Stubborn Boys: Please No Potty, Mommy (part 1)

So this is actually an entry I began scribbling away one early morning after a night of frequent feedings by Braylon, but never got around to transferring onto my site. Things have changed since, but I'll write it up anyhow... and perhaps get around to adding the changes later, since in all of 8 minutes I need to leave for yoga (and trust me, after this blog, you'll see why I need to have some me time).

I'll spare you from reading further if you're reading this for a happy-go-lucky entry... Perhaps next time. Not that my boys aren't great boys, but parenting has as of late had rough patches. Pardon me, but I find ranting helps, so bear with me if you're along for the ride. Here goes.

These are small things in the big picture, I know. That I'd like to acknowledge first. And I've always been told not to sweat the small stuff, but I must. Sometimes I feel like I'm not a good mom in ways, as I seem to fall short (no pun intended, if you know how vertically challenged I am) of helping my children overcome certain feats - namely, weaning for Braylon and potty training for Isaiah.

We'll take Isaiah first. For months now, we've been trying to potty train him. He is old enough. He knows what we're asking of him. He fully comprehends what we want him to do. And yet I am met with this stubborn defiance that I can't seem to get around. I've given in to the reward system - of stickers, that is. I've a hard time succumbing to giving treats of any sort, though I now understand those that do. To each their own, though I'd like to think I don't need to follow a Pavlov's dog regime. Regardless, we're not making headway. Not in the least. I ended up giving stickers for just sitting on the potty, so I gave up on that (need to save my sticker reserve for school, anyhow). And he hasn't actually gone in months. So scrap that. He preferred to put the stickers on his hand anyway, rather than the nice chart that we posted in the bathroom for all to view and praise. And what gets me is that he cheers for us when we go, clapping and saying "yeah mommy" whenever we show him how to do it. But he still won't go. I seriously congratulate all moms who get through this stage - what an accomplishment, for real. I myself have no clue when this is going to happen. He is not too young, that I believe, but I'm having a very tough time with this. Stick it out, I know.

Okay, yoga calls so part 2: The Battle of the Bottle will get posted later. Stay tuned... it's juicy (or rather, not... instead, it's actually kind of painful...).

Photogenic

Thank goodness my boys do not inherit everything from me, as Braylon is one of the most photogenic babies I have ever known. It helps that Kim excels at capturing the most precious expressions, true, but Braylon sure is one cute baby! He has always been a little ham, laughing and squeeling in delight, and I'm so glad Kim caught one of his gummy smiles! I love the second photo too, though I sure do wish he'd sleep through the night (if only I cover him in petals?!).

The Sweetest Thing

Okay, I'll be the first to admit to my obvious bias, but I truly think my boys are the sweetest things. It is amazing to see them interact so meaningfully with one another. Isaiah is sure to make his presence known to Braylon in anyway he can, typically waving vigorously and repeatedly saying hi to him. He continues to enjoy tickling him, and is very aware of the response he gets. Braylon at times laughs just observing Isaiah play, and loves any attention doted on him by his big brother. They are certain to grow up to be such good friends (though I know they'll have their rough times too). And apart from the odd time, Isaiah holds little jealousy for his brother. We're quite fortunate in that regard, as it tends only to be times when he is tired and irritable and Braylon needs to nurse. I've really got two very good boys to raise.

As of late, Isaiah is really starting to make headway with his speech. In the past few weeks, he has finally begun to use the vocabulary we knew he had stored in his brain. He's even working on proper two syllable words; instead of da-da, used anytime he heard the garage door open when Greg was due home from work, for example, he's now saying da-y (we just need to work that other "dd" in there). And Braylon, too, is continuing to be incredibly vocal, cooing and babbling away. Now if we could only make progress in the potty department with Isaiah; he was doing so well for such a young toddler, but recently he's been quite defiant of even sitting on it. Maybe Braylon will beat him to it!

As for Braylon, although Greg has yet to witness for himself, he has managed to roll over from both front to back and vice versa... despite much time spent on his belly. It isn't yet a daily motion, but he's done it now enough to notice this new feat. He continues to be very strong, holding himself up on his legs for longer and longer and propping himself up at 90 degrees when he is forced into tummy time. (I know, I'm such a mean mommy!) I never know if he's advanced in his growth or not, as I remember thinking Isaiah was compared to other babies I knew who were relatively similar in age, but I think having a big brother to look up to and observe all the time is helping Braylon do things earlier. Who knows?!

