Mid-August Testers

[InHisHands]

Big 2!!! How was Kellan's 2nd birthday Snow? What all did you do for him?

Nic - is Finlay potty trained yet? I told Dexter after his diapers are all gone, I won't be buying anymore (that's like 3 to 4 days from now... eeek.. don't know what I just got myself into).

Bex - Are things still on schedule?

AFU - I'm selling our furniture and things on Craigslist. The house seems too big for us now and nothing quite fits right... but that's okay. I rather get rid of it now then move it and have to get rid of it later. This weekend we are going to do a lot of yard work with the rental.

I ordered Dexter a "blue and orange cake with fish" for his birthday. We will eat cake with his friends from church a few days before his birthday. open gifts on his birthday and perhaps go to the zoo, museum, or aquarium (weather depending), and then 3 days after his birthday we go to the ocean My first time - Yay!!!! I rented us some Wave Runners and booked a Dolphin tour. Dexter is going to have a blast!

Oh and I'm in the mist of trying to put together a summer learning program for Dexter. It's more for keeping me focus on things I need to do to help get him ready for his 3's classroom than it is for him actually learning. If I don't write out a plan, I won't review anything with him all summer long.

 

[Srbjbex]

Can't believe we're round to birthdays again already! The mid-august babies are getting old. Can you believe that we have been together for 4 years this August!?!

Hands - I love selling stuff online! We recently sold the kitchenette that was in our granny flat...and got £60 for it. We would have to have strip it out anyway for the extension but this way someone came round and dismantled and removed it themselves and gave me £60 for the privilege.....Brilliant! Now I'm considering what else I can sell and wondering if I can do the same with the ensuite in there! I'm becoming an ebay addict

Building work on the extension is due to start on 3rd August and even though its going to be horrific (as we'll be living in the house while it's done) it will so be worth it and I actually can't wait for it to start!

In fertility news... I just found out that I'm booked in for my trial embryo transfer tomorrow morning. It's a big moment as we will discover whether we can do IVF or whether its more surgery for me...i'm keeping my fingers crossed but based on how this journey has gone so far then I'm not holding out much hope for good news. I would love it so much if they said we could go ahead with IVF (as we could almost start straight away) but I just feel that that is not the journey for us and not the way it will go

 

[InHisHands]

let us know how it goes Bex. I know this have been a long journey so far and even if things go right it will still be about another year.

 

[NotNic]

Good luck Bex 🍀 Thinking of you xx

Yes Hands he's been trained for a while now. He's only had minor accidents since Christmas (upset stomach, asleep on the sofa etc.) He doesn't like to poo in public toilets but he can normally hold it in now his medicine is working. He's also dry half of nighttimes so I think we will be finished with them too soon.

Belated birthday wishes Keenan! what did you guys do?

Finlay had his party on Monday. It went really wel. We hired an entertainer who played music and sang and had the children up and joining in. We made a stegasaurus cake and he had a wonderful time. This weekend we are taking him to the London Transport Museum and having a family bbq. He's having a birthday week

 

[Srbjbex]

It was a big fat fail 😢 there was no way through. I will require surgery to correct before i go anywhere near ivf

 

[InHisHands]

awwww That's so frustrating. I'm sorry Bex.

 

[NotNic]

Sorry to hear that Bex, but it just goes to show how much you needed to follow this route for a baby It will be worth it in the end xx

 

[Srbjbex]

Thank you. I had a miserable day on friday and didn't go into work after the procedure as i just couldn't face it so came home and spent a day feeling sorry for myself. Which worked as by friday night i was finished feeling miserable. So yesterday we went on a lovely family day out to the beach and reminded ourselves of how lucky we are.

No date for op yet. I'm having an mri scan on thursday as part of the prep but suspect it will be a little wait for the operation as my consultant said he will also need to line up a bladder surgeon to be present also as the risk to my bladder is so high. He is going to attempt lapariscopically initially but likelihood is he will need to open me up and thats what we need to prepare for.

 

[InHisHands]

Okay... so... Dex ran out of diapers on Sunday. He has been going Commando at home and in pull ups when we are out.

Monday - 2 poop accidents, 1 wet

Tuesday (today) - He pooped in the potty for the first time!!! I really hope he doesn't regress... he is doing so well. Two wet accidents so far today.

How long should I wait til I put him in underwear? i.e. when is a good time?

 

[Srbjbex]

We had a 'cold turkey' approach to potty training and didnt use pull ups at all. Personally i would do it sooner rather than later....while still having accidents. It sounds mean but i believe it is good for them to feel properly what it's like to have an accident. We got elliot some Olaf underpants and said to him "dont want to get wee wee on Olaf" etc. Buy a stack and have them nearby so you can whip out clean ones straight away. Any poo accidents go straight in the bin!

 

[InHisHands]

I actually bought him about a year or so ago several nice cloth training pants.... but I don't want to use them until he has a better handle on his poop. I can't afford to just throw them away.

He is doing well overall but I can tell he does better when at home and when he is commando. Perhaps...we can go without anything on in public? meaning commando under his shorts? But what about him peeing on the play equipment?

We are at playgrounds or indoor playplaces 3 to 4 hrs almost every day. I can't just let him pee in a tunnel when other kids go through it too.... and I can't punish him by making him stay home until he's potty trained.

 

[InHisHands]

Okay...

So I bit the bullet yesterday and put Dexter in his underwear. He didn't poop yesterday.... but he did go all day accident free!! yay!!!

