I’M DONE WITH DIAPERS! (Soul Food)

We’re talking about Paloma’s new milestone, plus how to eat healthy on the go. Welcome to this week’s Soul Food, our new-ish video series about what feeds us in body, mind, and spirit.

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What milestone did your child recently achieve? How did you feel about it? Share with us in the comments below!

42 Comments

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Debora Jan 16 at 11:38 pm
I started potty training my son today and I feel a bit sad about it… it’s good to know I am not alone in this.
I love your videos!
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Simone Jun 16 at 5:48 pm
Eva cut a tooh… Super baby steps but I get sad each time she does thing new because it means my baby is growing up! It’s obviously food for them to grow but I just don’t want her to grow up too fast! I love being a mom! It’s the best!
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- Simone Jun 16 at 5:49 pm
  Tooth*** 🙈
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Mariska Jun 12 at 10:16 am
My son (9 months old) swallowed a piece of bread for the first time!! Woohoo! We were kind of worrying that maybe BLW was not for our boy (most of the time he gags everything out), but we’ll stick with it 🙂
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Caitlin Jun 10 at 3:40 pm
Levi’s a month or two older than Paloma, and he’s still not sleeping through the night, weaned, or potty trained… I’d like to have those three milestones down by the time #2 comes around (cus I don’t want to be changing diapers with morning sickness!), but at this point, who knows. I am super grateful for this smart and sweet boy of mine… He can say “aluminum,” “territorial,” and “cinnamon,” and we can have conversations about anything… I wouldn’t trade him for the world!
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Amanda Jun 6 at 11:50 pm
Mama Natural, your post was perfectly timed as today was day 4 of potty training my 28 mo old daughter! So far she’s pooped on the potty and I’ve cleaned up ALOT of pee messes off our tile floor, but I’m not sure she’s getting it or if I’m doing it right. I’m going to try the box of toys idea and watch your other video. Thank you for your post(s), you are a great inspiration for this urban granola mama!
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- Genevieve Jun 8 at 10:10 am
  Oh good! So glad this post was helpful, Amanda. Love that you’re a urban granola mama. Xoxo. And have fun with it 🙂 Potty training doesn’t have to be a drag.
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Monica Jun 5 at 12:41 pm
My second daughter potty trained in February at 21 months. She made it so easy on us, as did our first daughter. I am 39 weeks pregnant with a boy and I am going to do more EC. I did it some with my daughters, not knowing it was an actual ‘thing,’ and they both trained early. My oldest actually stayed dry all night from the time she was born! I am enjoying your video series.
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Lisabeth Jun 4 at 6:32 pm
My recently turned 3 yr old boy just potty trained in 3 days, I can’t even believe it, I sound like that online commercial! I was amazed we did it so quick and I thought I was silly for being sad, but I am not alone! Wow! He’s our one and only and I felt sad because this was just another baby phase ending. But to see how proud he is of himself, is priceless. We potty trained with little prizes like you! Most importantly I made sure we had NO daytime diapers in the house or anywhere to fall back on. We were going to DO THIS. We had lots of communication about using the potty and the feelings you get before you have to go. And he was determined! We stayed in for 3 days and on the 4th day he told me he wanted to go to the park. We went and he stayed dry! We visited family in Chgo with a 2.5 hour car ride the following weekend and he had no accidents the whole ride and weekend! I believe you have to show tons of support, stay positive, and BE CONFIDENT and that will spill over! Now… to 86 the nighttime diaper… any tips?
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Jill Jun 3 at 10:44 pm
Most recent milestone was preschool graduation! So excited to see where life will take him next!
I totally understand you on the grief aspect! At 26 months my son weaned, potty trained, climbed out of the crib and stopped napping. It was a huge jump from babyhood to toddlerhood and I mourned the loss of the baby stage. There was an adjustment period, of accepting our relationship had changed and our identities were separating, but also such joy to see him thriving and turning into a little boy.
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Hippie Mama Pea Jun 3 at 3:10 pm
Our daughter is just finishing up potty training. We haven’t ventured out of the house yet, but we will next week.
She just turned 3 a little over a week ago.
We just let her run around naked. Adding pants in, has been more difficult. But she’s doing so well!
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- Genevieve Jun 4 at 7:06 pm
  Awesome!!!!
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Michelle Duncan Jun 3 at 2:48 pm
My 3rd is a little girl (after two boys), I just potty trained her (she turned in April) and I can’t believe how quickly she caught on! She sounds a lot like your little girl. She watched her brother’s go at bedtime and would sit on her little seat and had gone on her own a couple times. She had great control. Only a few accidents. She even wakes at night sometimes and wants to go potty! I’m amazed! Now I have a diaper free season until our next is born in early December!
