Friday, January 11, 2008

One of those days (aka I need a drink!)

Can someone please pass me a really big margarita? No wait, a cosmo. Yeah, a cosmo would be good...

We're still embroiled in the poopscapades. Despite days and days of miralax, which is successfully softening D's stools, he does not want to poop. At all. It isn't that he doesn't want to go on the potty - he doesn't want to go at all. I've even offered to put him in a diaper or pull up, just so he'll go and it won't be so damned messy. Of course, the mention of a diaper brought up an instant refrain of, "Nooooooo! Those are for babies!"

Part of the plan, per our pediatrician, was to get D to sit on the potty for a bit once or twice a day, in addition to the times he pees. He absolutely will not do it. I've asked, coaxed, told, given him a 5 minute warning, bribed with treats, tried to read books, sing songs, play musical instruments and have him listen to my ipod. He wants none of it. He refuses completely. He's even started jumping off the potty as fast as he can after peeing, to the point that he's barely finished, just so he doesn't have to sit there any longer than aboslutely necessary. Because of course, he wouldn't want to accidentally poop.

You know how they say not to force potty training? I'm ready to duct tape the kid to the freaking potty until he poops.

I can totally tell when he's holding it. He gets quiet and a little whiney, and very clingy. He wants to sit on the couch and cuddle, or lie on the couch with a blanket. Then he'll tell me his head hurts - what he really means is his tummy hurts, but he's heard me tell him that his tummy hurts because he has to poop so many times, he doesn't want to admit it's his tummy. This, of course, brings up my paranoid mommy instinct and I start worrying he has a brain tumor. Sigh.

Then he'll start pacing around, not quite doing the potty dance like he has to pee really bad, but walking around, standing on his tippy toes, shifting a lot. Then the poop will simply start to come out, whether he likes it or not. He'll hunker down, look like he's actually trying to go - but what he's really doing is trying to suck it all back in. Lovely image for you, isn't it?

Twice today I had to wipe his bottom and change his underwear because there was a little smear. The miralax is making his stool too soft to hold it in (as per plan), but the problem is, I can't get him to sit on the potty to take care of the rest of it. He'll hold and hold and pace and whine and tell me his head hurts until finally, he poops a little in his pants.

Today he did that during quiet time. I got out of the shower to find him calling for me from his room. I opened the door and the smell gave it away. Great. But there wasn't much in there and I was certain he wasn't done.

Sure enough, a couple hours later the dance began again. His demeanor changed, he started acting clingy and complaining vaguely. Finally he was standing next to me and started saying, "Mama, Mama, Mama," and I whisked him into the bathroom. He protested on the way in there, but not to the point of a total meltdown, so I had hope. He sat there and peed, but I could see he needed to do more. I said in my cheeriest voice, "Wait a second!" and he paused - long enough for the offending poop to finally make it's exit. He looked at me in surprise as he did it, then said with a quiet smile, "I pooped, Mama."

Phew!

I made sure to talk to him about it a bit, reiterating that it didn't hurt when he did it. He agreed and told Daddy, "My tummy feels so much better now!"

We'll see what tomorrow brings. This non-pooping thing has been driving me up the wall. I wish he'd figure out that it won't hurt (as long as we keep putting his "special vitamins" in his morning milk, wink wink), and it feels better to just let it go than hold it in.

I suppose he will figure it out eventually. Until then, I'm edgy.

And G is getting all four top teeth at once. Please pass another cosmo!

2 comments:

Stephanie said...

Nice to see the poop is leaving the building -- Stay strong you are doing such a great job!!!!!

Anonymous said...

You know, I didn't realize how often I'm likely to say something like "I'm sorry it's been such a crappy time" until I'm trying not to make a poop reference.

It's been so rough, and while I know you've said it's been hard to be patient I want to commend you on how patient you really have been through all of this. I was about to say it's going to all work out in the end, and it will, but see...another reference.

You're a great mom and doing a fantastic job. And when it's my turn to have a crappy time with potty training, I know I can come to you for advice and empathy.