He then asked me to come up & give B another kiss good night.  I talked to B about it & explained that he was a big boy now & that mama won't be able to have milk for much longer... He laid down & cried for a minute or two & went to sleep.  He slept til 6:50am.

Tonight, we did the same bedtime routine, but read a couple extra books.  He only asked for mama milk once & we explained to him again.  I kissed & hugged him & then left the room.  Hubs laid him down.  B cried for a minute & has been asleep ever since.  So far, success (knock on wood!)

I know this is a controversial subject... on one hand, people will ask why in the world I'd still be nursing a 26 month old.  Well, to that I say, the WHO recommends 2 years.  (And also, screw you. Harsh? Maybe, but don't judge breastfeeding (or formula feeding for that matter) mothers.)  Then of course, there's the mamas who will disagree with my choice of weaning B before he self-weans.  Well, to that I say this... It's sort of gotten to the point where I don't like breastfeeding anymore.  I don't want to continue until I hate it.  I would never want to look back on this (wonderful) experience & remember that I hated it in the end.  Also, when B nurses, he is constantly asking to switch sides- my assumption is that he's not getting milk out, so he tries the other side.  And, since I know how well he sleeps when I'm not there, I know it's just a comfort thing, rather than a need.  Obviously, I will be comforting him for the rest of his life, so I'm not concerned that he will feel uncomforted by the lack of breast milk.

I will update as the week continues, but so far, so good.  For this, I'm extremely happy... but I'll say that once it's all done, I know I will be sad.  Breastfeeding is an amazing experience, completely worth the time, energy & pain.  I am so proud to have made it this far & I hope, with any future children we may have, I'll be able to do it again...

Mama will be back in the Morning

Last Sunday night was a first.  I went to book club & left B at home with his daddy.  Not just at home, but awake. At night. That's the first. I normally put B down & go late to book club or whatever event I have (doesn't happen but once a month or so), but on Saturday I will be gone from around 3:30pm until early morning on Sunday.  Because of this, we used Sunday as a 'trial run'.

It did not go well.  At least not at first.

I left at 7pm.  I gave kisses & waves & B waved back.  I was so nervous, I hit my rear view mirror on the garage door (shh, don't tell my husband!).  Our plan was for Mike to just go through the bedtime routine & then offer a bottle (yes, a bottle, even at 15 months old) of almond milk or a bottle of water (I suggested he have both ready).  Apparently, it didn't work like we'd hoped.  Mike texted me around 8:15, saying 'he's not happy... wouldn't drink either & has been crying for 3 minutes with his seahorse on."  We decided to let him be for a bit, since obviously he wasn't going to calm down with water or almond milk.  I'm sure it was hard for him to comprehend that I wasn't there- I'm always there, especially at bedtime.

A little later they called me.  B was saying "mama, mama!" Apparently he made Mike (by pointing) show him every room to prove that I wasn't there.  They even looked in the garage, where my car wasn't.

By 9:19, he was asleep.  Relief! Mike just let him hang out for a bit & then he snuggled in & acted as though he'd sleep, so Mike put him down.  Now, he did wake up at 12:50am, & I nursed him back to sleep... so we're still not in the clear for Saturday, but we'll give it a try.  I'll be in Chicago for a bachelorette party & B will be at home with his grandparent's.  I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Standing up for a Healthy Crunch.

When I was pregnant I knew that I would cloth diaper.  I thought (& hoped!) that I'd be a stay at home mom, because I didn't want someone else 'raising' my child.  I wanted to do yoga & be healthy.  I wanted to breastfeed (so badly, I'd hoped I could do it).  I just really wanted to do everything I could so that my son would be healthy while he was inside me & I really, really hoped he'd be healthy when he was outside of me.  I guess I wanted to be a little crunchy.

I learned the ins & outs of cloth diapering, I get to be a stay at home mom, I practice yoga (on & off... a little off right now, but planning to change that asap).  I've lost two sizes (hopefully that's in part because I'm healthy), I breastfeed (exclusively for 6 months & still quite often now).  When we moved, I told Hubs I required a Whole Foods within 15 minutes of our home.  When B started eating baby food/ table food I went all organic for him.  Organic jarred food, organic puffs, organic veggies & fruits... We started with organic avocado, not rice cereal.  In fact, B has only tasted rice cereal once... it did not go over well.  I was not in love with the baby food idea... Why is pureed baby food better than pureed table food- fruits & veggies?  I don't think it is better... I think it's easier, sometimes.  And so, yes, we have jars of organic baby food in our cabinets for those times when we're traveling or out to lunch or when we're eating something that B cannot have.

In recent weeks, I've become lax about some things... B has been eating a lot of Ritz crackers (this stops now).  B has been given bites of things that make me cringe... on the inside.  I try to only purchase whole grain, whole wheat, & mostly, organic items for our home, but I'm not the only person who can provide food for him anymore.  He can take food from plates, he can be left for a few hours at a time with someone else.  He can have only organic puffs on his shelf at our home, but regular Gerber puffs in the pantry at someone else's house.   I guess I've become lax because 1) it's easier & 2) I didn't want to offend anyone.

Over the weekend I had a thought.  This is MY son (well of course, with the hubs!) & this is MY son's health, as well as our health.  And I don't have to 'make it easier' on anyone else.  I have always packed food for B & I will continue to do so.  The next time I tell someone "no, it's okay, I've got these organic puffs for him" & they say "but let's let him try these yummy Gerber ones", I WILL stand up & say NO. No. It's not okay.  I don't want these scary things in his body.  I don't want these scary things in my body or my husband's.  What scary things, you ask?  Well sugar for one,  & then super scary ingredients like "partially hydrogenated oils".  Those words (as well as others) scare the hell out of me.  Do you know what those are? Do you know what those do to you? Do you know that you might as well inhale some cigarette smoke, cause partially hydrogenated oils are just as bad, if not worse! ?

 Bottom line... there will be some more posts regarding this.  I'm working on researching different ingredients & I'm learning more & more about what I want my family to consume & what I don't want in my house.  While I learn, I will post.  If you'd like to learn with me, feel free to read along, feel free to comment.  If you think it's crap & you want to sit by & eat your crackers while smoking your cigarettes, then that's your right too, but don't drag me down with you.

I'll be (slowly, I'm sure) restocking our pantry & fridge with yummy, healthy foods that don't contain these ingredients.  I'll be navigating my way around playdates where my son is offered not so healthy options.  I'll be learning how to save money while buying the better items.  I'll be trying out a new way of life... & I'll be letting you all know how it's going.