The Dilemma of the People-Loving Introvert

This week I'm flying this parenting ship solo.  John is on an extended work trip and is gone for ten days.  Or, as I've been thinking of it, an eternity.  He regularly takes two to three day trips that are more of an annoyance than a burden.  I don't like it, but we do just fine.  Ten days, internationally, with a 14 hour time difference - I'm just grateful that this kind of trip is a rarity.  

Being by myself for so long is really bringing my introversion front and center.  I can see very clearly how small my circle is.  That's good - I like it small.  That, coupled with some of the natural isolation and friend-dropping that comes with having a toddler who is ill-fitted to most social situations, has made a small circle even smaller.  This is only problematic when the entire circle leaves town at once.  Which it has. 

Even so, being alone is not a problem.  I like being alone; hence my introversion.  But I also like people.  I'm horrible at making plans and I have a perpetual case of the you'll-have-fun-once-you-get-theres.  I don't even mind crowds of people, provided I know them all and I have a "safe" anchor friend with me.  I tend to befriend extroverts, people who will (sometimes literally) pull me out of my space and do the plan-making for me.  Oh, have you met my husband?  I don't know that they come more extroverted.  At any rate, it doesn't take much social interaction to fill up my people cup.  But none at all for several consecutive days...even if I don't like making plans, I at least like having the option to make them (or not make them).

Potty Training Before 2

I'M POTTY TRAINED!  Felix has been without daytime diapers for almost two weeks now, and I think I've pretty much got the hang of it.

I say that I'm potty trained because Felix isn't necessarily leading this charge.  Since it's outside my general child-rearing philosophy to take the lead, largely preferring instead to let him show me the way, I should probably explain.

Shortly after Felix's first birthday I noticed that he could control his bladder to some degree.  One day we were waiting for the bath to get warm and he squatted down and peed on the bathroom floor.  I got a rag and wiped it up, then he peed again, and I wiped it up again.  Then he peed a third time, just a few dribbles, with a little grunt that told me he was obviously doing it on purpose, just so that he could play with it.

Even being somewhat familiar with elimination communication and babies' ability to control their sphincters long before we tend to think they are capable, it surprised me.  I didn't do anything at the time with that knowledge, because the whole world of EC seemed pretty daunting, and I admit to having little faith that it would work.  It also seemed like a huge pain in the ass.  Sit my baby on a potty every twenty minutes while making a psss sound and hope that he connects the dots over a matter of months, in the meantime cleaning lots of pee off the floor?  Yeah...plus we had carpet.  No thanks.