3rd day

So it's the 3rd day of potty training and things seem to be progressing nicely.

I'll stop right here and say that I know this isn't the most compelling or interesting topic... I get that, I really do. However, it's my job right now so I am talking about it and truthfully, in 5... 10... 20 years, I want to be able to look back and remember this experience. So, bear with me if you want. If not, come back at the next post... I understand.

Going into this I had many (welcomed) suggestions/advice...

• "Let's try not to pee or poo on Elmo's face"
• "If you put pee or poo in the potty then we can put a sticker on our potty chart!"
• Treats (m&m's) if he pee'd or poo'd in the potty.
  
• "If you put pee or poo in the potty then we can put it in the big potty and you get to flush it!"

In addition we've been preparing Chase for this upcoming event...

• We've read (and continue to read countless times) Too Big for Diapers
• 
• We've read Potty Time with Elmo almost daily since he got it.
  
• 
• We've watched Elmo's Potty Time (too many times to count)
• 

We've definitely been doing our prep work here.

Still, Wednesday was nothing short of a disaster. One accident after another with no hint of wanting to make a deposit in the Elmo potty.

But I played it cool... we just took off the wet (or dirty... it's a glamorous job) clothes, cleaned up and started again. I told myself from the very start of this that I would remain calm, not get upset and be completely willing to go back to the diaper if need be. Honestly, I thought this would be a test run and we would be back in diapers by the weeks end and I was ok with that.


Sad potty chart at the end of day 1.

Thursday rolled around and while I was getting the morning going (coffee, blinds, milk, oatmeal... ) Chase said 'uh oh, I pee peed'. So I quickly pulled down the underpants and sat him on the potty... he had only a small wet spot so I figured there might be more...

Was I ever right!

After a minute or 2, the floodgates opened and Chase went in the potty!

Now I have to say, this is not the first time... that was actually Jan 23 but it was a complete fluke. We asked, he sat and he went... and that actually happened 2 more times (which was motivation for me to get going on the training!)

But this... this was during training and this was him stopping to tell me... this was some real progress!

We clapped and shouted YAY! We ran to tell Daddy (who was getting ready for work but still very pleased). We put it in the big potty and flushed it. And finally, we put our first sticker on the chart!



The rest of the morning... disaster. I think 1 for 4 was the final tally. Oh well. In the diaper for nap and we'll try again in the afternoon.

After nap I kept the potty nearby and kept asking him if he wanted to try... I think I even convinced him to sit down once or twice... but nothing. Then came a small wet spot... so we sit on the potty and nothing. Then another small wet spot... sit on the potty and nothing. Yet another small wet spot... again, back to the potty but he adamantly stated he did not need to go. So I let him get up and start playing. Not 5 minutes later I see Chase doing a pee pee dance... switching from leg to leg... twisting around... he definitely had to go.

I had to work to convince him and he wasn't thrilled with sitting there but I just kept telling him how great it was and how we would put it in the big potty and flush it, then we would put the sticker on our chart... and finally he did! I made a big hoopla, we danced around, we did the big potty thing and the sticker thing and we just couldn't wait until Daddy came home so we could share our news.



Then before dinner I asked if he needed to go again and he said yes... I did a double take. Then I put him on the potty and turned my back to do something else. All the sudden I hear the distinct sound of a stream hitting plastic... he did it all by himself... no coaching from me and no needing to sit next to him! We celebrated that victory for a good long time.


Not a bad end to day 2.

As soon as Chase woke up I noticed that the diaper wasn't nearly as full as it usually is... which made me think he was trying to hold it somewhere along the way. So we went straight to the potty and sure enough... after a little chilling out, he did it.



Backup a little... by Thursday night I had decided that potty training or not, we were going to MOPS the next day. We had been stuck indoors for 2 days straight and anyone that knows me, knows that was difficult to say the least. Unfortunately shortly after I made my decision, Jess called to tell me MOPS had been canceled due to the impending weather. *sigh*

There is a massive (so they say) snow storm headed our way which likely means I will be snowed in for at least another day... maybe 2 (5 or 6 if you listen to these wackjob meteorologists).

So without a doubt, I... we... had to get out of this house... if only to do errands, then so be it.

