Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Not Quite What I Meant

Andrew is an avid colorer. He'll easily color for a half hour straight or even longer if someone colors with him. Well, this morning Andrew was refusing to pick up his crayons. Here's our conversation:

Me: Andrew, pick up your crayons now. If you don't pick them up, I'll take them away for the rest of the day.

Andrew: (silence)

Me: Andrew, pick them up now. I'm going to take them away and you won't be allowed to color the rest of the day.

Andrew: (silence)

Me: Ok then, no more coloring today. I pick up the crayons and put them on a shelf.

Andrew: Good choice Mom! You picked up the crayons! You did it!


Umm, yeah. Not what I had in mind. LOL

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Austin lost tooth #4!

For the last few days, Austin has had a very loose top front tooth. By today, it was literally hanging on by it's last thread. =) A few minutes ago, Austin bravely let me pull the rest of it out!

Monday, June 15, 2009

A worthy cause and my backward children

A friend of mine from church, Christian Crafter is currently holding an auction on her blog to help raise funds to send the youth of our church on a missions trip run by World Changers. Stop by her blog to see what's up for auction and to find out more about where the funds will go!

Now, I'm sure you all want to know how in the world my kids could be backward. =) As you all know, we're in 'semi potty training mode' with our boys, both at the same time. We're not pushing it but giving them plenty of opportunity to succeed when the moment arrives (great wording for that huh?). So, most kids learn to pee on the toilet first, learn to poop next, then train for stay dry overnight. MOST kids. Not mine. Like I said, backwards.

Andrew has managed to stay dry overnight for at least 5 nights in a row now. Does he go during the day? Nope. (he did have one success this morning though!) Austin has pooped in the toilet 4 times in the last 4 days. Does he pee in the toilet? Nope. Backward kids. Am I grateful? YOU BETCHA!

Friday, June 12, 2009

Thrilling news from Austin's school

Well, I've back off on potty training Andrew for the time being. I haven't quit (much to his dismay) but we've reverted to pull ups. This seems to be working out just fine for him (and myself) and I'm convinced he'll just decide one day to cooperate when I take him potty. =)

I had thought of trying to potty train Austin again while training Andrew but as soon as he started giving me fits about it, I realized there's no way I can do them both at the same time. At least not now anyway. Austin was 1/2 trained when he was 4ish and would consistently go as long as we took him. He never told us he needed to use the potty but we didn't give up. After a 2 week break (no clue what caused this, possibly a surgery), Austin seemed to have forgotten how to go. No matter what we did, he wouldn't go. So, it's been 3 years since Austin went potty somewhere other than his pull up.

TILL TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got a call from Austin's teacher and she said she had a great news for me about Austin that she wanted to share! Okay, so a big part of me was dying to hear that he had said his first word but the news was still thrilling. She then put Austin's aid on the phone, and Mrs. C told me that Austin had been rather gassy this morning so she decided (for the first time) to take him to the nurse's room and put him on the toilet. After 10 minutes of sitting, Austin started yelling at her. Mrs. C, figuring he was sick of sitting, picked him up and noticed that he'd had success! He must have been yelling to tell her he was done! Let me remind you, he's 7 and it's been 3 years since this has happened. WHOO HOO!!!

It doesn't end there! A couple of hours later, Mrs. C calls me again and tells me they were out at the playground and she noticed that Austin was squatting so she whisked him up to the nurse's room again. Success again!

As exciting as this may be, I am skeptical. I do hope I am proved wrong but when he gets home from school we're going to start taking him to the bathroom regularly again. Hey, who knows, maybe Andrew will get jealous!

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

day #3

My goodness my son has the largest stubborn streak ever. Tena, I think he's right up there with Avery! After a 'small' accident after waking up this morning, he thrilled me by staying dry while I went grocery shopping for over an hour! I thought for sure he'd go while we were out. So, my stubborn little man has sat on the potty ever since. And he's STILL holding it. It's been 3 hours...can we have success this round?

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Potty training Day #2-small success



Wow, what a stressful day! I have a headache from it all! Today we had roughly 3 accidents and 2 (and a half) successes. Andrew sat on the potty for over and hour (and held it quite well in fact) then decided to empty his bladder on my dining room floor. I thanked the Lord it wasn't the carpet!

He woke up from his nap and I promptly put him on the toilet to his dismay. Not the place he wanted to be. Deciding to try a different route, I lugged out the potty seat and placed it in the living room and hoped for success there. This is where the 'half' success came in. He peed, but only half of it made it in the potty seat. The joy of having boys. =) I took this as a success and he had his treat and the whole hoopla.

