Picture Update

We are so sorry that we've been so bad at updating the blog! We never thought that we'd be this tired! It seems like the days pass so fast, getting to know as much as we can about this new little baby. The nights seem to drag on and on, making both of us feel so sleep deprived. Skogen is a great baby, happy most of the time. He eats and sleeps well, however he may eat a little too well as he loves to eat every hour of the night! The lactation consultant said this was called "cluster feeding" and that it's okay to do. I think it's crazy feeding and it really does't work for me! I have only slept for three hours total since we got here. I may try to put Skogen in the nursery tonight as I'm sure I would start recovering a little faster and better if I had some rest.

Here are some pictures from our hospital stay. We will be going home tomorrow! Thanks for all of the prayers. (Click on the pictures to make them bigger.)

He's officially here!!!

At 3:47 yesterday afternoon, Skogen Roux joined our family! He's absolutely perfect! He weighed 9 pounds 5.6 ounces at birth and was 20.0 inches long. I have no idea how a baby that big fit inside me! I will tell the whole birth story later, but for now I'll leave you with some pictures (not for those with weak stomachs!)...

In the hospital!

Hi, this is Erik. I'm nearly inept at blogging, but here's a feeble attempt...

We're having a baby today!!! We're at St. Luke's hospital in room 661 and we're just waiting for the nurse to come bring us to the OR. Kara hasn't had anything to eat or drink since 7:00am and she reminds me that this is a long bout of anorexia for a gravid woman! She is a bit nervous about the surgery and she's still trying to grasp the fact that we'll be holding Skogen in just a few hours since she's bypassing the labor and says that this doesn't feel "real" - "it's like we're going to check into a hotel instead of going to the hospital to have a baby."

Don the gown

Wrist band

HR in the 130's

Surgery Prep

Yesterday we had our surgery prep appointment and got to meet the OB who will be taking a look at my insides! We weren't too impressed with the clinic she works at, but she was very nice and a lot younger than I thought she was going to be! My family doctor had already filled her in about everything and it was so nice to have her already know the whole situation. I, of course, went with my list of 20 questions to ask her and she ended up addressing most of them without me even asking. The biggest and most important question that I had was, "Do you think I am making the right decision by electing a c-section instead of continuing to strive for my VBAC goal?" I didn't even have to ask because within five minutes of meeting her, she said, "I think that you are doing the right thing in your case by having a c-section." I praised her for putting me more at peace with the decision!

One other thing that I was very concerned about was breastfeeding. I was so sure that if I didn't let myself labor for a while before the c-section, that I wouldn't be able to breastfeed because I wouldn't have all the right hormones running through my system to get that started. However, she assured me that breastfeeding has nothing to do with laboring, but it has everything to do with the delivery of the placenta. So, as they deliver my placenta via c-section also, hopefully my body will start producing the hormones needed to breastfeed. The only problem being that I can only take one quick glance at Skogen when he arrives, and then I will be stitched (or stapled!) up and whisked away to recovery for at least an hour (until the spinal wears off). I will be able to hold him for the first time after I leave recovery and so I will try to feed him then too. She said that it may take a little longer for my milk to come in, but I am convinced that it can't be as bad as it started out with trying to feed Maida, so we should be good. I'm sad that I will be missing out on that early bonding time, but again, I tell myself that it can't be as bad as Maida's situation when she was first born, so we should be alright. Erik is planning on going with Skogen while I'm in recovery and helping give him his first bath! I know that Erik will have some good bonding time with his son during these rare first moments. I have instructed Erik to take off his shirt and hold Skogen on his bare skin, what is commonly called "kangaroo care" but Erik felt a little odd about doing that. I hope he does, though.

I really feel like God has been blessing us lately through giving me very intense and strong contractions! It's a funny thing to be thankful for, but I truly believe that the contractions help prepare the baby for his exit. These contractions aren't regular (as in coming in regular time intervals) but they are very strong and intense. We went out on a date last night to Timberlodge Steak House (compliments of a family from church) and all during dinner my belly kept contracting, making it difficult to eat! However, I still managed to stuff down a 7 ounce steak, a pan-fried walleye, garlic mashed potatoes, a few pieces of bread, and a free piece of dessert they gave me because I'm having a baby soon! Anyway, I'm thankful for the contractions I'm having and I hope that they keep coming!

