Potty Training: Day 3

Mission accomplished!  We are officially potty trained!  I was prepared for this to take longer than 3 days but it didn't!  She's got this.  Monday we had 30 accidents.  Yesterday we had 7 (including the 2 in her sleep).  Today we had 5, but I'm only counting 1 of those because one of them was that she woke up wet, and 3 of them were totally my fault.  She ran to the bathroom and I didn't know she had gone in there so I didn't make it to her in time.  She still needs help with her panties and getting up there, and she was standing right in front of the potty but I was about 2 seconds too late.  The one true accident she had was before 8am and she was standing in her chair at the table, and I really think she just couldn't get down in time.  She also woke up from her nap dry today, and then went in the potty.

We still did a lot of running back and forth to the potty, but today I could relax a little bit more than yesterday because I knew she would at least take off running when she had to go.  She did not wet her panties once on her way to the bathroom today.  She was able to recognize that she needed to go, and run to the bathroom holding it until I could get her on the potty (with the exception of the 3 times I didn't make it in time).  Also, we have had no #2 accidents since Monday morning.  She's got that one down for sure.

She has also figured out that it's a fun little game to yell POTTY and take off running down the hall, only to run into her room and wait for Mommy to show up behind her so she can laugh.  She also will do this and then just stand in the doorway of the bathroom just to see if I'll come.  It's all a big game now.  Let's yell POTTY and run to a different place every time just to see if Mommy will follow!  It's exhausting.  This is why there were 3 times I didn't make it to her.  She was constantly running somewhere.  Everywhere.  At least she has a special word for #2, which she got from her older siblings telling her she stinks every time she had a messy diaper.  So when she takes off running and yelling STINK, I know she means business.  I know that may be a little TMI, and it's also gross, but it cracks me up every time she does it.

I really didn't think we would be able to, but we even went to church tonight.  And she came home in the same clothes we left the house in!  Tomorrow we're working on using the footstool to get on the potty by herself and pulling her panties up and down.  I'm just so amazed and proud of her!  My 21 month old Lena is diaper free!

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Potty Training: Day 2

I could not wait until Lena went to bed so I could post this!  And because I'm completely exhausted.  So let me start by giving you the most exciting part first.  Yesterday we had a grand total of 30 accidents.  Yes, thirty.  As in a three in the tens place and a zero in the ones place.  Today?  We had 7.  SEVEN!  I don't think I have ever been so excited about cleaning up pee seven times in one day, but I am thrilled about it!  And did you notice I said pee?  No poop clean up!  Woot!  She had 4 of those, and they ALL made it into the potty. :)

I am so much more exhausted today than I was yesterday though.  Yesterday was full of picking her up and running her to the potty when she was already going.  Today, I did not have to pick her up but twice.  And it was because she was in a chair and wasn't sure what to do about that.  Two of those seven were in her sleep.  One sometime during the night, and the other during her nap.  So really I'm only counting 5 accidents.  And she only had 1 after her nap!

But today she understood what to do, and so every single time she even thought about going, she ran to the potty.  I think we ran to the potty about a million times.  About 80% of the time it was nothing.  She got up there, said, "Done" after about a second, and she was off and running again.  Sometimes she just wanted to stay in the bathroom.  But the times I thought, ok, this is getting ridiculous, would be the times she would go, so that kept me motivated.

Around 5:00 today, she figured out that she would get M&Ms every time she actually went in the potty.  It was pretty funny.  (I never mentioned them at all, I would just give her some when she would go.)  After she caught on to my tricks, she asked for them, and when I said no, she got upset, then got over it pretty quick.  About 10 seconds later she ran to the potty again and nothing.  10 seconds after that, same thing.  She was trying so hard to push something out but she couldn't do anything but toot.  It was hilarious.  She kept trying until she was finally able to pee a little tiny bit.  What kids will do for candy.

I think we're almost there!

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Potty Training: Day 1

So today I am one proud Mama.  My Lena has just amazed me with her little 21 month old potty going skills.  I kind of knew she would catch on quickly, but she really did much better than I expected.  I decided a while back that I was going to have her potty trained before she moved up to the toddler class at church, which will be when she turns 2 in July.  I had no idea how I would do such a thing, since neither of my other 2 were potty trained that early, but I thought, "If they can do it in China, then I can do it here." So, here we go.

I did some research online, and came across this ebook called 3 Day Potty Training.  I'm not exactly sure if it will only take 3 days, but I am so thrilled with her progress just from the first day, that I'm totally in.  I don't even care if it takes a few more days, which I really don't think it will, it will be so worth it to be DONE WITH DIAPERS.

So let me just tell you how today went.  The very first thing I did was let her put on her brand new big girl panties. :) Then, I let her throw ALL of her diapers in the trash, even the one in her little zipper pouch that we take everywhere.  (Don't freak out, I didn't actually throw them out, I just put a clean trash bag in the trash can & took it out to the garage so she would think I did.  They will all be given to someone who needs them.)  Then, I took her to the bathroom and gave her the grand tour.  Then we had breakfast.

Ok, I have NEVER even attempted to teach her anything about not going in her diaper, so this was for real the bravest thing I have ever done.  I had no idea what she would do.  Let me just say that it was one of the longest and most exhausting days in my life.  If you called or texted me and I didn't answer or call you back, I'm sorry, but I had to go dark.  I had a 21 month old literally running around my house with just panties and a shirt on.  I was not taking my eyes off her for a mili-second.  Which was wise, because that is how I read her.  I had about a half second window of time from when she looked at me, until she said Mama and started running to the bathroom.

And she was great.  It only took her once or twice to realize that she had to call for me and get to the bathroom fast when she had to go.  If not anything else, I am thrilled with that alone.  Yes, we had more accidents than I can count, well, actually that's not true.  She went through 21 pairs of panties before nap time.  But less than half that after nap time!  We also had several #1's and THREE #2's IN THE POTTY!!  AND she woke up dry from her nap and went in the potty.  I am just so proud of her!  We are definitely not done yet, but I really don't think it's gonna take this girl long!

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