The Never Ending Poop Story

Yep this is another post about poop. Potty training is so much fun!

Maxwell is all about being a BIG BOY these days. A big boy who doesn't know how to speak softly (but that is another post).

Sunday in his room at nap time, Maxwell the Big Boy decided to take his diaper off and put his underwear on. Then he pooped. Then he tried to change out of his dirty underwear into clean underwear without notifying his parents about the nastiness that was happening in his bedroom. Then he started screaming. As I approached his room the smell warned me something nasty went down, but I was in no way prepared for the mess.

I forced Maxwell to take a shower, which he HATES to get all of the nastiness off of him. John attacked the nastiness in the bedroom itself.

Maxwell went to sleep on Sunday night without his green blanket and Mickey Mouse (the punishment for nasty poopy accidents).

Without his security blanket, he was crying HYSTERICALLY for like 20 minutes at bedtime. I went in his room to calm him down. We cuddled for a few minutes, and he started telling me all of the green things that were still in his room. He still has a green picture of a boat, green letters, and green hand prints. Maxwell realizing there was still green in the room even without his green blanket made him feel better. Toddlers are very odd people.

On Monday morning, John went to get him ready in the morning. Maxwell's dry diaper was on his bedroom floor, and he was in wet underwear in a wet bed. "ME BIG BOY!" Hmm... someone (I guess that someone is me, seriously parenting can be so annoying sometimes!) needs to explain to Maxwell that BIG BOYS don't crap and pee all over everything all of the time.

Fun at the Zoo

Hey Maxwell what is on your head??

A BIRD!

That's so funny!

Sweet smiles at the zoo.

Maxwell and John and at the zoo.

Tired baby, pretty eyes.

Thinking About a New Lens

Photography is one expensive habit. If you are getting into it/or thinking about getting in to it, don't kid yourself about how in the long run you'll save money. You won't.

Now I am totally stuck up about who I hire to take professional photos (at least way more stuck up than I used to be). The point of me getting into photography was that I would get professional photos taken less frequently, and I do get them less often. But now when I get them, I spend multiples of what I used to spend. And if I don't, I am disappointed.

I have some extra "un-budgeted" money coming my way. I am thinking about buying an "L" series lens. I could try to spin it in some way like ultimately I would save money from the purchase - but that is total BS. I will never save money because of this purchase. I could try to spin it about lens holdings its value, and I think that is somewhat legit. Not an investment per say, but a better use of money than buying a new car off the lot (and that comparison is only valid if you already have a perfectly good paid off running car at home).

I am thinking about getting the Canon 35mm f/1.4. Any other suggestions? Advice against/pro? I think I am going to rent the lens for a few days before I buy just to make sure I like it (and by like it, I really mean to make sure I am a good enough photographer to make it work for me, and it is not money wasted on an awesome lens that is above my ability level.)

In my life before children,  I would without a doubt be spending this money on a vacation. Now taking a vacation is not the same. When you are on vacation with the child who doesn't sleep through the night .... that child still doesn't sleep through the night. It isn't really a vacation then, is it? It is just not sleeping well in a different place than you normally don't sleep well. So the vacation is out, and the lens is in. Trading one expensive hobby (vacation planning) for another expensive hobby (photography).

John is going to be in for a shocker when our children are old enough to enjoy traveling... I'll then have two very expensive hobbies, with the first one twice as expensive as it used to be given that there will be four of us traveling instead of just two. At least they'll get free/discounted admission into museums for a while...

Potty Business

I write WAY too much about this potty business.

It is disgusting. Really. Does anyone ever want to hear this much about poop? I think not.

Last night Maxwell had a BIG success on the toilet, and he looked so darn proud. It made my heart melt. I wanted to go grab my camera to capture the moment, but in a moment of self restraint (sometimes that does happen), I held back. We enjoyed the pure joy for a moment, just the three of us - Maxwell, the monster poop and me. 

You all can thank me later for not documenting this moment on camera.

I'm hopeful the we have turned a corner, and most of the crap in the pants in behind us (at least with potty trained child #1). 

I wish positive thoughts were enough to change behavior. I wish. I am full of positive thoughts.

