happy being trevy

This chart has been hanging in our bathroom for years. And I do mean YEARS. It has been many moons of patience and energy (mingled with blood, sweat, and tears) to potty train Trevor. There were many moments of despair along the way. Moments of anger and annoyance and the occasional glimmer of hope which was kept us pushing forward. Sometimes people will look at Trevy today and reduce or minimize the journey it's been to get here by assuming he's "nearly typical" now or only "slightly delayed". It wasn't that long ago, he was still smearing his poo everywhere. All over his bed, his walls, himself. TMI, I know, but it was our life for a very long time. We've been through various layers of difficult and heart wrenching things, but it was the poo smearing that most nearly broke me. Today, as I was looking around the bathroom planning for some refreshing, I realized that he no longer needs this chart. I ...

    Which is not to imply that we haven’t been serious to this point, mind you.     Because we have been.     For three bloody years we have been.     Once an hour (because a schedule seems to work best for him) for three bloody years we have been potty serious.     Every gimmick, trick, theory, Elmo potty toy/book/dvd, potty training program tried once an hour for three bloody years kinda potty serious.     And it’s not that he’s entirely unsuccessful.  Although he has yet to TELL me (consistently) when he has to use the potty. But still, we’ve had stretches when I’ve actually thought we were ready to brave the big boy undies in public!  Then suddenly…we’re back to ground zero.     And it’s been frustrating.     And exhausting.     And all consuming.     And (because the tears I’ve shed over this skill are many, it bears repeating) SO thoroughly exh...

    We’re still not a 100% there.     But we’re making progress all the time.  Progress that I totally should be sharing because Lord knows I’ve done enough complaining.  Seriously though.  I was so hoping almost two years later we’d be done with it.  Sigh.     On to the good news though…     sometime over the last few months Trevy started doing his “doo-dee” in the potty!  The first time was during his overnight EEG last summer!      From that first pooper in the potter…he slowly became more consistent.  Haha…potty pun.     At first, I was SO desperate to NOT have to change big boy bootay anymore that I promised him McDonald’s every time he went doo-doo.     Little smarty pants started pushing a little out at a time and would then demand “chick nunnens” five times a day!     Um, yeah, about two weeks into that mess…we had to change things up!  ...

    Trevor loves…and when I say loves, I mean loves …the library.      So as a poopy on the potty prize we decided he could tag along on my weekly rendezvous.  It’s a homeschool mommy thing.      I may or may not be guilty of guilt tripping daddy into joining us.     What?!     I needed to do my homeschool mommy thing.  Browse the aisles.  Picking random interesting looking books.  Trying to look put together.  Like my kids are learning as much as all the other kids.  That kinda stuff.      Impossible to do with Trevy.     Trevy has a way of making look entirely NOT put together.  Because it’s hard to look put together when you’re sweating like a pig and frantically shoving books back on the shelves.  True story.     As much as Trevy loves the library…I think it’s fair to say he feels the exact opposite about the leaving part....

Trevy is in the process of being evaluated for Home Based ABA.  While I can’t (or is it won’t try to ) really give you the scientific breakdown of Applied Behavioral Analysis , I can tell you that this therapy is working wonders for Trevy!  Every letter, shape, number, self care ability and even some of his communication gains can be traced back to his school based ABA program.  His school based ABA is focused on academics.  Home based will be focused on life skills.  But I don’t want this post to get muddled down with too much text (somehow I’m thinking that’ll be a fail ) because that wasn’t even my point.  Nor is my point trying to steer anyone else towards ABA.  It’s not the right choice for every child.  But it is for Trevy.  It’s part of his story.  A positive part.  I cling to the happy things.  So I give ABA a shout out every now and then on my blog even when it may not be the point of my story. My point is ...

  I know I should be happy that he's screaming "NO NO NO" every time I look at him.           It shows that on some level he understands he shouldn't be pooping in his pants.     I should be happy about that.     But mostly, I am just sick to death of changing poops and urine drenched undies and pull ups and bedding almost every night.     And today, I'm giving myself the liberty to be sick to death of it. I'm giving myself the freedom to not "look for the silver lining". I'm giving me a hall pass to pout. For today.         Tomorrow. Back to our regularly schedule programming.     …danielle

  Are you ready to be impressed?     Like, blow your socks off impressed?     Like, stop the presses impressed?     Well…then you’ve come to the right place.  Because I’m about to blow your mmmmmmmmmind!     I got dressed today!     No, seriously.  Not in sweats.  But like, jeans and a real shirt and a fresh…um…hold em’ upper.  I even put on some tinted moisturizer and blush!  Stacy and Clinton would be proud.         I am so impressed with myself that I had to share.     What inspired this ground breaking event?     Trevy (who has been in a bit of a potty slump – but then maybe potty training for almost a YEAR now is the very definition of a potty slump :: sigh :: ) filled his whole pee pee chart with stickers today!  Don’t ask about the poos.  Ever since “the incident” we’re not talking about poos.  The incident referrin...

  Non-stop.     I would say it was at inappropriate and random times but really…it’s every other word out of his mouth!  For instance…     **********     Me – Trevy, what would you like to eat?   Trevy – pooooop   **********     Me – Trevy, let’s say our prayers.  What are you thankful to Jesus for?   Trevy – poop     **********     Me – Trevy, what song would you like mommy to sing for bedtime tonight?   Trevy – poop song!     *********     Random Guy At Church – Hi, buddy.     Trevy – Hi, poop!     **********     He went out with a friend recently and she reported as they passed a table of strangers he happily informed them…     I poop potty…     Which is a bald faced lie.  Clearly we need to work on that.  The lying and the poopin’ in the potty.   ...

How many months has it been now? I stopped counting…ohhhhhh…about a gazillion wet undies ago.  But for the sake of those following Trevy’s potty success (and otherwise) with interest because they’re on the fence about giving it a go (haha…get it…) with a Special little one of their own.  I figured I should try and post every now and then about how things are working out. The Report If I consistently take him to the potty once per hour he will only have one or two pee-pee accidents a day.  The biggest issue is…really who can possibly do a potty run every single hour for the rest of their life?  When we’re lazy he tinkles in his pants.  It may or may not have brewed a fight or two if one parent is lazier than the other.     I think we’re on the same page now though.  He does not communicate in any way, shape, or form when he has to use the potty.  He also does not communicate in any way, shape, or form when he has ...