Potty Training and Getting to School on Time

**This is the letter I wrote to the Baboo's teacher today explaining why we were late today. Potty training is a group effort between the Baboo, his parents, his Nani, and his wonderful Montessori Guide, Amanda. Today was the Baboo's first diaperless day at school.**

Hi Amanda,

Good news - Some time after his nap, [the Baboo] told my mom "poop!" at which point she rushed him over to the potty and he did his thing. He napped with his diaper on, and he's had it on part of the day, but used the toilet for urination when he was put there.

I did not get to tell you the full story of why we were late this morning.

the first urination -- sitting on the potty, but he held his penis like a water hose and got pee all over the floors & walls. He doesn't usually do that, I don't know why he did it. Just curious, I think. Even after he put it under the cup attachment, he wanted to hold on to it.

the b.m. -- after his fountain experience, I left him to do a bowel movement because I didn't want him messing his underwear on his very first diaperless day in school. I thought that would be embarrassing for him and would set him back. But we were running out of time, so eventually I had to take him off the potty so we wouldn't be late...

which is when he peed the second time! and then I had to clean him up, change his socks, underwear and pants, and then I put him back on the potty because I thought he might do a b.m. (since he clearly wasn't finished the first time). He didn't do anything, so I brought him in.

So apologies for bringing him late, I was making some tough calls this morning and trying to do the right thing.

Being a Pain in the Neck Patient

Okay, I will confess. We are delaying the Baboo's next round of vaccinations until he is past the two year mark, and the unstated rationale is... the possible link between vaccinations and autism. I could not forego the vaccinations completely; I think that is completely selfish and irresponsible. Not only does skipping the vaccine endanger your child, it endangers all the children in your community. But I have no ethical qualms about postponing the shots and giving the Baboo as much time as possible to develop so that he can heal himself against a potential vaccine injury.

Which is why it annoyed me that his doctor, who KNOWS we are postponing the vaccinations till next year and KNOWS that I did not give him the rotavirus vaccine last year (it's optional, but most doctors push it hard) and that no one in my family gets flu shots - because I don't believe in their efficacy - started pushing me towards a flu shot this year.

I gave in. Why I don't know. Fear that a little flu + his nascent asthma might yield big bad consequences. And since I've previously asked that Baboo's immunizations be preservative free, and I made a big deal about it at the time, I didn't think to ask again.

Boy am I glad that I'm a whiny person! I was telling the nurse how I gave in this time, but that we're waiting on the rest, and she noticed that his Dr. didn't write a script for a preservative free shot. They were going to inject my Baboo with thimerosal! I just about stopped breathing. Do I need to start ordering these shots myself???? Jeez.

Lesson - you can't be too careful or too much of a pain in the neck to your doctor.

Baby Sleep Book

Having read Ferber, Sears, and everyone in between, I have decided to publish and market my very own How-to-get-your-kid-to-sleep book. I envision that it will be between 500-1000 pages, hardback.

The pages will be blank. When you want your kid to sleep, you thwack them on the head and knock them unconscious. 100% effective in less than 1 minute! No cry-it-out, just lights out. The end.

Just kidding ya'll. I'm just delirious from not sleeping. People who hit kids are going to hell.