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- Genevieve Jun 4 at 7:20 pm
  Enjoy the diaper free zone! It’s nice to have that before a new one arrives 🙂 And I’m super impressed that she wakes up to pee in the night! Bravo, little one!
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Veronica Jun 3 at 1:09 pm
I’m 20 weeks prego with my second and I have been watching all of your videos. I think they are great and look forward to your pregnancy updates every week! While watching your videos, though, I always wonder what make up you use. I love your lip color especially! Do you mind sharing what make up you use?
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Helen M. Jun 3 at 1:31 am
I’ve just purchased a ticket for my 13 yo son to fly on his own all the way from US to Ukraine. This is super scary for me, but also super exciting as it will be his first ever time away from us for more than 2 days. (He’s going to be spoiled rotten by his grandparents.)
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- Genevieve Jun 4 at 7:06 pm
  Oh my word!!!!! What an adventure for him 🙂 Hard for mama but good for him. Xo!
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Kathryn Jun 2 at 9:21 pm
My son is just a few days older than Paloma (started following your pregnancy vlog and then postpartum series and was going through all those milestones right along with you!)… He, too, potty trained within the last month. I was surprised at how easy it went. He has a 7 month old baby brother who we are still diapering though so I suppose I felt more relief about him potty training than grief! I, too, want to keep both of them in cribs as long as possible!!! ☺️ Btw- Off topic- we ended up going to Costa Rica on our family vacation earlier this year and staying at the coffee plantation per your recommendation. It was fantastic!!! (And my toddler accidentally broke the wooden carved naked lady coffee table. 😩😂 There went our deposit! Thankfully nobody was hurt and they were super kind about it and the glass was easily replaced.) Thank you for this new series! I was missing these shows with a more personal touch.
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- Genevieve Jun 4 at 7:19 pm
  OH MY GOODNESS!!!! You stayed there?!?!?!?! The owners are super nice, aren’t they? Did you play with Estella (that big dog)? That table was very beautiful and artistic but could totally see how it would break 🙁 Aw, well. No one was hurt, like you said. Thanks so much for being here 🙂 Xo
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shantprem Jun 2 at 9:06 pm
My baby is 6.5 months, and every day she is practicing new stuff. A couple days ago she learn to stand up holding a couch! She is so tiny and cute, and watching her shaking legs and little fingers grabbing a couch, with eyes full of awe and excitement, is just so special.In these moments all i want in my life is her happiness. I wanna wish her to keep that hunger for life, enthusiasm, eagerness and most open and beautiful smile throughout her life.And honestly, it makes me sad as well that she grows so fast and soon, i day, will not look at me the same most sencere way she does now. 🙁
And also, we started baby-led weaning a few days ago, and it touches my heart how she experiments with food for the 1st times in her life. Never would i think that mothering is so deep and interesting, and fun!
Thank u again for ur most useful advice, research and great video!
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- Genevieve Jun 4 at 7:18 pm
  “Never would i think that mothering is so deep and interesting, and fun!” BINGO! You’re children are blessed that you view parenthood this way 🙂 Enjoy the BLW fun! Xoxo
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erickajen Jun 2 at 4:48 pm
my little girlie is gonna be 3 in just 3 weeks ish, and shes not potty trained yet- but thats mostly because we had another baby in feb, and i was NOT, i repeat NOT going to go through all that with a new baby when i didnt know how i was going ot feel and all that.
despite my plan to ignore it, she wants to on more than one occasion during the day, and probably would do it more if she werent in a diaper. so once it actually warms up here in minnesota, shes gonna be doing a little nakie time (we are SUPER rural, so no worries) and get her some big girl panties. her cousin 3 months older is trained so she already talks about that too. i think she will probably finish this up by end of summer even if we are lazy about it. 😛 and with another baby in the cloth, ill just start swapping some of the more girlie ones for boy ones and just continue on…. lol
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Elizabeth O. Jun 2 at 4:36 pm
Milestone madness. MamaNatural- I don’t know if I’ve ever commented, but I’ve followed your blog since my oldest (now 4.5) was born. I LOVE so much about your blog (your videos!), your faves, glimpses of your faith, your healthy insights and wealth of information. And today I completely echoed your grief at “the end of diapers”. My youngest is 2.5, and just like Paloma, she modeled her big sis and potty training has been surprisingly easy. And just like that- we’re almost out of diapers! She tells us exactly how she feels, is incredibly independent, and it is crazy. I never use my stroller! She has to walk. My own identity is shifting, and it took me a bit by surprise. So thank you. Thank you for your honesty and for the permission to grieve these little milestones as we celebrate others.
