potty training hell!!

OMG, potty training a stubborn child SUCKS!! Kiwi was a year and 5 months old at Christmas, and she got her first potty and a training book. Since then,we started potty training her. We would take her every night before bath...and a handful of times she would go. Then, she had a complete aversion to the potty. She would throw a fit, scream,kick...and refuse to even sit on the potty. None the less, she would still be put on it every night before bath. When I was pregnant with Bubba I became serious about training. Put her in panties all day...for two days...then I gave up. She wasn't ready! She didn't care that she had wet or soiled herself, she kept on playing. I had taken her to the potty every 15 minutes, and she never went in the potty. It was frustrating for me and her. So, I gave it time. Talked to her docs and everybody else. (Literally, everyone had input....even the negative haters, who claimed that I was an awful mother bc my almost 3 yr old wasn't potty trained.) I listened to the advice of my daughter's docs, which was that I should only do positive encouragement...no negativity at all about potty training.... and eventually they told me to not even mention training. They said she is just stubborn. So, despite the evil words being said about me, my parenting abilities and my daughter herself. I didn't force nor punish my daughter into training. When G left, Kiwi promised him she'd be potty trained before he got back home. G comes home in 2 days!!!! So, with his return quickly approaching, her 4th b-day just passing, and a 2 week break in preschool schedule....I decided the time was right!!! It is HELL!! I take her every hour from the time she wakes up, till she goes to bed. She is only in panties during her waking hours and diapers at bed. (I had to lie and tell her that the stores won't sell me diapers for her anymore bc she's now 4 and they can't sell to 4 yr olds...bc my too smart little girl says she"only wants diapers" and when told that all of her friends are in big kid underwear she says "Mommy, I don''t want to be like everyone else.")She has not actually gone (not potty/urine nor poop) on the potty for me at all!! She has gone poop (she had started in her panties and said something, so she was rushed to the toilet where she finished going) on the potty once and potty/pee once for the babysitter. (I had errands to run in preparation for Kiwi's 4th b-day party and G's return home.)However, those victories were on Monday and Tuesday and today is now Thursday and there has been no other successes!!She simply just goes in her panties and keeps on playing w/o a single care or thought. She doesn't say when she has to go. I'm beyond frustrated!! However, I refuse to lash out negatively. (In desperation, at the advice of my bff, I spanked her twice today after two times when she had wet herself w/o telling me she had to go. I felt like since the positive rewards system of getting something for going on the potty wasn't working....maybe the consequence system of spankings would....but, that didn't work, and I felt awful.) This sucks!!!! She is still refusing to sit on the potty and simply isn't even telling me when she has to go...does she even get that she has to go???? ARRGGHH!!!!!

are we there yet???

no, I'm not traveling....I'm just wondering are we there (August) yet? I'm exhausted!!!!!! It hasn't even been a month since the dark, wee hours on mother's day when G left.....but it feels like forever!!! I have no patience, a constant headache and my give a damn is busted!! Two kids under four, who seem to be constantly screaming....is EXHAUSTING!!! Add to that the fact that I'm moving (in less than two weeks) and have to pack by myself.....while entertaining two kids!!! Needless to say, its been rough these passed three weeks. (even more so since the three of us each got the flu!! I had it so bad I couldn't get out of bed and had to get an IV & two bags of fluids!!!) Maybe I can take a vacation when G gets home!!! (a girl can dream, right?? Lol)

