We are Potty Trained!

Okay--now go back up to the title and sing the title with the "We are FAMILY" song in your head--that's what I was thinking when I wrote it.....Just want to get us on the same vibe before I get too far into this blog.

So are we totally potty trained? No, but we are pretty much there. Ky is no longer in diapers--and we may an accident a day (at most)--but have gone most days without any accidents....

A lot of people think I am nuts for potty training my boy in the last month of my pregnancy--but he was ready---he has been ready for a while...and the last straw was his holding himself 5 hours or more without going--and then when he did go the flood gates were overwhelmed and no diaper could hold him. So if I didn't move ahead with pottty training I was just condemning myself to more laundry and carrying around even more clothing changes for Ky--not to mention the carpets.

So I read the book--Potty Training in One Day. This was my guide--though I have to say I was a bit intimidated by the book--it was published in 1974 and the author was also well known for his book "Potty Training the Retarded." However, I read the book keeping in mind it was 30+ years old and I would need to adjust for how I want to work with Kylan. It was a very good guide.

I also got the video "Potty Power" from the library--which I still illegally have--I am not giving it back yet (hopefully I don't get arrested like the one chick that made CNN headlines--and yeah she was from Wisconsin)--Anyway, the boy loves the video and it is still incentive for pottying. I had Kylan watch it once a day each day about 3-4 days before I did the potty training. It was good background and got him excited.

So I planned to do it on a Friday, leaving Saturday for reinforcement, and then Sunday our first adventure out (church). Monday was then Labor day and we were traveling to Milwaukee. I was hoping that we would have it all down by then.

So Friday morning, Ky and I got up early. I gave him breakfast right away with lots of water to drink. Once he was done, I stripped him down, put on his new underwear (dinosaur underwear--he was very excited), pulled out 3 different options of beverages (none being juice--I didn't want to give the boy the runs), and pulled out dolly. I told Kylan we were going to have a FUN day--and yeah I really played up the fun.

So for the first 30 minutes, I taught Ky how to potty train "dolly." Dolly is a doll that you give her water and she pees. Ky would feed her and then we would run dolly over to the potty where she would pee. Dolly then got lots of praise--and here's the kicker-- CANDY! But of course Dolly can't eat candy--so I would tell Ky that if he would be a big boy and pee pee in the potty he could eat the candy. Well--what little boy wouldn't agree to anything if you give him candy. Ky received candy every 10 minutes then for having dry underwear and being a big boy (yeah he really got sugared up--but I figured it was worth it in the long run.)

We then went back to the beverages---Ky drank and drank and drank...and when he would pause, I would pretend to take his drink--that would make him upset so then he would take it back and drink more....Looking back on this--I was really setting him up to fail--but we all learn best through failure. I would then ask him if he needed to go pee pee--he would say no each time and then he started peeing. I tried what the book said--I tried to interrupt him, but nothing was stopping the great and mighty Mississippi. The first 3-4 accidents I was unable to get him to the potty to finish.

After he would have an accident. I would calmly tell him that big boys don't pee in their pants, he had an accident. I love him, but I don't love accidents. He needs to pee pee in the potty so we are all happy and he could be a big boy! I would then make him clean up the accident. I had a large pile of rags. He would wipe up the mess, deposit it in the laundry pile, take off his own underwear and put on new ones, then wash his hands. In essence I made him responsible for his own mess (as I followed him making sure it was adequately cleaned up.) By the way, I want to mention that I kept him on the tile floor to ensure there were no accidents on the carpet.

Our big break through occurred at 10:40 that morning. Ky said--"I have to Pee pee!" and then he went on his own. On his own means, pulled down his underwear sat and peed, got up, pulled up his underwear (though I usually have to assist with the back if the elastic gets folded down), took the pot out of the potty, emptied it into the toilet, flushed, gave the pot to me (so I can rinse and put back), then washed his hands with soap. Now that is a lot for a 2 year old--but keep in mind he had been practicing potty training the doll with all these steps throughout the morning. He received lots of candy then and praise--not to mention we called daddy at work.

I would like to say that Ky did great after that--but he didn't. We cleaned up many more messes into the afternoon. Throughout the day I kept track of when Ky had accidents, and by the late afternoon I knew he had to pee every 40 - 45 minutes. So I started to encourage him to sit on the potty about that time. That's when we really started to nail things on the head. He would go, do his ritual, and then resume playing. I rewarded with candy each time.

That night we put him in a pull-up, telling him they were night time underwear. The next morning he got up and we discovered he had not even wet them. (Nor did he wet them at naptime the day prior.) We put him on the potty right away and he went. Saturday went pretty well for us. He had a couple of accidents, but did really well over all. Naptime came and went and another night--and he still had yet to wet his pull-up.