We also made a trip to the hospital last night to see Megan and Dave's new baby! He was born on Sunday night (with a very short labor and delivery... I'm so jealous!!!). Maida loved him right away and enjoyed holding his little hand. We used it as a good opportunity to show Maida what it will be like to have Skogen. We are delivering at the same hospital, so we showed Maida the room and got her familiar with the environment too. We couldn't have asked for better timing!

We'll keep you all updated on Skogen's arrival and all of that good stuff as the time approaches. One thing I forgot to mention above is that my belly is measuring 41 cm, which is supposed to correlate with how many weeks pregnant you are. So my belly is as big as it should be if I was a week over due!!! I must have a big baby in there. :) Thanks again for the encouragement and prayers. I feel so much more at peace about our decision.

Five things your partner should never say to you when you're pregnant...
• "Mooooo!"
• "Ouch — a paper cut. I wonder if this is what labor feels like."
• "Is that a watermelon under your shirt or are you just glad to see me?"
• "My father called again to ask about your cervix."
• "Is that your underwear or did a parachute land on your butt?"

(www.babycenter.com)

Reflecting and Preparing

Just as time has flown by over the last 20 months (making me a mom to an almost two-year-old!!!) time has especially flown by over the past nine months, as I have carried this small little bean, who is now a full grown baby. As I prepare to deliver him, I reflect back on how much I've changed and how much I've grown (and I'm not just talking my belly!!!) . Dreaming and planning for one thing, and accepting another is not the last lesson I'll learn on this journey either, I'm sure. However, as this next week approaches, I pray that we are making the right decision by going for a c-section. I have never felt more happy and sad about something in my entire life. I am trying to convince myself that this is just how my body has to have babies, but as a good friend just emailed to say that she went into labor and is in the hospital, awaiting their arrival, I can't help but be jealous of her and all the other women who get that experience, resentful of my first birth experience, and mournful of what is to come because I have no chance of my dream birth. It is at this point when I am so thankful for my church family this morning and all the women who talked with me about our decision. It was so great to talk to numerous women who have been in my same boat and to get their encouragement and advice. They reminded me, in the midst of tears, to focus on the end result: a healthy baby. The women of the church also told us that they will be bringing us meals the first week after Skogen is here and they want to have a baby shower for me too! What a blessing!

This weekend while my mom was here, we did a lot of preparing Maida for my disappearance when Skogen comes. In response, she has turned into the most clingy toddler I have ever seen! No one else can hardly even look at her!!! I hear this is normal and I also hear that she'll be fine while I'm away. However, I have to say that it does add to the stress of having a baby. Erik has done an awesome job stepping up as a dad, even to the point of making us dinner last week ! He's an amazing husband too and God has been so good to us!!! We'll keep you updated as Skogen comes...

Big Baby Scharrer

I can't believe we're into the single digits on the baby counter now! WOW!

First of all, sorry I am just now updating. You will notice that it's about 3:00 in the morning, but this is really the only computer time that I get lately. I can't sleep because of the carpal tunnel, so instead I sneak into Erik's office and get on his computer!! Which usually works out perfect since he's fast asleep and isn't needing his computer to study.

The ultrasound went well. It is always fun seeing the little guy inside me, all scrunched up and loving his life (at least it appears that way!). The first thing the ultrasound tech said was, "Holy cow, he's got hair!!!" followed by, "Does anyone in your family have curly hair? Cause it looks curly!" After getting to be a model for the hospital's new 4D ultrasound probe (I think that's what they called it) and a training team, which was AWESOME to see, we finally got to calculating baby's weight: 8 pounds 3 ounces. The tech doing the ultrasound told me that she tracks most of her babies when she does ultrasounds at this stage for weight and she's only ever been off a couple of ounces.

My family doctor called me right after the ultrasound to talk. We set up a tentative plan for a c-section, after discussing and ruling out other options. Then it was a long afternoon of talking with Erik about the decisions, two different OB's that we were considering for the surgery, and an OB nurse about the surgery prep. Needless to say, I didn't get around to making computer time or calling very many people to update them. Sorry!

