Potty Training 1 & 2

My potty training experience started in October of 2008. Samuel was 2 years, 2 months (Joel was 7 months at the time) and I decided to give it a go with him. Everyone else was doing it, so I thought, Why not? He met the majority of the potty training readiness signs I'd read about:

Physical signs
-Is coordinated enough to walk, and even run, steadily.
-Urinates a fair amount at one time.
-Has regular, well-formed bowel movements at relatively predictable times.
-Has "dry" periods of at least three or four hours, which shows that his bladder muscles are developed enough to hold urine.

Behavioral signs
-Can sit down quietly in one position for two to five minutes.
-Can pull his pants up and down.
-Dislikes the feeling of wearing a wet or dirty diaper.
-Shows interest in others' bathroom habits (wants to watch you go to the bathroom or wear underwear).
-Gives a physical or verbal sign when he's having a bowel movement such as grunting, squatting, or telling you.
-Demonstrates a desire for independence.
-Takes pride in his accomplishments.
-Isn't resistant to learning to use the toilet.
-Is in a generally cooperative stage, not a negative or contrary one.

Cognitive signs
-Can follow simple instructions, such as "go get the toy."
-Understands the value of putting things where they belong.
-Has words for urine and stool.
-Understands the physical signals that mean he has to go and can tell you before it happens or even hold it until he has time to get to the potty.
from www.babycenter.com

My thoughts on picking a potty training method were to start with the easiest method and work my way up from there. So I borrowed "Potty Train Your Child in Just One Day" by Teri Crane.

The plan was to "potty train" Samuel's stuffed bear on Wednesday morning, and then potty train Samuel in the afternoon. Wednesday morning I took Samuel and his bear to Target to buy big boy undies and some treats. We spent the morning having bear sit on the potty at regular intervals. We watched potty training videos and put stickers on bear's potty chart for going on the potty and also for staying dry. Samuel was semi into it. I had bear have a few accidents in his undies (I wetted them and also put a lump of brown playdoh in there once) and we talked about having accidents. After Samuel's nap he unwrapped a present of his own set of big boy undies. They were Elmo and Thomas. We practiced all day and Samuel wet through SEVEN pairs of undies. Ugh. I thought it was a big failure.

BUT I WAS WRONG! He wore undies all day Thursday and didn't have any accidents until the evening when I was watching Joel and another baby and didn't set Samuel on the potty when I was supposed to. He also managed to stay dry ALL DAY Friday, even though we went to someone else's house for lunch and naps, and to a wedding rehearsal and dinner afterwards. I am SO proud of him!

Now, to clarify, this is potty training in the sense that I was trained too - he didn't tell me when he had to go; I put him on the potty about every hour. But he was holding it now and then going when I set him on the potty. I was happy with that for the time being - at least he wasn't wearing diapers all day and he was learning what it meant to go on the potty. The funny thing is I made a big deal about treats and stickers on his potty chart the first day but he could really have cared less about it. He acted like it was no big deal to go on the potty!

I kept Samuel in a diaper at night for another two months. Then he started waking up dry consistently and so I kept him in underwear at night too. He was just a super easy kid to potty train.

And. Then. There's. Joel. :)

My first attempt with Joel was back in March when he turned 2. I checked out the Potty Training in a Day book again from the library and gave it a shot. I sent Samuel to my parents for a few days so it would just be me and Joel. I did all the same things again. I pumped that kid full of juice/milk/water/even soda! and he only peed three times - twice in his underwear and once on the potty. Day two I put him in underwear as soon as he got up. Not a successful day - all in the undies, none in the potty. After a few days I gave up. I think the biggest indicator to me to hang it up was that he could have cared less when he wet himself. When I did Samuel, he FREAKED OUT when his undies got wet and things clicked quickly. Joel peed himself a few times and just kept playing. I asked him if he was staying dry, he felt himself and then said "All wet Mommy" and then just kept running around with his toy. Ugh!!! :)

My second attempt with Joel was last week. I put him in undies and he peed in them. He was very good at feeling himself when I asked "are you staying dry?" but he never would pee on the potty. And then the freak out set in. He started freaking out whenever I tried to get him to sit on the potty - the Bjorn potty, the travel potty, the potty ring, nothing.

So I've decided to put it on the back burner for two more months. I'm kinda at a loss now as far as what to do to potty train him. Should I do the Potty Training in a Day thing all over again? It seems like he already knows the basics. Do I try the three day thing that Margaret did? What's the difference between that and just putting him in undies? How do I get this kid to pee a whole bunch?!