Sunday was the real test--church! Yes we took him to church in his underwear. Remember if you want your kid to be potty trained you need to be consistent. Ky passed church with flying colors. He even told us half way through that he needed to pee. Dad took him to the big potty where he hesitated--so Daddy did his business and I think that helped to inspire Ky to go. What a big boy! I am so proud. Sunday was pretty much accident free as I recall.

Monday we drove to Milwaukee and spent early afternoon with Nana & G'ma Jan and then the afternoon with G'pa & G'ma Debi for G'pa's, Jordan's and Stephanie's birthdays. The drive was over an hour--Ky did fine. When we arrived at Nana's we tried to get him to go right away but he hesitated (this had me worried!) In the end it was all good. Ky went several times at Nana's and then succeeded at G'pa's as well. No accidents with travels! YEAH!

I do need to mention that at this point we had no successful BM's in the potty. If he had an accident it was usually that. After talking with a good deal of my friends though--they pretty much confirmed that it can take months before a child will go in the potty. Hey--I am okay with that.

So to continue on--Ky, most nights & naps, wakes up with a dry pull-up. What a great money saver! Several nights in fact--he has woken up and asked to go pee pee.

This may sound like everything is great with Ky, but we have had some difficulties. The biggest being BM's--and this problem has just been the last couple of days. Ky is holding it. He won't even go in his underwear. He will tell us he needs to go, strip down to nothing and sit on the potty--then when the urge comes he takes off running. ARGH--yeah you know what that means. So the last several days I have had to clean poop off my floors (only tile--thank goodness.) The first time he did this our friend Wendy was at our house and it was pretty funny--not funny to clean up, but funny to watch. Now it is no longer funny.

Today I have sought new measures. I am now making him sit on the potty until the BM happens. He can't be running around naked leaving his remnants everywhere and then stepping in it and then the dog---yeah, you get the picture. It seems to be working okay. I was afraid he might backfire on peeing, but he hasn't. I think secretly he appreciates us forcing him to go. He just doesn't have the courage. ARGH. So after he went today he was very VERY proud of himself and spent the day bragging about it. Let's hope it makes next time easier for him.

(Continuing a few days later) BM's are going pretty good now. He runs to the bathroom often claiming he has to poop and then nothing...but he has had enough successes on his own now that I can safely say we are BM potty trained. I think he is just very concerned with having an accident. And it has been days and days since his last accident....not even during the night or naptime!

Alright--so some other good stuff about Ky....

Ky is just as creative as ever. He is now putting his own words into songs he knows (a mommy & daddy trait). For example he was in the tub the other day and he started singing "It's washing time with Daddy & Kylan" to the Signing Time tune.

He also is understanding that letters make words. He will look for words on the page of a book and know that that is what we are reading. He will also notice words on street signs and stores, etc...He wants to know what they say.

Finally--I don't know where he even learned the word--but he always uses it at the right time "beautiful". He has told me that I am beautiful, I have beautiful hair, or if I made something (like the curtains in the baby's room) they are beautiful. What a thoughtful boy!

Lastly--as I am writing we are 11 days from the due date. Last night I had 5 hours of pretty consistent contractions. I actually thought that maybe the chocolates that my friend Liz had sent me had put me in labor or something (they started right after I had a couple of pieces)--BTW they were SCRUMPTIOUS! I was also a bit worried--I still wanted to do some apple picking--but now with the rain it looks like we won't get to do that after all. I also have felt pretty sure all along that this baby will either be born around the due date or after--so that would make me wrong (and I hate to be wrong!)

I think I got Rob a little panicked---he started packing snacks and then wanted to finish his homework. (I went to bed after doing some laundry and placing a few last things in the bag). I figured if it was for real, I would wake up later and at least I would get some sleep before my body exhausted itself. The contractions had started at 8 and at 1 I woke up still having contractions now every 7 minutes apart--yet they weren't more intense. I then woke up at 4 and they were gone. And the contractions were really hurting my back--another sign that they are for real. Hmmm...Interesting....Kind of weird for Braxton Hicks or False Labor...

Oh yeah--I should also mention that my Dr. this week told me that my baby was not engaged in my pelvis and that I should start thinking about a C-section or being induced. This made me mad. The whole reason for a V-BAC being defeated. I then went on line and read that most babies don't engage in the pelvis until you are in labor. I also read that most inducements (without the baby being engaged) lead to C-sections (75-80%) so right now I am not happy with him. He also estimated that the baby is at least 8 lbs, when a couple of weeks ago he estimated the baby would be between 6.5 and 7.5 lbs. Yeah---I have really lost confidence in him. At this point I have decided that there will be no interventions from me having a natural birth--and I will not consider a C-section or inducement until at least week 41 (if I make it that far) or if there is concern for the baby. I have been doing a fair amount of reading lately about the unnecessary amount of c-sections done now a days--especially when Dr's would prefer to go home instead of wait around and let nature take its course.

That's all for now.