The Scoop on the Poop

Because I know you've all been sitting around with bated breath, just desperate for an update on the little man's potty training saga, here we are. (For any new readers, you can catch up quickly through such posts as "We Suck at Potty Training, Or Why Pull Ups Should Sponsor Me," "Okay, Seriously. I HATE Potty Training," or "Potty Training #2." They're a thrill a minute.)

Well, seventeen months into potty training he has now pretty much mastered pee. He tells us, or usually just runs in and does his business on his own. Aiming is another story, but we're picking our battles.

As for the P-O-O-P (we spell everything now)...not so much. We're pretty much exactly where we were seventeen months ago, but with a lot more screaming about sitting on the toilet. And I say toilet because he is now too big for the potty. He used to sit to pee but now he stands and, like I said, we're picking our battles...for now.

A couple of weeks ago we had an appointment with a pediatrician to talk about this situation and a couple of other questions. Basically, we wanted to make sure we hadn't done something to scar him for life, ensuring he would remain in Pull Ups for all eternity. We took the doctor through the Awesome history of potty training, through the many trials and tribulations. He was lovely and assured us that nothing was wrong, we were still good parents.

What he did do was "prescribe" six months of not talking about the poop AT ALL. We can talk about the pee and encourage him to go, but when the poop hits the fan we just calmly accept that it's happened, clean it up and move on with your day.

It seems a little too "duh," but it has really made a difference to have that six month time frame. We always felt under the gun before, wondering WHEN it was going to magically start working. Now, it doesn't really matter. Yes, I absolutely hope it happens at some point in the next six months, but we're a lot more relaxed now.

Technically they won't let him attend the coming preschool year if he's not fully potty trained, but as long as we can get him to pee at school I think we'll squeak by unnoticed.

So for now, this is the plan. He's definitely a lot more relaxed about it too, which is a good thing. I feel so ashamed that we were stressing him out through our stress. Poor little guy.

In other news, the little miss has decided to potty train herself. At 20 months old she tells us when she has to go, sits on the potty and does her business. It's only about 75% of the time, but it is AWESOME. We're going through diapers at a fraction of the rate we used to, and she is so proud of herself, asking for high fives every time.

It's just as well that she's taken it upon herself, actually, as we obviously don't know what the heck we're doing.

The Last 5 or 10 Pounds

Over the last ten years or so, up until November 2009 when the little miss was born, I had progressively been getting heavier. I eventually topped out at 230lbs, before getting pregnant.

I never knew what "those last five pounds" meant. I mean, yes, logically I understood the concept, but it was completely foreign to me. It was more like "the last seventy pounds" and once I got going I didn't look back. There was no yo-yo-ing, no backward movement on my journey to my goal.

Until now.

In just 2 weeks it will be one year since the day I reached my goal. Since I returned to work last October it has been getting more and more challenging to get to the gym, and lately my eating habits haven't been what they once were.

Being a Lifetime Member of Weight Watchers means you have to weigh in at least once a month, and if you remain within two pounds of your goal weight (plus or minus), you don't have to pay the fee. I have weighed in every single month and thus far have not had to pay.

Every month it's been a bit of a game, watching my at-home scale each week and trying to figure out when to head to a meeting. It's cheating the system, really, and last month I almost didn't go.

This is not who I worked so hard to be. And working hard is really what it's all about. My success really began when I realized that I would have to work hard for the rest of my life to maintain this body. But somewhere along the way I started to slip. I started to resent the hard work.

I love the workouts, that hasn't changed. But finding the time to workout is HARD. Mr. Awesome has been travelling for work a lot over the last six months and we can't afford to pay the sitter for any longer than the time I'm at work. The little man is at an age where exercising when he's around isn't exactly practical. I can still get out for a walk with the little miss in the stroller when he's occupied elsewhere, but those opportunities don't come around very often. And yes, I have attempted my Biggest Loser DVD workouts once the kids are finally in bed, but when they wake me up at 5:30am every day it's pretty much the last thing in the world I have energy for in the evenings.

So now I'm facing the very real possibility that I will reach my one year anniversary and be over my goal weight. I feel awful. It will only be a couple of pounds, but I FEEL awful. I want to feel like I did at my "leanest." I now know what "those last five or ten pounds" means. Far too well.

I've talked to my mum about helping me make the time, coming over to sit with the kids for an hour so I can get to the gym, or hanging with the little man so I can take the stroller and get out for a walk. I've talked to Mr. Awesome about it too, but his travel schedule hasn't allowed to even put a plan in place, let alone start one.

I think this is why I haven't blogged in such a long time. I didn't want to admit that I wasn't managing as well as I had been. But that's ridiculous. People that have gone through a weight loss KNOW it's challenging, and people that are currently working through it need to know they're not alone in the occasional set back. So why would I hide that?

I've just called my mum and she's coming over in a few minutes so I can head out for a walk/jog. It's raining and I'm exhausted, but I'm going.

In 14 days I will reach my one year anniversary and I want to CELEBRATE that milestone.

So off I go.