Two Sparrows
 
Like the title says this one is about Tinkle, OK potty training but pee is involved and sometimes its just poopy.
Tinkle Time
    Being 11 and 16 years older than my two little sisters a hand full of my parenting techniques/choices come from seeing my mom tend my sisters. One of those is potty training I don't remember the exact details but I remember both were diaper free by two. I don't judge but seeing a child past 2.5/3 still in diapers baffles me. I remember my sisters being introduced to the potty starting at one. My mom would place them on the potty before bath or in the morning while she got ready for work. I started there. At a year I would place Corey on a potty seat. He would go occasionally and Scott and I would praise like crazy. I wasn't overly consistent more of "when I remember" kind of thing. At about 18 months old Corey woke up dry from bed and nap. I would sit him on the toilet and let him go. Sometimes it took a few minutes, turning on the sink, and even stepping out of the bathroom.
Lets Do It
    I started researching techniques. Like I said before, I remember a few potty points from my sisters but not full details. I also asked my friends who had potty trained before. Through this I found the three day technique and using a kitchen timer to be great helps. Corey did great for a few days with few accidents but it took a toll on his verbal skills (minimal at best at the time). He began to have more accidents and I was losing patience. I was also eight months pregnant. Corey and I weren't fully ready but I wasn't wanting to make it an end of the world issue. Looking back there were a few things that needed to happen first. He was still getting a paci for bed and nap, this brings on similar feelings as preschoolers still in diapers. He also had minimal verbal skills, on track but not advanced.
Picking a seat
    This is probably one of the most tedious tasks. We started with a toilet seat, the ring that sits on the main toilet. I have always had an eww factor when it comes to the little potties, but it  has turned out to be our biggest asset. It allows Corey to go potty on his own, a bonus with a three month old. I do wish I would have known ahead of time what I really wanted in a potty before making my purchase. We have a 3-1 potty, for the early training stage its the full potty, then the seat comes off and sits on the big potty and the base can be used as a step stool. Its a great concept but not, in my opinion, built for boys. The front of the seat where the bump/splash guard is is one solid straight piece. For a girl its perfect but for little boys the splash guard makes a splash and end up with the full elimination being shot out of the potty and on to the floor. I have placed a towel under his potty to catch pee. Since potties aren't something you can return after a handful of uses we will use it until Corey is potty trained. Before we potty train Ryan though I may find a way to get rid of it and pick a potty that is boy friendly. In fact I am thinking next years yard sale will be a great place for it.
Going to town
     In some of the research I did I found suggestions saying take the kiddo potty before leaving and then while at your destination, taking your kiddo frequently will help them get used to going potty but also prevent accidents. So how do you take your toddler pee on huge public toilet? Well, you can buy a potty that you leave in the trunk/back of the car so you don't have to to use the huge public toilet, or for the same price or less you can purchase a fold up potty seat. We purchased one for Corey and it has been a great investment. Its folds up to a great diaper bag size. We have used ours at church, restaurants, stores etc.
Current training
    Just over two weeks ago Corey took his diaper off upon waking up one morning. That is a deal breaker for me so we started using the potty. Aside from bed and some naps Corey is out of diapers. Does he still have accidents, sure but its worth it. He has been doing great. Most of his accidents happen when he has shorts or underwear on because he is still learning how to pull them up and down. The other day he was in underwear and went in to pee on the potty. He did great except he didn't pull down his underwear first. For his birthday he is getting some big boy underwear, he has been in trainers so far.
     
 
Ok Ryan's Birth story was a C&P of a document I already had typed up. Life has been crazy and things have gotten away from me. I have decided to write out my posts and then type them when I have time. This one for instance was written up a few days ago but is just now being typed. I have a list of subjects that I wish to get to so those will be coming soon. This week has been dedicated to getting a few crochet projects done. I promise to post pictures as well as an explanation when I am able to make it public, dont want to ruin any 
 
I could have sworn that I posted Ryan's birth story. Well almost three months later here it is.
Ryan Lee’s Birth Story

We were team green again this pregnancy so Ryan’s gender was not revealed until his birth.

Leading up to delivery was quite interesting, Ryan was quite the tease. Scott was out of state during week 38 of my pregnancy so we were praying he didn’t make an early arrival. He didn’t but I had a fair amount of contractions from then until D day. This pregnancy we planned a homebirth with a CNM.