Change

The only thing constant in life, is change! We certainly have changes going on in our life. First, let me just say that we had an amazing trip to FL!! I have been blessed with such wonderful parents, who are so incredibly selfless, that they'd take us 4 on a "kids" vacation instead of going somewhere for them! I was so shocked at how well both kids did on the long (cross country) flights! I was mentally prepared for tantrums and fits....but there was none! Bubba had some fussiness on the return flight, but other than that...perfect angles! It was so great to get away and have some fun! Now, for the changes............ The beginning of the week we left for FL we finally heard some news on the house (the one we had received an accepted offer from the seller's on March 6.) The bank had approved the short sale on the second mortgage! YAY! Then, the day before we left for our trip, we got more news. The bank had decided, after dragging their feet taking 6 weeks to make their decision, that the houses value had gone up $40,000 and therefore they were rejecting our offer!!! OMG! Seriously!?!? Unfortunately the market did go up....and we couldn't afford any house now at all!! So, G and I decided that we LOVE the house, we LOVE the neighborhood, and we LOVE the schools....so we upped our offer by $20,000 (raising our would be mortgage payment $100 a month) and then we waited! We were told it could take 14-21 days for a decision. It took, literally, 21 days.....and today, we found out that the bank has accepted our new offer!!!!! We are hoping to start the escrow process Monday. BUT, that isn't the biggest change happening around here!! This past Tues. (the 7th, two days ago) G called me in the morning and told me that he had some news regarding his job! He said he had two choices.... 1) He could be laid off immediately (he is a contractor, and the aircraft he was supposed to be working on has not shown up) OR 2.) He could catch a plane on Thursday (the 9th...today) for VA, where he would have work until August. So, he had a 48 hour notice that he would lose his job, or have to move to VA for 4 months!! Of coarse, we choose VA. Thankfully his boss was able to push his departure back to Sunday. G has been off work spending time with the kids and I since Weds. It is going to be so incredibly tough to have him gone for 4 months............to be alone every day with two kids. (Having the extra eyes, hands, arms, etc. is so nice.) Now, I have to pack up an entire house and move (all while taking care of two little ones) by myself too!!!!! G is hoping to come out for a weekend in July, for Kiwi's b-day and bc we have Kenny Chesney concert tix. It really sucks!! Especially bc I had bought G tix to see Jeff Dunham for his b-day, and now we can't go........Kiwi has a dance recital in June and G and her were going to be part of the father/daughter dance (which I paid $75 for them to be in, non refundable) and now I had to beg my dad to do it with her!!!! This sucks!!!!!

Love is love!!! Equality now!!

As a human, I support!!!!!! We need a country that supports as well!! Equality is needed NOW!! I support equality and gay marriage because it is the RIGHT thing to do!! I am Christian and believe in the Golden Rule (do unto others what you would have done unto you!!) I am also a proud sister of a gay man!! Most important....I am a mother!! I want this world to be the best world possible for my children to grow up in, become adults in, start and raise their families in!! In order to have that, equality MUST happen!! My kids are young, they don't know at this point what gender they are attracted to.... they may be straight, or gay. I honestly don't care!!!!!!! BUT, if they are gay, then I certainly want them to live a full life.... one that any of their straight peers (and any other straight person) gets to enjoy! I would HATE for either Kiwi or Bubba to not be able to legally marry the person they love!!! That is disgusting!!! LOVE IS LOVE!! As a straight person, did you wake up one day and choose to feel attracted to someone of the opposite gender? Was it a conscience choose? Where your feelings for both genders equal, and you simply choose the opposite sex???? OR (most likely) did you truly feel attracted to only one gender????? That is the truth here, you didn't choose to be attracted to the opposite gender........just as a gay person didn't choose to be attracted to the same sex!!!! WAKE UP!!!! EQUALITY NOW!!!

Home is where the heart is....

