Musings from the Week or the Weak...However you prefer to see it.

As Saturday evening descends on my house, the weekend is really just beginning. Today was the first day of potty training boot camp that I mentioned yesterday. It has been...interesting to say the least. We are 5 pairs of Thomas the Tank Engine undies in, one load of pee soaked laundry down, 2 prize candy bars given....and I can't tell if progress has been made or not. 

I have been prepping Isaac for this. We have been talking about his "big boy" underpants and going in the potty all week. He was excited to show Nonnie his undies. However, this morning he woke up with grumpy pants on. I tried to change them. He had peed through his pjs AGAIN, and he hates that. He hates pee in his bed. But...he would not put on his underwear. He screamed for a diaper. SCREAMED. I finally gave in and put a pull up on him. He watched a movie, and after awhile, he seemed in better spirits. 

I got the undies on him. We started a puzzle. And then....

"I'M ALL WET!" 

Yep, that was the first pair. However, it was more of a Mom, my pants are wet I need you to change me type  exclamation. He wasn't really bothered by it. No idea why. 

It's been that way all day. I put another pull up on him for naptime. He's been asleep for 2 hours now. He's exhausted. I'm exhausted. All we have been doing all day is changing clothes. 

Maybe I was wrong. Maybe this is too soon. Maybe he isn't as ready as I thought. 

Or maybe I am being weak. Maybe I am just trying to hold onto my baby for a bit longer. As much as I hate buying diapers, if it means he's still my little baby for just a few more days...well, you know. That doesn't make sense unless you are a mother who is far away from having another baby. 

This week itself has been exhausting. Emotionally. Physically. Mentally. 

So many things that I want, that Ben and I want, are so close to our grasp, yet so far away. It seems like there are always challenges. And I am not one to shy from a challenge. I like challenge. But at the same time, I have enough of it. I just want one thing to come easily because I, we, have worked so hard to get through other challenges. 

You know, like the prize candy bar you get for finally peeing in the potty.

Boot Camp

This weekend is Boot Camp at my house. Not the physical kind, cause Lord knows I don't run (unless someone with a machete is chasing me). I am talking about Isaac's Potty Training Boot Camp.

I have heard from multiple mommies that this is the way to go. Isaac is so close, that I am hoping this weekend will cinch it for him.

The undies with Thomas the Tank Engine and Mickey Mouse have been bought. The waterproof crib liners are ready to be put on the furniture. There is a bucket of small prizes sitting by the potty.

Starting tomorrow morning, Isaac will wear underwear all day. Apparently the wet feeling of peeing yourself does the trick and will send him to the bathroom. I am really really REALLY hoping this does it. I am tired of buying diapers. He goes potty at school and at both his grandma's houses. Just not for me. I already have to clean up Luna's bathroom mishaps. I am kind of over changing the diapers too, when I know Isaac knows how to use the potty.

Fingers crossed that by Sunday night I will have a story of victory and not just a house that smells like urine.

The P Word

Potty training. Ah, potty training. Where to begin? When to begin?

About a year ago, I wrote about how Isaac was learning he actually had bladder and bowel movements. Since then some progress has been made. Or so I hear. Apparently there have been occassions that Isaac has asked to go potty and then done his business on the big boy potty. He does not do this for me, so I like to think that people are making this up. I mean, I am his MOTHER. I am really the only person he needs to worry about impressing at this point. He should have figured out by now that MOMMY is the one with all the power in the house. And that the little girls at daycare aren't impressed by controlled pottying. They might be, but I don't think so.

Anyway, Isaac still sits on his potty for about 2 seconds before he gets in the bath. However, he has figured out that he just gets in the bath alot quicker if pees in his diaper beforehand. He knows what his potty is for.

He started pooping in the bath. It's gross. Nuff said. It tramatized him because when he did it, I FREAKED OUT ON HIM. I mean, he wasn't sick. Because that I understand. He intentionally pooped in the bath. So when he did it again, he was scared and started crying immediately. This time I don't really know if it was on purpose or accident. Can you ever really poop on accident if you aren't sick? Let's not answer that.

So anyhoo, Isaac totally understand the feeling of these bodily functions. He tells me all the time when he goes potty, and if he's really uncomfy, he asks me to change his diaper. He knows how to pull his pants up and down (Note: this is not a new skill). He knows how to wipe and flush a toilet. He knows how to climb up on his step stool and wash his hands. He gets it. And his daycare has the cutest mini toilet I have ever seen. It's like a shrinky dink toilet.

But....

I have no idea how to really, actively start potty training. I think he is almost ready. But I don't want to push him and somehow scar him into using diaper until age 5. We talk about it.

And then, on Saturday I got so help. A clear message was sent.

We were at the park, Isaac running around and playing. All of a sudden he made the poo-poo face. He ran into the corner of a play house. He came out a few minutes later and goes "mama, poo poo." I asked him if he wanted to go to the car and change his diaper. He said no. I asked if he was uncomfy. He said no. I figured it would not hurt to let him play some more. He ran into another play structure shortly after. A few minutes later, I hear "eww....who farted?!" the bigger kids (and by big i mean 3-5 year olds) continued to debated on where the smell was coming from. They figured out it was Isaac. He emerged, clearly embarassed, and came up to me. "Mama, diaper. Go bye bye now. All done poo -poo."

So we left. But with that little extra push, I think we will be seeing some active potty training in our near future.

Potty Progress

Isaac has had his potty for about a month and a half now. He does pretty well with it. He sits on it every night before his bath, and uses it about 7 times out of 10. I would say that of the other 3 times, he only pees in the bath 1 time, the other 2 doesn't pee in the potty or the bath at all. I will take it.

I didn't think he understood what the potty was for. During the day when he gets into the bathroom, he dismantles it and plays with the cushion. He throws bath toys into the stand. To get him to associate his potty with the peeing sensation, we do things to make him pee, like putting his hand into warm water and tickling him and startling him (not scary like, peekaboo like). He climbs off the potty by himself alot.

The other night he climbed off the potty and ran towards the tub, naked mind you. I have had issues with running, naked baby, namely because of my husband letting him think it is ok to run around naked before his bath. He pees on things, like my floor, his rug and BOOKS. :( So as the naked baby is running around the bathroom, having not peed in his potty yet, I was preparing for an incident....

HOWEVER!

Isaac stopped in his tracks, turned around and ran back to his potty, climbed on it (which I have never seen him do) and PEED IN HIS POTTY before hopping off again and running back to the tub!

This is a good thing, right?! Like my training is working?! :)