These are all the questions on my mind. When I made the POH schedule back in January I remember putting this week on there and hoping that I would be writing TWO potty training success stories! But instead the Lord wanted me to encourage you that it's not always the same between #1 and #2! Have a great week! Be encouraged! :)

Our Potty-Training Journey -- A Matter of the Will

I have only potty trained one child, so I am by no means an expert! But I definitely had my share of frustrating days and learned a lot from it, so I wanted to share with you how it went. Let me start by saying that I have an amazing dear friend who decided to try early potty training with her absolutely adorable baby. She started started getting her baby used to the potty when she was only a month old. I know, it sounds crazy, but she had amazing success with it and her baby was pretty much potty-trained by 13 months! I just think she is awesome! Click HERE if you want to see the book that inspired her to try it. I was personally not brave enough to do such a thing, but when I found out that we were pregnant again and would have a new baby when Karis was just 20 months old, I decided to try to get Karis out of diapers before the new baby came...

Attempt #1 -- Karis was 17 months -- I had read The Secrets of the Baby Whisperer for Toddlers and was planning to use her method for potty training at a younger age. I tried to get her to just sit on the potty but she was deathly afraid of it and screamed bloody murder. In retrospect, I should have bought a bjorn potty that is recommended for early potty training because it has great support and younger babies feel comfortable and secure in it. But I just decided that 2 in diapers wasn't the end of the world and we would try later :)

Attempt #2 -- Karis was 22.5 months and very excited about her little pink potty this time. I decided to use the method in Gary Ezzo's book because my sis-in-law had great success with it. Basically, you praise the child for staying dry rather than for using the potty. So we checked her diaper every 20 minutes, but it was always damp. I moved the timer down to 10 minutes, then to 5. It seemed that Karis was always a little damp so it was hard to reward her for staying dry. I think she just didn't have very good control yet. We had a very messy first two days, great success the 3rd day, and then on the 4th day Karis went ballistic and ran screaming away from me every time I even mentioned the word potty. I didn't want the potty to be a power-struggle, so I decided to follow everyone else's advice and wait til she was at least 2 before trying again. I still think the premise of the book is great and would work well if your child is ready, but Karis just couldn't seem to stay dry for any length of time. She just wasn't ready yet.

Final and Successful attempt -- Shortly after Karis turned 2, I started noticing that she was often dry in the morning when she woke up and after naps as well. And a lot of times I would go to change her diaper and it had been completely dry for several hours. I knew she was ready for potty training, but we had a lot of fun summer traveling ahead of us and I really didn't want to worry about finding a potty at the beach :)

When we finished our travels, we had 2 difficult weeks getting Karlie to sleep well again because all the traveling had really messed up her schedule. After we got her all straightened out, I told Mark that I ought to take the plunge and potty train Karis . He begged me to wait because we needed to have just one "normal" week after all the craziness of the summer.

Apparently, Karis did not want to wait because on Wednesday, she randomly asked to use the potty and stayed dry all day! I was utterly amazed at her perfect potty day but figured it was because we had just been reading this book and this book that we had checked out of the library. Needless to say, I highly recommend them :)

So with her leading, we took the plunge. Karis had her ups and downs for a couple of days and was very excited about her new underwear, going potty, and then getting her treat (some frozen smoothie, healthy chocolate candy, or power balls ). But then she simply stopped wanting to go potty at all. She would sit on her potty just fine while I read her books, but she never filled it up. One morning she started looking very uncomfortable around 10:30. So we sat on the potty for about ten minutes. Nothing happened, so I let her get up. But then she looked like she needed to go again, so we sat and read some more. (I put her potty in the living room so I didn't have to drag Karlie in the bathroom every time :) This went on until noon and we had to go eat lunch before naps. The minute I reached in the fridge, she went used the bathroom all over my floor. I was sooooo frustrated! I had wasted my whole morning trying to help her go potty and we still ended up with a mess!

Once I put the girls down for a nap, I called my Mom for advice. She recommended that if I was certain that Karis needed to use the potty, to tell her she had to sit by herself in the bathroom until she could see it in the potty. This would help her to focus on the job at hand. As soon as Karis woke up, I told her the new plan. She wasn't happy about it, because she had really enjoyed my attention when I read to her on the potty all day long :) It became a discipline issue immediately, which I had hoped to avoid. But it worked instantly! As soon as she knew she would get a spanking for leaving the bathroom early, she did her business immediately. I only had to discipline her the first 3 times, and from then on she happily did her thing. And the excitement on her face when she realized she could do it was enough reward to cover all the spankings :) For the next 2 months, she would run out of the bathroom with her undies around her toes, carrying her little potty seat to show me her success, yelling "Yay Karis!!!!" at the top of her lungs. It was hilarious and I was just so proud of her! Karis never looked back after that day and pretty much never had an accident again.

Summary: I know that all children are different, but for my sweet, stubborn 2-year old, discipline was definitely the key to teaching her one of the most basic skills of life. Potty training was fun for her at first, but when she grew tired of it, she needed to know that she could do it and that it was important to Mommy and Daddy. After that realization, she never looked back and has used the potty cheerfully without any accidents ever since!