So, G and I decided that it was time to start looking for a new home. A home we pick out together (as the one we currently live in is the one I've owned since before we were together,) a larger home...... and my MUST have, a home where the kids rooms DON'T share a wall!!! OMGoodness, I haven't slept in 15 months!! There is no using any form of CIO with Bubba bc Kiwi hears his slightest whimper, and wakes up too. Then I am a Mommy ping pong ball between the two rooms! Both my parents and my best friend and her family recently moved. Seeing their new digs inspired us! :) We made a list of must haves and started researching online. (Well, I researched.) The only way to get Bubba to nap, if Kiwi is home, is to drive him around. So, I would drive daily, for hours!! Not good for the body, or gas...but it was good in terms of scouting out potential neighborhoods. We literally spent 3 weeks in our car, driving. Looking at the outside of homes, seeing open houses (where we met our Realtor) and eventually touring houses with our Realtor. We saw many, many houses. We made offers on many....but with this economy, and using a VA loan, we weren't lucky. UNTIL, we saw THE house, our house home, the home we want to raise our kids in!! We toured it March 4th and submitted an offer. The next day we had to resubmit...but were hoping for good news, especially bc it was G's b-day! We got the official approval on the 6th!!! The Seller accepted our offer!!! Now for the waiting game. The home is being sold as a short sale. So, our offer now must be approved by the bank that has the seller's mortgages. If the bank is willing to accept our offer, in lieu of what the seller owes on the home, then we are moving in!!! Short sales are infamous for taking a long time. Our lender told us that the shortest he's ever seen a bank approve has been 30 days, then after the approval escrow (30-45 days) would start. So, we're hoping for an early May move in!!! However, we've been told to expect more of a June or possibly even July move in. We're super excited!! The home is beautiful in a great neighborhood with a park the next street over. It is at the end of a cul-da-sac with no home to the left (when looking at the home from the street) nor behind. The kids rooms are huge....and on opposite sides of a GIANT playroom!!! It has a large backyard perfect for the dogs and kids to play in. It has the formal dinning room I wanted and an office downstairs! But, the best part about this house is the school district! It is rated one of the best in the state! The elementary school is rated a 9 out of 10!!! Please pray that everything goes smoothly and that the bank approves the sell, and that everything is done in a timely manner.

Exciting new adventures!!! (Update on Elle, as well)

Hello all!! Hope that you are all well and that this beautiful weather we are having here in CA is also where ever you call home! It is amazing outside!!!! This spring and summer are bringing some new adventures for us here at Mommyfromivf. :) No, I'm not pregnant...nor do I ever wish to be again! LOL. Our family is complete!! Next month, my wonderful parents (seriously, how did I get so blessed?) are taking G, the kids and I on an amazing adventure..... FL!! Yes, we are jumping to the other coast for an 8 day adventure! Of course we'll see Disney World, Universal Orlando (I'm soooooooo looking forward to Harry Potter there)and anything else that my parents have planed for us. G and I will be celebrating 6 years of marriage (on an airplane) the day we come home from FL! Hoping that we can get a romantic dinner in during our trip! 6 years!! Hard to believe that we've been married for that long....especially w/ all the negativity and drama from his "family". But, we've done it! (Lasted longer than my first marriage....and (just to twist the knife...and for some payback,) longer than SIL's marriage. (Always feels good to be able to say "I told you so". LOL.) The other BIG thing happening for us, some time w/in (hopefully) the next 60 days and July.....we are expanding our surroundings!! (So, lame that I can't write exactly what is happening, but G (on his own...I was very shocked when he told me) has made the decision to not tell his family bc he doesn't want the drama that will come with something good happening to us, and bc none of them are a part of our lives...and I know that they read this still.) MOVEing on....LOL!! I'll tell you more once the news has been broken (on fb I'm sure.)But, it's big (and beautiful.LOL)!!!! I also received an amazing update from Elle (the women who adopted our embryos.)After the failed FET, her and her hubby had decided to move onto domestic infant adoption. She emailed me yesterday and told me that they have been chosen by a birthmother!!!! Their baby is due Sept. 9th!!!! As if that wasn't amazing enough.... they have also been matched with an embryo placing family on MW...and have adopted 2 embryos!!!!! So happy for Elle!!!! So glad everyone is doing well and we are all MOVEing onto new and exciting adventures!:) Happy spring everyone!!!

first steps .....

Bubba first crawled while at my parents house visiting with my brother, who was out from London for his birthday. (this was in September, Bubba was 9M.) So, it would be only fitting that Bubba should walk for the first time while my brother, uncle B, was out visiting for the holidays and my sister's wedding. That is exactly what happened!! Until January 10th, Bubba had only cruised or taken one or two steps before falling. Well, after the drive to Vegas (where my sis got married), we put Bubba down in the living room of the rented house. He stood up and walked 9 steps straight to my brother!! He hasn't stopped walking since. He walls all over the house, one room into the next. :) hard to believe that just a few weeks ago he wasn't waking at all. He is also such the talker now. He still won't say "mama", lol. But, he says "thank you" like a pro. It is adorable bc he'll even say it w/o being prompted to. I hand him something, or he hands something to me, and he'll say it! He now says "I love you" sometimes. He likes to scream "daddy" all the time too. (copying kiwi.) He imitates us all the time. He's just such a big boy now.

