Potty Training Joshy

It may be premature, but dare I say that Josh is potty trained?  We had kind of tried a couple months ago, but honestly my heart wasn't in it, so I didn't push it.  But since then he would go pee in the potty every now and again, so I knew that he could control his bladder.  

So last month we bought a box of diapers at Costco and I told Josh that that box was the last box of diapers we were going to buy for him and once they were gone then it was potty training time.  Well that box in almost gone and I started to get a little worried.  So I decided that while we were at home I would put Josh in underwear and see how he does.  He seemed to do pretty good.  A couple accidence here and there, but pretty good for just going to underwear.  Then when the boys had a sleep over at Grandma Margie's last weekend Josh said he still wanted to wear his underwear.  So we took him in underwear and brought lost of extra underwear and diapers.  Josh did really good there.  He only used one diaper over night and did really good to go in and go potty (pee and poop) all by himself.  

So we have just kept it up.  Josh has gone all week with just wearing a diaper at nights.  He has gone a couple days with only one pee accident.  I think those times he just held it too long and then couldn't get his underwear down quick enough.  

I can't tell you what a blessing this has been.  Tyler was so hard to potty train and took all summer for it to click for him.  But Josh pretty much has got it down.  I don't think my patience could have handled three months of potty training.  I am sure that Heavenly Father knew this and has blessed me with Josh's quick learning.  Josh is definitely motivated by treats, so that has really worked for us.  He is such a big boy he doesn't even want me in the bathroom to watch or help.  That has actually been really good because I can't always go to the bathroom with him because I am either feeding or taking care of Megan.  I only have about ten more diapers left.  Josh still really likes his milk at night, so I am not sure when I am going to try to have him sleep in underwear.  I have been trying to give him a little less milk each time so that he can eventually go to little or no milk.  If he can go all night and stay dry then I will try to have no more diapers at night.  As of now, I am just happy that he is doing so well during the day. 

Tyler's last day of Preschool and Graduation

Tyler had his last day of preschool today.  I thought maybe he would be a little sad, but he was so happy and excited to have his last day and graduation so that he can now go to kindergarten.
I decided to take a picture of Tyler on his last day like I did on his first day - and one with Josh too of course.  It is really weird to think that he is going to be going to kindergarten in a couple months.  It doesn't really seem real because I haven't really had to do anything for kindergarten yet.  All I have done is turned in some paper work.  I guess we wont really have anything to do with it until August. 

Tyler had his actual graduation tonight.  He didn't want to wear his home made hat, but it was pretty cute.  They just did a short program with a couple songs and then Teacher Kim gave out the diplomas and awards.  Tyler got the "Most Energetic" award.  It is so true, he has a very outgoing and energetic personality.  I think that Tyler will miss the kids from preschool and Teacher Kim.  I guess we'll see if we can do a play date sometime this summer.

Koda got surgery

Koda just was not getting better so Tony took him back into the vet on Monday.  They did the dye test and it took hours just to go like one foot in his intestines, so that was bad.  So then the vet said that we could take Koda some place else and get him an ultrasound that would cost around $500 and if they found an obstruction then the vet would need to do surgery that would be around $1000.  So Tony and I decided to just have them do the surgery.  We were both pretty sure that Koda had eaten something that just wasn't passing through his little body.

So the vet did the surgery and Tony went and picked him up.  They found some material in Koda's stomach that was a big cause of the problem.  Tony brought it home and I noticed that it was the lining of Tyler's knee pads.  Silly dog.  So with the dye stuff they did and the surgery and all the stuff we had done on Thursday and Friday, we are now out like $1500.  I can't believe how much money we had to spend on that dog.  But we love Koda, he's a member of our family.  Luckily we have savings and we were able to get him fixed.  He seems to be feeling better today.  He's still not really eating, but he has eaten some food.  It is sad to see him all sad and recovering from surgery - but I am glad that he is on the mend.
He is shedding his winter coat and since he hasn't been eating, he is looking really skinny.  I used to be worried that he'd be a big dog with all the food that he eats from the boys, but that is not the case.  We sure do love our doggie and hope that he doesn't eat any more of the kids stuff.

Poor Koda...and Megan...

