Potty Training!

So I promised my sister not to post on facebook about how Owen is doing with potty training.  But I have to give a blog update, just so I can remember what I did.  In a nutshell, it’s going so much better that I ever thought it would.  I’m actually kind of waiting for the other shoe to drop. 

Friday
We were going to start on Thursday, but he was a wreck from staying up late and all the candy and excitement  from Halloween, so we waited until Friday.  We had been talking it up all week and Thursday night, laid out his underwear, sticker chart, and treats.  He chose Skittles at the store and I also got a pack of matchbox cars for the first few poops.

For most of the day, I tried hard just to learn how best to help Owen and what his “currency” was in getting him motivated.  Right off the bat, he wanted underwear on instead of being naked, so wore a shirt and just underwear all day.  I pumped him full of apple juice which he was delighted to partake in.  At first, he had 2 small accidents and freaked out a bit.  But once he was reassured that it was ok, we spent a lot of time just hanging out on the potty reading books.  (He gets 1 skittle for trying, 2 skittles for pee, and 3 skittles and a car for poop).  I started by taking him every 30 minutes or so and realized pretty quickly that it was stressing him out.  He started crying and refusing to sit on the toilet.  He likes the seat on the big toilet as opposed to his little potty.  So I eased up and just would ask him without taking him in the bathroom.  Within the  next 2 hours, he said “mommy pee” so we ran to the bathroom and he went.  We made a huge deal about it, he picked out a car, and we called William and Aunt Jenna.

So for our first day, we ended up with 2 large accidents, 3 pees in the potty, and even a poop.  We had a few dribbles in his underwear, but I kept telling him he was doing a great job learning how to stop the pee.  I’m doing a diaper for naps and bedtime and his diaper was pretty wet after nap, so I knew he was still holding it quite a bit.Saturday
We let him sit in his jammies for a bit when he got up as it was cold and he was tired so I missed that first morning pee opportunity.   While Daddy was in charge while I was dealing with Ellie’s first nap, he had a accident.  But after that, he was dry ALL day.  We have music class on Saturday mornings and I didn’t want him to miss.  So we braved going out in public.  We went right before we left and I asked him a million times while we were there.  I tried to get him to go there, but no luck.  But he went when he got home.  And his naptime diaper was much dryer than Fridays.  No poop on Saturday, so I hope he doesn’t try and hold that in.  I’m learning that cars are a much better motivator for him than the candy.  But he does enjoy calling family members to show off his new cars and tell them what a big boy he is.Sunday
Today, we decided to brave church.  He went pee right before we left, but as we were driving to church started making the tale-tell poop signals.  We stopped at a gas station, but he wasn’t having it.  We tried again at church with no luck.  I told his teacher to page me if he had any accidents.  But he stayed dry all of class and went with me right after service.  His naptime diaper was dry and he went on the potty right when he got up!  An accident free day!  But no poop again today so I’m praying it happens tomorrow or I may need to give him some diaper time.  I also bought another potty seat so I don’t have to drag the one up and down depending on where we’re playing.

All in all, I couldn’t be happier with the progress.  My carpet was prepared for much more pee than it’s seen.  Thank goodness!  I’m so proud of my little guy.  And ohh those bunsies in underwear are so cute!