unanswered prayers...... (EA update)

I always dreamed of being a Mom. I thought it would just happen. When it didn't, when it became hard, I prayed. I prayed during the injections for our first ivf, I prayed as I lay on the table having my eggs retrieved, I prayed as I lay again on the table having 2 precious embryos transferred into me. As you know, that ivf cycle was not successful, a pregnancy did not result from it. My prayers went unanswered. I was crushed!! But, I again turned to prayer....during my surgery to remove my tubes, throughout all the steps of the fet that resulted in my miracle Kiwi, throughout the process of the second ivf, resulting in my miracle Bubba. I'm sure, like me, you've had unanswered prayers. Prayers that you so desperately wanted/needed fulfilled, and when they didn't, it broken your heart. (Maybe shattered your faith, or made it waiver.) Well, I know in my case, I can now look back and be so grateful for God's knowledge....so grateful for not answering my prayers. Had he answered my prayers during our first ivf, I wouldn't have my amazing, beautiful (stubborn and opinionated) Kiwi. I prayed during our first ivf, and during the fet, for boy/girl twins. If God had answered that prayer, then I wouldn't have my super sweet, such a joy, always happy Bubba. I can't even begin to imagine my life w/o my kids, my two miracles!! I'm so blessed! I know that I can see all this now, I certainly didn't feel blessed nor happy when the devastating news came that the ivf failed!! Just like I now feel that same awful pain....but I feel it for someone I love. It is with such a very sad heart that I report that the second fet was not successful for our embryo adoptive mother, Elle. :( She decided to test a day early, and had her beta bw done of Monday. Unfortunately the beta was less than 2. I'm so crushed for her!! I feel so awful after all that she's been through (2 fet cycles) and all we've (us and them)been through together (finding them, matching with them, creating a contract......etc.) that this didn't work. I'm so sorry Elle!! I'm so sorry that we weren't able to help you become a mother, parents!! I'm so sorry!! I titled this post unanswered prayers, bc I prayed so hard for Elle, I prayed for the embryos. I now that some day, Elle will look back and be grateful for these unanswered prayers. Some day when she is holding her Kiwi or Bubba. (The child she wouldn't have had....if our embryos had stuck.) Elle is going to be such an amazing mother!!! At this time, I pray. I pray that God brings comfort, healing and peace to their hearts. I pray that sooner, rather than later, God will bless Elle and her husband with the child/ren that they so desire! Maybe, right now, somewhere...there child is being conceived, or created...that is what I pray. I don't know where Elle and her husband will choose to go from here. Which avenue they will choose to take in pursuit of their child/ren. Wither it be adoption or embryo adoption. Which ever path they choose, I know in my heart that one day....they will have their family!!! I love you both and will forever hold you in my heart.

EA....FET #2

I was sooooooooooo sad when the FET didn't work for our embryo adoptive mother. (We'll give her a nickname....we'll call her Elle.) I felt so badly, not bc our embryos wouldn't have a chance at life.....that thought hadn't crossed my mind at all. I felt awful bc I want Elle to be a Mom!! I love our embryos, don't get me wrong.....but I equally love and care for Elle. I so wanted this for her!! I couldn't understand why she kept apologizing to me when the test came back negative. When I finally realized that she was saying sorry bc she felt badly about the embryos...it made me cry. This women had just had devastating news, and she was thinking about us and our thoughts. I hadn't even had that thought. What an amazing person you are Elle. I can assure you, that you mean so much to us and you will be an amazing mother!! Well, since the first FET didn't work, there are only 3 remaining (male) embryos. Elle went back to the RE on 12/28 and all 3 embryos were transferred in!! She has the bw next Tues. Please pray that at least one of the embryos "stick"!!!!! So hopeful for her!