I am very happy with our decision and know that it is still in God's hands because as soon as I got home from the ultrasound, I started having really intense contractions! They lasted every ten minutes all day until evening when I got in the shower. Erik went to the store and got some really spicy salsa and some fresh pineapple that we ate before bed, hoping to further this progression on. The ultrasound tech told me that it appeared Skogen's head was now dropped, so that's a positive thing too. My mom came to town today to help me prepare for the little one and run last minute errands, so tomorrow we plan to walk the mall and maybe that will bring on some more contractions! I plan to try for a natural/vaginal delivery if I go into labor this weekend. If I end up in a c-section, I won't be too disappointed since that's where we're headed soon anyway.

Thank you for the prayers. I couldn't be more thankful for all the comments, emails, and phone calls that I've received recently. You all are so much encouragement to me! THANK YOU!

It is 4:41 in the morning and I could put her in bed, but this could be the last night that I sit here cuddling my first baby through the night without any other distractions or children to attend to.

Maida has never required a lot of holding at night. Even when she was a baby, she would have rather slept in her own bed than in some one's arms at night. However, there were those rare instances when she would wake up, cry, and need some cuddling. Since Erik has always either been working or in school (or impossible to get up!) I have always been the one to wake up with Maida at night.

I remember holding her while she slept as an infant, she fit perfectly on my lap when I crossed my legs pretzel-style and I was still able to do my computer work, read a book, or give another go at knitting, all while she slept peacefully on my legs. I remember glancing down at her periodically, thinking she was so beautiful, and while feeling her belly rise and fall with each of her breaths, or listening to her little baby snore (which I loved!), I did not realize how fast she would grow up. Tonight was one of those rare nights (that Maida still has sometimes), and she woke up at 4:00. Now, though, instead of her crying until I come to her bedside to pick her up, she gets out of her bed herself, walks out to mine, and says, "Mama?!" Oh where or where did my little baby go?!

So as I write this, Maida is snuggled up on my lap, just like old times. She doesn't fit so perfectly on my legs anymore, even though they are crossed the same way (which means I'm typing this whole thing with one hand!), but she fits so perfectly in my heart. And as I gaze down at her, I still see her beauty and thank God for giving her to me. I never knew that I could love anyone this much. She truly is my little princess.

Mommy and Maida taking a nap - 1 month old

On a much different note, I have an ultrasound today at 11:30. I am a bit nervous as this ultrasound could be the turning point in my pregnancy, a diversion to the dream-filled plan I have had over the past nine months. I have spent the last couple days preparing myself emotionally for a c-section, if that is what this comes to, and [I think] I'm ready to hear the news. I have made the personal decision (with the support of Erik) that if Skogen measures 7 pounds 13 ounces or less today at the ultrasound, I will go for the VBAC, as long as it is before my due date. If Skogen weighs 7 pounds 14 ounces or more, I will choose (knowing that I gave my best effort) to have a c-section. These are the "guidelines" that I have come up with for myself through reading the research on VBACs, talking with my doctors, and taking my own thoughts and wants into consideration. I realize that these guidelines may be a bit risky, but what's the worst that could happen if I try a VBAC? I end up with another c-section, which I would have ended up with anyway, right?!! Honestly, I know that God knows the desires of my heart and has this whole thing planned out already. I'm confident that He has heard my prayers for a healthy birth and baby, which is the most important thing, and I will be happy with however He decides to bring 0ur son into this world.

Think of me at 11:30 today! I'm sure I'll be chanting "7/13! 7/13! 7/13!" all the way to the ultrasound. We'll keep you posted...

38 Week Update

Kara still doesn't have a computer, so I'm updating the blog for her. This is an email that Kara sent to a few people and I thought it was good blog fodder, so here it is:

Hi everyone! I'm just writing to update you all on the babe! Today was my 38 week doctor appointment. Here's what we found out...

My belly is measuring 39 weeks. However, I am not dilating or effacing at all. I'm not even thinning out a little bit and and Skogen's head seems to be rotating around sideways (into a more transverse position) instead of starting to drop down. At this point in the pregnancy with Maida, she had dropped and I was already effaced 60% and dilated to two. Our doctor figured Skogen would be a little later than Maida at progressing, since it's my second pregnancy, but she is concerned about my cervix not thinning at all yet and had suspected last week that at least something would be started by now. I also didn't gain any weight since last week, which I thought was great(!), but it could mean the baby isn't gaining weight either, and for that to happen at this time in the pregnancy isn't very common as I guess they usually gain and gain and gain the last couple weeks. This, I guess, could mean then that he is actually, literally, running out of room.

