Potty Training

Well - the New Year brought a New Milestone to attempt with Grant - POTTY TRAINING! About 6 mos ago Brian and I were talking to eachother and said "we have 3 BIG things to accomplish with Grant in the somewhat "near" future...get rid of his nuk, move him to a toddler bed, and potty training." Well - the NUK was the first to go - relatively "easy". Then a few months later came the FIRETRUCK toddler bed. HOW FUN! When he started not sleeping well - I questioned whether or not we had made the right decision - but that too is now going fine. Lastly...POTTY TRAINING. I said I would not tackle potty training while still nursing Alayna. I stopped nursing mid November...then I said I would not train during the holidays b/c we were gone way too much to try to accomplish the potty training task along with all that. SO - the holidays are over - its a NEW YEAR - so - it's time to POTTY TRAIN!

Mon, Jan 4 - we began. We had a great day. Big Boy undies (the thicker, padded kind) - but undies, no pull ups. Diaper for naps and bedtime of courser - but undies all day. There were a few accidents, but relatively good for day #1. Things since then have been hit and miss. We can have accident free days - IF I take him and make him go. He's not too into telling me when he has to go. Now however our conversations go like this: Mommy - "Grant do you have to go potty?" Grant - "No". Mommy - "Are you still dry?" Grant - "Yes". He is - BUT - sometimes just 3 mins later he pees in his pants! AHHHHH! He has been doing great if we are out and about and I say - it's time to go - but at home he just doesn't want to take the time I guess. So - we worked a couple weeks on getting used to going potty regularly - me asking him to go, just taking him every 30 mins, 45 mins, 60 mins (as he does it longer the length gets longer), etc. But I am now to the point where I want to say - OK, he knows how to go, where to go, and that he has to go, etc - why can't he just tell me! That would be way too easy right?

I can't get too worked up over it. He just turned 2 in Nov - so he's doing fine. BUT - it is just frustrating. I know he can do this! We started training doing well with #1, but #2 never went well. TODAY however, #2 was great but he wet 3 times (b/c we were home all day so I didn't ask him and make him go after a certain amt of time...I was just waiting for him to tell me). Usually he gives me the "uh-oh" look right after he goes.

We started giving stickers and candy if he stayed dry between potty trips and then if he went when we "tried'. I think maybe that got old...since he was "getting" the whole idea I tried something different. We now have a PRIZE BASKET for him to chose from if he TELLS us he has to go potty. Everything is in this basket from match box cars, to candy, to money, to granola bars, to balls, books, etc. We look in the basket at the prizes every morning and then throughout the day I "remind" him in order to get prizes he has tell Mommy he has to go potty. He then practices saying it...but still when I ask or "remind" him to tell me - he never has to go. I told Brian today I am about ready to put him back in diapers for a day and see how he likes that. Probably not really going to do that just yet, but I do think about it.

Anyway - here are some pics from our potty journey thus far:

They told me if I pooped on the potty I would get a new Mega Block truck. I DID IT!!!

Washing my hands using the new stool Alayna and I got for ChristmasHere is my new truck.

And since writing the majority of this post...Grant is now doing much better (knock on wood) with #2 - however we've taken a step back on #1. We are wetting a lot lately. Lots of laundry! Now our conversations go more like this..."Grant, let's go potty"...."I don't want to" (which is his 2 year old response to EVERYTHING these days). So - there are a lot more prizes to be earned for staying dry, telling us he has to go, etc. But he really just doesn't seem to get that yet - because it's not working. Anyway - on to the laundry! :)