Love to the lovers!!! (You've touched my heart)

I want to extend some love and say a HUGE thank you to everyone (IRL and in cyber space)who have, after my last post, sent so many well wishes, loving words, and tremendous support. To everyone who were shocked, disgusted, upset, heartbroken and down right angry... alongside us! THANK YOU! It means so much to have such an outpouring of love....even from complete strangers. My last post has had a ton of page reads. Unfortunately I know that not all of the readers have been loving, positive, supportive people. Yes, "The Haters" (a nickname given to them by many of our supports) have read the post. Sadly none of them have shown (expressed) a shred of remorse, guilt or even disgust for their actions. Instead, they are using my post to further fuel their hateful flames and have made it their mission to show the post to as many people as they can, in a disgusting attempt to justify their abuse. "See....you see how evil she is? You see how it is her that starts all the drama by posting the (disgusting abusive) stuff we have done, on a public forum? Don't you see?" Sadly I know that they are doing this, and saying that, bc frankly....they told me they were going to! Try as they might, there is NO way to justify what they have done!!! It doesn't surprise me that they have taken the typical abusers stance, of blaming the victim. ("See, this is why we abuse them.....it is all bc she starts all the drama, by using a public place to post about the drama we had already done!!) This is disgusting and absurd!! Which leads me into my next thought....how is it even possible for me to have caused/started the drama by posting about the abuse (drama) that has already occurred?!! Not even possible! However, in their sick minds they seem to think that I deserve to be treated this way bc I "started" it all!!It is disgusting and awful....but it has been life for G and I for the past 6.5 years!! I pray that from this day forward, we will no longer know that life. As much as I know it hurts G (even though the abuse over the years has hurt tremendously more) he now must realize that for the good of himself, his children and the family that he has created.....this must come to an end, and every abuse must be over....every abuser out of our lives! So, thank you to the LOVERS :) you have truly touched my heart. It meant so much to have so many people validate my feelings. Telling me that this is indeed disgusting, abuse, wrong, crazy.................. THANK YOU

Welcome 2013 (a yr w/o drama, hopefully)