Potty Training

Potty training stinks. I've decided that it really isn't any fun at all and no matter when you embark on the process it is tough work. As much as I despise changing toddler diapers I think I despise cleaning up dirty underwear and pants more. But, it must be done and once it is accomplished it is such a joy and relief! I've had two children in diapers at the same time and have also potty trained my first child when her brother was still an infant (not an easy task). We'd have "potty parties" where we'd sit for what seemed like hours in the bathroom, me on the bathroom floor nursing Jonathan waiting for some sort of potty success on her part.

So, when we found out our third child was due, I was anxious to potty train Jonathan before the baby arrived and I also wanted to try a different method (with Meredith is was all work on my part. I took her to the bathroom constantly and it was exhausting. She never seemed to mind if her underwear were wet and wouldn't tell me she had to go for months on end. It took anywhere from 6-8 months until she finally got it down).


Jonathan turned two in February and we began potty training that same week. He got a "Cars" potty seat and new big boy underwear. Following Krista's advice, I prepared myself for a three-day potty training intensive. On monday morning we packed up all his cloth diapers to give to the new baby when he/she arrives. I explained that babies wear diapers and he wasn't a baby anymore. Then, we camped out downstairs (with the hardwood floors), with a travel potty nearby, and sippy cup after cup of juice. I think I cleaned up 13 accidents by lunchtime. By day two I wondered if this method worked at all. He was still having accidents, but not quite as frequently. At the end of day three, he was holding it and would go if I took him. But, it would still be weeks before he'd tell me he had to go (he actually began telling me he had to go for the first time while we were on a long car trip. I think he didn't want to sit in wet pants).

Now, four months later I'd say this method worked great. Jonathan has been fully potty trained for at least two months now and I think it was a lot less work this time around. I didn't have to camp out in the bathroom with him for hour after hour. The first few days were rough, but it was still easier this way. Now, he will tell me that he has to go and will even set himself up on the potty (with the potty ring) all by himself. He wears big-boy underwear all day, although I do put him in a pull-up at night. He wakes up many nights with it dry too, but I'm not quite ready to make the jump to regular underwear at night yet. All in all, I'd try the potty blitz method again with our third child. I do think that each child has a different personality, some hate being in wet pants, other kids don't seem to mind it and some are ready before others and no matter what you must be ready to clean up messes! But the payoff is certainly worth it!

Paving the Path to Better Communication

I wanted to share a few ideas that have helped create better communication in our home between myself and my husband Ed. We have seen our relationship grow as we put these ideas into consistent practice.

#1 - Weekly Meeting. Once a week, usually on Sunday, Ed and I sit down for a little meeting. We get our calendars out and discuss what's on the schedule for that week. And then we have a review of our monthly cash finances. We also talk about any upcoming projects we'd like to work on and how we're going to make that happen. This is a business-style meeting that really helps us get on the same page as far as schedules and money go. It has really helped us to get along better throughout the week. We know what needs to be accomplished and how we need to spend/save our money.

#2 - A cash budget. I talked about this when we talked about monthly budgets. I get $500 each month to spend on groceries, clothing, entertainment, etc. This has really helped our communication as husband and wife. Before, Ed would look at the bank statements/credit card statements and say things like "what did you spend $50 on at Target?" That would drive me crazy and instantly put me on the defensive. Now I can show Ed that I still have X amount of money left for the month and he can tell me he's proud of me for the way I'm managing the funds. It's much better!

#3 - Date Night. We don't live by any relatives and can't afford to pay a babysitter to watch our kids. So we didn't really "date" much once Joel came along (we could date a little more when we just had Samuel and were living at Seminary with lots of helpful friends/neighbors). Over the past year we've become good friends with another family at church who find themselves in a similar situation - they don't have any family close by and can't afford a sitter. We decided to do a date night swap. Every Sunday night we swap sitting. We drop our kids off at their house at 5:00pm. They are responsible for feeding the kids dinner, playing with them, and getting their pajamas on. Then we pick them up at 8:00pm, take them home and put them to bed. We get to have the hours of 5-8 to ourselves and then we can still enjoy time together at home with the kids in bed. We love both sides of this solution. It's fun to have our date night and it's actually enjoyable when their kids come to our house. All four kids think it's such a great treat to spend every Sunday evening together.

#4 - Sex. Plain and simple, ladies. Having consistent, quality sex with my husband greatly increases the communication in our relationship. This comes straight from the horse's mouth. :) I told Ed the topic of the week and he asked straight away if I was going to mention sex. When I said yes, he said to make sure I emphasis not only the quantity of sex but the quality of sex. It's important not to just do it consistently but to have it actually be enjoyable. I know sometimes sex can seem like another thing on my daily checklist, but it's important for me to "get my head in the game" and make it enjoyable for him and for me.

