I have no title

This post is for my friend Karen, so she can remember what its like to potty-train a little boy. =) They are adopting an adorable little boy from Ethiopia and are waiting for travel news. Here is a diversion for you!



If you remember during our trip to Oklahoma, Joel developed a Urinary Track Infection (UTI). This is pretty uncommon for a toddler boy so the doctor wanted to run some tests just to make sure there is nothing anatomically wrong. Monday afternoon he came down with a high fever with no other cold symptoms. He also complained that his stomach hurt. So I made an appointment to see the doctor in the morning to do a urinary test to make sure the infection hadn't come back. Thankfully, my babysitter is home from college and could come over to watch the other 2 kids.

Tuesday morning I'm trying to get them ready so that I can take Joel to the doctor. I take Joel into the bathroom and set him up on the potty, sitting down. I leave and them come back to see that, yes, he had indeed gone potty but it was all over the floor. Little boys and their aim! Mess #1 cleaned up.



Then, while I was feeding the baby, Joel pooped in his underwear. Of course it was right when we had to leave to go to the doctor. I tried taking it off of him gingerly, but at the last minute he flung it with his foot to get it off. Smack, it landed on the cabinet, sticking to it. Loverly. A big gigantic blob of poop stuck to the cabinet. I almost threw up as I was putting it into the toilet. I flung him into the bathtub. Unfortunately he still had globs of poop stuck to his bottom. Now they were floating in the bathtub. He starts to finger paint with them. Nice. Meanwhile the clock is ticking for our doctor’s appointment. I’m so glad Stephanie was there otherwise I would have had a screaming baby and a laughing 5 year old hopping around.

I change, get him changed and we head out. In the garage Joel realizes he doesn’t have tiger. I put him in his seat and half way buckle him. He starts screaming for him. I take a once-over the house but I can’t find him, so I drive out. This sends Joel into hysterics. “GO BACK!!!! NOOOOOOO! GOOOOO BAAACKKK AAAAAAHHHHHH” over and over and over with screaming in between. Get on the freeway and traffic is backed up with Joel screaming. Finally I realize that he’s not going to stop and this is not going to help with the urine test. So I bribe him that he can get a special surprise if he pees in the special bowl and he stops crying. This works like a charm and he starts talking about where he wants to go for his surprise. Of course then the mommy guilt sets in and I wonder if this is indeed a good device to use. Then I remember that Susan does it, so it must be okay.

We get to the doctor’s office and now he’s at least sane again. We try to pee in the bowl with no luck. He tries really hard but nothing comes out. So we have to wait, drink, wait, drink then try again. Then wait for results. Once again I’m thankful that Stephanie had the baby and Micah. Thankfully the results were negative.

Get home and feed everyone, which was uneventful. Put Joel down for a nap. He gets up once or twice and I put him back down. Then he starts yelling for me. I go in and unmistakably smell it. He had pooped right on the floor of his room, with poop foot marks around the carpet. His wet underwear was flung onto his bed and his sheets were wet. So, I learn my lesson now and he goes back in the diaper.

Meanwhile Ethan is spitting up on me. Am I a Mommy or a toilet?