Potty Training Emerson

Have I lost my marbles?!
I think that's the only logical explanation as to why I'd choose now to potty train a head strong, opinionated two year old! It wasn't exactly planned, last Wednesday was Tanner's last day off of 'paternity leave' and I was upstairs changing Emerson's diaper and I was thinking three in diapers was getting super old so I asked her if she wanted to wear panties and go potty on the toilet instead. She said yes, which she never has said when I asked her before, so she put on panties and hasn't worn a diaper since! I figured I wasn't going to be going anywhere any time soon which is essential for potty training, so it seemed like as good of time as any.

I like to cold turkey potty train... If it takes more than a couple days to get it down then in my opinion, the child isn't really ready, I'm in no mood to clean up potty messes day after day! So we put on underwear and go to the potty every ten minutes until they get the idea on their own.  (which is why day one is always on dad's day off so I can have back up, otherwise I might have an accident because there's never time for mommy to go potty!) Emerson actually did really well, she sat on the potty basically all day on day one because she didn't want to get her panties wet. I kept trying to tell her she could get down but she wouldn't! Her poor hiney had to be feeling a little tired of it by the end! She read a lot of books and watched some movies on my phone and looked pretty cute through all of it!

The next day, she woke up in a dry bed! (when I say cold turkey I mean it, even at bedtime! Like I said, I've lost my marbles!) Then she ran into the bathroom and went potty and yelled "I did it! I went potty!!" Then Tate said "good job Emerson! You went potty?!" And she said "yeah Tate, wanna see?!" And he said... "Ummmm... No Emerson!" It was pretty cute! So all in all, she has done really well, she's had a couple accidents on the way to the potty, but she's always been so close to getting there on time so she will be an expert soon! We have had two wet beds, but in a week, that isn't bad especially because they were on nights 2 & 3 so she's doing great thank goodness!

Our babies are doing really good too! Baby Drake is already up to 7lbs! He's nocturnal however! He's sleeping as snug as a big in a rug right now which is not what I can say for last night! Thank goodness Zane sleeps through the night! That's the only good thing that came out of his NG feeding tube, he had it for two months when he was three months old and it pumped food into his tummy at a continuous rate so he slept through the night. When he got off of the NG tube, he was in such a good habit it (luckily) stuck! Maybe every baby should be on a feeding tube for a little bit?! Just kidding, that was pretty much the only positive part of a feeding tube!

Other than all of that, things as a family of six have been going really well. I didn't realize how low my energy level was and how poor I really felt while I was pregnant until I was no longer pregnant! Everyone has been so kind and asking how I've been doing and if I need them to come help or if they can send their teens over to help but to be honest, I feel SO much better now than a couple weeks/months ago and I'm so thankful for it! I'm by no means saying that my house is super clean or extra organized, I'm for sure still plenty busy, but I really wouldn't have it any other way! When I look back on the past nine months, there were so many hard patches, three surgeries, hospital stays, Tate's first year of preschool, Tanner working in Provo leaving at 5am getting home at 10pm, struggling with anemia through my pregnancy but not knowing until almost the end that that was why I was so sick and depleted, glasses and contacts on an infant, HOURS and HOURS of therapy for both boys, etc. It was nuts! Goodness, while we were in the thick of it, we just pulled up our boot straps and did it but now that I can look back on it, I realize we were not doing it alone, there is no way we would've been able to make it if we were. We had incredible support from our family (I feel bad for how much we've needed their help through all of the doctors and surgery appointments and day to day crazy, I hope we didn't wear them out!) And I know that we had heavenly help to carry the load and more importantly teach us to take things one day at a time!

So, we're taking it one day at a time with all of these babies too! Some days are easier than others (Emerson can out cry the babies any day and that requires more patience than I have words for!) But I can honestly say I'm having fun with my smalls and I'm really trying to find at least parts ;) of everyday to cherish. They are only going to be so little for such a small time. If I could just sit and cuddle them all day I would! (They're just so cute it'd be easy to do!) It makes me a little sad to think that this phase will be over almost as quickly as it came but if there's one thing I know, it's that when one adventure ends another one always begins and that's exciting! I mean a year ago today I was sitting in the front yard with a tiny inflatable pool with a nine year old, four year old, three year old and 21 month old!

Goodness life couldn't be less predictable!