Party for Pottebaum - THANK YOU!

Thank you for your ca$h donations!

Jared and Kimberly Hollinger

Mark and Molly Hunter
Joe and Barb Jackson
Robert and Katherine Johnson
Fatima and Farhan Khan
Stephan and Michelle Lichter
Paul Ludacka (Northwestern Mutual)
Barb and Jim O'Brien
Joe and Nancy Pawlowski
Terry and Pam Penke
Marcy Rabe
Nolan and Emmy Reilly
Jeff and Kathi Scherzberg

...CONT...

Steve, Olivia and I can't say thank you enough for your generosity and kindness.  We are putting all the money raised to suppliment my income until I go back to work and all my medical expenses.

Party for Pottebaum - Thank you Part 2

If I could pick a song for my journey through cancer this would be it.

My Mom sent this to me last week and it literally made me shed tears and
by the end I had snot dripping from my nose. 

 I am sure this is TMI (too much information) but it's true!

If I made a video for this event this is the song I would choose because

you have all shown your love for me and my family.  Thank you!

"In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said "It is more to give than to receive."

Acts 20:35

Thank you for giving to our family in our time of weakness.  We plan to pay it forward when I am fully recovered by throwing a benefit for another cancer patient in the future.

Nicki Evans, Me, Angie Ross

Angie Ross and Julianne Spatz

I have known these three ladies since freshman year in highschool.  We were on cheerleading together freshman and sophomore year.  Julianne and I lived in the same dorm our freshman year in college and hung out quite a bit all through college and attended each other's weddings.  Angie went to Wayne State but I would visit another friend of mine Tricia Pugsley who lived with Angie at the time.  Tricia was there with her husband Dan but I didn't get a photo.  Nicki, Julianne, Angie and I spent a lot of time together in high school especially practicing for competitions and camps.  Love you ladies~!

Jeff and Kathi Scherzberg

Julianne introduced me to Kathi as they were in the same sorority Kappa Alpha Theta.  They called me an honorary member because I hung out with them so much I felt like I was part of the house.  I worked with Jeff at Main Street Cafe in Lincoln.  He was a bartender and I was one of the cocktail waitresses.  I introduced Kathi and Jeff one night while working and they tied the knot a few years later. They now have a beautiful little girl named Sabrina who is only one month older then my daughter Olivia.  =)

Angie, Kathi, Me, Diana, Julianne, Nicki and Karen

I met Diana and Karen both through Julianne.  Diana is her little sister and Karen was also in Kappa Alpha Theta with her.  Whenever we had competitions Diana was always there to support us.  I got to know Karen better the summer before my final year of college.  We had back to back economics classes crammed in to 3 weeks each.  We always would get lunch afterwards at Main Street and attempt to study.  We have stayed in touch since and I live vicariously through her and her roommate Dana.  So whenever I can go out (which is not much especially now-a-days) I always call to see where they will be.  When ever I meet them her brother Andrew usually joins us.

Karen and her brother Andrew

Sasha and Matt Speiker

It would not be a party without the Speikers!  Sasha also was part of the crew that would all go out in college.  Sasha and I have remained extremely close and talk at least two or three times a week.  I have known Matt longer then I have known Sasha.  I introduced the two many years ago and they now have three beautiful children Jack, Savanna and Sofia (My God daughter)

Marcy's Friend, Matt and Marcy

Marcy was a Theta as well and we had many good times in college.  She was so kind to come the party!  It has been years since I have seen her but she is the same old Marcy.

My sister Angie, Caci and Matt Liebentritt

Watching Angie's kids for the past 2 1/2 years I have gotten to know Caci, Matt and their four children, Barret, Chloe, Carson and Wyatt. Caci tripped on her stairs outside before she came to the party and was limping the whole time. They found out her foot was broke after taking her to the hospital! =(

Jeff and Kim Phillips

They are sporting the shirts they wore for the bike ride benefit in July and for RAGBRAI.  They were so kind to drive in from Remsen to show their support.  Thanks Weasel and Kim!

More to come!

Potty Training Day 1 - Part 2 OLIVIA 4:15 p.m. - 11 p.m.

I stocked up on underwear again so I was ready for round two!

