Pah-ee or #2 for you...

Warning: this post contains a few pix of gross. We are beginning to potty train...
the above pic is of L. trying on a diaper with Z. Same size. 4-ish. :)


Since many of you know about the nightmare of potty training L. to poo in the toilet, you'll understand why as soon as Z. expressed interest, we took it as a "go" for allowing her to try the potty. L. would do #1 on the potty as young as 11 months, but the poo was such an issue. It took him until about 3 years to get it. (And to NOT hold it in...poor guy.)
Z. watches him go (he has a "poo time" every night around 7:30-8ish, where he sits from a few to many minutes [it began as 10 min.] ). He sings, dances around (his upper body :), tells stories....she hands him toys & plays with him (never mind the smell...that is love). They have a grand time. :) So, she started bringing me her potty or going to the bathroom & putting the little lid on while saying, "Pah-ee!" After a few times of going in the floor or actually making it to the toilet, we tried some naked days. She held it in 'til I put a diaper on her for sleep. Then as soon as she "made" in the diaper, she brought me a fresh diaper & said, "pee pee." Um, thanks, kid. Little too late.
So, amidst all this "trial & error" there have been about 3-4 poos in the tub. She doesn't seem to care a bit if she goes in the tub (L. was always horrified), but one night they were bathing together & she dropped a log. Ha! The boy was screaming bloody murder! I scooped him out & handed him to B, who took him to the other bathroom to wash, then I let big girl finish on the potty, which she loved. (Then, I proceeded to wash kids, bleach tub, toss toys, etc...the half hour I didn't plan on...at which pt. I thought about people who are "thinking about having kids"...I wanted to post this one for them :).
So here are a few pix of the beginning of our Z going potty days...enjoy. :)poor Langston. He loves to bathe with Sis...until....

so far, so good...the story of an egd & a colonoscopy

this is me signing "ok" on my belly (lookin' good...i've been in those p.j.s for a day or so)

Barclay took me Springfield this morning & I got scoped down the throat...& up the rear end. The prep was pretty awful (24 hours of clear liquids, then the "clean you out" gallon of stuff to drink), but I survived. I don't remember anything about the procedure, except that it took 3 people to get in i.v. in my dehydrated veins (the anesthesiologist actually finally did it). But then B. laughed at me when I asked the same questions 8 times on the way home. :)
So the conclusion to all my vomiting & pooping & pain ever couple of months is still up in the air. The dr. took some biopsies bc she couldn't find anything that looked strange. Hopefully I'll finally get an answer...before we go to Europe.
My folks are here (again! Thanks, mom & dad) & the kids are having a blast. We'll see how great tonight goes with a small breastmilk bottle for my super nurser. She passed out at naptime without a feeding, but I wasn't here. Now Mommy & "the goods" are hanging around, but she can't have any of it, so it's hard for her. Poor Z. Maybe this will be the last time she misses a feeding bc of mommy's tummy.

Breast is Best...sign the petition

Dear sonya,

"I was offered a public restroom to pump in when I needed to come back to work!" Does this breastfeeding story sound familiar? We hear this type of story all the time from our members. It could also be your story, your friend's story, your daughter's story.

Last week, our petition on paid family leave highlighted how important it is for new moms to have paid time in order to successfully breastfeed their infants. This week, we tackle another part of the problem: When moms return to work, breastfeeding often gets even harder. But there is hope. The Breastfeeding Promotion Act, recently introduced in Congress, would establish common-sense workplace policies to make it easier for women to continue nursing after they return to work.

Tell your representatives in Congress to support the Breastfeeding Promotion Act today!

Today, 56% of mothers with infants are in the workplace¹, and many of them face huge barriers - or outright discrimination - when they return to work and need to take breaks in order to pump milk. Tenia from Maryland shared, "I find it appalling that it's left to individual supervisors... if, where and for how long a nursing mother can pump at work! I was told it would depend what my workload looked like if I would be 'allowed' to pump."

The Breastfeeding Promotion Act, introduced by Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (NY) and Senator Jeff Merkley (OR), would support employers and nursing moms in the following ways:

• Requiring employers to make reasonable efforts to provide appropriate space and break time for mothers to express milk;
• Protecting breastfeeding women from being fired or discriminated against in the workplace;
• Providing tax incentives for businesses that establish private lactation areas in the workplace; and
• Allowing families to deduct the cost of breastfeeding equipment on their taxes, as is the case with other common medical expenses.²

Some mothers who return to work choose to stop breastfeeding, but many of those who do wish to continue find it next to impossible because of barriers in the workplace. Even well-intentioned employers may be unaware about how to accommodate nursing moms, leaving women using sheets to cover up in cubicles, cramming into bathroom stalls with breast pumps, or even hiding out in dingy supply rooms just to pump breast milk for their babies.

Tell Congress to support the Breastfeeding Promotion Act today:

The way to support mothers who choose to breastfeed is clear -- we need to provide new mothers with Paid Family and Medical Leave so they have the time to care for their infants, and also make sure they have the opportunity to return to a workplace that allows them to continue nursing!

Thanks for all that you are doing to make this country truly family-friendly!