Anyway, it seems I've again just noted a few of the things they've been doing lately rather than share the particulars of our lives. But although I've not really stories to share - instead, I tend to give a vague update regarding their accomplishments - I think it worthwhile to post this stuff. I don't even know if anyone who reads this cares all that much about such minute steps, but I think it will be neat to look back with them to remember these moments in time. And I always mean to blog more often, but I think it more important to spend my time at home being with them so you will have to pardon my absence in terms of a daily upkeep of blogging. It will be awhile until I next log on too, as we're off on vacation for the first bit of July. I'm sure to have something to post upon return, so until then...

How in the world...

...Greg managed to get Isaiah to eat carrots last night for dinner is still beyond me. If you know our son, you well know he long gave up on vegetables and it has been a fight to get him to eat them ever since. Give him a stick of celery and he'll chew it to bits, strings hanging from between his teeth. He'll mush a green bean and think about squash and sweet potato. But he never swallows. Ever. Most often he allows the intruder (a.k.a. vegetable) to slide down his tongue, returning the enemy to his tray with true distaste. And he turns away from just about everything else. However, just when I was certain he was a mini-Grandpa, eating corn and corn alone (which is quite possibly the most difficult, and time consuming, vegetable for Mr. Independent), he shocked us by shoveling in mouthful after mouthful of carrot last night. Now my children are notorious for doing the exact opposite as soon as I praise them on my blog, so let me cross my fingers that we're finally on track toward getting his servings of vegetables in.

P.S. Dad, he also inherited your potato oddity; he loves his french fries, but he's no fan of mashed or roasted potato!

Braylon, too, has his own idiosyncrasies. Take, for example, how he automatically quieted into a zone just now, subdued by an interest in watching Euro. Greg is going to be happy to hear how he was fussy for cartoons but the second I turned the channel to Italy's game, he fell quietly into a relaxed state, watching the soccer match intently. I think he'll be our little soccer player! (As though I'm glad he already seems to show a preference of his own, he'll probably be pushed in that direction; he already has watched numerous games in his four months of life!)


Isaiah, on the other hand, just may take up yoga. I can't say for sure he knows his poses, but he has long mastered downward-facing-dog. (Maybe the 42 weeks in the womb spent doing yoga with mommy influenced his strange notions to all of a sudden hang in an upside-down "v" on the living room floor.) My instructor should begin mommy-and-me classes, I do believe, although he is far more flexible than am I so he might just show me up. See, mom, your genes passed through me and on to my son! (My mom is ridiculously flexible for 50; if you've never seen her do the splits, just ask!)

Yep, those are my boys. Always entertaining and each very unique. They have certainly developed their own personalities, and it's amazing to see how different Braylon is from his older brother! I know it seems like I tend to write about the same sorts of daily happenings, all somewhat blase (how do you make an accent on here?), but hopefully recording these observations and events will serve as gentle reminders when I look back in a few years with faint memory of days that pass far too quickly.

Change is a-Brewin'

So, should you not yet know, Greg was recently offered a position at Toyota's new plant in Woodstock - painting cars (although not quite like the car he and Isaiah are driving at left) - and he has accepted. The auto industry here in south-western Ontario has really been suffering lately, save for Japanese companies it seems, so some sort of change was really inevitable. And although it is good news, it is sort of bad at the same time.

Why?

Well, for one I like where I live. We've got a nice house - though it's not perfect, there are many things I would change were I to build again - on a nice sized lot in a town where Greg has countless family and friends living. We're fairly close to London, where we seem to do the majority of our activities and shopping. And I hate moving. I've hardly really had to do it - an entire house, that is - and I hate it. And yet I'm sort of interested in getting something new again that has the things I wish I had've stuck with in the first place with this build.

Anyway, I'll spare you the list of pros and cons, as it's fairly lengthy in my mind... but we are seriously considering moving to Woodstock, which would obviously be convenient for the both of us, as we'll both be working there come February of next year (when I return to teaching after maternity leave). I mean we could drive together when he is on day shift, though it makes for long days for our kids especially, as we'd be out of the house by 5:45 and not back until nearly 6 p.m.. And that would mean a continuance of some serious money spent on gas (when just I was commuting, I was spending a third of my paycheck on gas!), the cost of which is ever inflating in our part of the world.

So, I don't know. We'll weigh our options and see how it goes. I'm a fairly firm believer in "all things happen for a reason," even if I'm not much of a risk-taker. Stay tuned for the changes that actually take effect.