Our next round included Andrew holding it for over 3 hours. We had to rotate between the toilet and the potty seat cause he kept complaining his butt hurt! It finally got the point where the stinkin' child is DRIPPING but is still trying to hold it in. I had to hold him there while he cried. =( Broke my heart but then I quickly realized that when he cried, he couldn't hold it in. He then went 5 times (each time he realizes he's going, he stops midstream!) so we've had 'small' success today. Good thing I'm just as stubborn as he is. LOL

Monday, June 8, 2009

Let the potty training begin...ugh

Well I decided to start potty training Andrew this week since I have pretty much nothing on my calendar. He is sooo ready but has yet to actually 'go' in the toilet. Today he's had 4 accidents in his underwear (with plasic pants over them) but 3 out of 4 times he's announced his accident after the fact. The 4th time he was watching a movie with Austin. =)

So for the next several days, you'll get to hear all the high and lows of potty training at our house. That is your forwarning for talk of bodily functions. =)

The interesting part of Andrew's 'readiness' for potty training is he won't use his diaper/pull up while sleeping. Several times a week (and the last 3 times he's slept), he'll wait until we've shut the door and off comes the diaper. He quite capable of holding it but we always find his diaper on the floor and have to put it back on him while he's sleeping. Since I 'banished' diapers this morning, I had him wear a pull up for naptime. Well of course, he removed the pull up during his nap-then proceeded to poop on his bed. So nice of him to keep his pull up completely clean, isn't it?

I think it'll all click once he can go in the toilet but until then, we'll keep plugging along.



UPDATE
Well, Andrew is in bed now and I hate to say we didn't have any success today. In terms of peeing in the toilet anyway. He's willingly trying to go so that's success in my book. There's always tomorrow...

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Pics of Austin

Ben and I recently went to D.C. without the kids, leaving Austin with my parents. My mom took a bunch of pictures of Austin and here are some I thought I'd share!

Austin swinging on their swingset (he did this for an hour!)


Austin's Papa helping him eat at McDonald's


Austin being silly


Austin and his cousin 'A'
She's 3 1/2 years, Austin is 7 and they're the exact same weight and height!

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Austin's yearly checkup

This morning I took Austin to the pediatrician for his yearly checkup. It actually went quite well. He cooperated for everything but the tongue depressor and of course, cried hysterically for the shot. He calmed down much quicker than usual so that was nice! No huge gains in the growth department but his height did take a *small* leap. His Dr. actually told me Austin needs to weigh a little bit more than he does. I explained to her that children with RTS often become overweight/obese since they grow so slowly and aren't typically 'tall' so Ben and I monitor what Austin eats and how much of it. He rarely eats sweets as well. So as of today we have the go ahead to let him chow down more often with more calories!

Here are his stats:

6 Year Check up: 34 pounds 38 1/2 inches tall

7 Year Check up: 35 pounds 40 inches tall

On the RTS growth chart he's around 5% for height and around 7% for weight.

Very small child even compared with others with RTS. =)

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Yeah, it's been a while..

Okay, so I haven't blogged in a long time. No good excuse, just nothing all too exciting going on here. =)

Today I received a report in Austin's backpack that upset me. Not real bad but frustrated me none the less. Austin was graded in gym class on his physical fitness. And, yep, they grouped him with all the other 'typical' kids grades and of course sent home the results with the capitals letters FAIL circled. I'm well aware of Austin's delays and there's no doubt in my mind he failed the test. But my goodness, did I seriously need to see it yet AGAIN on paper?!? You'd think the teacher would at least make a short remark on the bottom of SOMETHING positive he can do! I got to sit in on Austin's gym class a couple of week ago and I was thrilled at what he was doing! Granted they were modified, but he was doing sit ups and push ups right along with the other kids. Yes, he may have been slower and his feet weren't on the floor but the idea of it was so exciting! Here is what he was tested on:

Sit ups
Pull ups
Shuttle run (quickness test)-Fair for boys is 11.5-13.3 Austin got a 31.
Sit N Reach (touching toes)-he couldn't do it
Push ups
Squat Thrusts
5 minute Run-he just learned to run in the last year!

Okay, so I guess I'm just not thrilled with all this. He's attending a different school next year so hopefully his new gym teacher will be a bit more encouraging.

I think I need to go find some chocolate...