Yesterday at work, I was talking about how crap in the pants sucks every bit of patience I have out of me. I am already thin on patience (if this was a conversation with my family, my sister Kaci would be screaming "YES, KASSIE HAS NO PATIENCE AT ALL!" I would argue I have some patience, because when I lose it, there is a difference). One accident in the evening sucks 1/2 of my patience out, and it if is followed up with another one.... then I go all crazy in a flash and Maxwell better be the MOST. PERFECT. CHILD. EVER. from that moment until his dad gets home or else I will go ballistic. And the moment John walks in the door, I. AM. DONE. No more child-duty for me. I can't explain it exactly, because it doesn't even really gross me out that much. I mean that is what soap is for. It just irritates me beyond my threshold for irritation that my potty trained child is choosing to crap his pants, and if I'm too angry with him he might backslide all together. 

All that being said, I'll continue thinking positive thoughts that we turned a corner last night. 

Lying

Maxwell has learned how to lie. I think that is one of those milestones that you aren't excited about. While you have to be sort of smart to figure out how to lie, fundamentally he is still lying, and I'm not pleased about that.

So far he only lies about what happens in the bathroom.

He'll come out and exclaim, "I pooped!" He realizes that he needs to flush before he comes out to exclaim the good news (pretty smart, eh?), but his bum shows no evidence of poop.

We've been struggling with crap in the pants, so I think he is lying about the poop so we lay off of him about going in the toilet rather than his pants. Yesterday he had another famous disgusting accident at school, and he didn't go this morning before he left for school - so I will see shortly whether he actually went on the toilet while at school.

... we have been threatening to take his green blanket and mickey mouse away when he has a poop accident. Yesterday he had an accident, but he also had a success at school. As such, I didn't punish him, but I also didn't reward him. He has also pooped in his diaper since we implemented the dreaded punishment-- which is 100% better than his underwear. We haven't punished him for that either. Talk about parents sending inconsistent messages. That is us right now....

What Maxwell fails to understand about his poop lie is that eventually he is going to have to go (eventually meaning at least once a day for this kiddo who eats like 5 servings of fruit daily). So by the end of the day that crap is either going to land in his pants or the toilet whether he lied about a success earlier or not. The lie really does no good at all except to annoy his mom while sort of secretly impressing her at the same time.

iPhone Photo Dump

Major photo dump here. When I'm working a lot, I don't get my big girl camera out. Thank goodness for the iPhone.

Maxwell and Frances. Love. Maxwell did this because he WANTED to. This act has not been repeated since.

Sweetest baby girl ever? yes, I think so.

Look at those healthy rolls. Poor Frances didn't get a proper nap all weekend. So it goes when you are child #2. It must be hell for child #3.

John had his phone. I had my phone. Graham got his phone out.

Frances's first time in the exersaucer (later I took a photo with my actual camera of Maxwell in the exersaucer. I guess he climbed in himself so he could play with the baby toy. That'll have to be posted another day, since I haven't uploaded those photos yet).

Her feet could touch the ground. First time we put Maxwell in, there were at least a few inches. Poor second child-- your parents just let you hangout on the floor, and you don't get proper naps.

Seriously, she is the sweetest baby in the world.

And she is happy too! I switched her closet over to 6-9 month clothes over the weekend. Here she is wearing a 6-9 month outfit. An outfit that was already a little too small. 

Frances at 5 Months

Frances rolls over (belly to back).

She has had a few belly laughs, but she needs to be in the right mood, and then you have to work for them.

I am in the process of changing her closet over to 6-9 month clothes.

She still isn't sleeping through the night, but she'll sleep from 8pm to about 4am. 

She doesn't get much rice cereal. None at home, and not much at all at daycare. Her daycare provider tells me that she'll just keep it all in her mouth and not swallow it. 

Frances is a happy baby.

She pivots around in circles.

If she is on her belly she'll move forward. I'm worried that I am going to have an early mobile baby. 

She'll sit propped up in the corner of the couch.

Frances loves her play-mat and playing with the toys that are hanging.

She takes a pacifier.

We are definitely in the "everything straight to your mouth stage".
During the evenings, she no longer nurses constantly. I haven't kept track of her schedule, but I think we've fallen into a three hour feeding schedule.
I have the tendency to forget how her nap schedule was during the prior weekend, and I don't get a nap by nap schedule from daycare (because I told her I didn't need it). Pretty soon she'll be falling into a three naps a day routine, I'm sure. Maybe she already is. :)

Here is Frances pivoting in a circle:

These were all taken within about a minute and I didn't move. She is ready to be on the move. 

Crap in the Pants Part 2

So with yesterday's post, I left out the funny part of the crap in the pants at the park story because I was worried about who would get here through google.

Then I thought, I can avoid that. I can be tricky. Yes I can.

