Bladder Matters: Preschool edition

Gotta go, gotta go, gotta go right now! That was our family phrase of the past month. As they say, “accidents happen.” But when they happen four, five, six, seven times a day….well, the underwear drawer empties pretty quickly and Mom’s doing a lot of laundry.

This is the tale of a preschool girl who went wee, wee, wee all the way home. The first few accidents threw me and Matt for a loop. Ella hadn’t had an accident (during the daytime hours) for at least six or seven months. But after Christmas break, the hits kept coming. The incidents were very inconsistent at first so we were chalking it up to Ella’s laziness and not acting quick enough to get to the bathroom. So what did we do? We got mad…and frustrated.

“Why was she doing this?” I wondered. Even Ella said it was because she didn’t want to stop playing. But then the accidents started happening at school. As week two of these charades came to a close, the next step was obvious—time to see the pediatrician. Much to our relief, Ella wasn’t just being lazy; she indeed had a bladder infection.

Being the inquisitive parent that I am, I wanted to know how she could have gotten it in the first place. In my research and in talking with her doctor, I learned that girls are more prone to them than boys (joy), and they could come back again (double joy).

According to sources on WebMD, about 8 out of 100 girls and about 2 out of 100 boys will have a bladder infection or urinary tract infection (UTI) as a child. Many factors contribute to children contracting a UTI.

• Not wiping properly, especially after a bowel movement – “repeat after me, front to back”

• Not drinking enough fluids

• Constipation

• Not emptying the bladder completely

I could check everything but constipation for Ella, so I knew we’d need to have several talks about proper bathroom habits.

So why didn’t I know sooner? Ella wasn’t showing many of the tell-tale signs other than having numerous accidents. She didn’t have a fever, lack of appetite or pain when urinating—all classic symptoms.

Watch your child! If she’s having accidents out of the blue, chances are there’s more to it than just laziness. Hold off on digging out the potty-training sticker chart and take her to the pediatrician for a simple urine test. Pees be with you.

Any tips on how to prevent such bladder matters? I'm all ears.

“New Year, New You” – It’s True!

The New Year is here to stay, at least for the year anyway. Gone is the tree, down are the lights and eaten are the last of Mom’s cookie delights (good riddance!). Big question: So how’s the resolution going?

If you’re like me, you don’t even remember the resolution you made last year. Come to think of it, I’m not so sure I made one. But that’s the beauty of the New Year—it’s a time to start fresh, turn over a new leaf, try to make this year the best one yet, and don’t look back. Whatever mishaps, hardships or roadblocks we stumbled upon in 2010 are behind us, and 2011 is our chance to make amends, find peace and shoot for the moon. Not to sound cliché, but the world is our oyster! Instead of bogging down the New Year with daunting to-do lists and lofty goals, I’ve decided to create a wish-list of fun things to look forward to this year instead.

It kind of seemed like a no-brainer once I read that nearly 40% of people typically break their resolutions by the end of January, while a third more only keep them up for six months. That was me to a “t.” Why are we so hard on ourselves? Human nature….or is it marketing? Think about it, how many ads for the gym did you see on TV or hear on the radio during the first week of the January? “I pick things up, and I put them down” come to mind? (A fan of Planet Fitness or not, this ad is hilarious!)

Sure, we all know that we overindulged during the holidays and it’s time to get back on track. Don’t worry, we’ll get there. Now is the time to appreciate the phrase, “it’s the small things that make the biggest differences,” and move on to the things that fulfill your life with happiness and joy. Let’s face it; you’re much more likely to have those memories stick in 2012.

Some fun things I’m looking forward to this year include:

• Running a few local 5K races, the Bellin 10K, and maybe, just maybe, the Cellcom half-marathon (I’ve yet to decide if that’s “fun” or “torture”)

• Watching Ella start Kindergarten (where does the time go?)

• Preparing Jaisa for potty training (again, not sure where this fits on the fun-o-meter, but it’s a milestone nonetheless)

• Seeing the musical Wicked for the first time

• Enjoying an annual Girls Night with my girlfriends from college

• Taking a long, overdue trip to Door County with Matt, just the two of us (Alleluia!)

• Spring breaking it to Blue Harbor Resort & Waterpark for our 4th consecutive year

• Heading to Wisconsin Dells for a summer vacay

• Hopefully doing some camping, even if it’s just in our backyard

• Packing up for a big move? Time will tell, but a house with more room to hold our stuff would be nice…or maybe we just need to get rid of our stuff…hmmm

• Scheduling regular mother-daughter days with the girls

• Spending time with family and friends, because that’s what it’s all about

And that's just the beginning...
Enjoy the New Year for all that it is – a chance to start anew and appreciate all that you have!

What’s on your list of fun in 2011?

The Case of the Gimmies

This time of year, it’s hard to escape the blatant advertising of kids’ toys…. It’s Zhu Zhu Pets this and Littlest Pet Shop that…. Ella didn’t even know Sing-a-ma-jigs existed until she saw a tantalizing commercial for them in between one of her Dora the Explorer episodes. Now she’s “gotta have it!” And quite frankly, I’VE HAD IT!!

This time of year, when we parents are already trying to keep the kids as happy as we can and making sure we get some of the special items on their Christmas list, it gets frustrating (as the month scurries along) when the lists get longer, and longer, and longer. The gimmies gotta stop.

I want this!


I want that!


When do I get presents?

Seriously, all this talk about “what’s in it for me?” really takes the joy out of Christmas. As Linus said in A Charlie Brown Christmas, “we’ve lost the true meaning of what Christmas is all about.”

I hate to be a Scrooge, but what about Joy to the World, Angles We Have Heard on High, and Hark, the Harold Angels Sing? Instead, we get All I Want for Christmas… and You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch if we don’t deliver.

Charlie Brown nailed it on the head. Christmas really has gone commercial. And it’s up to us to bring the “peace on earth and good will toward men” back. Show your kids that, believe it or not, it can be just as much fun to give as it is to receive. Take a few names off your nearest Giving Tree and have your child help you shop for a gift someone truly in need deserves. Spend some good, old-fashion family-time ringing bells for The Salvation Army—something (anything) to show your kids that this time of year is not just about the presents.

Matt, the kids, and I decided to pull a couple names off our church’s Giving Tree this year and it gave me and Ella an opportunity to get started on some holiday baking, since one of the requests was homemade Christmas cookies. That festive project led to a separate day of making ornaments for the tree.

Memories last longer than any toy ever will, and the best part is you can make as many as you wish. Your kids will surely treasure those experiences for years to come. I know I’ll never forget the fun I had as a kid, decorating cut-out cookies with my mom or having my dad drive us around town to look at people’s outdoor Christmas lights. Special times like these are what make the experiences a gift that keeps on giving.

What are some ways you help make the holiday season special as a family?