Potty training? Done! Dresses himself? Done!

Last night I finally listened to Mel and put undies on him at night, instead of a diaper. He didn't have an accident! ((He had asked a few times in the past week and I hesitated because he was going in his diaper just when he woke up instead of going to the potty. But never had an accident with underwear. He knew he was ready, I just didn't trust him right away.)

He's been dressing himself almost every day for a week. 

Who is proud of himself? This guy!

Big news: Museum day with Papa & no pee in diapers!

I stand corrected. Papa planned to take Carolina to the Brooklyn Museum with two other families and their girls, so four adults and 3 girls all under the age of 6 at the museum. Looking at art. Meeting up at 1pm, you know, naptime. With over an hour on the subway each way. I thought, this is ABSOLUTELY a bad idea. I couldn't go, or rather I chose not to go as it was going to be tough to walk around and go up stairs and I'm tired enough as it is.

Papa didn't check his email that said the day before that the other two families weren't going to go anymore. So, he and Carolina headed out -- and she had been yawning saying she was tired. And apparently it went great. No complaining, no whining. They had a great time.

Even bigger news, she held her pee for when they arrived home instead of going in her diaper in the taxi. She waited! This is the third or fourth time we've been out and she had to go, and she decided she would wait. She's even gotten up in the middle of a TV show she likes and went to the bathroom herself, took off her pants and diaper and sat down to pee. And THEN told me she was done.

She likes to jump off the potty, with her pants around her ankles and then run around. She's tripped a few times, naturally, but she thinks it's funny.

She's earned the right to wear undies AND sit on the couch. Until recently we couldn't trust that she'd notify us since she had worn undies and peed all over her own little chair. Twice. So the rule was if you're on the couch, you're wearing a diaper.

But she's got the knack now.

In fact, there's only been pee in her diaper during nap or nighttime, and not always. And all the poop goes in the potty. THANK GOD. I had no idea how much easier it is to clean up than in a diaper. I'm happy and proud of our little girl.

Good thing she got this down before the baby comes. I'm sure there will be some regression, and probably potty time might suffer -- so we still have a large box of diapers just in case. But if not, then we'll just keep going. I think she'll enjoy the summer more in undies. Her little hiney was really, really sweaty last summer.

UPDATE: We're going to move this summer; we've decided. I've got a tentative spot held for Carolina at the school that I want to send her to, too. She's still having nightmares and the other night was calling out for me, and then stopped. I don't think she even woke up. Head banging is back, even during naptime, which is very unusual. So I'm giving her melatonin drops to help make her drowsy earlier at night. After moaning and banging for over an hour and a half late last week, I had enough of listening to her try to calm herself down. We'll do this for a week and then see how it goes. I know that moving will be a big adjustment for her. Plus having a brother. Plus a new school. It's a lot at once. But it's time. So, like taking off a sticky bandage, we're going to rip it off as quickly as possible and get it all over with at once.

Potty training updates and pregnancy progression

So, first things first: potty time! Something must have happened in Carolina's head yesterday either emotionally or cognitively or both because in the morning, she resisted a little bit but then peed in the potty as soon as she got up. And then two more times during the day, after TELLING ME she had to go! This is huge. She only peed once in her diaper ALL DAY!!!! Until the last few days we were only getting warning about poop, but now it's everything. ¡Excelente!

Sometimes "I have to go potty" is a delay tactic for not going down for a nap or bed or leaving the apartment to go shopping -- whatever reason. But she's started to tell us, sit down, goes, looks very proud and then goes to wipe and wash her hands. I heard this is how it really starts but had no idea when it might happen. I always make sure to say "Hooray!" and that I'm proud of her and smile. Sometimes if she sees that I'm going to the bathroom, she will say "Hooray!" and ask to see it and always wants to flush. That's actually how her interest in the potty got started, she'd flush for me but that was it. (Note to friends without kids: once you have a kid, going to the bathroom is not a private affair the first 3 years. After 2/2.5yrs, it should be for the parent of the opposite sex. And around 3, or before, depending on your tolerance, is when doors should be closed.)

And, as other parents told me, it's "just one day he/she decides 'I'm ready' and that's that." So of course we're very supportive, and if she's feeling ambivalent about it and REALLY won't go, then we let her keep the diaper on.

