The Problem

*This post is all about poop. Just wanted to warn you before you read it!

We are having an issue with Thing1. He is pooping in his underpants. We took him to the doctor about a month ago to rule out anything medical. The doctor said that medically he is fine and that this is a behavioral issue. The doctor had asked if there had been any changes in the house. At the time of the appointment, The Mr. was on a business trip and had been on one the week before as well. Of course, Thing 2 is pretty new to our house as well. The doctor believed that either one of these things, or both, could be the reason for Thing 1's behavior.

I had told the doctor about the token economy that we are using with Thing 1. He suggested we utilize the token economy to encourage clean, dry underpants. So, we have been doing that. We started out by giving him one token if at the end of the day he had clean underpants and one token each morning that he wakes up dry. Later we had to incorporate taking a token away if he poops in his pants during the day as he continued to poop in his underpants.

We know this is a behavior issue. He can and has used the potty successfully to poop. When we ask him where he should poop he will say "in the potty." He has also told us when he needs to poop, allowing us ample time to get him to the bathroom before anything happens in his underpants.

Thursday he went through 2 pairs of underpants as he pooped in 1 pair at daycare and 1 pair at home. We had to talk about where he is supposed to poop and took 2 tokens away. Yesterday morning on the way to daycare, we talked about the appropriate place to poop. When I arrived at daycare that afternoon Thing 1 greeted me and then told me he pooped in his underpants. The teacher said he didn't poop in his underpants all day. I checked and he had indeed pooped in his pants - and it was fresh. I asked him if he pooped as soon as I got there and he said yes. He had waited to poop in his underpants until I arrived. I took him to the bathroom to help him clean up and put on a clean pair of underwear. We talked about why he pooped in his pants to which I received the typical "I don't know" response.

I don't know what to do to make this behavior go away. Incorporating the token economy isn't working. There isn't a medical concern. He knows how to successfully use the potty to poop. We have tried sitting him on the potty until he poops after he has pooped in his underpants (as he doesn't finish pooping in his pants, only enough to dirty his pants). Has anyone else had this issue? Any suggestions? I am just tired of changing poopy underpants and I am at a loss for what else to do to decrease this behavior. Any ideas would be highly appreciated.

Time Flies

Thing 2 is 6 months old today. He has grown so much! He can roll over both ways now as well as sit up on his own. He babbles often, although hasn't said anything that anyone can comprehend yet. I think it may take him a little longer to talk as Thing 1 is constantly telling us what Thing 2 wants. Thing 2 is very grabby. He has stacking rings that he loves to reach for, hang on to, and then chew on. He spends time each day in his walker. If he was a little taller, I am sure he would be walking around! He has to use his tip toes to push the walker or his momentum from leaning backward and then rocking forward quickly. He is such a happy baby and a good eater. He is pretty much eating 3-4 meals each day and is on solid foods. He has rice cereal with a fruit or veggie in it twice a day with a 5 ounce bottle and then a veggie with a 6 ounce bottle each evening. He usually has one other bottle during the day as well. I am not sure how big he is as his doctor's appointment isn't until the 24th. I am looking forward to learning how tall he has gotten and how much weight he has put on. It's interesting to see just how early their personalities emerge. He is so different from Thing 1 - has different likes/dislikes and strengths. I am sure the next 6 months will also go by quickly and will bring a lot more movement!

Lesson Learned

I have learned my lesson. Please, can it now get back to normal around here? I would like everyone in my household, including myself, to be healthy and happy so we can get into our regular routine. Thank you.

To go back a few days...On Monday, I dropped the boys off at daycare and went to work as usual. The Mr. had to take another business trip so he left for Tennessee early that evening. Monday was pretty normal for us. However, Tuesday morning I woke up unable to function. I could barely walk around without feeling like I was going to pass out. Once 7:30 that morning came, I tried calling a few of my co-workers, hoping that one of them would be in the office. Much to my dismay, no one was in yet. I was able to get the kids ready and myself looking halfway decent in order to leave the house. We arrived at daycare around 8:30 that morning. I took Thing 2 to his room first (which is unusual as we have to take our shoes off to enter the infant rooms and I don't like to have to help Thing 1 take his shoes off and then put them back on just so I can drop Thing 2 off first). Once we arrived in Thing 2's room, I started crying and asked if I could sit down. The staff in the room gave me a chair to sit in, some water and some crackers. They even took Thing 1 to his room so I wouldn't have to. I felt awful. I have never felt like this in my life. I sat in that chair for about 15-20 minutes eating crackers and drinking water until I felt I could leave. Once I got back out to my Jeep I called my co-worker. She told me not to drive home, only to drive to work so she could take me home (my office is a half a mile from my daycare). I sat in the parking lot at my office while my co-worker gave me water and watermelon. She drove me home in my jeep and had another co-worker pick her up at my home. While at my house, she did my dishes and set me up on the couch so I wouldn't have to move if I didn't want to. She then informed me that she would be back that afternoon to help me pick up the boys. I contacted the doctor and received an appointment for Wednesday afternoon.

Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning I felt a little better. Still not well enough to be at work and it took all of my energy to walk from the bedroom to the bathroom. I contacted The Mr. Wednesday morning and asked if he could try to get a flight back home that day as I didn't think I could take care of myself or the boys effectively in my current state. He was trying. However, since he was in Tennessee, a few towns over from where the debates were, he was unsure if he would get a flight out. By Wednesday afternoon, I felt like crap again. I drove to the doctor, although I probably shouldn't have. Once at the doctor's office I was found to have a fever of 103.8. While waiting for the doctor to come in to see me, I contacted my co-worker again to see if she could pick me up at the doctor's office and help me get my kids. She was on her way. After seeing the doctor, I was told that I have pneumonia. I was given a prescription and told to rest, drink fluids, and I am not allowed to go to work until at least Monday. I contacted The Mr. to let him know. He was able to get flight home and would be home in the middle of the night. I only had one more evening of taking care of two kids and myself. I was relieved.

I was basically told at the doctor's office, that the reason I ended up with pneumonia was because I didn't take care of myself when I had that awful cold (& that I wouldn't necessarily pass it on to my kids). I find I am spending too much time trying to take care of my kids, do my job at work, take of the house, and whatever else needs to be done that I put myself last - even when I am sick. My co-worker told me that I was putting too much pressure on myself and that I needed to not worry about anything and just get better. I felt awful that my husband had to cut his work trip short because I couldn't take care of things around here, that I couldn't take care of the boys or myself. I felt awful that I had to have my co-workers drive me around to get my kids, pick up medicine, and get me at the doctor. I felt like I was bothersome and that I should be able to do all of these things myself. I am so grateful that I have these wonderful people around me that are willing to drop what they are doing to help me. I don't know what I would do without them.

All I know is that I must slow down and decrease my high expectations, otherwise I won't be able to take care of my kids. Next time it could be much worse. I need to learn to take care of myself so I can be a good mother, wife, and co-worker. If I forget, I give all of you permission to remind me about this.

Sorry for the lack of posts. Once I feel better I will get back into my posting groove. I have things I want to write about but I don't have the energy to do so. I am also afraid that whatever I did write wouldn't make sense because of my high fever!

Nothing But Gunk

I have thought about this blog practically every day this week. I haven’t come up with anything to write about. I think it’s because my head is full of gunk. All in my household are sick with some sort of virus that doesn’t want to go away. The Mr. was home two days last week with this illness. I was home Tuesday and Wednesday this week trying to recover. However, during my first sick day I received a phone call from daycare at 10 in the morning saying that Thing 2 was sick and needed to be picked up. The Mr. picked Thing 2 up and took him to the doctor. It was at this appointment that we found out that this awfulness that has invaded our household is a virus that lasts 2-3 weeks and there is nothing we can do about it. The doctor was even sick. So for the second half of my 1st sick day, I had Thing 2 home with me. At about 3 o’clock that afternoon, daycare called again stating that Thing 1 was not feeling well. I informed them that I would try to get a hold of my husband to pick him up. The teacher said not to worry about it at this time and just see if he could pick up Thing 1 early. I was unable to get in contact with The Mr. until after 4pm, at which time I had received a 2nd call about Thing 1 – that he was indeed sick. The Mr. stated that he would be there to pick up Thing 1 as soon as he could.

On my 2nd sick day, I was home with 2 sick boys. Thing 2 slept a lot in the morning but was happy and playing in the afternoon. Thing 1…I don’t think he was all that sick. Does he have a cold? Yes. Could he have gone to daycare? Yes. I just feared receiving more phone calls from daycare while I was trying to rest. Thing 1 didn’t nap all day. Instead, he played, watched various movies on DVD, and demanded my attention. I didn’t get any rest on my 2nd sick day.

Yesterday I decided everyone would be going back to their normal weekly routine. The kids went to daycare and The Mr. and I went to work. I have to say I still feel like I could use a day of sleep but I guess when you are a mother, there is no sick day.