#5 - Humility. This is probably the key one for me. I hope that all of the above are helpful ideas, and I can attest that they have worked for us. But I must say that being honest with myself and God that more often than not my tendency to be selfish, put myself first, and get upset when Ed doesn't feel the same are the main challenges to our communicating as a couple. I like to have my way. I expect him to want what I want all the time. I get upset easily when I feel like he isn't understanding me or doing what I want. And I have to constantly put myself before God and admit my selfish attitude. When I admit that I'm not naturally altruistic or naturally inclined to put my husband first it makes it easier to ask God to help me do that. And it really does help.

So good luck this week bettering your communication with your husbands ladies. And if it involves #4, tell your husband he has Ed Payne to thank. Ha, ha!

Communication with Our Husbands...

When I first saw this topic it made me snicker and think, “Communicate with my husband??? I am good at that…aren’t all women good at communication?! It’s the husbands with the communication difficulties!” :) Then I came to my senses (or God convicted me:) of my communication Inabilities. For me, when it comes to communicating with my husband, I don’t have a problem with coming up with words but I do have issues with TIMING those words. So, in this post I am going to deal with timing our communication.
Timing truly is everything in regards to communication in my marriage.


Studying Story
When Matt and I first married (our sophomore year of college) we were in youth ministry. We traveled an hour and a half each weekend to serve at our church. On Friday nights we always had a youth service. We would leave class, pack our suitcase and head to our church in another town. As we drove on the curvy road I would begin small talk with Matt. Many times this would turn into an argument and I could not figure out what the problem was. Matt would say, “Do you see I am trying to study!?” Now you have to understand…he was sitting in the car, looking out of the window and saying nothing. So, I thought it was a great time to talk. He, on the other hand, was going over what he was about to teach to the youth…it’s the way he studied and I had no idea! I study with Bible, paper and pen in hand…He studies a passage….and then “mulls” over and prays over it A LOT! It took me years to figure out when he was studying because his study ways were not my study ways. Lesson learned: My husband is different from me. It is my job to figure him out…learn him…learn how he ticks.

Intimacy Story
Matt and I were planning a little “rendezvous” one evening (actually this has happened several times). I was getting into something a little more comfortable and he was in the room with me….at that time I brought up an issue with one of our children and their school work. Needless to say, this was not the timing for that conversation. To me, I was just sharing with him. To him, that conversation could have waited because all he had was one thing on his mind. It did decrease the “heat of the moment.” Did I mean to “ruin” the moment? Absolutely not…it’s just the way many women tick. BUT, could that conversation have waited? Absolutely! Lesson learned: My husband deals with conversations beautifully on just about any topic AFTER intimate moments. :)

Finances Story
Early in our marriage we had financial issues because we were students and in ministry at the same time and that just made for an empty checking account. Empty checking accounts can cause stress in any situation. When I was pregnant with our first child we lived in a small parsonage beside the church we serve. Matt worked two jobs and was in seminary. I worked part time. One day we found ourselves out of money, credit, and gas. We also opened our pantry to one can of Veg-All in the cabinet. Emotions and tensions were high as we discussed what we were going to do. Late at night we just felt overwhelmed, like our world was falling apart. By morning, life seemed “doable” and we were clearly more reasonable in our thinking and kinder with our words. Lesson learned: We found that discussing any finances after 10 pm was never a good idea. Making big decisions also is never a good idea after 10 pm.

Respect Story
Before we married no one ever taught me that men desired respect more than anything in a marriage. I just figured that we just needed to love one another and that was it. How did that “love” play out? Well, I did chores to show Matt I loved him. He said words to tell me he loved me and both of us were communicating with good intentions but were not feeling completely fulfilled. Years into our marriage we read a book called Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs that changed our marriage in a powerful way. “Cracking the communication code between husband and wife involves understanding one thing; that unconditional respect is as powerful for him as unconditional love is for her. It’s the secret that every couple seeks, and yet few couples ever find.” I could never do the book justice in my explanation so just get it and read it…a must! :) Lesson learned: Matt desires for me to respect him in my words, attitudes and actions…intentional cooperation in following his lead...that’s the highest form of love I can show him.

Traveling Advice

Tips for Traveling with Kids: By Lauren Papa

My sister-in-law has traveled more than anyone else I know when her infant this past year. Her husband, Matt Papa, is a Christian Musician, and they travel all over the United States. She has flown a few times, and here's her advice for flying with an infant.



Flying-

1. Pack as light as possible. This is not the time you want to bring EVERY single toy and baby item your child MIGHT POSSIBLY need. Stick to the basics!! Seriously! Bring a few toys or books or activities, depending on your child's age; beyond that, make the world your playground and find creative ways to entertain your kids!

2. Leave at least 30 min. before you think you should. With kids, getting around an airport is always slower. Don't count on making record time to catch your flight. Giving yourself plenty of time will make the experience much more peaceful and enjoyable for you and your children.

