The LONG adventure known as potty training began last August for Miss Addison...yes almost 1 full calendar year --- don't judge!?!? Initially it was a little rough (on Mommy mostly I think) but quickly Addison got the hang of going tinkle on the potty and by the time she started MMO after Labor Day she was staying dry and telling us when she needed to go. And for a long time we were happy with having a "daytime potty trained" toddler. We were still saving a ton of money on diapers!
But soon we (mom and dad I suppose) were ready for the next step. We needed to get rid of pull-ups at nap and bedtime and conquer going #2 in the potty. We started the process several times but after lots of laundry and frustration we always stopped because we didn't think she was ready.
Fast forward to this spring and IT WAS TIME. Baby #2 was growing in my belly and I was determined to only have 1 in diapers/pull-ups. We started with staying dry at nap...and she actually caught on pretty quickly (I think) and then we changed her nighttime routine and stopped giving her 12+ ounces of milk right before bed. We are still hit or miss on waking up dry in the morning but she knows when she wakes up dry and runs to put a sticker on her 'stay dry' chart.
The biggest and most frustrating challenge was getting her to go #2 in the potty. I had read so many things on the internet and talked to so many people that said "they either get it, or they don't"...clearly my kid was falling in the "not getting it" category. We bribed her with almost everything and she was perfectly content with waiting until the pull-up went on each night to go #2. Seriously, most nights John or I weren't even back downstairs before she was calling us to come change her "yuckies." SO FRUSTRATING! Toys, candy, and ultimately a swing set were used as bribery rewards for going #2.
While we were in Milwaukee...something happened...or maybe it was what didn't happen for several days leading up to our Milwaukee trip. Regardless after a cranky afternoon, lots of tears (mostly from Addison...some from mom) and several trips to the bathroom to just 'try' and see if she needed to poop, it finally happened....#2 on the potty! And everyone celebrated with a little DQ ice cream treat.
We got back to Arkansas 2 days later and she started telling me she only liked Gaga's toilet...nice?!?! I almost had it shipped here...but after a little patients girlfriend started going #2 on her own potty and the sticker chart starting filling up fast. 10 stickers = swing set -- and she knew it...and would tell people! Of course there were still plenty of candy bribes along the way.
The swing set was delivered the morning we left for Arizona, not ideal timing but Addison knew that it would be put together and waiting for her when we got home. I haven't kept track but in the nearly 3 weeks that we've had a swing set she has logged some serious time on the swing...now if we could only teach her to swing by herself, because right now it also means mom and dad have also logged some serious time in the backyard pushing her on said swing. But after all that hard work (by mom and dad, right?!), at least its nice to see her enjoying her reward!
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