Big Spencer Family Announcement

TODAY is a very special day in our house.

For the first time in exactly 10 years and 6 months...

I have no children in diapers.

Today is the first day since I became a mom on August 12, 2003 I have not had at least one child in diapers.

In honor of this momentous occasion, I did some math. And to make sure my math is correct, some dates (to the best of my memory):

--August 03: Ashley was born (1 in diapers)

--June 2005: Emily was Born (2 in diapers)

--February 2006: Ashley potty trained (back to 1 in diapers)

--November 2006: Abby was born (back to 2 in diapers)

--December 2007: Emily potty trained (back to 1 in diapers)

--June 2009: Micah came home (back to 2 in diapers)

--October 2009: Mabry was born (3 in diapers)

--June 2011: Kate was born (4 in diapers) At this point, we had off and on been trying to potty train Abby, with zero success. Micah had been "time trained" at the orphanage but because of his parasite and lactose intolerance he had *ahem* explosive bowels and was therefore back in diapers from the time that we got him. He could have possibly been potty trained sooner but we had to take care of his health issues first to make sure he could "hold it in". I wish I was kidding. You can read an old post from those days here: Potty Talk

--January 2012: Micah finally healthy and potty trained! Whoo hoo!!! (back to 3 in diapers)

--June 2012: Mabry potty trained (back to 2 in diapers and a little sadness in my heart because I was hoping Abby would potty train before Mabry, being three years older)

--August 2013: Abby potty trained!!!! This was the biggest landmark for me. She was starting 1st grade and the weekend before I went HARD CORE potty training because I was determined not to go another school year with her in diapers (down to 1 in diapers for the first time in 4 years and 2 months)

--February 2014: Kate potty trained! FREEEEEDOOOOOM!!!!

Therefore I deduce:

-I had at at least 1 child in diapers for 10 years and 6 months.

-I had at least 2 in diapers for 5 years 11 months.

-I had at least 3 in diapers for 2 years 8 months.

-I had 4 in diapers for 7 months.

Now can you see why this is such a huge announcement for our family? I know there are tons of families out there who have more in diapers (and for longer) than this. My hat is off to you. Wish we'd connected sooner, we could have swapped diaper coupons. ;)

I wish I had gotten more pictures (or videos) from my other little potty trainers, but, here's one from Mabry:

And one pic from my sassy baby (on the same potty almost 2 years later) :

Gone are the days of diapers. *sigh* I can actually say it's bittersweet. Not like the bittersweet when I stopped nursing my last baby. I cried over that one. 

This is like- I could break out in a Gangnam Style song and dance in the middle of my kitchen and scare all my kids because I'm that excited not to be changing diapers any more. 

But its bitter because it means a chapter closed. The thought stops me in my tracks: I don't have any babies anymore. I have mini people that walk around independently, needing me just a little less today. And because baby momma has been a part of my identity since I was 20. I'm good at babies. I don't know yet if I'm good at adolescence. And to be really honest, this milestone falls really close to some very mature conversations with my oldest. Bittersweet.

All signs point to::: my kids are growing. And I can't stop it.

Today a song has been in my head and it only feels right to post the lyrics. "'Cause now I see, I'll never stop this train."

No I'm not color blind
I know the world is black and white
Try to keep an open mind but...
I just can't sleep on this tonight
Stop this train I want to get off and go home again
I can't take the speed it's moving in
I know I can't
But honestly won't someone stop this train

Don't know how else to say it, don't want to see my parents go
One generation's length away
From fighting life out on my own

Stop this train
I want to get off and go home again
I can't take the speed it's moving in
I know I can't but honestly won't someone stop this train

So scared of getting older
I'm only good at being young
So I play the numbers game to find away to say that life has just begun
Had a talk with my old man
Said help me understand
He said turn 68, you'll renegotiate
Don't stop this train
Don't for a minute change the place you're in
Don't think I couldn't ever understand
I tried my hand
John, honestly we'll never stop this train

See once in a while when it's good
It'll feel like it should
And they're all still around
And you're still safe and sound
And you don't miss a thing
'til you cry when you're driving away in the dark.

Singing stop this train I want to get off and go home again
I can't take this speed it's moving in
I know I can't
Cause now I see I'll never stop this train

John Mayer, Stop this train