Potty Training Update & More

Someone doesn't see Mama with a camera.

We started another round of potty training two days ago. It is going phenomenal! We purchased a "ladder" for the potty and when it arrived we let Arabella open. She thought it was the coolest gift, next to her guitar, and immediately wanted to put it on the potty.

I assembled it, put it on the toilet, she stripped and did her business. It was awesome. After that we put her in her cloth underwear and she had two accidents, just pee thankfully. It was actually pretty funny as I had brought a pair of pull-ups to the bathroom and she 100% refused to wear them. She wanted her underwear instead.

Day one was pretty good, two pee accidents, no poop in either the toilet or her underwear, and she got five new stickers on her potty chart. This morning I had asked Adam to put her in either a pull-up or her underwear. Obviously she chose underwear again. She had an accident and Daddy put her in a diaper. His reason was, "she's going to be going to bed."

I explained to him that we are no longer using diapers for her. She will wear a pull-up for nap time and her overnights for bed time. And, well she didn't pee in the diaper so we saved it and switched her back to a pull-up for nap time. Just before nap time I asked her if she needed to potty (and this is her normal poop time), she said "yup."  We went to the potty and what do you know? She pooped IN THE TOILET. I was so happy for her that she got to stay up and eat a popsicle.

After nap time we had two more "accidents" of pee in her pull-ups. But hey, for only being her second day of true potty training, I'll take it. She is enjoying the process and so am I.

We've taken a relaxed, don't get mad at accidents approach and it really seems to be working. We just encourage her and ask her often if she needs to go. The funniest part of all is that no one can be in there with her. We hand her a book, and she asks us to close the door. Obviously I'm not going to leave her unattended so I crack the door so I can see her but she can't see me. Then I wait for the tinkle noise and "I did it!" (Thanks Grandmama for the potty book.)

We wipe, she flushes the potty and then wash our hands. After that she gets a sticker for her potty chart and sometimes I'll reward her with candy. I just hope we progress and don't regress. Time will tell.

Busted, Mommy!

"I did it!"



Big Girl Panties Rock!



In other Arabella news we have a fabulous nursing story. Evan is still nursing, Arabella sees it, imitates us, and so on. Yesterday she hopped up in my lap while I was on the couch and laid in the cradle position. She kept saying "Fee-do" "Fee-do" "Fee-do." I had NO idea what she was saying.

I stopped her after the millionth time and said I didn't understand. She paused, said "Fee-do" and then started to pull my shirt up. Once I realized she was saying "Feed You" I stopped her.

Now, am I embarrassed, heck no. It's awesome that my daughter is going to grow up and feel that breastfeeding is normal and nothing to hide. What I don't get is, was she merely imitating what is normal for me & Evan or was she truly trying to nurse? Is it normal for a child who hasn't nursed since 8 months old to revert and want to try again? Or was she "playing" like she wanted to nurse?

Either way I think its awesome that she understands. I just wish she could tell me if that's what she wanted or if she just wanted to "play."

**And if you're wondering about the dress code...Daddy had just washed her winter hat so we could put it away and she snagged it out of the dryer while he was emptying it. She just had to wear it, in the middle of April.**