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- Genevieve Jun 4 at 7:07 pm
  Awwwww…. so glad to hear that I’m not alone. I so hear you, Elizabeth!!!! And I had to laugh because Paloma hates the stroller too 🙁 We will survive… onto new chapters of parenthood. Xo
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Oryann Jun 2 at 2:05 pm
Erin is almost and a half. She’s two months younger than Paloma and she’s been potty trained for three weeks now. I can’t believe how fast and esay it went. I think she had maybe 3 accidents the first day and then maybe two more overall and she was like “Ok Mama, I’m done with the diapers !”
I am so proud of her but also so saaad. Because, we just started cloth diapering and it is just so weird to see her walking around in her panties.
It’s kind of hard to admit that your baby is no longer a baby per say and to let go even if we enjoy the growing-up part ^^
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- Genevieve Jun 4 at 7:17 pm
  Exactly!!!! Bittersweet is the best way I know how to describe it 🙂
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Tellerspoint Jun 2 at 12:58 pm
I resonate with the mama above whose son just turned 10. First of all, happy birthday to your precious boy! My son is on the cusp of 10, as well. July 12th. I cannot believe this is happening. I am in shock, happy, sad, all of it. I often reflect on 10 years ago and now. How is it that he is leaving his single digit days forever? Of course, he can’t wait. I want Life to s-l-o-w down. Didn’t I just give birth? Wasn’t I just nursing him?
His most recent milestone: independence in the neighborhood. We’ve been letting out the leash little by little such as riding his bike around the block, selling his cub scout popcorn in the ‘hood by himself within parameters or going to a friend’s house a couple of blocks away. We seem to be a little behind the curve and a bit more cautious than our parent peers. We’re also a bunch older than them, or it seems that way which may have something to do with it. I’m 49. Anyway, the other day one kid after another came to our door asking if our son could come out to play. He was in and out all day with them, roaming the streets with his 4th grade buddies, looking for fun. Out! In the neighborhood! Away from us and our sight-for 2 hours! and then it happened again this past wknd. We let him know that when he lands at a friend’s house he asks the parent to text us that he’s there, and when he leaves. We do the same for the kids who land here.
It’s been an independence explosion with his “gang”. It’s something I’ve dreamed of for him, strange and new as it is for his parents. We feel a little weird and yet we know it’s good for our trust in him-and for him to see it and rise to that. This is building his trust in himself.
There is grief in the letting go. I understand completely. He is our only child and this is our one experience. We are being in the moment as best as we can.
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- Tellerspoint Jun 3 at 7:27 am
  New milestone fresh from the tap: I just let my baby walk to school by himself for the first time today. We had gone a couple of blocks and he asked. I hesitated but I knew the time was right. He’s so happy. I’m crying.
  It’s been on my mind but I just hadn’t gotten there to act. I got the go signal and I had to listen to it. It felt right. There was no good reason I had to not let him go.
  And speaking of identity changes in motherhood and milestones I am full on in the process of menopause. Back in September it hit me like a ton of bricks. No more child-bearing years. I wasn’t planning on any more but the end of it, something I had no choice in, something I had generally accepted and was fine with, was a different story when I found myself in it. My cycle had been with me since I was 12, most of my life! Just a given, a known, a part of me. Being in the moment with this period (hah) of my life that I didn’t even know I had so strongly identified with until I began to lose it was, along with being surprised by the accompanying feelings of loss of youth, beauty such as it is, attractiveness etc. stopped me in my tracks. I was utterly unprepared for how I felt. Until then, I had only considered the abstract concept and intellectual knowledge of the end of my cycle-with some closure feelings but nothing like this.
  So, sisters, when you find yourself approaching this part of the road be gentle with yourself as you may be incredibly surprised at the depth of feeling when this change comes along, no matter what your relationship to your cycle may be.
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  - Genevieve Jun 4 at 7:11 pm
    I love, love, love your reflections. First off, what a gift you are giving your son. Being free to roam around with my neighborhood friends are some of my sweetest memories! Sounds like you’re doing a great balance of freedom with boundaries.
