In Progress

I have just not been motivated to blog for the past few days. I don't know what it is. You know how I love to talk! I guess a lot is going on, but nothing much is going on at the same time. So, I decided to share a few things that are "in progress." The first one is a little depressing and involves poop. Yes, I said it. Poop. While a few years ago this would have been an inappropriate subject for conversation, as soon as I became a mommy, poop suddenly figured large in my life. Well, for the past few months, it has taken an even larger portion of my time and thoughts. LB is having a lot of trouble doing it. At first we thought it was purely psychological. Her doctor recommended prune juice, graham crackers and then Miralax. They made her lose control of her bowels. We were left with no option but to use glycerin suppositories every three days. Yes, we've been doing this for a couple of months. It's terrible. She hates it and gets so upset and then it causes her a lot of pain to actually go. She always looks so betrayed. Well, the doctor is ready to take action. Tomorrow my baby girl has to have a barium enema. Yes, you read correctly. My two year-old has to go through this. Can you imagine? So I have begun to educate her on her digestive system. I know this sounds crazy, but it was my dad's idea. Take it up with him if you disagree. It does seem to be helping some. I explained how it all works and then we practice how she will lay on the table. At the very least, she will know what is happening when it starts. Hopefully, tomorrow we will have some answers.

Okay, now on to the happy stuff. I've been working on some sewing projects lately, but I can't show them all to you. I've been making some gifts and I don't want to give away the surprise. However, I can give you some peeks. In a week or so, I can give you a full look at what I have been working on. I'll also photograph some really cute fabric that I got to make a skirt for LB. I'm excited. It will be my first, so it should be interesting. I made both without patterns. I guess I sew like I cook, huh?

Finally, I have a progress report on Molly and her training. Having a puppy is sort of like having a newborn. Everyone has an opinion or advice. There are different schools of thought on raising and training a puppy. People can bristle if you don't agree with their method. We're taking a course at PetSmart with some success. Our trainer described her teaching style as comparable to the Waldorf style of teaching children. I thought this was amazing, as I am a proponent of such alternative forms. However, when my mother-in-law visited this weekend, she informed us that Molly was running the house and our lives. She made a few suggestions about teaching Molly that she is not the leader of the pack. So, we've settled on a combination of the two methods. This might sound contradictory, but I think it is really going to work for us. We've already seen some improvement in her behavior. She was already ringing a bell to go out, but now she isn't pulling as much when we walk her and isn't mouthing my hands and arms as often. She can also "sit" and "shake" and does fairly well with "take it, leave it." Now we're working on "stay," as we continue to work on the other skills. I included a cute picture of LB and Molly on our way to training. Check back tomorrow for a special feature!