What we have been doing:

I've been busy lately. On a LOT of different levels. School is in the works (as in, I am going back, REALLY, I am!). Kaine is starting school again in September (3 days a week this time). We are going to stop watching other kids (because I do now, we just can't work out the watch kids and go to school schedule). Matt is working his butt off but, not as much as he was (thank goodness). We just got back from Kentucky to visit Matt's family and it was really pleasant (except not really the 10 hour drive - both ways!). I have been on detox and have seen significant improvement in weight loss and my bleeding has completely stopped (!!!). We are trying to conceive (again!- I am finally ready to try again). Matt's birthday is also coming up at the end of August (not to mention that Lilly just turned 5 and Mom just had a birthday too- Lots of birthday's in this family!).
In fact, the birthday thing is crazy! Look at this:

January- no one
February- Grace
March- Jared
April- Mickey
May- Brent, Kaine,  Big Elliott (Poppa) and Kristen
June- Lilly, Allana, George, Savannah and George Sr.
(Mom and George's Anniversary too)
July- Mom
August- Matt
September- Landon
October- Jordan, Douglas
November- Haley, Me, Grandma and Dad
December- Melissa, Patty, Kaylen
*and I can't remember when Little Elliot's birthday is but, I think it is in the spring. Also, I am sure I am leaving some people out too. Anyway, summer is crazy birthday months!

Anyway, Kaine is fully potty trained now too. It took forever! He was pretty good about going pee but, didn't always want to. He seemed to just want to do it off and on. Then he was going all the time (like every 10-15 minutes). We had to still keep pull-ups on him though, because he refused to poop in the potty. It was crazy and frustrating! We pretty much made him sit on the potty until he went because he knew when he had to go but, he would run away and hide so he wouldn't have to sit. (He also had a HUGE rejection of public toilets- I think it was a noise thing- they flush really loud and he HATED to be in there when the potties were making noise.) One day, he just decided he was going to start and use the potty and we haven't looked back since. He was, for a bit, wearing things for bed but, he seemed to be holding it pretty well and we decided to just go cold turkey. So, we took them off, let him go to the potty before bed and waited to see what happened. He had a few accidents but, nothing terrible. Once he got through nap time completely dry we knew he was going to be fine at bedtime too. Then, like I said, there was no looking back. He is very good now and can completely use the potty by himself (we do need to work on him pulling his pants up, however!). So, yay for big boys! (But I seriously don't want to think about the next one!)

Success

Today Kaine and I went out shopping around for birthday stuff. I know that we went to Disney for his 3rd birthday however, I feel that everyone should at least have a birthday cake on their birthdays. So, we went to Publix, Sam's Club and the Party Store. We ordered a bumble bee finger-roo cake. I was trying to find a link to a picture for this but, apparently they are new and aren't even on the website yet. But, they are super cute. Kaine picked out the bumble bee one. (They also a have: monkey, frog, lady bug, dinosaur, puppy and some other ones I can't remember!) It was only $10 too, total score!! Then we went to Sam's Club. I saw on their website that they had, what they call a 5" cake with 10 cupcakes. You can go here and check out their cake catalog and search until you find the "Cars" cake (minus red icing and chocolate cake b.c., "kids can be allergic", according to the cake lady, lol!). That also was around $10 (a little over like, $.39)! So, two cakes for $21! Woo hoo! Plus, Kaine picked them out, so no disappointments. When we went to the party store I wasn't really sure what we were looking for. We walked around and decided on a really cool "canopy" birthday hanger (that I plan to put over his small table as a decoration). He also picked out some Hot Wheels bouncy balls and purple paper plates).

Also, the biggest success of the day was that we left the house with Kaine in underwear. Not normally such a big deal (he can go to preschool and make it from 7:30 am to 1pm in underwear with no accidents). I have NEVER tried to take him anywhere without pull-ups on. Well, the one time I did I ended up changing him because he peed while sitting in his car seat. This was the outcome of Kaine refusing, absolutely refusing, to use a public toilet! So, we haven't been out without pull-ups. In fact, most of the time that he spends in the house, he is wearing pull-ups too (we still haven't figured out a way to help or make him go poo in the potty). So, today was a serious surprise. I even tried to talk him into changing into a pull-up halfway through our shopping trip (which was not limited on the liquid intake!)- no dice. He just wanted to wear his undies. I must say he did impressively well! I kept asking him if he had to go. At one point I had him in the back of the Jeep, McDonald's empty cup in hand, trying to convince Kaine that he could pee in it therefore, making sure there was no chance of accidents! (I did mention that he won't use a public toilet right?) He made it through three stores and a McDonald's (we went inside to eat!) stop all without peeing! I am super impressed. That is complete success. So, we came home and he peed in his potty then went and took a nap. What is going on? I don't know but, I hope it continues! LOL

Mostly Updates

I haven't been posting, obviously. I have been really busy lately. Not really stressed out (although, I am starting to feel that way about some things) -just busy. We  moved back into Gainesville and have been trying to put the house together. It has been a real ordeal. We have had to fix a lot of unexpected things and there are still MANY things to do.