    And with the menopause thing, I can so relate. Not nursing anymore, probably not having any more kids, it all is so final and I do feel like I’m going out of my “childbearing” years and it brings up so much… mortality, aging, loss of beauty, youth, on and on. So I hear you! Awareness is key. (Instead of having a midlife crisis and making crazy choices 😉 You’re not alone. Xoxo
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MadSamandTofu Jun 2 at 12:42 pm
Mashallah. ((Literal translation: God has made it happen, Used: For anything you see that is a beautiful or special as a way of not putting “The evil eye” (jealousy/envy/etc) on it.)) Mashallah you have a beautiful family. And your blog/vlog has been such a blessing for me. We just added baby #2 to the family (literally 4days ago!) and I’m going back to rewatch all your videos after Miss Polomas birth for help adjusting to a two kid household. It’s bittersweet. On the plus side, thanks to your blogs about EC and cloth diapers my 2.5year old (Boy!) is also potty trained. Yesterday we were out running errands and he actually “asked” to go potty for the first time, then held it and used the facilities properly. I was amazed but also a little sad. He’s growing up so fast, and now with his brother….. :_(
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- Genevieve Jun 4 at 7:16 pm
  CONGRATULATIONS for your new baby! What a gift 🙂 And yay for an older one who is potty trained. It will make your life much easier with baby in tow 🙂
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Jennifer Jun 2 at 12:12 pm
My youngest/last just finished preschool and is heading to kindergarten in the fall! So so sad. I get sad at every milestone. Bittersweet. I am really enjoying the more food based videos since we are done being pregnant and having infants. Keep it up!
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- Kacy Jun 2 at 6:02 pm
  Ditto what Jennifer said, every word of it! lol My two are finishing preschool in a few days. They still wear diapers at night, so I get to see their cute little butts, but they remind me all the time that it won’t be for long. Sniffle.
  Awesome ray. Thanks papanatural for the video. We don’t see that every day here in CT!
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- Genevieve Jun 4 at 7:12 pm
  Oh good! I love sharing food stuff 🙂 🙂 🙂 And Griff graduated from Pre-K with a gown and all. SNIFF! Onto Kindergarten this fall… changes, changes, changes… Not easy but so the process of life!
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Grammy Rose Jun 2 at 12:00 pm
Dear sweet Genevieve!!! Wait until they’ve graduated elementary, then middle, then high school. Then they actually leave home!!! It’s all an adjustment. And it’s HARD! Thankfully, we have a God who comforts us through the process. And we get the joy of watching them figure out who they are and how they will impact the world around them. Just know, you are not alone in your grief. It is a process. Just lean into God. Luckily, they are not all giant steps at once!
I’m really enjoying the Soul Food videos!
Love, Grammy Rose
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- Genevieve Jun 4 at 7:14 pm
  Thanks so much for your wisdom Grammy Rose! And for being here. We need all the voices chiming in! And you’re absolutely right… thankfully, things go in stages so we have some time to adjust, thank God! He is the great Comforter. So grateful for His healing Presence! Xoxo
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Rebecca Jun 2 at 11:54 am
My baby boy is only 10 months old, but I already experience those bittersweet moments. Children are such a blessing.
That ray was so cool!
Do you guys like Florida now?
I love to visit, but I don’t know if I could live there. I actually live just outside of Asheville, NC which I know you guys visited and considered. It has it’s good and bad points, but lots of fresh local food! And it’s home 🙂
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- Genevieve Jun 4 at 7:15 pm
  Yes, we live in Northwest Florida now and love it. Asheville is a great town for sure! UH-MAZING food scene!
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Christy Jun 2 at 11:52 am
We’ve got milestones all around. My youngest is 4 and is so excited to swing all by herself and do anything she can to help around the house. I have a rising 8th grader who just learned a new sport, a rising 10th grader who just completed her first year of high school with all As, and a rising Senior (!!!!) who also did great in a new school this year and was selected to attend a USMC engineering camp this summer. Surreal!
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- Genevieve Jun 4 at 7:14 pm
  Wow, wow, wow! What a great troop of kids you have, Christy! Way to go!
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Leanne Jun 2 at 9:49 am
Todays milestone…sigh, sniff, cry, sigh, smile, burst buttons with pride (and a whole lot of other emotions!). My oldest son turns 10 today. I have a child that is a decade old! He and I went for a walk last night and I was reminiscent about the night, 10 years ago, when I went for a walk, made it 2 blocks and sent my husband back for the car because I just couldn’t do it! Now I look at my boy and he is only a couple inches shorter than I am (ok, I am only 5 feet tall, but still he is 10)! I am blessed by him in so many ways, but also filled with so many intense emotions. He is not a “little boy” anymore. He is just….so wonderful. Cry, sniff, smile…pray.
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- Genevieve Jun 2 at 10:28 am
  Aw, Leanne! So beautiful and hard and awesome. Sounds like you’re raising an wonderful guy. Xoxo!
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