Potty Training!

Okay, I kept saying that when I got back from Utah that I would start potty training Daci....for real this time.  Well, the day came and I so did NOT want to start.  I had started a few times before and it just didn't click and by the end of the day I was just too frustrated to try again the next day.  I have been doing a lot of reading and a lot of people suggest getting them their own little toilet that you just dump and clean each time they go.  I didn't want to do that originally because of the clean up and got her a little toilet seat that sits on the big toilet instead.  Since I haven't had the best of luck the last few times I tried, I decided to go let her pick out her own potty and see how it goes.

We made a special trip to Target and she picked out a pink princess potty that sings songs when she "goes".  I made a big deal about that.  Then, we went to the fruit snack section and I let her pick out the fruit snacks she wanted for her prizes for when she went potty in her princess toilet.  She picked "Tangled" and "Toy Story" snacks.  We also bought a posterboard to decorate so she could put stickers on every time she went. She was so excited and wanted to open the toilet box as soon as we got home but I told her we would wait until the morning to start potty training. "Ok", she said.  The next morning the first thing she says when I go in to get her is "I want to start potty training, Mommy!" That had to be a good sign, right!?

The first two days I just left her naked, without a diaper and put the toilet out in the family room and gave her fluids around the clock.  She pretty much just sat on her toilet and watched movies all day :)  It worked though!  She would just go when she needed to while sitting.  I think this was good because she started recognizing what it felt like before she needed to go, and since she didn't have a diaper on, she knew she needed to put the pee somewhere.  The third day I put the toilet in the bathroom and had her tell me when she needed to go potty.  She didn't even need to tell me, she would just run back there herself, go, the music would play and she would yell "I did it, Mommy!"  After two days of running to the toilet herself I decided to try to put underwear on her.  I was nervous that since I put something back on her, she would think she could go in it.  But, I made a very big deal about how we shouldn't pee on Elmo or Abby because he would be sad (she has Sesame Street panties).  The first day in panties she was dry all day!  I still put her in diapers at nap time or at the grocery store, in case there is an accident but she has done great and has gone most of her naps waking up dry.  She also holds it while we are at the store and goes as soon as we get home! If we are at someone else's house she will tell me she needs to go and we will just use their big potty.  I am so glad that she has adapted so well.  I think the little potty was a big key.  She was too scared to go on a normal toilet before but after getting used to using a small one, she has no fears on a normal toilet.

Now for "#2"...the first 3 days she didn't have an opportunity to go on the toilet because she was in her crib when she went #2.  But the fourth day Daci comes up to me and says, "Mom I pooped on the floor." "What?!" Sure enough, there was a nice little gift on my nice, new carpet (don't worry I cleaned it thoroughly). I wanted to be mad but then I thought, "I haven't really explained that she should go #2 in her princess potty, just #1, maybe she is worried she would get in trouble?" So I told her we go in the pink toilet and if she does that she can have a sucker.  She was really excited about that!  We went back to Target and picked out her sucker for her #2 prize and ever since then she has gone in her toilet!  Wahoo!

Day One of Potty Training:

Day Two: She played lots of dress ups since she was naked :)

And here she is today in her new underwear and her success chart.  Doesn't she just look older!?