Potty-Training Adventures

It's about that time I suppose. Despite the fact that they now make diapers that will fit Eliaya until she's in kindergarten, knowing that 75% of the world's children are potty trained by the time they're two or so motivates me to get crackin. (The idea of changing only 1 person again is lucrative too...)

So, we bought a little kid potty. Actually, we did this a while ago both because it was on huge sale and E1 kept asking about it. Then came the  move, and the baby.... so needless to say it's been more of a bathroom decoration until this point. But no longer, we are gonna make use of it now. I hope.

If you've ever met E1, you know she thrives on verbal praise / words of encouragement. It's a little scary what we can get her to do just by cheering her on..... *note to self, teach discernment before she goes to middle school.* So we spent a few days cheering and she would sit on the potty, fully dressed. She has also learned how to open the bathroom door, so be careful to lock it while you're in there if you don't want a visitor :)  Then we moved to sitting on the potty for real and we would count to 10 or sing a song then get off. Well, now.... the following has happened.

Elora was napping and Eliaya said she had to go. So we run to the bathroom, strip her down and take a seat. Eternity passes. Nothing. But she refuses to get up. Elora wakes up. I beg E1 to stay on the potty and tell her I'll be right back. While taking care of E2 I hear a panicked "uh-oh! uh-oh!" coming from the bathroom. Seconds later an overjoyed E1 comes racing across the living room yelling "potty potty!". Sweeping up both kids, I find that she was telling the truth! She did go! I think it mildly terrified her, but she did it! Success! After some cleanup, tons of praise and an animal cracker... our day continued and E1 told daddy, the dog, and all of our neighbors that she went on the potty. Like I said, she's a proud kid.

Then today. E1 said she wanted to go potty. She sat and sat and sat, begging for a prize, but I tried to tell her she had to go potty first. So what does she do? She walks into her room ,stark naked, grabs a book, and returns to sit on the potty (wonder where she learned that from.....). Perseverance pays off, about 3 minutes later we celebrated with another animal cracker.

It's funny how the Lord uses potty training an almost-2-year-old to teach me. Eliaya is so anxious for my approval. She is truly saddened when she gets disciplined for not obeying. She doesn't try to hide her emotions from me. Am I this transparent with God? Do I crave His approval and words of affirmation? Do I  cling to the Word because it's His love letter to me? Do I feel deep remorse when I've disobeyed or is it easy to move on and pretend like nothing happened? Do I try to "play it cool" in front of the Most High God, acting like I've got it all together? For what??? He tells me to come to Him, bringing all my troubles and laying them at His feet.
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30, ESV)

Come before the Lord like a child. I pray I would desire to please Him, not to earn anything because the work of salvation is accomplished by Christ alone, but to be in closer fellowship and to know Him: my creator, redeemer, and lover of my soul. I know His grace through Christ has given me salvation and I will spend eternity with Him in heaven.... which, if you ask me, is a whole lot better than an animal cracker :)

Helping Hands

Just wanted to take a second and really convey my appreciation for this almost-2-year old. She can be a drama-momma at times, but I see the Lord growing in her such a sweet, passionate, motherly heart. I really count it a blessing to get to hang out with this girl all the time!

helping "baby lola" while momma makes dinner

Gotta teach sister the important things in life :)

The Dangers of Multitasking

I heard about a study on the radio the other day which "discovered" that women are better multitaskers than men. Duh!! Some one really funded a study to find that? Those were my first thoughts.  But, to prevent myself from getting too big of a head, let me share one of my recent, shall we say,  mishaps with trying to do too much at once.
So Eliaya needed to expend energy and get cleaned off,  so I grabbed all the stuff to give her a bath while Elora was napping. (Multitask #1). About halfway through, Elora wakes up. So, being the somewhat over confident mom I am, I decided to get E2 and put her in the tub with E1 (multitask #2). So after collecting child and needed stuff we were prepped for the first sister-time bath. Eliaya was thrilled and such a good helper, gently pouring water on Elora. Feeling quite smug, I finished washing soap out of both girls hair and heard an all too familiar grunting eminating from the younger Reed. Before I had time to react, bubbles and  a thin yellow stream of sticky  "poopoo" had contaminated the tub. Eliaya backs up, points and yells "no touch!"
Frantically, I sweep kiddos out of the water and lay them on towels.  Luckily, the "baby mess", as Eliaya called it, did not get on anyone... too much. After everyone was dressed and happy again, I headed back to the tub to scrub it out. I couldn't help but laugh, both at Eliaya's reaction and my attempts to metaphorically kill two birds with one stone. So while women may indeed be better multitaskers than men, we (myself for sure) are by no means perfect at it.