Maxwell has this thing where he doesn't like you to touch certain body parts: his ears, his feet, his penis. Maybe it is just thing that stick out from him? I'm not really sure. If you are touching his ears, he'll always say, "Please don't touch my ears."

While John was cleaning the poopy mess in the bathroom at the park right next to a BIG PARTY, Maxwell kept on screaming "Please don't touch my third body part that I don't like to be touched."

I was thankful to be home, working on a Saturday morning. It just so happened this past Saturday working was WAY better than the alternative.

Crap in the Pants

Maxwell, the potty trained child, has reverted to crapping in his pants. I think it is all related to him being mad at me. I'm trying to incent him to crap in the toilet, with inconsistent results. I don't want to become negative, because I don't want him to stop peeing in the toilet (which he does almost 100% of the time). But come on, poop in underwear at the PARK is really not acceptable.

Even though he has been a pain in the butt with the potty business, he did let me do a photo shoot on Sunday morning. The bruise on his forward is from the other day when he face planted from running in the house. We haven't done a photo shoot in forever, yet the entire time he asked for the necklace I used to bribe him with. It always surprises me when he remembers things from more than like an hour ago.

Here is Frances. I'm not crazy about the edit, but I love her facial expression. Happy Frances.

Rolling Rolling Rolling

I officially have a rolling baby! Frances made her belly to back roll debut this afternoon. It looks like the back to belly version won't be far behind.

I'm sitting here watching Frances play on her play mat. She is an intense play-matter. She'll yank those animals right off of their hangy things. Maxwell was much more gentle with those poor animals. I can be thankful Maxwell was first, I have a feeling this mat will be done once Frances is done destroying it.

That is Maxwell trying to push Frances with his tractor. He wasn't able to move her with his arms, so he tried the tractor (also unsuccessfully).

I love the way babies will sleep on their bellies with their feet meeting at their heels. Too cute. Frances is on a receiving blanket, which was clearly not big enough for squirmy Frances.  She'll still just sleep on the floor like that with all of the craziness (named Maxwell) going on right around her. 

My Heart is Still Melting

Last night Maxwell as playing with a mask- putting it in front of his eyes, pulling it away, and saying peekaboo. Frances gave him her very first belly laugh. Maxwell loved that he caused it. "Frances is laughing! I made Frances laugh! All three of us are laughing!"

It was one of those moments that make it all worth it.

Blah blah blah Maxwell is Mad at Me

This past weekend, I worked
the. entire. weekend.

John was home. Maxwell had plenty of entertainment. By Sunday afternoon, he started acting out. Having accidents, not listening, demanding to be played with, and cuddling (a super awesome benefit of Maxwell  being mad at you).

Tuesday I picked him up early from school, and we went to Starbucks. Just the two of us. He seriously cuddled up to me like he was worried like it was the last time he was ever going to get to cuddle up with me. We had fun. I had to leave that evening for a meeting, and he cried. Serious tears.

Wednesday, I had to work again the evening. He was needy as heck with John, but mostly stayed out of my hair. Do you know how hard it is to work when an almost 3 year old is sitting next to you asking why your calculator has "no batteries! no batteries!"?

I told Maxwell if he had no accidents by the time I picked him up from school today we would go to Starbucks again today. Fingers crossed I get my coffee. In the spirit of sharing too much information - once I'm done pumping I'll be on my way.

I hope everyone realizes how awesome it is that one of Maxwell's favorite rewards (going to Starbucks) happens to be one of my favorite things. I LOVE manipulating tiny people.

Photos taken by a cell phone

If the light is right, who needs a DSLR? Or a point and shoot?

I'm blogging from my phone, while pumping, in a conference room at work. We'll see if it works.

Good Friday

John works for a bank. I work for an insurance company. We both have the same number of holidays, but we get different days. It works out well from the "school is closed" perspective now that we have kids, since between the two of us, we can cover it. From a "carefree adult" perspective it would suck. Our long weekends wouldn't be common weekends, and we would have to argue about which long weekends to go away. Thankfully we are just in the "school is closed" mindset here.

Frances's daycare and my office were on holiday today. So Frances and I got to hangout. I also got to work a significant part of the day, thankfully Frances was a very easygoing baby for the day.

Frances hung out in the bumbo for a while. I dressed her completely inappropriately. It has been hot lately. Of course today (for the day) it cooled off significantly. I threw on the leg warmers to complete the barely there onesie.