3. Know that you have the option to check your carseat. Most airlines will let you check your car seat for FREE. From experience, this is much easier than gate-checking it; unless you have purchased a seat for your infant and will be using the car seat on the flight.

**SPECIAL NOTE: If you check your car seat, be sure that you either bring a cover/bag from home or ASK THE AIRLINE to provide you with a large plastic bag to put it in. Why? Because it will get tossed and thrown and dropped and most importantly, it will touch all sorts of dirty surfaces. So go the safe, sanitary route and keep it covered!

4. Don't stress about going through security. Stress will only slow you down because you're so worked up. Take a deep breath and just know that it will take you a little extra time than the expert business traveler with nothing but a briefcase and that is OKAY!!

5. Food and formula/milk. You are allowed to bring food, water, milk, and formula through security for your child. Just be aware that once you have passed through, you will probably be asked to open everything up so that TSA can run a non-invasive litmus test to be sure you're not carrying drugs.

6. Acquire your gate-check tags. As soon as you get to the gate, approach the desk and ask for tags for items you plan to check at the gate. This will save you a little time when boarding and make things faster for those in line behind you.

7. Board early if you like. Traveling will children under age 5 affords you the opportunity to board early with all the special execs and reward members.

Thanks Lauren!!

Tips for Traveling with Kids

I would like to suggest a few things regarding flying with kids and just travel in general. You are about to see my "Wish List" for traveling, if I could afford all that I'm about to recommend. My favorite website for specialty items is One Step Ahead. This website is by far the best I've found yet.  
 
Lysol Wipes: You can get a small travel pack of these wipes or snag a few from your canister and put them in your own zip lock baggies. I leave a container in my van, along with the wonderful Ikea potty for emergencies.
 
Ikea Potty: If you aren't familiar with the Ikea potty, it's so inexpensive($3.99!!), one piece, a great size, and comes in a lot of fun, different colors.
 

We keep the potty, Lysol wipes and bags in the stow-and-go compartment in our van, under the floor-board. It's $3.99! No need to pay those $20-$30 prices for a potty.  The only catch is they won't ship it, so if you know of anyone traveling by an Ikea, have them run in and buy you one. We bought one for the grandparents as well to keep at their house.  This would be a great thing to use right before going into the Airport or while on the road traveling by car.
 
Baby B'Air: I have this, but haven't had the opportunity to use it yet. I can't wait! If you check your car seat in your airline travels, then this is a great option. Come terrible turbulence, your child will be safe.
 

Traveling with Car seats:

• Option 1: Look at this genius idea! If you want to forgo the stroller, especially if there is a stroller at your destination, this is a great idea.  It's called the Gogo Kidz Travelmate.  And look at how small and compact the actual carrying device is.  A $90 expense, but would be a very helpful thing to have. I have entertained the idea of buying this in the past, but we just didn't have the funds at the time.

 

Option 2: The Pac Back. I can't tell you how often I've thought about buying one of Pac Back car seat carriers as well. I flew quite frequently when I just had Laney when she was under two years old (hence, flying for free), and I sure could have used this to free up my hands.  If I had to do it all over again, I'd buy one of these...and I still just might buy one, even though we don't fly as often anymore. $40 is a great buy in my opinion.

 

Folding Potty Seat with Handles: This is a great solution to avoiding sitting on those uber-dirty gas station or airport toilets. Eek! The handles prevent the littles from grabbing the toilet when trying to balance. When you're finished, you can wipe it down with your handy-dandy Lysol wipes or just put it in a bag, seal it up and toss it in your carry-on or diaper bag.

Look at how tiny it folds up!

Sleeping Solutions: When my eldest outgrew the pack-n-play, I didn't know what I was going to do. Well, I knew what I wanted, but couldn't buy this particular bed at the time. Had I know about it in advance, say when I was still in  the pack-n-play stage, I would have asked for it for Christmas for my little one or saved up for it. I didn't start looking into options until it was too late. I ended up buying a Princess Air Mattress that has a sleeping bag sew into it. I think Target carries it. However, I wasn't very pleased with it. My daughter slides all over it and off of it since it's slippery material inside, instead of cotton. I should have just taken that money and put it towards something that I really liked and wanted.

•  Tuck Me In Travel Bed. I have wanted this bed for a long time.The thing I like most about this bed is that it has roll-guards. Comes in a Toddler Bed (ages 2+ up to 150 lbs) or a Kids Bed (ages 4+ up to 350 lbs).  There are a lot of accessories that go with this bed, but they all aren't necessary unless you just want the ease of not wanting to search for another carrying bag, etc.. You could use your own pillow and blanket.

Or you could just buy a regular twin air mattress. I know a lot of friends who have done that and it's worked well for them. I just liked the roll bars on this one.