So we started the process of getting ready... which now includes a lengthy potty attempt so we don't run into any problems out on the road. Well before the potty attempt even happened Chase had an accident... of the #2 variety. Like I said, glamorous job.

I should include here that this has been a problem all 3 days. That is the one area where we aren't progressing... but it will come soon enough, I have faith.

So... he had an accident. I counted my blessings that we were home and not out already.

However, the accident was only #2... so we sat down for #1 and sure enough...


he earned another sticker!

So we get in the car. We're heading to UPS and the grocery store... I need coffee beans... if we do get snowed in for days, it will not be a pleasant house unless I have my morning coffee. So off we go... in underpants for the first time. My heart was racing before we were even out of the driveway.

I casually ask Chase as we are heading for the interstate, do you need to go potty? He answers yes.

Crap. Pardon the pun.

Up until this point I have been reluctant to get an 'on the go potty'... not sure why, but I have. At this very moment though... I realize the genius and importance of such item.

Pit stop to Toys R Us.

We pick up:

Our very own handy dandy travel potty... which we promptly open and attempt to use as soon as we are back to the Jeep.

For good measure we also bought this little gem:

A compact folding potty seat for those times that a public bathroom cannot be avoided.

I think we are set in the potty arena.

BTW - there is a good chance our family alone is keeping Sesame Street, specifically Elmo, in business.

Nothing was happening on the travel potty so we get back into the car seat and head to the UPS store. Once we get there we attempt the travel potty again... because in my gut I know there is going to be a line.

Nothing happened on the potty front so we pulled up our pants and headed inside... to be greeted with barely enough room to close the door behind me. Yep... I knew it.

Even still... he lasted the entire time we were there... easily 30 minutes.

Once we were back in the Jeep, we tried again. Nothing.

Now these 2 errands would have taken me no time in the past but with the frequent and long potty breaks, we were approaching lunch and nap time. So in the best interest of my sanity and his appetite, we went to the drive through at Starbucks. Sometimes paying a little more is totally worth it.

We finally arrive home and try again on our regular potty...

and he earns himself another sticker!

Then for good measure he goes again before nap!

Another sticker!

Then after a 3 hour nap (and a very dry diaper) he flat out refused... no sitting on the potty for him. So we let him play... and asked... and play... and asked...

Then he came running to us... another accident. Again, not the #1... just #2. *sigh*

Ok, we clean up and try the potty again... and again, he's refusing. We ask if he wants to go back to a diaper or wear big boy underpants. He calls our bluff... "I wanna wear my diaper".

So we put one on him... very reluctantly... but we do it. 10 minutes later I see a look in his eye and ask if he wants to go potty... and he says yes. Sure enough, he went and we put big boy underpants back on him.


and yet another sticker!

Truly we thought this is where it would end... 5 stickers in one day.

Adam ran the whole night routine and tucked him happily in his crib... definitely with a diaper on.

He rolled around for a while singing and talking to himself... typical if he's had a good nap that afternoon.

Then he stood up and started jumping. So Adam went back in to lay him down but as soon as he walked in Chase said "I have to go pee pee!"

Not wanting to squelch this, Adam dutifully took him to the potty... all the while very aware that this could be a stall tactic.

Turns out it wasn't...

Chase earned his 6th sticker for the day!

So here we are at the end of day 3... I think I can pretty much say that #1 is done. He doesn't run and tell me but if I am on top of asking him and making sure we get some potty time in, I think he will be fine. But the #2... that's not quite done yet... we still have some serious progress to make. We'll be in for the better part of tomorrow at least... at last glance we have easily 6 inches with no signs of the snow letting up... so hopefully he'll get it soon!

As for the lengthy post about potty training... I never knew how parents could go on and on about this topic... I was with the masses and thought it was weird and that parents should keep it to themselves. But now that I have Chase... and now that we are in the thick of it... I get it. It's monumental... it's a huge milestone... it's one of these life changing time periods where you look at this once cuddly infant and realize he is now a strong independent toddler. I don't think I can do it justice.... all I can say is it's life changing... for both of us.

And to anyone that actually made it to the end of this post.... I hope I didn't bore you too much!