Daddy's Gone Potty Fishin'

Last week on a morning quite like many others, the monotony was broken by a distraught sounding Caleb shout-crying from the bathroom. I knew immediately that something dreadful had happened and I assumed correctly; Caleb had dropped a toy into the toilet.

What made this so much worse than it sounds at first is that Caleb was utilizing said toilet at that minute. I walked into the bathroom to discover Caleb sitting on the toilet, peering between his legs with despair. I approached the toilet, my nose already telling me what I'd find. Yes indeed, fear confirmed. Not only was there a small plastic vehicle in the toilet with bodily waste, it was in the toilet with solid bodily waste. And it wasn't the firm, contained, log-version, it was more of the flaky, floating type.

At that instant, my pregnant, sometimes-still-nauseous self did what any mother would do..."Matt, I need you  up here!" I heard his swift footsteps as he ascended the stairs and then he appeared; my knight, my love! Matt entered the bathroom, assessed the situation, and attempted to convince Caleb to go ahead and finish using the potty, Caleb refused. Through whimpers he said, "But Daddy, I don't want to poop on it."

That's when Matt sprang into action. With a deep breath, he stepped forward and plunged his hand into the abyss. Seconds later, he had toy in hand. Caleb was simultaneously relieved and happy, I was simultaneously in awe and disgusted. Matt took the small plastic bulldozer, washed it off with soap and water then wiped it clean with a disinfecting wipe. He dried it and returned it to a very grateful Caleb.

After Matt scrubbed his hands well, I rewarded him with a hug and a kiss and hearty "thank-you." He's my hero! If someone had told me pre-children that watching my husband knuckle-deep in a poop-filled toilet would somehow grow the love and respect I have for him, I would have laughed. But seeing him withstand something undesirable to comfort his son? Pretty awesome!

Gideon Turned Two Back in January

I'm clearly way behind with this but our little guy turned two years old on January 12th. The year was filled with milestones but here are several that particularly stick out:

-started walking confidently
-started speaking in full sentences (my favorite being "I luff loo," his version of "I love you")
-jumps well, getting both feet off the ground simultaneously
-has become very aware of his desires and perceived injustices
-potty-trained

His physical statistics put him at 27 pounds and 35.5 inches tall.

Gideon is a sensitive child; requiring a lot of physical contact and verbal reassurances. Interestingly though, he's pretty fearless. He's unafraid of the big, twisty slide at the park and he isn't frightened to do things like jump off the couch. However, if/when he falls, he's not a "pick yourself up and dust yourself off" type of kid (Caleb fits into that category). Instead, he fusses and runs to Mommy or Daddy waiting for us to let him know he's "fine" and then off he goes again. I often joke that he must be part cat because the child is constantly climbing on me, over me, on top of me, around me, behind me; I wonder if sometimes I resemble a jungle gym. Gideon has bright, shining blue eyes and a dimpled smile that light up the room.

It's exciting watching him grow and change. I look forward to seeing how he'll be as a big brother come September!

Here's a glance back in time.

Gideon: 1 week old

Gideon: 1 year old

Gideon: 2 years old