Car Mirror: My friend Stephanie Lyon recommended a car mirror to me, similar to this one. I use it all the time! You can buy a similar one (the one I have) at Wal-Mart for about $5. They are great shower gifts!  The one I have flips down from behind the review mirror, so you can stash it away if you need to.

Flying Sickness: If you're flying for the first time with your kids, you might want to carry a gallon size zip lock bag in case they get sick or for blow out diapers. Or you could try some Queasy Drops.

Blowouts in the car seat: My second child is what we call our "Car Seat Pooper." It never fails. Every time she's in the car seat, we are going to have the biggest surprise waiting on us when we get to our destination.  Usually we are running late BEFORE we discover the blow out. So, we've learned our lesson, somewhat and try to leave a little bit earlier so one of us can stay back and change her. Here lately, while traveling, she's been on antibiotics for her recurring ear infections, so we've had our share of blow outs. We usually put a waterproof pad in her car seat to protect the seat from getting poo all over it. Babies R Us carries every size you'd like.

Dollar Store: From the dollar store, we like to stock up on the Diaper Bags. You get a ton of little diaper bags and they have handles on them for tying it closed. They also smell like baby powder so that's a bit inviting when you're dealing with nose-burning smells. :)

I hope some of these ideas will help you in your traveling endeavours.

Hollie

Just have a Can-Do Attitude

Hi all - Leah P. here to share my thoughts on this week's topic: Traveling with Little Ones. As I was thinking back over the countless air/car/train traveling we've done over the past 4 years, I had to laugh at some of the things I've done. Here is the best one:

Last summer I decided to fly from Chicago to Orlando to visit my parents. Samuel was a few months shy of his 3rd birthday and Joel was 1yr3mo. My husband couldn't get off work, so I made the trip by myself. I had to bring both of our carseats and our double stroller. Oh, and I decided that I wasn't going to check any luggage. (Insert: what was I thinking?! ha, ha).

If you were in the airport that morning, this is what you would have seen: Me pushing two boys in a double stroller (I figured out how to wedge Joel's seat into the double stroller with him still sitting in it). I had on a diaper bag backpack and a carry-on size duffle bag with all our clothes. Then I had to flip Sam's carseat upside-down and balance it on the accessory tray of the stroller while I pushed it through the airport. My boys were actually asleep and I thought I was doing pretty good. Until I hit airport security. Uh-oh. Did you know that you have to take those kids out of the stroller and walk through the metal detector with them? And you have to fold up your stroller and try to wedge it through the scanner? This is where my "can-do attitude" kicked in. I held my head high, gather up my two sleeping boys in my arms and let the airport security woman pass all my things through the scanner. Then I passed through the detector and put us all back together. After that, the airplane ride was no big deal! :) Now, the part that makes this the tops of dumb was that I was pretty sick at this point with my Ulcerative Colitis. I was going to the bathroom about 12 times a day (it got up to about 25 times a day by the time I went in the hospital). I had to run that double stroller to the bathroom more than once while we waited for our plane. And I had to ask the lady sitting next to us on the plane to keep an eye on my boys while I went to the bathroom on the plane. But I didn't really stress out at any point of the day. I am a super bull-headed person and I was determined to make it through that day with a smile on my face. And it all went fine.



I suppose my one piece of advice when traveling with little ones by yourself is to be willing to ask others to help you when you need it. I've asked airplane neighbors to hold my baby while I went to the bathroom. I've asked fellow train travelers to play with my kids while I filled a drink up. I've asked people to carry my stroller down the escalator for me while I held my boys' hands. People seem to take pity on a young mother with children and love to help out. Don't be afraid to let them!

Traveling with the DeLongs

I've found that traveling with little ones is utterly exhausting, but very rewarding. I love all the fun memories we make and hearing my 3-year old talk about a trip for months afterwards. I am constantly amazed by all that she remembers!

Our amount of travel varies in correlation to the stages of our kids. For example, Karlie (now 16 months) absolutely HATED the car until she was a year old. She never fell asleep, even as a newborn, and I would spend the duration of our car rides turned around in an illegal manner, trying to soothe her. So her first year we traveled as little as possible. Karis (now 3), on the other hand, was an easy baby and we went on many trips throughout her first year.

Our current normal travel consists of a 3 1/2 hour trip every few months to see the grandparents and a few trips to the beach during the summer. Since our girls are at pleasant traveling stages right now and we know that next year will be more difficult with a new baby, we have decided that this is our summer/fall to travel a lot! We just recently made a huge (for us :) 7 hour trip to Seabrook Island and although the car ride was very taxing, it was well worth it! (I blogged about what I learned that particular trip HERE.) Visiting the grandparents is usually fairly easy, because once we arrive, they take care of everything! But beach trips take a lot more planning and that is currently what is going on in my head right now. Here are my thoughts/tips in no particular order:

I totally agree with Leah that snacks are a huge help! Bring lots of snacks and save them for when the kids get fussy. Here is a list of my favorite healthy snacks that I now reference when planning for trips.

