Potty Training Begins!

 This week... so many fun things but also completely exhausting because #pottytraining.

I'm always sad when the Miners leave. But I was SUPER SAD when the Miners left because I knew I had to wake up and face potty training. Plus we were just coming out of a stomach bug -- Bennett had thrown up a lot of the weekend, and Westin was sick on Sunday. But I went into Monday morning and just started anyway.

Asher is a camel. Will not drink anything that isn't water -- won't touch milk, juice, chocolate milk, anything. He's hands down my pickiest eater, and drinker. So I couldn't really "increase his learning opportunities" like I'd done with my other boys. We did the regular routine of getting him to sit on and off the potty, watching a few potty shows, trying to do snacks and meals on the potty, etc., and he was so annoyed at me. All my kids have been SO scared to sit on that potty initially.

By lunch he was getting on and off of it ok, but no successes. But no accidents? How do you simultaneously be the easiest AND hardest kid to potty train around here?

The afternoon was more of the same. The next morning he had his first accident and I was glad it happened. I think it meant less fear and starting to let things happen more. That evening I was at Young Womens and Michael told me that Asher made his first pee in the potty and everyone was cheering. I was sad to miss that, I had spent two full days fully investing myself in this! But so grateful for progress.

Wednesday we went on a big outing with Michael, Camden, Asher and me to drop the Corolla off for maintenance and take a long scenic walk home with some fun stops. I never ever would have done that on day 3 with my other boys, but Asher was completely understanding that he shouldn't pee. He just wasn't very good at peeing when he actually should. So even though that's been long and hard this week, it has actually ended up interrupting life the least of all my potty training experiences and I'm so grateful for that. That is the part I was dreading. It's hard to pause life when you're number 4. 

On Thursday I went to my second book club this year on this book and the conversation was really vulnerable and enlightening and I felt closer to all the ladies there after that night. I'm so drained on this subject, honestly. I didn't want to go. But I also am recognizing that to make real friendships I need to put in real effort, and that's been a little slower in Fort Collins simply because I'm in a place in life that makes it logistically harder to make happen. So I went, and I am so glad I did. I go through phases in life of deeply studying this topic and phases of putting it away to give my mind and heart a rest. I am ready for another rest, I think. There are no big answers to some big questions. 

Friday was so much fun -- we drove down to Loveland with the Gregorys and met Katie and Ryan for Thai food on Katie's birthday weekend. Then the six of us went to Blue Arena and watched Nate Bargatze. He is so, so funny. We've laughed at a lot of his videos so seeing him in person was just such a good time.

Saturday Michael had to go to a meeting in Denver all day so I had the boys solo at all the soccer games. It was a lot of running around but Asher peed on the go for the first time and had no accidents, so I was just feeling so proud of him. Then on Sunday we had the Lees and Gregorys over for Cinco de Mayo tacos and a funny homemade piñata. The weekend was just really fun and I was grateful for it after the grind of potty training.

But go Asher! This is such a big thing to learn. I'm proud of him and I can't believe how big he is.

Morning of Day 1, Potty Training the last little Daetwyler boy!
I really dreaded this. He was scared of the potty at first and won't touch any liquids that aren't water,
so increasing learning opportunities wasn't an option.
No accidents, no successes, end morning one. Ha.

Setting up his breakfast tray at the potty and he is understandably very skeptical!

Finally conquered sitting on it without screaming.
Moved it outside for some naked playtime, bless our neighbors.

No accidents, no successes.

Now getting on and off the potty by himself!
And still... no accidents. No successes.
Somehow making him both my easiest AND hardest kid to potty train :)

Starting to embrace the naked life haha

Adding the socks and shoes just makes me laugh so much.
First accident this morning! Which is something,
means he's not terrified of letting anything out anymore.
We'll take it as progress.

FIRST PEE ON THE POTTY!
And I MISSED it! I was at young womens and Michael sent me this picture.
I was so sad to miss this first pee party after waiting for it almost 48 hours!

We then learned Asher likes privacy to actually pee on the potty and had a few more successes after that :)

A random Wednesday outing: Dropping off the Corolla for an oil change, bringing two balance bikes and a dog and a stroller and a potty, and walking home with a stop to see the baby chicks at the farm store.
Then Michael decided we should grab a bag of soil and we wheeled it home in the stroller haha.
Such a spectacle, everywhere we go.

Benjamin came over to play with Camden one afternoon, while Asher napped.
I got an entire Comma article done while they just played and played and it was great.

Nate Bargatze! We went with the Gregorys and Katie and Ryan. 
He was hilarious and we laughed so much.

A solo soccer Saturday.
Michael had a meeting in Denver for most the day.

Being straddled by a potty training toddler, that's bravery.

Pretty windy!
We had such an uncharacteristically rainy and windy spring.

Always finding little lady bugs.

Westin made Tres Leches cupcakes for Cinco de Mayo.

Carrie brought a cereal box over when we had dinner with the Lees and Gregorys,
and we all wrote things we don't like on it,
then filled it with candy and hit it with a baseball bat for a therapeutic homemade piñata. 
I wrote potty training :)
Westin wrote piano...
Bennett never could think of anything he didn't like.
Camden wrote his glasses. Haha poor kid needs a new prescription, it's in the works.

Youngest first!

Westin didn't crack it! But his friend did soon after.
This needs to be a Cinco de Mayo tradition I think :)