3 Days In

How did I forget how exhausting this potty training process is? Patiently waiting, happily encouraging and praising, constantly playing/hanging out with my toddler and keeping a close watch, sitting on the bathroom floor or tub or makeshift chair; did I mention the patiently waiting?

Yesterday was a bummer--mostly because Livs just wasn't feeling the urge for most of the day. She had a little pee accident right when I finished my shower and so we went straight to the potty (excitedly of course) to finish up with a few drops in the toilet (in all my naked glory...I knew that shower was risky!) We rejoiced, earned a sticker and plugged ahead. And then she didn't go again for hours--even dry through her afternoon nap. Finally, after dinner, I knew she had to go pee and so I drew her a bath. As soon as she sat in that warm water she let it release and I popped her out and onto the toilet to finish. Another sticker, lots of love and praise. And that was it yesterday. No poop and no other pee--felt a little disheartening.

And then today came along, day 3, and the morning started out super slowly (beginning with a wet pull-up when she woke up but nothing after that). Finally, during lunch, Livs told me "I have some." I scooped her up and we went to the toilet for...nothing but a gas. We came back to eat and she told me again "I have some." So we went back to the toilet, waited for about 5 minutes and low and behold the lovely little thing pooped in the potty. Hurray! We came back to finish lunch when she told me once again she had some. And this time she really unloaded while we read about Tinkerbell and the other mini fairies she is earning with each poop. It was really exciting and in all honesty I was so relieved I didn't have to wash out poopie undies.

Finally, late in the afternoon she also figured out how to feel if she has pee-pee coming and she has gotten all her "stuff" in the toilet since lunchtime. Even this evening, after she was in bed for almost an hour she called out to me and told me she had peeps. We went to the bathroom and had to wait about 15 minutes before she peed. I even tried to put her back in bed after trying for a bit since she had such tired eyes and was rubbing her blankie under her nose. But she wanted to stay on the potty and keep at it until she did it.

I am just happy we are figuring this all out, but oh boy do we still have a long road ahead of us...

the bathroom in potty training mode--Livs is so funny and likes to trade between her tiny potty and the big one, so by all means we acquiesce.

Tiny panda is Livs' encouraging and snuggly potty pet. Right now panda hangs out solely in the bathroom to "help" when Olivia is sitting on the toilet. Once she has the potty thing down panda will be hers whenever and wherever she wants.