-- Dionna, Ashley, Katie and the MomsRising.org team

P.S. More than 14,000 (and counting!) of you signed last week's petition-- its clear we've hit a nerve. This is a huge problem that calls for system-wide solutions. Don't wait, sign the petition today!

P.P.S. The American Academic of Pediatrics recommends that breastfeeding should be continued for at least the first year of life and beyond for as long as mutually desired by mother and child. To read a summary of the AAP recommendations, click here: http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/feb05breastfeeding.htm

[1] http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/famee.pdf ;
[2] http://maloney.house.gov/documents/women/breastfeeding/061009%20Breastfeeding%20Promotion%20Act.pdf ;

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BIG Spence...

For all y'all who've known me & my fam for years, here's Uncle Spence at age 14 (!)...he's so big now! Since I only see him 2-3 times a year, I am usually shocked at how huge the boy is. This time was no exception. He's taller & bigger than dad now! :) And he's a freshman this year (! as well :). Time flies, everybody. I love you, Spence!

swim lessons

L-town has been "swimming" since babyhood (thanks, pool across the street from Diamond Village :). He had his 1st lessons at 7 months. His most recent lessons were at the Y with a great teacher, Joe, who had a personality to match L. He was calm, positive, motivating, & made L. feel safe. By the end of class Langston was really swimming! He prefers to have the bubble, but now he'll go all by himself sometimes, too. The only thing he wasn't into was diving off the board. He wouldn't even jump! That's okay! We'll get there someday!
Zora also had "lessons," which of course were more like do songs with a parent, blowing bubbles, & playing in the water. She liked it sometimes & sometimes she wanted to play with L. or get out (they were in the pool at the same time). I know we'll keep doing lessons with both of them and so far I'm happy to report there is no fear of water in our fam. :)

Poland

I am sorry that I haven't done this post yet! Yes, we will be moving to Poland soon. Barclay won a Fulbright award. He will be teaching at a university in Kielce (which is a couple hours South of Warsaw). We have high hopes of traveling all over Europe while we're there (the kids may have other ideas).
We will leave Sept 10th & come back to Macomb around Feb 20ish. (I can't remember the exact date). But that will give us b't 5-6 months to live across the big water with the young 'uns. I'm sure it'll be tough in some ways (language, food, the fact that we will be sharing a kitchen & laundry room...with no dryer), but it will also be fun & interesting.
Please keep us in thoughts & prayers as we venture into all the prep for such a big trip. We have two possible renters for the house so far, since our renters who were "for sure" became "surely not" a couple of weeks ago. Also, we are mailing most of our winter clothes (since we only have one giant suitcase & hey, who wants to lug snowsuits & winter coats around airports anyway?). It's been crazy trying to wrack my brain for "all we'll need" for ourselves & the kids for about half a year (plus, the kids are both growing like crazy & I've gained & lost 35 lbs. over the course of the past year & a half....). But, as we've done lots of moving together (L's 1st b'day was in FL, 2nd in IA, 3rd &4th in IL...5th will be in Poland) & had lots of "adventures"...I'm sure we'll make it through with stories to share. :)
Barclay has been really good about posting & researching for this trip. For updates & all the info, see his blog: www.barclaykey.blogspot.com
Here is a little more detail as to where we'll be & when...
Now I'm off to sift through one last box of hand-me-downs & hope I find some size 5/6 khakis for L-town. The boy is skipping size 4 pants...or he could wear them & wait for the flood. ;)

So much....

9p.m. snack (like a midnite snack when you are a toddler)
The Grays at The Store. :)
Big Spence & Little L. :)

the O'Steen clan. :) I always enjoy spending time with them!

our fam just before my class reunion...it's funny, I remember mom & dad going to theirs! :)

to post on! We just got back from our trip down South. Still in "recovery mode" around the house, but we all stayed well! Hooray! :) Speaking of well, I did (finally) have an appt. with a specialist about my stomach, so I'll get scoped on the 18th & then possibly one other time before we leave for Poland. (Yes, Poland! That's another post....) I know that some of the things mentioned were scary, but at least I would have an answer as to why I keep getting sick. And hopefully a treatment or suggestions for lifestyle changes that will help keep me well. The Dr. was wonderful. She actually listened to me...unlike anyone here in Macomb! Although the practice here did throw one last wrench in the mix...there were NO test results in my records for a test I've done twice (once bc the hospital lab messed up the test). And trust me, it was one of those tests that I neva' want to repeat. Geeze.
Anyway. Here's the cliff's notes version of our trip....
Class reunion went well. Lots of folks traveling to get there & so far I've had lots of "thank yous"...you are welcome, everyone! I had fun.
Family time was good stuff. We got to see all the grands, great-grands, aunt & uncles. ;) (And even the cousin dog, Winston. :)
B. got some research done on Jesse Owens. Even interviews. And he played lots of golf. (And got some crazy tan lines...like he cares, but it's funny. :)
We ate dinner with the O'Steens & got to "visit" with the other O'Steens. Ican't believe how grown-up everyone is! I love that we at least "touch base" yearly or so. I still think of those kids all the time. :)
SOOO much more, but I'll try to post more later. Enjoy the pix!