4:15 p.m. I went to check on Olivia for the fourth time and she finally woke up.  I thought she was dry until I looked a little closer and there was pee all over the bed and her shirt.   UGH!

At this point I am wondering why she didn't wake up when she wet the bed.  Did I start potty training to early? http://www.3daypottytraining.com/ says you can start at 22 months and Olivia will be 22 months on Monday.  I think she is ready since she is always telling me when she has a dirty or wet diaper and wants to be changed.  She has shown interest in the potty this whole week while I was training Sully.  At this point and time, I have my doubts.  I am still going to follow this program because I know it is only the first few hours of training and I am hoping she will catch on.

Once I get her up she says she has to poop so I put her on the potty and she sits on it for at least 10 minutes and says she is done.  When I look there is only three drops of pee.  While she was sitting on the potty I washed a load of laundry.  It consisted of Olivia's underwear, shirt, bedding, blanket, my pants (unfortunately running a peeing child to the bathroom puts you in the line of fire!) and  three towels to wipe up the carpet and floors.

I put her in her 9th pair of underwear for the day.

4:40 p.m. I gave her a M&M for peeing in the potty (sort of!) and as she is eating the M&M she starts peeing on the kitchen floor!  YUCK!  I didn't get her to the potty in time. =(

10th pair of new underwear.

4:45 p.m. Olivia has a late snack.  Cheese crackers with juice and switches to milk.

I received advice from a highschool friend Traci who wrote on my facebook page:

"I bought small, inexpensive toys and put them in a "Potty Prize" basket. Have her sit down ever 20-30 minutes. The more times she 'accidentally' goes in the potty at first, the more she'll get it."

I did buy her little gifts but I can't give them to her because she has to go potty on the potty chair.
According to the 3 day potty training you are not suppose to put the child on the potty every 20-30 minutes.  The method is teaching your child to learn their own body signs. So for now I will not put her on the potty every 20-30 minutes.  If three day potty training doesn't work I might try it. =)

5:45 p.m. Olivia said she had to go poop.  She sat down on the potty and..you guessed it...NOTHING! 

I had her sit on the potty for a long time because Olivia said she had to go poop and she didn't want to get off.

At 6:25 she finally got of the potty and we ate dinner.

6:30 p.m. DINNER TIME! 

6:50 p.m. I put her back on the potty because she said she had to go poop.

7:10 p.m. I took her off the potty.

7:15 p.m. She peed herself...UGH!  Now she wants new underwear on because I am assuming she wants to pee or poop in them..just a little trend I am starting to notice. 

#3 NEW UNDERWEAR

7:45 p.m. I put her on the potty because it looked like she was doing a pee pee dance and again...nothing.
(My guess is she will sit for a while get up and pee or poop herself)

8:15 I tried to get her to go potty but she didn't go.

I decided to keep her up later then her normal bed time because she still hasn't pooped.  So I put a towel on the couch so she could hang out with daddy!

Reading with daddy!

Modeling

Strike a pose!  Olivia loves taking pictures!  She asked me to take this shot. =)

9:00 p.m. she had a little damp spot on her underwear so I put her on the potty....of course nothing.

#4 New Underwear

9:15 p.m. Bed time

9:25 p.m. Olivia came running out and said she went potty.  I rushed her to the toilet and NOTHING! I went back to check her bed and get this.....it was completely dry...maybe.... THERE IS HOPE!  She caught herself before she went in the bed.  YEAH!

 New Underwear #5 (not pictured)

10:25 p.m. Olivia came running out of her room and said she had to go potty. 

10:41 p.m. Olivia came running out of her room again and her underwear was damp - I went to check the bed and it was completely dry. I think she is catching on...now I have to figure out how to get her to pee in the potty and not in her underwear.

New Underwear #6 (not pictured)

If anyone knows how to get a child to pee or poop in a potty I am all ears.  I might take Elizabeth's advice tomorrow or the next day if this training doesn't work.

"I sent Pat to the Bahamas and let her run around naked for the weekend. She only peed on the floor twice and we had it down."
" o.k. I didn't send him to the Bahamas. Basketball did. It was just easier to do when he was gone."

Thanks for the encouragement Marcy!

"Loved that blog post! So cute!! We are still perfecting it at our house, but she will get it soon!! Hang in there!!"

On to day 2!