Potty Training Success

Finally it happened! For the past 2 1/2 months Julia has been honing her skills on the toilet. Gradually she started wearing underwear during the day instead of the potty pants or even the commando look which she LOVES almost as much as underwear! About 6 weeks ago she started to wear underwear all the time & improved on her ability to get to the toilet & pull down pants & underwear with fewer & fewer accidents.  The past 2 weeks there have been hardly any accidents. The cutest part is how excited Julia is to pee & poop in the toilet on her own. Sometimes she still needs assistance & she occasionally gets busy & forgets to get to the toilet on time. However, Julia is definitely becoming more independent & grown up, as she soon approaches her 3rd birthday which she knows is Dec. 9. AMAZING!

As her parents, we're excited to have a few months' reprieve from diapers (she still wears 1 at nap & bedtime, but often it is dry when she wakes up, even at night) before the next kid arrives in January. Our budget will enjoy the break too! : )

Number 2 in the pot

"I can't do it! I can't pee." Julia yells from the potty which Tara can see but I can't.

We hear the frustration in her voice. Of course, it is between dinner and bed which is essentially Julia's "I am frustrated" time of the day.

She leaves the bathroom - bottomless. Then the bluestreak we so often see, Julia running from one room to another, goes blazing down the hall toward the bathroom.

At this point, Tara has lost it. She is trying not to laugh out loud but Julia can see her and I can see her, she cannot contain herself. Meanwhile Julia is yelling again, "I can't do it. I can't pee."

This sequence actually happens twice but at the end of the second we hear:

I did it! I pooped!

Tara goes to investigate and sure enough, Julia pooped in the potty. Whoops and yells and clapping all around. Julia, in typical Julia/Tara fashion, asks "I get stickers?" I'm thinking hell yes, you get stickers for pooping in the pot.

Our kid is on her way to underwear (all she cares about) and no more diaper changes (all we care about).

Potty Training Joy

Yesterday I got a voice mail message from Jai describing the first successful "pee in the pot." So exciting!!

The other day my sister & mother were discussing whether I'd be "upset" to miss this first milestone ... NO! I just want it to happen.

The past few months have been frustrating as the process has been so slow. I of course am not a patient person. As this process continues to teach me, I'm not in control of what Julia ultimately does, especially with this part of her body. It really cannot be forced; she has to connect what is happening with her bladder & understand the need to be seating on the toilet BEFORE the urine leaves her body. She's been wearing training pants for about 8-9 months, but I really don't think she was ready or capable of using them to true potential. The past few weeks have been mostly amusing as we decided to have Julia go "commando" as much as possible. Parts of our house have gotten clean with much mopping. Little Naked Girl is what we call her! : )

I understand why Susie & Bonnie might wonder, but I know there will be more opportunities to watch Julia pee in the pot. I'm very proud of her for communicating with Jai & getting to the toilet on time! Julia really wants to wear underwear & understands that peeing in the pot is necessary. I bought some great organic cotton underwear at Hanna Anderson in Atlanta (when Susie & I went to the ATP tournament earlier this week). Julia was SO excited. 1 pair has the days of the week on it - she really likes that one!

Keep up the great work, Julia!

Peeing in the pot

I told my dad not to come in the bathroom with me and I peed in the pot all by myself. Dad gave me two Dora stickers and I put them on my feet, one right there and one right there.

My dad said he was proud of me.