Shannon Yee

This is what I’ve been up to recently…

Me: (opening the door and getting a big whiff of calendula cream) Josiah, where is Thad’s diaper cream?
J: In there. (pointing to the air vent at the bottom of the wall)
Me: Where did you put all the cream? (finding the container, two marker lids, some paper and a few other toys in the vents)
J: On my arm.
Me: Wow. (feeling how smooth and soft his left arm is)

Me: Josiah, do you have to go to the bathroom?
J: No. (doing the pee-pee dance)
Me: Are you sure?
J: I DON”T HAVE TO GO!!!!
Me: Okay.
J: Mommy, I have to go potty! (very desperate)
Me: Then, go to the potty! You know, I just asked you. (I’m now sitting down nursing TJ)
J: Mommy, you come! I can’t do it.
Me: Yes, you can. GO!
J: MOMMY!
Me: Josiah!
J: HELP ME!
Me: You can do it. (I’m walking to the bathroom, watching him dance in front of the toilet). Pull your pants down.
J: I CAN’T. (holding a small key in one hand)
Me: Give me your key, and GO POTTY!
J: NOOOO!
Me: GET ON THE POTTY! (taking his key and pulling down his pants – yes, while still nursing)
J: Don’t yell at me, Mommy.
Me: (shaking my head and feeling very relieved that he went on the potty, but a little guilty for yelling, even though he did most of the yelling…)

Eila: When I grow up and I’m a mommy, you’ll be a grandma and you will be my mommy.
Me: Yup. That’s right.
E: I will drive a motorcycle.
Me: Oh, really. I’d rather you didn’t.
E: But, when I’m grown up I’ll be big and can drive a motorcycle and go really fast.
Me: That’s just what I’d rather you didn’t; I don’t like motorcycles. They scare me; people get hurt really badly on motorcycles.
E: Well, I won’t get hurt. Maybe I won’t drive a motorcycle… Does Trillion drive a motorcycle?
Me: I don’t know. Maybe, but I doubt it.
E: When I grow up and I’m a mommy, I’m going to name my daughter Trillion.

Along with countless amounts of preparing food and cleaning up and also watching Thad creep all around, spitting on everything…
It’s been good.

I feel like there should be more choices in diapering than just cloth or disposable. I know that there are some out there who don’t diaper at all, but that isn’t really a diapering choice although in some ways I can understand the idea of not training a kid to go in a diaper only to untrain them later. It’s the Baby Whisperer‘s mantra of: Start as you intend to go on…

I can’t decide which diapering choice is better. I like the cloth because I feel like it must be more comfortable (when not wet) and lends itself to easier and quicker potty training. I also like the reduction in garbage as well as the cute designs offered in cloth. I didn’t know it before, but I really appreciate not having a scented diaper with cloth diapers. I don’t really like doing laundry at all, so cloth diapering only adds to this chore. I also feel a little bit badly for leaving Joe in his diaper far too long at times as it must be very uncomfortable all wet.

Pros in disposable diapers include being able to hold more liquid waste than anyone would imagine a diaper could possibly hold (but not solid…). So, I like being able to use only one diaper at night and how that diaper is relatively slim. I also like the small size of disposables for traveling and not having to bring them back with me. On the flip side, I can’t stand the smell of disposables and the cost is outrageous!

So, I cloth diaper mostly at home except overnight. When we are out and a diaper change is needed (rarely), I have disposables in the diaper bag, so that’s what I use. At home, Brian usually uses disposables. Since I’m often the one at home; the balance is toward cloth, for now.

I’m curious. What do you use? And why?

I actually am not sure if the milk man is a man or woman, but I am proudly now part of those having local dairy products delivered to their door weekly. Each Monday, Calder Dairy, brings what I want or need right to my house. I am especially excited about the whole idea and love it!

I love supporting the local economy and not having to go the store for these things that I often need each week. The idea of it all seems fresher and healthier than buying it at the store; although, I doubt there is much to this vague feeling I have. The products we’ve gotten so far (2 types of milk and cottage cheese) are fabulous. I also love that it comes in a glass jar, so there is no waste.

This is another way I am going backwards in time – first cloth diapering and now milk delivery – what could be next?

So, this has been a part of my life for over 15 months now and I think that at least during awake times, it is pretty much done! Do you hear me singing and rejoicing and see me dancing all around with relief and sheer wonder that God could finally get my stubborn little girl to just decide to be done!?! About 10 days ago, Eila just decided that she wanted to wear her panties and not pull-ups anymore and that she would tell me when she needed to go (and that she would also get a treat every time she volunteered to go potty.) She has only had two accidents since then, and one was my fault, since she told me and I forgot to take her… oops. I am really hoping and praying that the pacifier habit will be broken in much the same way – she’ll just decide to be done! It’s not looking promising since, earlier this week she told me that she would want and need her “succette” to go to sleep “forever and ever.”

Alas, I am starting with Josiah’s potty training for no other reason than that he loves the toilet and often seems to want to go. He definitely urinates each time I put him on the potty, and has now officially pooped several times on the potty. If I pay attention, he’ll let me know when he needs to go and I can take him, but I am not consistent, which, of course, is the key. So, I’ve returned to cloth diapers (after a haiatus of 2-3 months) and am thus a little more motivated to pay attention to Joe’s cues. Maybe, in 18 months, he’ll be ready to be done with diapers too…

It seems like people are often asking me for advice and I gladly oblige because I enjoy telling people my opinion as though it is fact. I am a first born and love to be the boss. Telling people what to do come very naturally for me. Unfortunately, I can appear to know what I’m talking about without actually be informed at all.

The most common reason I am asked for advice is dealing with raising kids. My friends who have children younger than my little toddler or those who are expecting a second child soon. Questions range from feeding, diapering, playing, etc. I do feel that I am fairly well-informed in all of these areas, but I am no expert (despite the way I may sound if you ask me to talk about any of these topics.) I recently gave faulty advice to my sister and am hoping that she didn’t take it.

Folks will also ask me for wisdom on exercising, esp. running. I enjoy running, but really don’t know much other than what I’ve learned works for me. Again, I pass off what works for me as expert experience and knowledge that others can and should take as pearls of great worth. I do read an occasional running magazine, so some information may be accurate, but there is no guarantee.

Basically, I just want to put out a warning to “Ask at your own risk” I am happy to indoctrinate anyone who asks with my philosophies and practical methods of childrearing, running, eating, and anything else, but the asker assumes all liability associated with following any of my suggestions, recommendations, or demands.