Hello, hope you all had a great Christmas! We certainly did here. :) I'll give you a recap of our Christmas festivities. During the day on Christmas Eve, G, the kids and I opened our presents to each other. It was so great to see Kiwi get so excited about the gifts we got her and to see Bubba attempt to unwrap his gifts, while crawling all over the place. LOL. Later that evening, we met up with my parents, brother (who flew in from London for the Holidays and is staying until after my sister's wedding,) and my cousin to see some amazing Christmas lights and we went out to dinner. (Oh, and had some delicious cupcakes too.) Christmas morning was all about Santa!!! Kiwi got the baby doll nursery care center she asked for a Bubba got his cozy coupe car! His little face when he saw it was so priceless!!!! He crawled to it immediately and wanted to test drive it take it for a spin. After Santa gifts, we headed over to my parents for lunch and to open presents with them and my brother (missed my sister and my brother in laws!!) Then we let the kids play while we waited for my Dad's side of the family to arrive for our annual Christmas dinner and Bunco! For the first year, I was NOT the biggest loser!!!! Not that I did well, in fact I was only 2 wins away from losing. It was actually a 3 way tie for biggest loser this year....and G was one of the losers! LOL. The day after Christmas was the day we had my Mom's side of the family over at our home. It was so much fun, we ate dinner and opened presents, then we went and walked a local cul-da-sac that does a large light display. So, for the most part we had a lovely Christmas!! Now.......for the drama that ALWAYS happens with G's side of the family..... Last year we decided that we were no longer going to do family holidays with G's family. I think the decision was mostly based on the fact that, as a couple (both G and I), we decided last year (after the whole incident that happened with MIL and visiting me at the hospital when I had Bubba) that MIL was no longer going to be an active part of our lives. (Even G doesn't speck to her, unless there is an emergency or something, the abuse was just way too much for us to keep turning a blind eye to.) We don't think it would be fair to ask his siblings to do a holiday get together with us, and not invite MIL. So, we just decided that we were done with large family gatherings with G's family. {However, we do still invite his siblings to our children's birthday parties....not that any of them came...and only 1 of his siblings even sent a gift for Bubba's birthday (no one else in his entire family sent a gift, nor even a card!!!!)} So, since we weren't doing Christmas with them, I mailed out one large package to BIL's home (since that is where they were doing Christmas) with gifts to both our nieces, BIL (and his wife), SIL and G's Grandma. Here is where the drama starts....... On the 26th, I sent G to the grocery store to buy some things we needed for the gathering at our home that day. He took Kiwi with him, as I had chores I needed to do to get the house ready for company. Only Kiwi came back inside we they got home....weird. I kept on working away, and finally decided to tell G to come in, thinking that he must be outside talking to the neighbors. Well, I was shocked when I opened the door and heard him YELLING and CUSSING!! He was on the phone with his Grandma. He had called (while with Kiwi) to see how their Christmas was and to make sure that they got their gift. She gave him hell!!!! From the bits and pieces that I heard from his end of the convo (I went outside many times during the hour long phone call yelling match, to ask him to please just hang up and come in and help. There was too much that needed to be done and time was passing while he was being yelled at, cussed out and verbally abused! he doesn't need that shit!!) I was so disgusted and outraged at her, his entire family, and the utter bat shit crazy, completely insane they all are!!! This is what she was saying the him (VENT to follow) 1) that I am a freeloader bc I am a SAHM!!! WTF!! That I haven't worked since we've been married?!?! I worked full-time (first in real estate and then as a nanny) until I was 6 months pregnant with Kiwi....then I work every fucking day and night as a SAHM!! 2) that I want G dead so I can get insurance money????? First, I do not want G dead. I love him very much, and even during our bad days, I have never wished him dead!! Second.....what insurance money? We don't have any insurance policy like that!!! (only home and car insurance!) 3) that I am evil, mean. Bitch!! No one likes me! That I am just like (and should be compared to) G's bio dad who was physically abusive and a deadbeat!! WTF!! I am not abusive in any way to my children nor my husband! If I was soooo evil, and mean than why did I take my precious time to write out Christmas card, wrap their gifts and package it all up....take it to a busy post office with a double stroller in tow... and mail those insane people their gifts (paying extra to make sure it got their on time!!!) Well, I can assure you that my time will not be used in the future to do anything nice for any of them! 4) that she (his Gma) is so stressed out of me that is she commits suicide bc of me, then his entire family is going to sue me!!!!!! WTF!! Does she think that that is something that is appropriate to say to your grandchild!! Is she insane!! SUE me?! 5) the thing that topped it off for me is when G was told to leave me, in order to make his family happy!!!!!!!!! OMGoodness!!! All I could do after the attack (despite wiping tears from my eyes bc of the awful things that were said, yet again, about me and bc of the pain that was inflicted on G....and despite having steam coming out of my ears!!) was ask G why he didn't just hang up on the bitch?? He said bc "they would've won" (huh? what does that mean?) He told me that he had things that needed to be said so that he had to stay on the phone to make sure he was able to say what "needed to be said." He can say those things until he's blue in the face, but they won't ever listen!!! For 6 and a half years, I have been patient while his entire family abused him, the kids and myself. I forgave and let all of them back into our lives many times. It wasn't until last December that I finally put my foot down and said that MIL was no longer going to be in my life or our children's lives bc of the abuse she had caused. (Until she can apologize to ME and vow to never do it again!! So, the ball is and has been in her court , so to say, waiting for her to grow up and actually do the right thing. Technically she is the one choosing not to be in our lives.) G (all on his own) decided that he was done with her abuse and stopped having her be an active part of his life to. I'm over their crazy, insane abuse!! No more!! If you are wondering how a simply phone call could turn so nasty (perhaps you haven't read my blog in the past...these people are INSANE) it was all bc we didn't send a gift to G's mom!!! Seriously!!!! She is not a part of our lives! But, the icing on the cake is.........MIL didn't even send a gift, not a card, not even a text/call/email to G to even wish him a Merry Christmas!!! He got abused, and his own mother didn't even send him anything!!! I hope the crazy old bitch G's Gma abused MIL just the same as she did him! Supposedly MIL was so upset about not getting a gift (even though she didn't send G anything) that Gma felt inclined to give her gift to MIL!!!!! INSANE!!!!!! .................................... ok, breathe in, breathe out! LOL. Well, onto 2013!! This year I'm hoping will be drama free (at least when it comes to his family) bc at this point neither G nor I want anything to do with any of them! On another, more cheerful note, may this new year bring blessings to everyone!!!! Happy 2013 all!