The kids are REALLY missing Daddy (Mom is too!)

Yesterday we checked into the Gaylord Texan for a mini-vacation with one of my best friends and her family.  It was so much fun after a week of being stuck home potty training!  Kailee did very well while we were there.  She wore pull-ups but told me when she needed to go potty.  We still don't have #2 down but she's pretty consistent with #1 as long as she's not in the pool :).

Today on the lazy river at the resort, I noticed Kailee watching other kids with their daddies.

Here's a conversation we had:

Kailee: I miss my daddy.  My daddy left us.
Me: No, Baby!  He had to go to Mississippi for work.  He didn't leave us.
Kailee: I want to go to Daddy's house in Mississippi.

It made me tear up.  This has been hard for all of us, but it's especially heartbreaking to see my kids hurting.

About an hour later, Gavin and I had this conversation:

Me: Are you excited to go on our big vacation in 2 weeks?
Gavin: Is Daddy going too?
Me: No...  He has to be at work in Mississippi but we'll go see him there a week or two after we get back from vacation.
Gavin: When we went to Great Wolf Lodge, was that Daddy's last vacation ever?
Me: No!  Maybe we'll all go back to Great Wolf Lodge when he comes home for his 2 weeks.

Just typing this conversation made me cry because what I managed to hold in for Gavin is that I have had that question plague me.  What if...?  I pray that that was not our last family vacation with Brady.  I know I can't let myself go there because that's unproductive, but my heart sank when he asked that.

So if you are reading this, please say a quick prayer that Brady comes home safely after his tour.  Thank you!

Just realized that our honeymoon cruise left today without us :(.  Oh well.  Next year! :)

XOXO,

Parenting alone

Parenting is hard with two parents, alone, it can be miserable.  I recently decided to try to potty train Kailee.  Well, if I'm honest, I was really excited when my mother-in-law offered to do it because I was DREADING IT.  Unfortunately she was unable to do it after all.  I brought home Kailee determined that we were done with diapers.  I had been so excited at the thought that I could not put it off any longer.  We began Monday around 5pm--yes I realize that might seem crazy, but I was determined and just plain done with diapers.  I won't go into details of all the accidents on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday but yesterday I did have a meltdown (not in front of her) where I broke down crying just as a sweet friend called to let me vent.  She asked the million dollar question, "So why are you adding to your stress right now?"

That is a VERY good question.  Here's the honest answer:  while we have been adjusting to Brady being gone, it has been hard and I've found myself becoming more and more envious of the people around me.  I had a great life and I knew it.  I miss the life I took for granted and I was beginning to see all the negatives. I felt like so many things were going wrong and I just needed something to go right.  I try not to complain about something if I'm not willing to take action to change it--hence, my insane workout regimen which is making me quite toned.  After hearing about two close friends who potty trained their 1-year-olds in the last month, I decided I needed that.  I needed my almost-3-year-old to get the heck out of diapers.  It has been an up and down process this week but we are finally having a VERY successful day.  She's had zero accidents and finally pooped in the potty.  Let me tell ya, there were tears.  I cried in relief!  I picked her up and tossed her in the air, swung her around, cheered, and gave her about 50 M&Ms.  We called Brady and he was just as excited and praised her over the phone.

I won't go so far as to say we are done, but we have made huge progress and are committed to no daytime diapers, just pull-ups at night!

Next project: drop the pacifier or as Kailee calls it, "Myna."

XOXO,