Yeah, so Koda has been sick.  On Wednesday we noticed that he hadn't been eating and that he was acting totally sad and not him self.  So we waited another day to see if he got any better, but he did not.  So Thursday after Tony got off of work I took Koda into a Vet.  She took some x-rays and drew blood and found that Koda was really backed up and needed to poop it out.  So she gave him some solution under his skin to help "loosen" things up.  Luckily it did and so she gave him some anti-nausea medicine and we are to feed him slowly so that he can work out all the bad stuff that he has eaten.  Maybe this experience will teach him not eat like a goat - he's not a goat.  So $200 later he's still not really eating and he's sick, but we are hoping that he gets it out soon.
Then there is Megan.  She spits up a lot.  She has had a couple spit ups that were yellow (stomach acid) so I was concerned that she has acid reflux.  She also has times where she just cries like she is in pain.  Then when she poops it is always really loose and just absorbs into the diaper.  So the doctor wants us to put her on a soy diet and give her zantac for the reflux problem.  She weighed in at a whooping 9.2 pounds.  I really hope that this medicine helps her not spit up so much and that her pain goes away.  A lot of time when she spits up it is curdled, so that was concerning too.  The doc didn't seem too concerned about that.  I wasn't able to see our normal doctor, so I look forward to seeing our doctor in a week to see what she says.

Sweet Babes

We found an old binky that we bought when we had Josh and were trying out different binkies.  When Tony couldn't find one of the soothies binkies, then I tried this one and it seemed to work just fine.  It is so nice having such a flexible baby when it comes to binkies, poops, and bottles. 

We were giving Megan and Josh a bath last night and we thought we'd take a picture.  Megan seems to like taking baths in the big bath tub over the ones in her little tub.  I think that it is because she is warmer in the big bath tub....and she gets to play with her brothers, what could be more fun.

Yesterday Was Plain Awful

Yesterday was the hardest day that I have had since having Megan.  I was suffering from allergies really bad and I have a cold so that was really making me feel really sick.  Josh did not sleep well the night before, he kept coming in to our bed and then he woke up super early and kept me awake.  Megan didn't do too bad, but I was stuck with her in the chair so I didn't sleep well and so when Josh came in the front room super early and bugged me the whole time, I was not a happy sick momma.  So it was not a good way to start my day.  I pretty much had no patience and just wanted to go crawl into bed for the rest of the day.  

I called my mom about nine to see if we could go over there and she could help me with the kids, but she didn't answer.  I called my mom and dad's cell phone and neither of them answered.  I was so bummed.  I didn't know for sure if I had allergies or a cold...I am pretty sure I have both. 

I was not patient with my children at all...let's say I was a bad mom yesterday.  I yelled, I cried, I said things I wish that I hadn't, I was even getting frustrated with little baby Megan.  I had to put her down twice just to let her cry because she was being so fussy and I was getting really frustrated.  The boys just would not listen to me and so I would have to yell...and yell...and maybe throw a couple shoes...it was not good.  I remember my mom yelling and throwing things like a crazy lady - and I am now a crazy lady my self.

I was able to calm down, I still cried a lot, but I did say sorry to Tyler and Josh.  I said sorry multiple times and made sure that they both knew how much I loved them and told them that mommy would work on not yelling so much and being more patient and they would work on being better listeners.

I was able to talk to my sister Julie and that helped.  After I talked to her my awesome neighbor, Gwen, came over to see if Tyler could play with her daughter, Ava.  She saw how terrible I looked and asked if everything was ok, then of course I started crying.  So being the wonderful person she is she took Tyler and Josh for me and let them play at her house so I would just have to deal with Megan.  It was nice to not worry about the boys fighting or being naughty and just hold a sleeping Megan.  Then my mom called me and it was nice to talk to her as well.  It really helps me to be able to talk to other moms.  

Today was a much better day.  Josh and Megan slept well and my allergies were much better.  We spent the day at my parents and hung out with my mom.  My mom helped with the kids and it was much better.  It is so good to have another day to be a better mom and a better person.  All I can do is repent and try to do better.  My kids will forgive me, my husband doesn't judge me, and I will learn from this experience and continue to try and be better.