Note to self...remember to share this story with Eliaya's future husband..... :)

Praise for the little things

There are many things I am thankful for this start of a new year. My family, the ability to stay home with my little girls and my husband's willingness to be the provider for our family, a great church family.... the list goes on and on and definitely includes the "God-induced amnesia" that wipes out all detailed memory of labor and the first weeks of the newborn stage. Hard to believe that already, when I think of the events of two weeks ago, they don't seem so intense anymore. Not saying we're ready for #3 yet..... but I'm pretty close to taking back what I said to Jarrod about if we had any more kids they wouldn't come from me :)

So while I can still remember... here's what I've learned from my first two weeks of life with two-under-two:
- Babies cry. While I knew this to be true with E1, I had the ability to intervene each time she cried and now there are times when E2 cries and I just physically can't get to her right away. She's survived.
- Schedule schmedule. Just do what you can when you can. Eventually there is the possibility that both kiddos will eat/sleep at the same time and the dishes may get done within 24 hours of being used. No one's grading my time management right now.
- Siblings are a blessing. E1 is, already, so sweet and motherly to E2. If she's crying, she'll be right there with the paci or run to me to let me know E2 is upset. She shows (and shares!) her toys. Eliaya loves to be praised for being a good sister.
- Discipline still matters. While it's been so tempting to just let Eliaya do what ever and just try to mange the baby, I know E1 still needs boundaries. She's rebelled against them looking for attention, but as tiring as it is, consistency is more important now than ever.
- Coffee is my friend. Weird for me to say, I know. Having only had maybe 3 or 4 cups of coffee since nursing school, I was reluctant to pick it back up. But it was either that or be in a groggy fog all day long. I plan on cutting it out soon, but am SO thankful for the little boost it gives for now
- Have a camera ready, always! But don't think you'll actually catch most of those precious moments. If I thought catching "the moment" with one was difficult, whoa man is it more with two! Most of my pics are just "post-event", but they are still precious to me. Luckily E1 is starting to enjoy posing for pictures, so at least she looks in my general direction now :)
- Pray. Often. Hard. I feel like the Reed family can't quite catch a break. First Jarrod was sick, now he's on the mend and Eliaya seems to have caught a similar bug! So thankful for space to keep sick kids apart and germ-x to be able to love on both.
- Taking time to take care of and treat myself makes me a better momma.
And most importantly, I cannot do this alone.
I really struggled after Eliaya was born to accept help from friends/family, thinking "oh, I can do this, she's my child". While Elora is most definitely mine, I get that it takes a village. I am SOOOOO thankful for the village. Not only do I need the village, but I need time with the Lord daily. Usually a few times a day. Whether it's during an early morning feed or an afternoon nap, I need to be in the Word. Psalms have been my encouragement these past two weeks, especially Psalm 32. It talks about how blessed are those who have been forgiven by the Lord. David reflects on the agony of life with hidden sin and how it destroys joy. The Lord waits for us with open arms, ready to receive. My own selfishness stares me in the face during these first few weeks of newborn. It is so good to be reminded of the freedom that comes with confession and how the Lord provides rest, instruction, and steadfast love to those who seek Him. I pray today that I would be an example to my children and those around me of the joy that comes from walking with, and not against, the Lord.

Psalm 32: Blessed Are the Forgiven (ESV)

32 jBlessed is the one whose ktransgression is forgiven,

whose sin is covered.

2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord lcounts no iniquity,

and in whose spirit mthere is no deceit.

3 For when I kept silent, my nbones wasted away

through my ogroaning all day long.

4 For day and night your phand was heavy upon me;

my strength was dried up2 as by the heat of summer. Selah

5 I qacknowledged my sin to you,

and I did not cover my iniquity;

I said, “I rwill confess my transgressions to the Lord,”

and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

6 Therefore let everyone who is sgodly

offer prayer to you at a time when you tmay be found;

surely in the rush of ugreat waters,

they shall not reach him.

7 You are a vhiding place for me;

you preserve me from wtrouble;

you surround me with xshouts of deliverance. Selah

8 I will yinstruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

I will zcounsel you with my eye upon you.

9 aBe not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,

which must be curbed with bbit and bridle,

or it will not stay near you.

10 cMany are the sorrows of the wicked,

but steadfast love surrounds the one who dtrusts in the Lord.

11 eBe glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous,

and fshout for joy, all you gupright in heart!