We are going camping today and tomorrow and I really hope he doesn't regress.

For Dexter, I can see our major problem is going to be him waiting too long. The kid refuses to go when I remind him.... he wants to take himself when he feels full. Yesterday he only went potty 4 times all day... and he drank normally.

I guess that means when he does have an accident... we WILL know it ... ugh

 

[Srbjbex]

haha that sounds like Elliot. he only goes 4 times on a good day normally (wake up, before nap, then about 5ish, then before bed!)

When my sister looked after him last week, he didn't go all day!

Don't be afraid if he has an accident though. I found with Elliot he did have a few accidents a week or so after he cracked it - I think they stop thinking about it quite so much. But its all part of the learning experience

Well done Dexter!

 

[snowflakes120]

Hey girls. I've been a bad Mid August Tester. I am so incredibly busy.

Bex, I am so so so so sorry that you are going to have to have surgery. But as you know, it will very worth it.

Hands - Congrats to Dex on being diaper free. Such great news. Sorry about having to move, such a bummer. But you will get through it, you always do with all these moves. Enjoy the beach! Sounds like fun. I've selling lots of stuff on FB yard/garage sale groups, craigslist and on the offerup app.

Nic - Happy belated B-day Finlay! Sounds like a grand day! Glad his meds are working too. I bet he is feeling a million times better. Did you have the appt about his growth? Hows wedding planning going? How is Sebby doing with BLW? I bet he's getting so big!

Ok, I'll try to do a cliff notes version of all that is going on.

House sold. Was on the market for 12 days. We had 18 showings. It was so hard having to keep it spotless and leave with the kids. Tim was away for a week so alot of the pressure was on me. We got a teeny tiny bit under asking. Very happy overall. We close on June 15th. We get keys to an apartment this Saturday so live in while house is being built. And will stay in a 1000sqft 2 bedroom apt *insert shocked scared face here*. We signed a 3 month lease. Our new house is supposed to be done end of August. It's coming along nicely. Frame is up and roof. We go look at it again tomorrow.

Kellan Bday was low key. As you guys know, we don't have family here so my MIL and her finace came. My grandparent drove in from SC and what was it. Burgers and hot dogs type of thing. Was nice. I can't believe he is 2!

His speech is going OK. Learning a few words here and there. The ST sucked, so he is no longer getting her services and we are putting it on the back burner for now. She straight up told me that I could do her job and am doing everything already that I can do.
OT is going great. He loves his therapist and we are seeing great improvements. We have been told he has sensory issues. He is a sensory seeker to start. And he has proprioception issues too. We are working so so so hard with him. It's a ton of work and very hard with the baby but he needs it and I love seeing the great changes in him. I am learning too what he needs and when he needs it.

Kennedy is doing good. We are still BFing. She does take a sippy of water which is great. Is getting better at purees. And we are going to try table foods this weekend to see how she does. I don't think she's ready but we'll see. She's getting closer to crawling but not there yet. Moves around alot and rolls all over. She's been babbling her baba, dada, yaya's. And she loves to scream. So cute. I'm guessing she weighs about 16pds. We went up to NY for her baptism and it was hard - she hates the PNP and had to sleep with me. Having to see everyone was hard with schedules and such. The drive was awful - we stayed half way in a hotel. The 10.5hr trip took 16 hrs. Ugh. We aren't going back for a long while.

I'm doing well. Still seeing a therapist. I feel really well but am super scared about going into the apartment. I worry about naps and night time. I don't know where to put the kids. I'm so worried about it. Been busy making a million phone calls. Packing up the house. Selling things so we don't have to put it into storage. DH is traveling again. He's been going to AL for a week about once a month. It's hard but I manage now.

Things should calm down soon once we are in this apartment so I can check in more often again. Life is just insanely crazy right now.

 

[InHisHands]

Well... Dexter regressed and pee and pooped in his underwear all day today. I think we did a total of 7 pairs today. I'm beside myself. I'm not sure what happened.

As far as the apartment thing Snow.... I know I don't have two kiddos but I did live in a hotel with Dexter while trying to sleep train him for 2 months. (he was 8 and 9 months old at the time).

I just put Dexter out in the living room area, and us in a bedroom for that time being. It was tight, but it worked for the 2 months we were in there.

 

[InHisHands]

Potty training has taken a turn for the better. Last 2 days he has done very well... and yesterday he stayed dried all day! yay! We are getting there.

 

[Srbjbex]

Yes yes yes! Gang on in there...there will be good days and bad but eventually he will get there!

 

[snowflakes120]

Good job Dex! Hoping for more dry days ahead!

 

[InHisHands]

Well girls, I think we did it. In the past 6 days, Dexter has had only 1 accident in his underwear... yay!

Now does he miss the toilet a lot? YES and does he know how to wipe his poop? NOPE

But we definitely got a handle on peeing and pooping in the toilet and not in his underwear. YAY!

Snow - so glad your house sold..... we are just beginning our major reno here. We are getting estimates done and we are working on the outside ourselves. There is just so much to do, it is overwhelming... and we can't even touch the inside till the guy moves out and pays for the damage. The whole house smelled like cat pee still.

 

[snowflakes120]

Hope house Reno is going good hands.

We're in apt. House is closed. I'm just busy unpacking some boxes now. Kennedy is now rocking on her knees. Is Sebby crawling yet?

Any new updates Bex?