Potty Training

Watch out, we're about to get graphic...

First of all, I don't understand why my phone (android - again, still not cool enough for an iPhone) doesn't have the word "potty" in its dictionary.  I mean, seriously, P-O-T-T-Y is a bonafide word if you ask me.

I never wanted to potty train.  Nope, no desire.  The thought of traveling and having to pull the car over for the bathroom was not appealing.  Nor was going to the bathroom in tons of public places.  There are a lot of luxuries associated with diapers, including not having to rush to find a bathroom all the time and the lack of "accidents."

So when the daycare approached me two months ago and said she was ready to be potty trained, I was less than thrilled.  But, why delay the inevitable?  We started the next week.  And four days later, she was done (for the most part with only minor accidents rarely and the still getting used to poop on the potty).  We literally don't have any diapers in the house any more.  Booyah!

How did we do it?  Cold turkey and an occasional M&M reward!  No diapers were allowed except nap and bed time, and even that we ended after about a week.  There were quite a few accidents at first.  Ok, she never went on the potty for two days, but then she figured it out.  I'm happy she's been completely potty trained now for almost two months!

With potty training though, comes some interesting territory.  My own bathroom visits became quite the spectacle, including statements such as "Mama pee pee" or "Mama poop."  It's fine when you're alone, but in a restaurant or with company over, it's not so cute.  You get a few stares but for the most part, a funny smile from passer-byers.

And we still have a little trouble understanding the whole pooping thing.  As in, she always goes in the potty for #2, however the build up is quite frustrating.  It's like she knows it's coming, she's just not sure when it's going to arrive.  This translates to several trips to the bathroom after she declares "poop potty" with nothing and then the sudden look of terror when the poop is actually coming resulting in a rush to make it to the bathroom.  Thank goodness we always make it - of course it helps that we know it's coming after the false alarms.

Needless to say, I never thought I'd be talking about so much poop and pee in my life.  It's fun though not having to buy diapers and her room has a little more space without a changing table, diapers, and wipes.  We also bought a portable potty for the car.  Hasn't been used yet, but I know it will come in handy!

Hope you have as much fun potty training as we did!  Did anything in particular work well for you that could help others?