Consider having the kids split a "normal" meal instead of buying them each a kids meal when eating out. My family doesn't do fast food. I'm kind of a health nut, and I'm actually starting to rub off on my husband (finally!). So on car trips, we usually stop at someplace like Cracker Barrel. (We figure it is the closest to real food we can get on the road). We love it because it gives the girls a decent break so they can stretch their legs and it helps to get some energy out. Last time, we raced them up and down the porch and danced for about 20 minutes before getting back in the car. I'm sure that people must have thought we were crazy, but it really helped the girls. Cracker Barrel is more expensive, but splitting the meal saves money. Last time, the girls and I all split a grilled chicken tender meal. Because of all the sides and bread, and it was plenty for all 3 of us.

Buy a new CD or "hide" a favorite one for about a month before a big trip. Save it for when the ride gets too long and the tempers get short. We stumbled upon an old favorite on our last trip and I was amazed at how excited the girls were to hear it again and how they instantly calmed down and stayed peaceful for the duration of the CD.

Stickers can be entertaining for quite a while! I randomly bought a pack of those neon circle label stickers at the grocery store as we were leaving town and they turned out to be the best distraction for my 16 month old. They were really easy for her to get off and she was quite happy decorating a notebook (and her car seat :) for a good 30 minutes! My 3-year old LOVES sticker books (a book with a bunch of stickers in the middle of the book and she has to figure out which page they go on).

Take lots of pictures and put them in some kind of a book as soon as possible. My daughter LOVES looking at pictures of past trips, and it helps her to remember even more. She still talks about a beach trip we took when she was just a year old because she looks at the pictures so often.

My main job when preparing for a long trip is meal planning. Our family usually tries to save money by using our kitchen instead of eating out. We might have one special night for eating out, but the rest of the meals are up to me. As much as I enjoy cooking, however, I don't want to spend my vacation slaving away. Instead, I make ahead several of these meals that freeze well and have them all ready to go in the oven when we need them.

My husband prefers duffle bags over suitcases because he says they compress easily for packing and only take up as much space as we pack. We bought THESE inexpensive bags at Target in different colors for all of us and we have been really pleased with them. Every time he packs the car, my husband mentions how glad he is that we switched to duffle bags :)

A wagon is helpful for almost every trip! We just recently got a van and have been able to bring our wagon on trips for the first time. We have taken it on a camping trip and a beach trip and have been incredibly thankful for it both times! On our last trip, we packed all the beach toys right inside it and it was all ready for us when we arrived. Our particular beach had a LONG trail to get to the shore and the girls were always grateful for a ride home after playing all morning in the hot sun.

Go with grandparents or friends whenever possible so that you can relax more and maybe even get a date with your husband!

Updated Birth Story Below!

Just wanted to let everyone know that I updated the "Easy Delivery" birth story below. It's even crazier than I remembered! Be sure to scroll down and read it. Stay tuned for more traveling tips this week!!

Traveling with Little Ones--Finn style

This week on Prayer of Hannah we are talking about traveling with little ones. All of us moms have done it at some point, even if the travel is just a few minutes away! The contributors for Prayer of Hannah include more than a few world travelers, and I look forward to hearing their tips for traveling cross country and overseas with little ones.

My husband’s and my family both live about 7 hours away from us (though in slightly different directions), so the longest car trip we have taken to date is a 7 hour one. I have flown with my daughter once, when she was about 9 months old, but this post will focus on car travel. Later this month Nathan, the kids and I will head out on a big car trip to see family in south Florida (13-15 hours by car), so these ideas are fresh on my mind!

Things I love while traveling:
*DVD player—I know it is a ‘cop out’, but a movie entertains the kids easily when the road miles grow long
*music that the kids enjoy—This is not always “kid music”! My children enjoy a variety of music, so we take our IPod and a car converter with us to listen to music.
*sippy cups for both kids—my oldest no longer drinks from a sippy cup, and my youngest is learning to drink from a ‘real cup’, but in the car, sippy cups are a must!!
*water bottles or a canteen to refill said sippy cups
*snacks—I used to use little snack cups (Glad makes a ‘toss and go’ snack cup with lids) that I would fill with goldfish, raisins, pretzels, or cheerios, but Baxter tends to upturn his cup into his lap and make a mess. I have now switched to snack size Ziploc bags that I can refill, because Baxter seems to handle them better
*Color Wonder markers and pad (or colored pencils and book—no crayons, they melt!) for Georgia
*car/tractor for Baxter—I never would have thought this, but my little guy played with a matchbox car for 30-40 minutes uninterrupted on one recent car trip. Perfect!
*portable potty—not as necessary now that G is fully potty trained, but still helpful
*rest areas—these have built in areas to run and play, and after being cooped up in the car that is a wonderful thing
*diversions—This sounds silly, but it is amazing how “look at that car!” “see the truck!” “hey, do you see a cow?” can distract children for a little while
*plastic grocery bags (for trash, kids toys, organizing snacks, etc)—as an aside, I don’t have this yet, but I hope to make a car organizer like this before our trip

None of these ideas are unique or original, but I hope that they might serve as a starting point for more suggestions from our wonderful readers. What are your tips for traveling with littles? What works for your family?

