Sleeping & Pooping: The Challenges

This summer has been so great and so challenging. We have had so much fun which is easy to post about, but we have had struggles as well and for some reason I feel the need to share: not to gross anyone out or scare them away from having kids but maybe just to show that it is not always fun and games. In saying this, it has been a real struggle but through the challenges God is teaching us how to be better parents and people and we give daily thanks to Him because we could not do this without Him.

Cameron started climbing out of his crib. I knew it could happen any day, but I really did not want it to happen so I was unprepared. So this was his first nap without the crib. I gave up after being in his room, laying him down each time he got up, so I left the room and found him later asleep in the glider. Crazy kid.

Since that time, we tried several things and found that for Cameron & myself, it works best to tuck him in his bed with his stuffed animals & leave him in there to fall asleep on his own terms - sometimes it's almost immediate and other times it takes over 30 minutes. But it's kind of working. I'm still enjoying the occasional nap in the car and finding him in unique positions or places. 

The other challenge is pooping. What a struggle we've had. We had a couple bouts of constipation that lead to him simply trying not to poop. So we've had to help him. We've gone to the doctor several times. We've tried diet changes: no dairy, lots of fiber with metamucil crackers, yogurt, flaxseed, etc. We've literally chased our kid for activity to get him to go. We even went to the ER once.

So we've had days of no pooping and then days of 20 diaper changes due to poop. We've used stickers and m&m's to bribe him. We used the iPad on the potty seat. We have tried a ton of things.

Hopefully we are finally getting things figured out after more than two months of struggling. But it's going to take awhile to train Cameron's brain to know that pooping does not hurt and that it is very good thing to do on a regular basis.

Back to the fun pictures of a crazy kid sleeping. On and off the mattress. In the carseat.

In our bed with us :( but darn it's cute.

Waking up and crawling on top of daddy - in the car on the way back to Wichita from Winfield.

Half on and half off the bed.

With Allison and with Shannon

Fell asleep in the middle of the living room at mom's house just before lunch - so I let him sleep until he woke up.

Next to Hannah in the car or falling asleep on his cute daddy.

All cuddled up with daddy.