Potty Training

Before I actually get to our Christmas Day pictuers post, I have to post about this, because THIS is huge in our lives right now.

This potty training thing is quite interesting. My child definitely has her quirks. So, she's been interested in the potty for awhile. I have put it off for a bit because, well, I don't know. It was just one thing I wasn't really looking forward to. We started when she got home from school on Thursday. She ASKED to put panties on, so fine. Here we go, we'll do it.

[This has been my thought all along...I never read a book, although I had intended to, but just from hearing people talking and reading a few things on the internet...when we started potty training, I was going full force. She was going straight to panties. I figured if I had her in a diaper still, or pull-up, whatever, then those are still absorbant. She wouldn't feel the uncomfortableness of being wet. And I wanted her to so she would know she would HAVE to go in the potty so she wouldn't feel that way.]

So back to that first night. She had an accident, of course, I knew we would. But she was super upset about it. She did NOT want potty coming down her leg, and cried about it saying "I potty, I potty." Pointing to the floor, sad that some was there. I tell her it's completely ok, she just has to remember to tell mommy when she needs to go. The next morning (Friday) we get up, put panties on, and she barely starts to trickle some out, then says very nervously and with urgency, "I need to potty, I need to potty!" We had about 3 accidents like that. She caught it so quickly, though, that the outside pants never even got wet...just the panties. Pretty awesome, I think. She didn't allow herself to keep going to make a huge puddle, she would hold it, and run to the potty!

While that is awesome, it's also complicated. She's so anal about keeping Bella or Cinderella or Aurora or Jasmine (insert any of the princesses because we have them all!) dry, that she wants to go potty about every 20 minutes. And seriously, somehow??!, she actually goes every single time. Granted it's small at times, but it's like she hasn't fully grasped that we want to empty our entire bladder when we go. Does that make sense?

Another downfall of keeping the princesses dry...naptime and bedtime. We are not ready to be in panties at naptime or bedtime. She still wakes up with wet diapers. (I haven't bought pull-ups yet because I'm not letting the diapers we already have go to waste--they're not cheap either! Once we finish them, I'll get pull-ups). So she does not even want to potty in her diaper. She'll go down for a nap, but then you'll hear her in like 5 minutes saying she needs to go potty. It's like she's panicking about going in her diaper. I've had to get her a few times and allow her to go again (even though we just went about 15min. before), so she'll calm down. And her naps have been really short lately because she wakes up immediately saying she needs to potty...like she can't sleep through it anymore. I was super worried about that concerning nighttime sleep, but she's been OK throughout the night, and sleeping until her normal 8am-ish time. Whew, there.

We have pooped in the potty twice. But I have been battling it ALL day today. She's said she's needed to go about a bazillion times today, and we try...but nothing still. She's even said her tummy hurts, but she just won't go. Apparently I did this as a child, too, so it's coming back to bite me :) Of course she's had juice, but I guess I may need to start her back on prune juice and not just good 'ol apple juice.

She's gone potty out in public places several times, too. I bring her little potty seat, but she's been really good about it. She did great at school the other day, too...not one accident! I'm really proud of her. It's such a learning experience for us both. It seems bizarre-o to see my little girl in panties. Or that I even have to talk about panties with her, but we have to choose which princess she's going to wear everyday. For whatever reason (because we've never even seen the movie) she's been addicted to purple Jasmine. They're in the wash right now though. She wants to wear them everyday!

OK, I know that was a really long post strictly about potty traning, but hey, it's consuming my life right now--it's what I have most to talk about :)

I'll leave you with my favorite picture of Abby from Christmas morning. She got this super cute princess watch. You can change the face of it to 3 other princesses. She was so excited about it, and it shows!