Frances is starting to be so much fun. She sticks her tongue out. It is the cutest thing ever. This picture isn't of that, but seriously, how cute is she? I know I'm completely delusional about her cuteness, and that I have that "omigod my baby is the cutest baby in the entire world, look at her, how can you not agree with me syndrome?" But seriously look at her, how can you not agree?

These pictures totally don't do Frances's chunkiness justice... her cheeks and legs have totally filled out.

That is Frances partaking in her favorite activity the other night. Those rolls are for real. Maxwell was never obsessed with his toes. Frances is completely obsessed. If she is on the floor on her back, she is trying to those toes in her mouth. 

Dear Loyal Readers

I think I have about 20 loyal readers. Give or take a few. All of the ones I know in real life know that the first Monday in June is the best. day. ever. because that is when work isn't crazy anymore. This week has already been insanely busy at work, I started a one month membership to a gym that is taking an hour of my mornings, and Frances still isn't sleeping through the night. Never mind the normal stuff. So if I want to go buy groceries for my family and/or read stories to Maxwell and/or be present in the moment the blogging is going to have to slow down for a while. The daily posts are on hiatus until the first Monday in June (also known as the best. day. ever. other than those other significant days -- like my wedding date or the births of my children.)

Even Frances is concerned.

Some bad news about traveling- Allegiant Air is going to start charging for CARRY ON bags!! Seriously annoying. I think all of these bag fees are price discrimination against families. A family cannot travel without checking bags (at least this family can't). Stop it airlines. Stop it. We have to fly. I hate paying for extras. You leave me very unhappy. And while Southwest did add Des Moines as a a city, it still requires two connections versus a direct on Allegiant. Either Allegiant can stop being an a-hole or Southwest can add a one connection option for me. Either one works.

Maxwell at 2 years 11 months

When I realized over the weekend this was the last month Maxwell was going to be 2, I got a little teary eyed.

In one month he will be three. 3. THREE. I cannot believe it.

At student teacher conferences, Maxwell was described as potty trained. Someone other than one of his parents described him as potty trained. I guess it is officially official. I have a potty trained child. Who occasionally has accidents.

Allegedly at school, he plays with the other kids. 

His teacher thinks he needs to go to speech therapy again. 

Maxwell says nana and papa live "too high" because you have to take an airplane which goes "too high" to go see them.

Maxwell declares himself as the engine, me as a boxcar and John as the caboose frequently. 

He has been sleeping like a champ. Over the past month, he stopped coming out of his room excessively, and he has been sleeping until around 7am. We don't have to lock his door anymore! It only took a year of transitioning to the big boy bed to get that accomplished. 

He loves hotels.

Maxwell loves the beach.

He doesn't like waves.

Maxwell will tell you "he missed you" if he hasn't seen you in a while.

At school he says "I"M BACK" when he gets there in the morning.

Maxwell has been very loving lately - lots of kisses and hugs.

His pretend books always involve flying in an airplane and going to Iowa or Minnesota. 

Alabama

A few weeks ago, the family drove to Gulf Shores, Alabama to meet up with some of John's family. The drive there was TERRIBLE. Basically the worst drive ever. We left around 4pm on Friday evening and were driving to Destin to stop for the night. It took FOREVER. We had to stop way too many times. Frances was fussy. Maxwell peed in his car seat, was put in a diaper, refused to go in his diaper, and by the time we had a chance to stop already went in his diaper. Then put it all on repeat. It was I-10 hell. The entire long weekend, I was dreading the drive back (which happened to go insanely well. Go figure.)

Maxwell loved the beach.

He was happy as can be sitting playing in the sand (this was a total stalker photo, as I was sitting on the balcony with my telephoto lens).

We borrowed a tent from a friend for Frances. It worked out really well. For the most part, she hung out in there and remained relatively sand free.

Maxwell adored playing with his cousin. They wrestled constantly. 

They would go fill up their buckets with water over and over again. Maxwell's cousin was completely patient with the redundant toddler activity, and Maxwell loved him for that. 

I made a photo book of the little trip, and Maxwell got super excited for it. He calls it, "the book about me at the beach!" 

While it all went okay, I'm thankful to never take another trip to the beach with a 4 month old. Or to have to go on another car ride that long again with an infant. I'll pass on a repeat of those two things. And I'm still waiting for Frances to start sleeping through the night again. This trip was the beginning of her "I like to eat in the middle of the night" stage she is in now. 

I do think we need to take Maxwell to the beach more frequently here. He loved it. The sand, watching the waves, seeing seashells. He thought it was amazing fun. Since we live so close, we really ought to go more often.