C'est la vie

Weekend Update

(This is just so like me. Posting a Weekend Update on a Tuesday afternoon. Yup, that's how much I suck. And now, back to our regular programming).

Oh, Internetweb Peoples!! You wouldn't believe how happy it makes me to say (er... write) this: I declare potty training finished!! Camila is now consistently peeing and pooping in her potty, Thank You Very Much. So I guess the nightmare is pretty much over. Plus, now I get to brag about having taught at least one thing to my daughter. So yay!

Also, I met the nicest person on a Ravelry swap group: her username is antoneta, and she has ever so kindly offered to send me sock yarn (squeeee!!!) in exchange for some souvenirs from Costa Rica and a knitting-related surprise. I'll post pics of the pack I'm putting together for her as soon as I send it out so that I don't spoil the surprise in case she reads this post. :) Also, did I tell you guys I'm in love with ravelry? I've seen so many gorgeous things I want to knit, and so many interesting groups. Right now I'm getting some stuff ready to enter some swaps. Momma wants to learn how to spin!!

I owe you soooo many pics, but I swear I'll post some soon. Even I'm starting to feel bored after looking at all these word and abso-fucking-lutely. no. pictures.

It's the little victories

I just want to say one thing: Potty training was invented by Satan. That's it.

Okay, that's not really it. But that's more or less what I've been feeling this weekend.I guess I could say I have a love-hate relationship with the potty.

For the past 3 days, I've been struggling with getting my daughter to ditch the diapers. And for the first two, it's been hell. I tell you, I've been dangerously close to leaving her with my mom and running out screaming. And guess what? That makes me feel like the crappiest. mom. ever. Ever. I keep wondering if every mom in the world has gone through the tantrums, the crying, the cleaning pee and poop from the floor 8 times a day; and wondering how other moms get through this without wanting to kill themselves. (I like to overreact a little. Can you tell?).

And then today it's been just me and her. My mom and sister had to go look after my grandma for the weekend, Michael had to work, and my dad and my brother... Well, they don't help much in this case. So we've been all alone for the bigger part of today, and I guess we haven't been as stressed out. My mom, bless her heart, helps me out so much you wouldn't believe it. But she also adds some stress to the equation. We don't always see eye to eye regarding Camila's education and care. And, since she's the one Camila spends more time with, I some times feel obligated to do things her way. I know, I know, I should stand up for what I think is best for my daughter, right? The problem is, most of the time (like 90% of the time) I feel like I have no idea what's best for Camila and my mom's right and I'm wrong and I'm a bad mother and I don't spend enough time with my daughter because I have to work and wahwahwahwah. But today, we did it. Okay, I had to wipe pee from the floor a couple of times, but we spent some time all alone and did things calmly, and she finally peed and pooped in her potty. Repeatedly.

So yes, I'm pretty happy. As a WOHM, I feel like I've missed out on a lot of milestones in Camila's life, like her first steps, which I saw thanks to my mom and dad who videotaped it, or her first kiss, which she gave my dad. So I guess you, my dear reader, can understand why this little victory doesn't taste like poop and pee, but tastes pretty great instead.

***

On another note, We're not going to the beach anymore. So my vacations have pretty much gone to hell. After we had agreed on postponing it for a week so we didn't have to take Camila with us. Just my luck, huh?

And on yet another note, I'm knitting a couple of fingerless gloves for a co-worker, which I'm very excited about because it's my first time knitting on two circular needles. I have no pics yet, but I'll post some as soon as I have them.

Off to the beach we go... Right?

I don't know if I told you guys this, but my MIL now lives about 5 hours from where we live. Which, if you live in Costa Rica, means her house is on the beach. So, yay for me, huh? NOT!

The plan was this: on Sept 26th, Michael and I would go to his mom's house (because I haven't been to the beach in over 3 years, so I'm at a point where I don't care if I have to see the ocean from my MIL's window) with a friend whose birthday is on Sept 25th, a friend of Michael's and his girlfriend. And we would leave Camila with my mom because I don't really know if that guy is a good driver or not, so I wasn't going to take her with us. Plus, this guy's car is tiny and there is no room for her carseat. That, and I just wanted to have a relaxing weekend with my husband wehere we could have some drinks and some fun as the newlywed couple we never were. And yes, that makes me feel like a lousy mom. Leaving my child with my mom so I can go to the beach and have fun with my husband? Damn, that does sound bad.

So I tell my mom and she says it's okay, she'll take care of Camila. And then two days later she tells me she has something else to do that weekend, so the baby can't stay with her. And, of course, I get bummed, but at the same time I think "Okay, maybe this isn't so bad. At least I won't feel like the horrible mom who dumps her kid on the grandma and goes off to the beach". And then, when I was finally coming to terms with staying home while Michael went to the beach, my dear husband pulled what I like to call "a Michael", meaning  he came up with what he thought was a brilliant idea: taking Camila with us for the weekend. Now, I was completely and adamantly opposed to that idea. Why? It's a 6 hour bus and ferry ride, because I'm sure as hell not taking my daughter in a car driven by someone who, for all I know, could drive like Goofy on "Motor Mania", and that has no space for a car seat. And, since we don't have a car anymore, we would have no choice but to get there by bus... and ferry.

So when I told Michael I didn't want to take her, we got into a big fight, of course. Because "I don't want his mom to see Camila", and "other people do this kind of thing all the time", and "I'm selfish and don't trust him to take care of the kid" and wahwahwah. And, you know, I've got nothing against him, or even against his mom seeing the baby. She is her grandma after all, despite the fact that I don't like her. But am I willing to submit my daughter to a bus ride that long? If I know her well (which I hope I do) she's not going to be happy about this. Or the heat. Or the bugs.

And then, after the fight with Michael and telling him that no, we are not going, and if he wants to he can go, but Camila and I are staying home, I started to think. Is it so crazy that he wants to take us? Would it be so horrible if we went there by bus with Camila? I mean, yeah, maybe it won't be a breeze, but I think we can handle it. Or should I wait until she's older to go on a trip like this? Am I being overprotective? (Yeah. I already know the answer to that one).

So I guess all I have left to say is Help, Internet Peoples! Give me your almost-always-sound advice! Please?