Go Team Steenblik

We've been having some good times over at our house.  Earlier this week while I was nursing Megan, Tyler and Josh decided to play in the dirt and mud out in the back yard.  Then being the "big" boys that they are they came inside to wash their hands in the bathroom sink.  Some how hand washing turned into feet washing too for Josh.  I came in the bathroom to find Josh half way in the sink while Tyler was washing all his balls from outside.  There was mud and dirt all over and Josh was pumping the soap into the sink to create a sink of bubble fun.  I decided to get the camera to take some pictures of this mess (which is better then freaking out and yelling at them - right!?!) and then they started throwing the bubbles at each other.  Good thing for rags and soap to clean up messes.  I just hope that they don't do anything like that again, at least not soon.

Then on Saturday Tyler had his third soccer game of the season.  He played pretty well.  He is now in the older league, so he hasn't dominated this season like he did last season.  He scored a goal his first game, but hasn't scored again.  He does pretty good when he's not goofing around.  It's all good though, he has fun and Tony is still enjoying coaching.  Josh has done pretty good at watching the games and not running onto the field like last season.  Megan even did good just hanging out and watching.  We hope that we can put Josh in next season if they'll let us.
Later on Saturday we were doing some yard work.  Tony had gotten a bag of dirt from his mom that just had a little bit left to fill in some holes that Koda had dug and Josh thought that it was his bag of dirt.  He loves to play in the dirt and in sand boxes so he was really having a good time in the bag of dirt.  Who needs a sand box when you have a bag of dirt!

Family Trip to The Cannery

Today we drove up to the Ogden Cannery to show off our new addition.  Everyone did really good in the car.  Megan slept the whole way there and the boys did good entertaining them selves.  We got there and many of the sister missionaries (who are all grandma's - maybe even great grandma's) came out and said how cute and small Megan is.  She was really good while we were there and ate up all the attention.  The boys loved it too.  While the missionaries were loving on Megan, Tony took the boys around the cannery to see all the equipment and the chicken being canned.  The boys loved seeing all the machines and how things work.
Tony had to go back to deal with a labeling issue sooner then we thought, so we were only able to be together for about ten or so minutes before he had to go back and start the volunteers on the labeling.  He said it wouldn't take him very long so we all hung around waiting for him.  Megan pooped so we went to the car to change her, then I let the boys play on the ramps outside, then we went to the bathroom to get water for Megan's bottle, and we walked around and around waiting for him to come back...well twenty or so minutes later he came back.  The nice sister missionary at the front gave the boys some crackers and bought them a soda, so they really liked that.  I fed Megan her bottle and then Tony came back out for two more minutes.  Then he had to go back to labeling.  After I finished feeding Megan we all packed back in the car and drove back home.  It is fun to visit the cannery, but it is hard to drive 50-60 minutes there just to spend 20-30 minutes with Tony and then to drive another 50-60 minutes back home.  But Tony wanted to show off Megan and the boys really love going to Daddy's work.

Megan's Blessing

Baby Megan

Today Tony blessed Megan at my parents ward.  It was a hard decision for me to do it in another ward because we have grown close to so many people at our home ward, but when we found out that the only Sunday Tony's brother Nate would be in town was this Sunday, we decided to bless her today.  We thought it would be too hard to bless Megan at our ward and then turn around and bless Kimball at Julie's ward - so we went for the double blessing at my parents ward (and Julie's ward).
Everything went really well.  Megan looked beautiful.  She wore a dress that was originally Tony's grandmother's (Nana Kresser) wedding dress.  The lady who made the dress then took it and made it into a blessing dress.  So Tony's mom, aunt, a couple cousins, sister, and nieces have all been blessed in the same dress.  It was very special and a privileged to have her wear it.  Suzanne lent us a bow, tights, and booties to complete the outfit.  I will be honest, I was super nervous while Megan wore it that something would go wrong and we would hurt the dress.  But everything went perfectly.  Tony gave a lovely blessing (from what I could hear) and then she slept for most of the rest of church.

The Steenblik's

After church we had a lunch in my parents back yard.  They have been working really hard on it and it was looking really good.  The weather was perfect and we had plenty of food.  Everyone chipped in and helped get things ready and cleaned up afterwards.  We got some cute pictures and all the cousins loved playing in the backyard.  In the end I was glad that Julie and I had our babies blessed together and it made for a fun special day.

Us with Tony's parents

Us with both sets of parents

Us with my parents

Julie and Kimball and Megan and Michelle

Steenblik Family Pictures

We did pictures with all of Tony's family.  Here some of my favorites.