Friday, September 7, 2012

Adventures in Potty Training...



Bootcamp…potty training bootcamp.  We “quit” diapers cold turkey on Sunday morning.  We were forced to because the DIAPER FAIRY came to our house on Saturday night and took all the diapers out of the house, except for Jax buddy’s because he’s still a baby, you know.  She took all of Marley’s diapers and left her with a plethora of cute undies and a fun sticker chart!  In the week leading up to the Diaper Fairy’s visit, we talked all about her and what she was going to do.  She was bringing the diapers to other babies that needed them...and since Marley is a BIG GIRL now, she has no use for her diapers.  At 2 ½ years old, Marley is BEYOND ready and she told EVERYONE about the Diaper Fairy’s upcoming visit to our house.  So, Sunday morning came and thankfully went off without a hitch. 

Marley stayed in her undies and a t-shirt all weekend and we STAYED HOME!  The first day was a HUGE success, in my opinion.  She had 2 accidents (pee) in her undies early in the day…but then she got the hang of the kitchen timer that I was using to alert her it was time to sit on the potty chair.  By the end of the day, when the timer would go off, she’d tell me, “I don’t have to go potty yet, mama…5 more minutes!”  Her stall tactics did lead to one more accident (pee) on the couch, but she knew right away what she had done and wanted to change her undies and sit on the potty. 

For naptime, we had a new package of Minnie Mouse “nighttime undies” (pull-ups).  Thanks to my friend, Sarah for the “nighttime undies” term!  I think it really helps to get rid of the word “diapers” altogether!  Just an example of how smart my little monster is…she put her nighttime undies on and laid down for her nap.  About an hour later I heard her playing around in her room, drawers opening and closing.  So, I walk in and I instantly smell poo…..fearing another disaster, I frantically look around her room for where she might have smeared it.  Nothing.  And she looks at me and points to the pull-up laying on the floor, “Mama, I went poop…so I took that off and wiped my butt.  And I put beem  (cream) on and new nighttime undies.”  And there she was, all dressed in new clothes and a new, dry pull-up…she kissed me and went back down for her nap!  Sweet little thing!

Day 2 was even more successful!  She started out with 2 accidents (pee) in the morning…but quickly got excited about her potty chart and the prizes.  No more accidents all day, 11 times in the potty, poop in her pull-up at naptime.  She was 1 sticker short of filling her entire potty chart and collecting her BIG PRIZE, which is really a little shopping trip to Target to pick out a new toy or maybe a Disney “pincess” movie! 

She went to daycare on Tuesday morning…bag full of undies, rubber training pants, potty chart in hand.  And on the first day she struggled.  I’m sure there was so much excitement there.  Her friends.  A different routine than what we have at home.  More commotion.  All good things for Marley, but she’ll need to learn to adjust to that.  Day 2 at daycare was much better, according to Robin!  And yesterday morning, when I left the house, I gave Mars a big pep talk!  Funny how when you change your tone to pure EXCITEMENT kids get excited too!  So we high-fived and talked about getting more stickers on her potty chart at daycare!  She seems to be "getting it" a bit more each day and I’m hoping she finishes off the week on a high note.  Daycare is closed for the following 2 weeks, so this potty training boot camp couldn’t have come at a better time.  Travis will be off and home with the kiddos for the 1st week and I’ll be off the 2nd week.  Crossing my fingers that by the end of September we have an (almost) potty trained little lady in our house!

On a side note…seeing her cute little butt in a pair of big girl underwear does make me a bit sad.  Like another teeny part of her being a baby is going out the door.  Well, it’s the last baby part about her, really.  Independence gained for her.  Less dependent on mommy.  I’m excited for her, but sad at the same time….because where have the last 2 ½ years gone??  She’s no longer my rolly-polly, chubby-cheeked, drooly baby girl.  No.  She’s a knobby-knee’d, tall, stubborn and comedic little miss.  All running and jumping and hippie dancing across my living room floor!  Yep, she dances like a hippie.  Like she should have dreads and be at a Fish concert or something.  It’s hilarious!

Anyway…this weekend I’m packing up Jax & Marley and spending the weekend at my mom’s.  Travis has been sledge-hammering up our basement floor…sounds fun, huh?  Our basement remodel is officially underway and we’re hoping to have it complete by Thanksgiving.  This weekend they are putting the “guts” (new electrical and plumbing) in the basement and it’s going to be a loud, noisy mess.  Travis has most of the framing done already and is hoping to have the new laundry room tiled within the next week (after the plumbing is all re-worked).  A laundry room…gasp!  I’ve never had one of those!  I’m sooooooooo excited!  I’ll post some pictures of the progress after the weekend…

Happy weekend everyone!   

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