Since Skogen hasn't dropped (which would give him a little bit more room) he is crammed into my belly like you wouldn't believe! The reason why his head is rotating to the side is because he's having to turn sideways to get more room. His head is jammed into my left hip and his butt is under my ribs on the right side. His legs are stretched out to my right side, sometimes feeling like they are going to touch my spine because they are so long!! Our doctor isn't able to feel and determine his size because she can't grab onto Skogen's butt as it's under my ribs. So, she has scheduled another ultrasound for this Friday to try and get a better guess at how big Skogen is. She advised that if they find that Skogen is measuring 7 pounds or more, she would do a c-section if it was her baby. Our OB (a different doctor) said previously that if Skogen was much bigger than Maida was at birth (8 pounds 3 ounces) that he would schedule a c-section.

The way that my family doc put it today was that maybe my pelvis just isn't able to deliver the size of babies that I'm carrying and since Maida had dropped so early, she dropped and then gained weight, making her get wedged in there, not able to be delivered (...leading to a very long, dramatic, nightmare of a birth). Our doctor said that she thinks Skogen, as most second babies, probably would have dropped later in the pregnancy, but is already too big to fit into my pelvis. The fact that I've already had a c-section makes my chances of a uterine rupture greater, especially with a bigger baby and my chances of needing a hysterectomy if something goes wrong with the VBAC (like Skogen getting stuck just like Maida did). Most doctors, in the research that I've found, won't recommend VBACs for babies that are predicted to be 8 pounds 13 ounces or over and will rethink that weight if the previous baby got stuck at a lesser weight... ugh, why can't I have smaller babies?!!

I'm really anxious for the ultrasound on Friday and I have a lot of questions and concerns to work out internally. I have spent the last nine months reading, researching, and digging up every piece of information I can get on elective c-sections and vaginal births after c-sections. I have planned for this vaginal delivery, visualized this delivery, prayed and meditated over it and dreamed of the day when I could overcome my fears of our first birth. However, I now have two doctors presenting the same bit of advice to me and since they know the situation right here, right now, and they are the experts, I know I have to trust them.

I will update you guys on Friday after we figure out how big this babe really is and then after Erik and I make our decisions about our birth, we'll keep you in the loop with that too. (Erik is a little more attached to a vaginal birth than I am, if you can believe that!? So I actually will have to convince myself and then convince Erik, if a c-section is needed.)

~ Kara :)

p.s. Sorry if there are spelling or grammatical errors. I'm stealing time on Erik's computer and he's rushing me, which means I can't go back and re-read what I wrote. I hope it all makes sense!

Carly

_____I hear the term "terrible twos" quite often, and even more often I hear mothers say, "Oh, but it wasn't the twos that were bad... it was the threes!" Hearing both of these things scares me. Maida is now 20 months old, well into her "ones," and it's bad. By bad, I mean, she is the most emotionally aggressive, most stubborn, self-centered one-year-old going on fifteen that I have ever seen. We are totally at a loss of what to do with her sometimes. Her two favorite words are "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" and "MIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!!!" and she says them with either a push or a hit to accompany. She will fight with anyone, of any age, that will fight with her (including Barkley!), which brings me to our next concern.

_____Maida has recently created an imaginary friend! Her name is Carly and I think that she's from the Nickelodeon "iCarly" TV show that Maida has seen a few times (which happens to be a show for teens, not tots!). Maida will talk to Carly all day long and also yell and fight with her! Erik isn't convinced that she actually has an imaginary friend, though, rather that she is aggressive with the ways she plays with her toys and pretends that they are fighting. It's funny at first, that she is fighting with an imaginary person, but the more she does it, the more we have realized that this just might not be a good thing - both the imaginary friend (who she's obsessed with) and the fighting!

_____Luckily, Erik has been able to spend the last three weeks witnessing our sweet little girl's behavior (like the time she started strangling one of her friends) and now we've been trying to put our heads together to come up with some sort of plan. We've talked to some child development "experts" and gotten their opinion. All we keep hearing is that it's probably a stage and that there are reasons why she is going through this, the obvious being that she senses the changes coming with the new baby. Children develop their thoughts and feelings earlier than the speech to communicate those feelings, so that may play a part in her getting frustrated when she doesn't have the words to say what she wants. Maida is, at the same time, very ahead of her age group in other areas, which makes it hard to deal with the whole speech thing too, I'm sure, as she just wants to keep up with everyone else, including the older kids she plays with occasionally. We have been told, too, that we have too high of expectations for Maida at this age (is that a first child thing?).

