Shattered

Feeling like my world has just been shattered again. I just put the pieces back together from my grandpa's death & now I have learned that my grandma has cancer. It was found in the roof of her mouth. They did a biopsy & from reading the report it didn't seem like anything serious. Then she had surgery to have it removed. They got most of it & the surgeon commented that it looked benign, so we were all so hopeful about what it would mean for her.

She has an aggressive cancer. One that if it goes into remission has a good chance of coming back & spreading. She has to go for radiation for 6 weeks 5 days a week. They are giving her a few weeks to heal from her surgery before she begins. So during this time I'm heading back for a visit with the girls. I'm not sure if she will be able to hold the girls while she is going through radiation so I need to make sure she gets them in her arms before, otherwise that could be a long 6 weeks for her.

Its been over a week now since I was told. I've come to terms with what it means right now, what it could mean in the future & now hope fills me again. I know my grandma. She is a feisty, strong 78 yr old woman who engages in water fights with the great-grand-babies & grand-kids & anyone else who gets in the line of fire. I know she will fight hard especially with her having another great-grand-baby on the way (no its not me). 

If you read this, could you take the time to send out a prayer or good thought for her? That would mean more than anything else.

Adventures in Potty Training

I have tried everything to get Madison to potty train. We have bribed her with everything known to man.

• Candy
• Money
• Toys
• Stickers
• Party hats & horns
• Movies
• Shows
• Chocolate Milk
• Treats
• Going to the Park
• Going to lunch
• Going to the mall
• Getting to go to pre-school (more kids her age!)

Nothing worked for more than a day. I took to a potty chart & nothing. I tried a Responsibility chart. It peeked her interest & she'd sit on the potty when she got up from bed & before taking a tubby, but that was the extent. I couldn't believe this 3 year old kid would rather sit in pee & poop in a diaper than to have a clean butt!

Then it happened. She pooped her diaper & sat in for I'm not sure how long. It was long enough to make her poor bottom red & hurt. That's when she spoke up. I literally had to wrestle a bare-assed 3 year old to the floor & hold her down to clean her butt because it hurt her so bad. That was it. Something had to give & I'd be damned if I allowed my child another day of diapers. I hadn't wanted to force her for fear she would think it was a bad thing & retaliate with peeing & pooping on my floors, but this was the last straw.

I called my mom after putting Madison to bed & discussed a strategy. My mom couldn't believe that this girl would be so ok with sitting in poop. She said she had never heard of a girl being ok with this. Goes to show how strong willed & pig headed my daughter is. I wonder where she gets that from (looks around). 

Tuesday, we got up & got ready for our day. She got put in a pull up & we went to Walmart. At Walmart we picked up a couple of packs of big girl panties. We had 3 pairs at home, I figured 2 accidents & we'd be screwed so we needed more before we started this adventure. As soon as we got home the new rule went into effect. If we are home & awake no diapers! So she sat on the potty & we put on big girl undies. She did good. We only went to diapers at nap time & bed time. Unfortunately she held out until that diaper at nap time before peeing. She some how stayed dry all afternoon & into the evening. Then right before bed time it happened, she had her first accident. She started in my bedroom & had a trail all the way to the bathroom. Hey, at least she tried to get there!

Wednesday. We got 1 pee in the potty & then an accident after dinner while outside playing with the puppies with daddy. No biggie! Though she does scream bloody murder when she has an accident.

Thursday We got 1 pee in the potty & no accidents. Then we got in the tubby for bath time & the worst happened. She pooped in the tub. All hell broke loose for that!

Friday. We got 2 pees in the potty & a poop in our pull up at nap time. 1 accident on my kitchen floor shortly after sitting on the potty. We woke up from nap with a dry pull up.

Saturday. We got a few pees in the potty. No accidents & a dry pull up after nap.

Today. She finally figured it out! She woke up dry at 6:30 yelling she had to go potty! She did it. Through out the day she'd just go sit on the potty & pee & then tell us she did it. Then the big deal! She pooped on the potty. I was feeding Paityn & then all of a sudden she yells "I'm pooping!" I asked if she was on the potty & she says "YES" She did it! She pooped on the potty! Her words after pooping on the potty were "It doesn't hurt my butt!" We had no accidents. Now, what really solidified it was she just woke up & yelled "I have to go pee!" So I raced up the stairs got her out of bed & we ran to the potty. Took off her diaper & sat her down. Within seconds she peed! She is now back asleep.

Its been a rough week! I can tell you the first 3 days of potty training made me want to drink! I am so proud of my baby girl! She is turning into such a big girl! If I had known that taking her diapers away would have made her finally start going on the potty I would have done it months ago.

Hardest week, yet with a toddler, but so worth it!