Ups and Downs

Kids are napping and the house is a mess.  Before housework, I am taking a little break for a quick update.  As Craig likes to call it, "dropping a deuce"  meaning giving a quick recap of the latest highs and lows.  Honestly, I don't know why he calls it that... it doesn't really make sense?? 

Well the "low" news first:
Josiah spent a better portion of last week in the hospital :(.  He had a "respiratory infection", ie cold.  Of course a sickness that would not have phased us, but was too much for him to handle.  He spent Monday through Thursday there.  On Tuesday I tried to convince the nurses and doctors that he will do much better at home and that we have cared for him at home in a much worse state many times.  On Wednesday Josiah would act happy and normal until a nurse or doctor entered the room and then he would hold his breath out of stress.  I still tried to convince them that he needs to be home to heal and that the hospital is doing more harm than good.  That night they tried to poke him three times for an IV and they kept breaking through his tiny blood vessels causing a bubble of fluid under his skin.  Then on Thursday Josiah was signing coat and drive, then saying home and Iylah over and over again.  He really had enough.  He wanted in his car seat and then was in tears every time I tried to take him out.  Well, finally they let us go home on oxygen Thursday afternoon.  Once we got in the car, Josiah drank more in one sip than the drank at any one given time in the hospital!  In addition to Josiah being under the weather, both Craig and Iylah got strep that week :(.  After a few days of antibiotics they were feeling great.  And luckily,  I never came down with anything, not even a cold!  Praise God!  It seems that God always keeps at least one of us (between Craig and me) feeling well emotionally and/or physically to help keep the family on its feet. 

And now for the "high".  Drum roll please.............. :)
Josiah went pee and poop in the potty!!  Not just once, but now three times!!  Thus far in Josiah's life nothing has happened without tons of work.  For nearly a month after he was born he at nothing orally.  He came home on a feeding tube and had the hardest time learning to suck, swallow, and breathe.  Finally after about 5 months we gave Josiah his last tube feeding and nursing was the only way he would take in food.  He completely stopped taking a bottle during that time, because the change between breast and bottle was a huge stress to him.  Then at about 8 months came solids.  For a very long time he would take 1 bite to 1/2 oz of butternut squash only.  After months and months of work we increased his two dietary foods (breast milk and butternut squash) and got him to enjoy yogurt mixed with peanut butter also.  At about 16 or 17 months we were able to get him to drink out of a sippy cup finally!  Then we were able to increase his variety of foods.  Next, we increased the volume he ate of different foods (the OT always says variety increases volume).  Now today he will eat so many different foods with all different kinds of textures.  He still has work to go but wow has he come a long way.  That is just one example of Josiah (and us) working very very hard to move to the next stage.  Everything from sitting, crawling, sleeping, bathing, talking, signing, stressing out, playing, coloring (and the list goes on) has its own story of hard work.  However, the potty stands alone!  He had been asking to sit on the training potty because he would listen to Iylah saying she had to go potty.  He began telling us when he was going in his diaper, then he began asking to sit on the potty.  After about a week of that, he actually went pee and poop in the potty!  Then this last weekend he did it again, twice (one time was even with Nana)!  I did not have to do anything besides actually set him on the seat because he can't quite get there himself.  I am not sure if I should push potty training because he is showing obvious signs of interest or if I should just let whatever happen as it comes.  He is not yet walking and I figure it will be a while until he takes his first steps.  I thought that should come first.  But maybe not, I am not sure what to do.

As always, thank you for all the prayers, love, and support.  Just when I have doubts (almost always in myself) God always shows His face.  I always thought motherhood would be easy.  Hey, I was the oldest of 5.  I helped raise my younger siblings and loved it!  Craig always said we will have more than 2 kids and less than 10 ;).  I would be "Super Mom" with 10 kids, home birthing all of them, maybe homeschooling, using cloth diapers, homemaking baby food, nursing beyond the recommended year, etc (it's beginning to sound more like "Granola Mom" isn't it... I always thought I had a little hippy in me :)!  But after even one, I quickly felt like I was not cut out to do this mommy and wife thing.  The idea of Super Mom was beyond impossible, especially after having Josiah (a blessing of course, but none the less a challenge).  But with Christ ALL things are possible.... even using cloth diapers :).