Potty Trained!

Last week I decided to "call it" - we believe little man is officially potty trained!!!  He has had very few accidents during the day lately.  He isn't fully potty trained at night but I'm cool with that.  The fact that he has any dry nights is awesome as far as I'm concerned.  Our big hurdle was pooping on the potty but sometime during mid-August he finally decided on his own to go on the potty, without encouragement or little green army man prize.  Below is my fav potty training pic of little man - an oldie but goodie.  Way to go little man!  :)

Potty Training Elmo

Potty training had a big set back this week due to illness.  But this is a picture from last weekend when little man refused pullups and would only wear "panties".  The Elmo costume is actually size 12-18 mos so he wears it like a shirt.  He just makes me smile!  And I know all of you are SOO jealous of our sweet 50's tile ;)

The Little Man Update

Little man.  Sweet little man.  So far he has shown no interest in potty training.  Some of his friends have already jumped full force into underwear and panties instead of pull ups.  But I had just recently resigned myself that it was going to take us much longer.  And it still will.  However, this weekend little man refused to wear his pullup beginning Saturday morning.  He only wanted his "panties."  Little man still has no inkling as to how to tell he needs to potty.  We have 8 pair of little boy "panties" and he went through every single one of them Saturday and most of them again on Sunday.  And that was even with a timer that at one point was set for every 20 mins because we kept "missing" the timing of his peeing on every inch of the house.  This is going to be an interesting process. . .

In addition to our potty training process, little man is developing more of his personality.  He has figured out that crying every time big sis doesn't let him have his way is a good way of getting her to re-think her action.  Not sure this is a good thing but it is interesting to watch the way they work out the problem after he turns on the water works.  He has to do EVERYTHING his big sis is doing lately.  Little man is also describing his world with more detail in full sentences that surprise us every once in a while.  And yesterday he was thinking into the past and the future - he asked me if he could wear his Elmo costume (worn earlier in the week) to school tomorrow.  These are all small developments but such simple examples of a toddler turning into a little boy. 

Here are some of our latest conversations.  Nothing groundbreaking, but sweet to me. 

In the car Sunday.  Little man and big sis were in the backseat and Disco and I were in the front seat:
Little man:  I tell you a secret mom
Me:  Ok, what is it
Little man:  The BUS!  (not the least bit of a whisper - he yelled it as LOUD as he could, and yes, there was a bus across the intersection from us)

Sunday night after dinner:
Little man:  We get the kitty all zipped up and go outside.
Me:  Are you talking about porch kitty?
Little man:  Yes.  Porch kitty.  We go out the front door pathway.  Not the back pathway.
(who taught this kid pathway???  must be some molecular biology nerds or someone like that . . . )

Pirate Potty

Little man got a new book this week - "Pirate Potty."  We didn't have books about the potty for big sis.  She began serious potty training right after little man was born.  At that time there was so much going on that we didn't even think about purchasing books to aid the process.  But I am now a book believer after little man's reaction - he immediately took his pirate hat and sat on the potty and pee-peed! I don't expect this to be his reaction each time.  But it was a nice start!

Introducing . . . The Pullup

Little man is showing signs of readiness for potty training.  The biggest sign is that he tells us when he needs a diaper change.  RIGHT AFTER he potties.  And he is adamant about it - the diaper needs changing NOW.  Unfortunately when we ask "do you want to sit on the potty?" he says "NO!"  No matter when you ask him. 

The key to big sis' potty training was reinforcement from her daycare teachers and the herd mentality from her daycare pals.  Until little man moves up to the next class at daycare in August we can't make a whole lot of progress at home. This is our first step - on the weekends little man is going to be sporting some Buzz and Woody pullups to practice.  And he is serious about it . . .

Training Day

We made it 2 hours into our "training day" before little man was back in his diaper. This was not our idea to start potty training so early. HE asked for the big boy underwear (like his sister), HE sits on his potty when any of us go to the restroom, HE told us "poop poop" first thing this morning and then promptly sat on his potty and produced this:

So we thought, "wow! maybe it is time to start trying". WRONG. He peed twice without warning and made a HUGE poop in the middle of the kitchen playset. Then he cried and cried while we tried to comfort him about the whole thing (he was either weirded out or just mad because of that wet and mushy mess at his feet).

At any rate, 2 hours and 3 pairs of underwear later we decided his poop in the potty was just a fluke and we will try again another time. :)

Trivia

How many rolls of toilet paper does your toilet bowl hold?

Big Sis showed me today that our toilet bowl holds at least two unrolled rolls of toilet paper.

-Disco

I spoke too soon . . .

Well . . . remind me never to write about little man when we think he has finished potty training. Because apparently when you make anything final THAT is when the disaster of all potty training disasters will occur! Disco and big sis were in the bathroom for at least 30 minutes cleaning the poo snafu that evolved tonight.

Disco was kind enough to provide the screenplay...

BigSis runs into the bathroom. Disco follows a little while later...

Disco: Did you have an accident?

BigSis: Yes

Disco: Oh, you peed on the floor. I'll clean it up. You go wash your hands.

BigSis: (at the sink): There's poop.

Disco: What?

BigSis: I pooped on the floor!

Disco: OK, don't move. I'll get mommy.

K. comes in with Little Man. K. turns around and leaves.

Disco: OK, let me clean you up.

Maggie (the dog): Don't worry, I'll help clean up.

Disco: Maggie, stop that! Get out!

BigSis: I need a bath!

Disco: OK, I'll clean this up. You stand by the bath.

BigSis: Look Daddy!

Disco: Leave the toilet paper alone. You're wasting it.

BigSis: Daddy!

BigSis puts half a roll of toilet paper in the potty and flushes. Disco lunges across the bathroom just in time to stop the toilet from overflowing.

K.: Can you turn the vent on? It's starting to smell out here!

Potty Training . . . Check!

Sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas big sis stopped having accidents during the day. I have no idea the exact timing of it - it just seemed to occur as we carried on with our hectic holiday schedule. So I am going to call it official! There are still moments of surprise for her (like all day yesterday!) but somehow she has figured out how to catch herself so she can reach the potty. Unfortunately, the nighttime training will continue. But with our previous family history I am not surprised and that will just have to run its course - without worry.

Woo hoo for less money on pull-ups!!!!

get NEW PANTS!!!

12 noon Wednesday November 26th

Setting: Gaga's house, Thanksgiving celebration (woo hoo, one day early!!), everyone is scattered in different rooms

Big sis: (very softly) I need to potty

Me: (feeding little man AGAIN) Can someone please help her in the potty?

Disco: I've got it

Big sis: (now in the bathroom) get NEW PANTS!

Disco: What?

Gaga: Does she need something?

Big sis: get NEW PANTS!

Aunt K: (laughing hysterically)

Little man: (smiling)

Big sis: get NEW PANTS!

Me: Sigh (and also smiling, so much for the cute outfit today!)

. . . some days are like that.

Big sis had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. She went through 4 pairs of pants, 6 panties, at least 5 time outs, lost several toys and shed many many tears today. It was one of those days. By the time we got the tears calmed down it was 5:30. I gave her nightly dose of benadryl (maybe it will help dry up the load of snot she accumulated with her fit this afternoon) and then she quietly fell asleep by 5:45 reading books with me. And you all know what a night owl she is - so she was wiped out! It may mean we are up at 5 am but what can you do. Alexander's mom says it best - some days are like that. Even in Australia.