Potty Training Update

Today was our first day of potty training, and I can't say it was anything but great.

We started our morning as usual, taking our time getting up and having breakfast. Madelyn doesn't do well having to be on the move right when she wakes up. She does best when she has time to really wake up and relax. This is one of a few traits she gets from me. I am not a morning person, so I can relate to her need for slow rising in the morning.

Once everyone was awake and settled, we introduced Madelyn to Patty. It was like Christmas morning when she saw her. The first words out of her mouth were, "It's my very favorite dolly!" Followed shortly after by, "She's all mine!" It was sweet to watch her take Patty around the kitchen asking her if she wanted to have some eggs with everyone. We made a special seat for Patty at the kitchen table, and everyone ate breakfast. Well, actually, Chris, Patty, and I ate breakfast while Madelyn insisted she was full.

After breakfast we talked to Madelyn about how Patty was a big girl today and that she wasn't going to wear diapers anymore. We asked Madelyn if she wanted to help teach Patty how to go potty on her little potty. Madelyn couldn't have been more excited. Right about this time Madelyn realized Patty's leg made a funny sound when she squeezed it (this is of course, the "secret" way to make Patty pee). Quick-witted Chris said, "Oops, Patty burped." Whew. For just a second we thought she wasn't going to buy the whole peeing dolly thing. Madelyn thought that was funny, and looked at Patty to say, "Excuse me." Apparently Patty needs lessons on how to use the potty and how to have good manners. ;)

Madelyn gave Patty her first bottle of water. It wasn't more than two squeezes of the bottle when Madelyn exclaimed, "Uh-oh! She's peeing! She's peeing!" Chris and I chuckled (although a little irritated that we actually wasted our time researching the least leaking kind of doll... so much for that). We quickly improvised and told Madelyn we'd better show Patty where to go potty. (Oh, and by the way, having a potty doll named Patty proved to be more complicated than we expected. We could often be heard saying things like, "Put your potty in the patty." Fortunately by the end of the doll training Madelyn decided to call Patty Emily.)

Madelyn took such pride in showing Patty how to pee on the potty, and when Patty got it right, Madelyn quickly helped empty and clean everything. She loves to help! We practiced with Patty for about an hour, and then it seemed like Madelyn was ready to try for herself. We asked her if she, too, wanted to wear big girl pants. She looked at us and said, "Yes! No more diapers for me!"

By about 9:30 am, Madelyn had two accidents, one was hardly much, but the other was quite a bit. Apparently Madelyn likes to hide while doing her business. Chris and I learned this quickly and I'm proud to say that was the last of her accidents for the day! She had her first pee in the potty around 10:30 am, which was followed shortly after by Madelyn proclaiming, "That's a REALLY big poopie!" And she was right. :) During her second attempt on the potty, she actually pooped.

I thought Chris was going to pass out or puke when he was taking it to the big toilet. I was trying so hard not to laugh; you know the kind where your belly is shaking and your nostrils are flaring, but no sound is coming out of your mouth? (as a matter of fact I am experiencing the same kind of laugh right now just thinking about it) I had to remind Chris that he needed to act like it was no big deal so she wouldn't be afraid to do it again.

We made such a huge deal out of it when she went on the potty! We gave high-fives, and did a little potty dance. She also got two mini M&Ms and a sticker to add to her chart. She loves stickers, so this was by far her favorite part! By the afternoon, she was even telling us she needed to go on the potty. We were impressed!

At 6:30 tonight she told us she wanted to go to bed. I guess all the excitement from the day wore her out! Although she took her nap in her big girl pants, we decided to put her in a Pull-Up for bedtime until she's been at this for a while. We are hopeful that tomorrow will bring us as much success as today. Our goal is that by the end of summer it will be second nature to her and we'll even be rid of the Pull-Ups!