_____Anyway, regardless of what we've heard or tried to come up with, I'm interested in hearing from anyone who has advice! Do your kids have imaginary friends? Is this a good thing/bad thing? Did you notice your children going through certain "stages" like the one Maida seems to be in when there were big changes about to take place? We love and treasure Maida so much and know that she'll turn out okay in the end, but we don't want that to be an excuse for lazy parenting and want to know that we are doing everything we can to be good parents right now. This parenting stuff sure is an adventure, isn't it? Never a dull moment, as when you get out of one stage, you enter right into another.

_____And here are just a few random pictures to wrap up with...

In Daddy's house shoes

Playing with Daddy's headlamp

Momma Kinks bowling with Wii Sports!

Pregnancy Update (and a bit of complaining!)

A few weeks ago we had our last ultrasound to determine if Skogen was still breech. Prayers were answered and it was then that we found out that he has flipped and is not head down. We also found out that he was about six pounds and eleven ounces (give or take a pound) and has a lot of hair! Since the ultrasound, I have been busily preparing for a natural delivery, ruling out a repeat c-section all together since his positioning was right on. However, in the last week I have developed some sort of pregnancy induced carpal tunnel syndrome, which seems to really be affecting my pregnancy and the decisions that lie ahead.

Natural birth, for many different reasons has been my number one priority this pregnancy. After my c-section with Maida, I was determined to never have to go through that again. I have researched repeat c-sections and I know specifically why they are more risky than VBACs (vaginal birth after c-section). I know that a VBAC would be not only healthier for me, but for Skogen as well. As I flip through the statistics, while also examining my own personal dreams of having a natural birth, I can’t ignore the pain of the carpal tunnel syndrome and I’m second guessing my decision for a natural childbirth.

The pain is so great in my hands, especially at night, that I feel like if I just call up and schedule a c-section for next week, I will know for sure that I only have a few more days to endure the pain (supposedly, the carpal tunnel syndrome goes away after you give birth). At this point, we have no idea when Skogen could come. It could be today, or it could be in four or five weeks! I just don’t know how long I can stand this pain. It’s the kind of pain that makes me crazy. Not only is there pain, but there is tingling and numbness, making it very difficult to do anything around the house, even simple things like brush my teeth or feed myself breakfast. It’s the kind of pain that I can’t get away from. I can’t pop a pain killer and expect it to go away. I’ve tried everything from hot packs, cold packs, dangling my arms while I sleep, propping my arms up while I sleep, sitting up while sleeping, bracing my wrists, massage, cold baths, warm baths, to increasing fluid intake… nothing takes this pain away. It is also the type of pain I can’t sleep through. I’ve been getting about three hours of sleep a night for the past five days, and that’s three hours of waking up every half hour to shift positions and try to get my hands comfortable again. This pain is also affecting all the “nesting” that I want to get done. I have this deep need for everything to be perfect when Skogen comes. I have a strong desire to clean and organize like crazy until he arrives, but with my hands this way, I can’t do any of it. I’m really wondering where I should go from here.

Have any of you had this carpal tunnel syndrome while you were pregnant? What did you do for it? Did it effect your birth (for example, I can’t imagine pushing a baby out on my hands and knees if my wrists are this sore)? For those of you who have chose to have repeat c-sections (for whatever reason) or had to have a repeat c-section (no choice), was it easier than the first? Did you get to hold and snuggle and breastfeed your baby in recovery? Do any of you have any tricks on how to get the baby to drop and labor to start naturally? With Maida I walked a whole lot and ate pineapple, which I have always thought started my labor -Ha! I would be totally comfortable waiting until Skogen’s due date, or after, for him to come, but it’s just this darn carpal tunnel that is killing me! I can’t imagine being in this much pain for two, three, four more weeks. I see our doctor next week again and so until then I look forward to any advice (or encouragement!) that any of you have. I’ll continue to take one day at a time and we’ll see what happens…

Christmas 2008

We had an A W E S O M E Christmas! I was especially thankful for the time we got with our nieces and nephews, getting to know them better. They change and grow so quickly and when we only see them once a year, we can really see the changes. Our oldest is 25 and our youngest is six, so we have quite the age range, but that never matters when we play games or have good old family time.

