Potty Progress!

This is a post I have been dying to be able to write.

Previously we hadn't been having any success with the potty training.  We had to fight tooth and nail to get Andrew to even sit on the potty without raising hell.  Us even saying "Let's go sit on the potty." would be met with cries of "No!" and many tears would ensue.

We finally made a little progress and could at least get him to sit on the potty, but he still wouldn't do anything.  He'd sit there for 10 minutes looking at his potty books or dinosaur cards, but wouldn't actually go potty.  I would get so frustrated when he would sit there not doing anything and then pee as soon as he got in the bathtub.

Daycare has been sitting him on the potty for months as well with very limited success.  I know he pooped once back on May 17th (I only remember the date because it was my friend's wedding day) and then not again until September 17th. He's been going through pull-ups at a record pace because he would refuse to go on the potty.  My grand plan to have him out of diapers before Elliot arrived was obviously a resounding failure.

Well, this past weekend we had a major breakthrough.  On Friday we sent him to daycare wearing training pants with the plastic pants over them.  No more pull-up that feels like a diaper. I was hoping that would help him realize he wasn't supposed to pee in his pants.  I didn't hear anything out of Andrea until 1:00 when she called because Andrew was sick and we needed to go get him. J picked him up and he said that Andrea told him that Andrew had peed on the potty twice.  Unfortunately he had a stomach virus so there would be no trying the potty that night.  Thankfully the virus was short lived for him and he was much better the next morning.  We went to the park and while we were there J took him to the bathroom and he actually went. I was shocked.  He went two more times on the potty that day, too. It wasn't much any time he went, but it was something.

My big boy playing at the park

Sunday I was good about asking him constantly if he needed to go sit on the potty and we had great success.  His record for that day was 13 times in the potty and 2 in his pants.  I know that seems like a lot of times to go to the bathroom, but like I said, I was taking him every 30 mins and he wasn't going that much each time.  He would get this excited look on his face every time he went and then he'd stand up and say "Look at that!".  He's been going on the little blue potty, not the big toilet with the potty seat. I guess he feels more secure being able to have his feet on the floor.  So every time he pees he loves to take the insert and pour it into the big toilet and then he says "Now we flush!" and flushes the toilet.  I love how excited he is about it and I keep telling him how proud we are of him.

Yesterday we sucked about being on top of him going to the potty, but I was dealing with the stomach virus that he had on Friday and felt like I was going to die. Daycare was closed because Andrea had it, too, so both kids were here. Thank god J took the day off and stayed home with us - I wouldn't have made it.

This morning when I got him up his diaper was dry. I didn't put him on the potty right away because he was cranky. I figured he'd pee during breakfast, but I'm still recovering from the bug and wasn't too concerned.  Imagine my surprise when he held it during breakfast and waited until he was done. I asked, "Do you need to go potty?" and he said "Ok." and ran for the bathroom.  He peed a LOT.  He sat there looking at me and said "I'm peeing!". I thought he was going to overflow the potty because he went so much.  I was so freaking proud of him.

I know we have a long way to go - he still hasn't pooped on the potty for us - but I am so excited about the progress he is making. It's crazy how much progress he made in such a short span of time.  I guess it's true that they will let you know when they are ready.

He's turning into such a big kid and I couldn't be more proud of him.  Love that little munchkin!