I have also been potty training Kaine. It was more of a suggestion of his school, with everybody starting to train now. I was afraid to start it. Especially based on the last times I have tried. None went very far. This time around has been MUCH better! I started by reading books to him and getting him a video from the library about potty training. He really likes the video and asks to watch it. It is about a little boy learning and his sister is the one that talks about what to do. So, it is really cute and from a kids perspective, which helps, I think. We are still having issues with night time, especially since he still isn't sleeping through the night. Which I think is causing him to get up and pee. I am not sure how to remedy this, I am just hoping he grows out of it. We are not using pull-ups though, we are using little boy under ware and plastic pants, so he feels wet and so I don't have to change the sheets every day! We are just taking it one day at a time.

As for me, bleeding is still an issue. I have tried to use all of the tinctures I can find that are suppose to stop a hemorrhage within minutes. I have tried to use teas, tonics and whatever else I can think of too! NOTHING is working! I am not convinced that tinctures even work for me. I tried to use them to induce labor, along with Castor oil, and NOTHING happened then either. NOTHING, no cramping, no increase in discomfort, I just felt exhausted because of the mental drainage. That is pretty much where I am now. I am FED UP!!! I want to stop bleeding! It is SERIOUSLY RIDICULOUS at this point!! I am willing to try anything, short of hormones and surgery! I just hope it stops soon.

Some concerns that I have: the bleeding is number one, of course. Along those same lines would be the fact that I have been bleeding so long now that I am afraid that if I get pregnant that I will not be able to even sustain a pregnancy because I am so deficient in vitamins or minerals or something. What if there is something really wrong that is going to make caring a baby hard or, God forbid, impossible?? I don't know. I am just worried that things are not going to work out the way that I want them to and that I truly don't have any idea what I am doing! I am hoping this is just a trial in faith that will bless me with a mess of babies down the road! Wouldn't that be lovely??

Updates:

Not pregnant.
Making an Advent Calendar.
Not approved for a house loan by one point.
Looking for a rental house in Gainesville to earn our one point.
Going to be taking it easy on the pregnancy front and just see how it goes.
Not looking for anything on the pregnancy front until January.
Tried to potty train Kaine - didn't work.
Two week Christmas break is coming up, we are going to try the potty again.

Potty Training

I really feel like potty training is right around the corner. Kaine came out of his video room twice yesterday, stark naked running for the potty. The first time, I was absorbed in something, and heard him take his potty out and say, "I go pee-pee in potty!" To which I replied, "Want me to...where did your diaper go?" He shrugged in reply (this is a new answer, I don't know where it came from, but it really is quite cute). The second time was pretty much the same. That time, I sat beside him and read the books that we got at the library (about going to school) to encourage him to sit there for more than 10 seconds. We got through 4 books (board books) but no pee. I really think he is realizing now that he is peeing into his diaper. I think that is why the diaper gets ripped off and he comes running to the potty. The diaper is always peed in and there is never any pee in the potty. I am encouraged though. Especially after the day or so I spent trying to potty train him with no success. So, I am not going to rush it. It seems like this is something he is becoming comfortable with on his own. Looking back at all of the adjustments we have tried to make with Kaine, it has become quite apparent that nothing is going to change until he is quite ready for it to change anyway. No matter what we do. So, slowly we will be encouraging his use of the potty, whenever he decides he wants to use it.

I am thinking, however, that once he starts pre-school in two weeks, that he will be more convinced of how to potty. He will be able to see the other children doing it (the ones that can, that is) but will not be rushed into learning. I think I will talk to the teachers and see if they will allow him to watch the other children using the potty (he watches Matt now). This, I believe, will help to jump start the process in his mind. It is one of the things that helps him now. When he is acting like he wants to go we say, "Go pee like Daddy". To which he holds himself and and stands, kind of leaning toward the potty. Of course, nothing has happened just yet. (Matt did say, the first night we tried the potty again, that when I went off Kaine started to pee and Matt directed him to the potty and he got a little in. I missed it! Matt gave him praise and then told me about it. I praised Kaine, to which he showed immediate delight!). Progress will be slow but positive.

Binky and Potty

We are having binky problems around here. We only have two left (which is good). I seemed to have managed to get it away from him during the day, at one point. Now, it is back. He has it now, in fact. He had it in the car on the way to the library today. How have I made that thing lapse back into this behavior? I don't think I have been paying much attention to it lately.

I think this is what happened: I tried to take it away at night. Big mistake! Now he has clung to it. Anyway, what brought this up? I found a book to read to him about getting rid of pacifiers at the library today. I am hoping it is going to help. However, the first time I read it he went looking around for his binky. Oh boy, this is going to be a long and drawn out process. Oh well, I am getting that binky and it is going to be in the trash and gone away!!

By the way, the potty thing is just not working out. He does NOT get it! I have been reading up on it and it has stated that most babies are not ready until two and a half or even three (Please, God, don't let that be so!). So, I think around Christmas or something (probably a little later), we shall start again.

May Days

I am having diapers made, 25 to be exact. Too bad it is a month away from Kaine's 2nd birthday. Potty training is right around the corner. I wonder how he will do? I hope well. Hopefully soon I will have a few pictures of some cute diapers/training pants. I had the material, so I decided to go ahead with the project. I just outsourced most of it this time, so it would actually get done!

On another note, we are having a construction site birthday party in my backyard! I am really looking forward to it. Three legged races, digging in dirt, playing in water, throwing water balloons, eating cake and smashing a pinata! Sounds like a ton of fun doesn't it?

Oh yeah, we are also going to be paying our first school fee on the first! How exciting is that? It will be a good day.Go here to see the school he will be in.