There are a lot of things that go into making the Kinkel family Christmas so special , but here are a few of my favorites...

1. Sled Cam - this HAS to be the BEST thing about Christmas. Our entire family looks forward to sled cam every year. Sled cam is when we all go out to the sledding hill (that's right - everyone participates, even the "big kids"!). We make a human train, everyone piling on the sleds and tubes that we have, hooking together with arms and legs. The person in the front of the train (usually my nephew Darin) rides backwards with a video camera, videoing us as we go down the hill. The point of sled cam is to try to all make it, train in tack and all, all the way to the bottom of the hill, which is very hard to do. It's actually pretty brutal, we usually end up with a couple injuries, and the best part is watching the movies when we get back home, especially all the big crashes in slow motion! These videos are so hilarious. In fact, we usually take a good hour or two over Christmas break to watch all the old sled cam videos from years ago. It is so much fun! I was not able to participate on the hill this year, because of obvious reasons(!), but I really enjoyed watching the videos they made and laughing at all of them as they complained of their soreness and injuries all week long!
2. Mom's Christmas cookies - my mom always makes the BEST Christmas cookies! This year Erik was eating some of her frosted sugar cookies and said, "Why do I like these so much? Is it the cookie or the frosting that I like?" I have always wondered the same thing! Why are they so addicting?!!!
3. Christmas Eve (opening presents) - we always open presents from the family on Christmas Eve. I love how we go in order from youngest to oldest. No body seems to be in a hurry to open and we all watch everyone else open up the gifts, taking turns until everyone is out of presents. It's so fun to see what everyone else gets.
4. Christmas Day game night - on Christmas Day night when everyone is finished with their own family Christmases, we have always had my cousins and aunts and uncles over to play games. This is usually a very competitive night, always consisting of some sort of boys vs. girls game and it seems like I never want it to end. This year the Wii was a big hit, along with Balderdash, Cranium, Hand and Foot, and Catchphrase.
5. Punch - on Christmas Day my mom has always made punch in her big crystal punch bowl. This was the only day of the year that I ever got punch when I was a kid, and we still have it on Christmas! It's soooo yummy and goes great with all of the Christmas cookies.

It seems like each Holiday just keeps getting more fun and more fun with Maida. She really enjoyed opening presents this year and being with the family. I wish I could have had a video camera on 24/7 to capture her true spirit over the holidays. It was a very magical time. Erik and I look forward to many more years of Christmas with our children.

Here are the pictures from the week: http://scharrerfamily.shutterfly.com/
And here's a video of Maida looking for her presents from Santa on Christmas morning:

Scharrer-side Christmas

We opened presents from Erik's family in Oklahoma yesterday morning. We woke Maida up early before church, so not only were we all in our pajamas and Maida's hair was the true definition of "bed head," but Maida was very crabby and groggy and really didn't appear to enjoy her presents until we got home from church later that day when she was more awake!

THANK YOU TO: Nana, Papa, Uncle B, Aunt Karlie, Deda, Mema, Aunt Lola, Uncle Ron, and Jacob for the nice presents.

Here's a little clip of our morning since you couldn't be here with us.

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

We love Minnesota!!!

Today brought us another snow storm, adding more snow to our big piles that we already had! Erik took Maida outside to play for the second time (hoping no more injuries would occur!) and they had a blast! I stepped out just long enough to take some pictures and a video of them sledding on the hill in our front yard. It is supposed to snow and snow until Sunday night, so I'm sure that it will be over Maida's head by the time it's done. We feel so blessed to live in such a beautiful country.

... I'm not sure who had more fun playing outside, Erik or Maida?!!!

Potty Training Update #2

Maida is officially potty trained! She has gone four days in big girl panties - even out Christmas shopping, and other fun adventures - and no accidents! We are so proud of her. She still wears a diaper at night, but she has been dry for the past two nights, so maybe we won't have to do that anymore after a while. This is a huge blessing, not only to save money on diapers, but to have her all potty trained before Skogen comes. Yay Maida! We won't have two in diapers after all.