Easy Delivery

A few years ago - my sister in law, Brandy, told me this story. It was her cousin's third or fourth pregnancy and it was a wild story! I knew I would find a way to share this story this week. I emailed Mary-Pacolette about her story, asking if I could share it. Here is my very rough version of the story. Maybe Mary Pacolette or Brandy can comment with details I left out! :) Either way - you'll get enough of the picture to realize how crazy it was.

UPDATE!! Mary Pacolette emailed me the story! I've posted it below (and deleted my poor version of the story! :)

My pregnancy with my fourth child was all routine. My other three deliveries went quickly. With my second child the nurse had me to sing happy birthday through contractions and not push. I finally said the doctor is going to have to come now the baby is almost here. He was finishing up a c-section. She checked, i was right and they got him immediately just in time for delivery.

My doctor had delivered 2 out of the 3 children I had. We live 30 minutes away from the hospital and so he scheduled for me to be induced and him to be on standby for delivery. Everything was going according to plan until I received my epidural. I was given way too much medicine and was numb beyond belief. It was insane to me because I could not feel anything, could not wiggle a toe, move my legs in any way. This was very different from my earlier three deliveries.

I complained to everyone and no one seemed to care. It was very frustrating for me because I felt so out of control of my body. Around lunchtime the other doctor delivering for my office come in to check me said I was almost a five. I complained to her about the epidural. She felt like I should get rest and when it was closer to time to push they would do something so I would have more feeling and be aware of the need to push.

She suggested I get some rest. She told my husband and my father-in-law it may be a good time to grab some lunch. My parents said they would stay with me and go after they returned. My oldest daughter who was in kindergarten was there with my parents. The doctor told me it should be a few more hours turned down the lights in the room and left.

I felt a little something and thought "Praise the Lord, I am getting some feeling back to my body." Well everyone knows you get no rest in the hospital. My nurse had taken her lunch break also and her replacement came in right after the doctor to see how things were going. I was happy to see her because she had been my nurse with the last baby.

She was just starting to check my monitors when my regular nurse popped her head in, saw her there and said since you are here I will go next door. She told her to wait just a second. At this point they were both studying the monitor.

They turned the lights on helped me sit up in bed and were moving the heart monitor all around on my tummy. It occurred to me that my belly looked really smushy. I think I looked worried so my mom stood up. I thought, "Oh my, something is wrong. All of my deliveries have been so easy and now I am headed for a c-section." About that time we heard a cry. Crazy me thought, "Oh my goodness the baby is crying inside and the monitor picked up the sound." CRAZY I know.

The nurses pulled back the covers and there was my purple baby girl!!!!!! My Daddy seeing too much made a bee line for the door and my 5 year was scrambling behind him! My Mama called my husband and they were just putting down their lunch trays in the hospital cafeteria to eat. He left his food and came running. He could not fathom me already delivering the baby. They could not have been gone no more than 15 to 20 minutes tops!

The nurse I had laughed which really upset me and said," I thought your little girl had a baby doll with her and it had made the crying sound!" In the meantime a flood of people came in the room. My room was across from the nurses station and they had her the baby crying too and knew a baby should not be delivered in there yet.

My doctor came in and was irate. He said "{Expletive}, I have two experienced nurses in here looking for a heartbeat and the baby is under the covers the whole time!" Her arms and legs were very purple and stayed that way for most of the day.

Many crazy stories came later such as my 5 year old using my mom's phone to call her teacher. Mrs V had given her cell number so she could call when the baby was born. She told her everything which went something like, "My mama had the baby and it was under the cover and nobody knew until the baby cried."

When transport came to take me to 5th floor I still could not move my body. With all of my other children I was able to get up on wobbly legs and walk to the wheel chair. There was no moving this time. They had to get a stretcher a few people and lift me to the stretcher. It was almost 9:00 pm before I could walk on wobbly legs with help from my husband to the restroom. I was beginning to worry I was paralyzed for life.

The next day we were visited by the patient care advocates from the hospital to get statements. The nurse that laughed came and apologized and said that had never happened to her before. And, even the ladies that come to get trash knew I was the patient that had delivered under the covers. The worst part was when I let my mind wander to all of the what ifs? Thankfully, God was watching over us and all ended well! But, what a story!