When Ryan finally did decide to come at 8 days past his guess date we were all more than ready. Scott and I had just gotten over an 8 hour stomach flu from the day before and although Scott was tired I was more than ready.  I started having a few contractions around noon but figured it would be best to just ignore them. Seeing as how I had gone with steady contractions for up to 8 hours and then having them stop in the weeks before I wasn’t going to get my hopes up. After a few I thought they might be a little different since I was starting to focus. About one I some bloody show so I called my Midwife who was working in town and was going to stop by that day anyway. She got to the house about two and at first glance wasn’t sure how into labor I was. I was breathing and still mostly able to talk through my contractions. She went ahead and checked me at a 6. She checked me at my 40 wk apt and I was a 2 very thin and stretchable to a 4. She said “looks like Im staying here”.  From there the ball started rolling. She called her assistant who lives about an hour from town so she could head in. Im sure she also called her husband to let him know she would be a while. I changed into labor clothes while my mom gathered Corey and the girls so they could play down stairs and Heidi (our midwife) and Scott got the tub set up. I got out Corey’s big brother gift so that he had something new to play with.

After coming up from the laundry room and having another contraction Heidi said that I finally looked like someone in labor to a six. Once the tub was filled I got in. Since I was sick the day before I had to get my fluids back up. Heidi mixed up an electrolyte mix in a 32 oz hospital mug I had from Corey and made me drink from it every couple of minutes. When I finished it a couple hours later I was told I had just been given a bag of fluid without having to be stuck. Laboring in the tub was great. I still had back labor, same as with Corey, so Scott provided me with great counter pressure during contractions. When I needed to change positions and Scott wasn’t able to provide pressure it was easy enough for me to do it. I feel like I wasn’t as deep into labor land as I was with Corey which Im sure was because of scenery being different.

Early on we decided I had a bulging bag of water.  We also knew and decided for Ryan that his water would not be ruptured artificially. During my whole labor he had one deceleration, since he didn’t have any more Heidi figures he just pinched his cord for a second. At about 5 my phone rang, it didn’t get answered of course but I asked Scott who it was and he said it was Andy, my step dad. That’s how I knew the time. I told Scott to tell my mom to order pizza because I knew it was dinner time and everyone would be getting hungry and I was in the kitchen. Things continued to progress and for a change Heidi had me get out of the tub, try and use the bathroom and see if being on land would get us somewhere. I hadn’t stalled but my water hadn’t broken either. I was to the point in my labor when I was done and just wanted to take a nap. I had the same experience shortly before delivering Corey. I went into our room to lie down in bed. Scott sat with me a while and then traded places with Kelly, Heidi’s assistant. While in bed my water finally broke and with the next contraction the pushing phase started. I had one pushing contraction in bed (while everyone was in the kitchen getting the tub back to temp. This kind of got me because Ryan could have easily been born with the first contraction. He wasn’t thankfully and I made it to the tub. Ryan crowned with the next contraction despite my efforts to help him come slow to prevent tearing. After he crowned Heidi took the cord from around his neck and he was born on the next push.

Scott announced the gender of our second son, just like he did with Corey and he will do with all our babies. Ryan was born just before 8pm and Corey got to see him right away since he wasn’t quite asleep yet. Scott cut the cord after the placenta delivered and Scott, Ryan, and I all moved into our room to bed. After using the bathroom, Scott and I both being pooed on, and a few sips of broth we caught a nap while everything was cleaned up. Once clean up was done we weighed and measured Ryan who had the same stats as Corey, 8lbs and 21 in. From there we gave Heidi and Kelly thank you shawls I crocheted and they headed home. We got Corey calmed down and in bed and relaxed and ate for a couple hours before turning in.

After Ryan’s birth, almost a month ago now, I don’t want to deliver a baby anywhere other than at home. When Corey got up early the next morning he was able to join Scott, Ryan, and I in bed like nothing had changed. For uncomplicated and healthy pregnancies Home is the safest place to deliver. After having Ryan I truly believe this. I didn’t know about the one deceleration he had until visiting with Heidi the next day. I also didn’t know that his cord was loose enough around his neck but tight to get over his head. Had I arrived at the hospital dilated 6 cm with a bulging bag of water it is very likely my water would have been broken. Leaving the membranes intact cushions baby and cord during contraction. With broken water it’s possible that Ryan would have dropped quickly, tightening his cord, or causing decelerations with every contraction, leading to a possible section. Instead we all enjoyed the labor and delivery we had been planning since September.

I also encapsulated his placenta which I can post more about later, Corey is ready for bed.

ETA: I realized a few minutes ago that I didnt clarify whether I tore or not. I didnt tear. I did have a minor split in the skin or both labia. They healed fine and I honestly didnt know they were there afterwards.