I'm going to have to ask her teacher if they have a potty there at school. I have a feeling this is a big victory at home but will take a bit longer with other potties in the world. She has let me know when we were at the park that she had to go, I said "let's go potty here." And she smiled and just said, "no." I think she just peed in her diaper and kept playing. So I think the idea of going in the grownup public toilet at the park is possible but not appealing. She didn't really want to go at my parents' place last month but maybe when she and I go tomorrow, she may feel more brave since she's doing it more at home.

On the other front: pregnancy. Ismaelito has been kicking less and less but moving just as much. I can tell he's much bigger. Besides the fact that my belly is bigger (putting shoes and socks on is HARD WORK!) he's just clearly filling up more of the space. Sleeping at night has turned into a few hours of rest in between bathroom breaks, with him kicking me awake fairly often. So on the days I can relax enough to nap, I nap for 1-2 hours, just like my daughter. I'm eternally gratefully she's still a napper otherwise this would be extremely difficult for me.

Now I'm on to these kids' shenanigans beforehand, so I'm keeping track of his more common times to kick me awake to get an idea of what his awake/feeding hours will be during the night. So far he's on Carolina's schedule but we'll see when he comes out. Inside is not the same as outside.

I have a feeling he'll be a bit early and bigger than Carolina, but not by a whole lot. What am I basing this on? Not much. I also think he'll look more like his Papa and be much more rambunctious than his sister, although they'll both be active kids. I'm guessing this last part on the fact he's a boy. I've yet to meet a boy that isn't more active or "destructive" than most girls.

Today we're 34 weeks: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fetal-development/PR00114/NSECTIONGROUP=2

If he was Carolina, he'd be born 3 weeks from tomorrow. So I'm getting his bed and clothes ready. I just finished the last wash of baby clothes from ones we have and ones we've been given (Thank you, Aunt Julia!). I'm going to the outlet stores this weekend with my parents to get some more baby things for him since I'd given away quite a lot of infant clothes to a few families, in particular a woman whose husband left her at the hospital just after she gave birth and he didn't come back. And the woman only spoke Spanish. One of the nurses is a mom in our neighborhood and posted the story on the mom message board. I felt I had to help her since Carolina was about 9 months at the time and we didn't need ALL the infant clothes.

Anyway, shopping!

Potty training and more talking

So, well, potty training continues. It's expectedly hit or miss. We're getting more action on the poop front as I get SOME advanced warning when I hear, "Mommy, tummy hurts."

Peeing, I've noticed she's able to sit down for a while, ocassionally pee in the potty, but is mostly now holding it. So her post-nap and post-bedtime diapers are FULL. When before they were dry. She will even not pee in the potty and then when we put on a diaper to go outside, she'll pee then.

I hear this is pretty common, so we're just moving along. I'm still having to gently cajole her to sit on the potty at regular times. And when we're staying at home in the afternoon, she gets "nudie time", whereby she only has on underwear and gets to run around without clothes. She likes this a lot. Although it doesn't encourage her to tell me she has to go. She might hold it all or just go in the undies.

Honestly, she's never been a baby or kid to complain about a wet or soiled diaper. UNLESS it was stinging her skin. Otherwise she could wait. So, alerting me isn't forthcoming.

It'll take more time and I'm sure she will work it out one day when she is ready. Hopefully that is before she starts mornings-only during the weekdays at school this fall.

A few funnier things she's said recently:
1. I can't like that. (For anything she doesn't want to eat.)
2. Who deez people eatin my fruit rope? (When my dad tried a tiny piece of her fruit rope before I gave it to her.)
3. Not cool! (Anytime she doesn't like or doesn't want to wear something. As in, this barrette is not cool. Or those shoes you are wearing mommy are not cool.)
4. My eyes are crying or I have crying eyes. (Often told to me when I've accused her of whining. She will tell me it's not whining but crying, so I should take it more seriously.)
5. What (s)he doin? (An all-time favorite about anyone on the street, in a book or seen within eye shot.)
6. No, da baby in heeah. (Accompanied by her pointing at my belly when asked if she is going to have a brother or sister. Often followed by a big hug to the belly and telling it "I love you baby.")

Potty training, glucose tests and naps

We have gotten more serious about potty training. And by "we", I mean me, and by "serious", I mean that we spend a lot more time in the bathroom even though there is virtually no pee going into the potty.

I noticed on last Year's calendar that she was actually pering in the potty last July. I knew she wasn't ready but I could have pushed it. I wish now I had. She's still apprehensive about the potty. Being "nudie" isn't a problem. It's letting the pee actually go into the pot. And now I INSIST she is at least in the bathroom when she says her tummy hurts since I know a poop is coming. I don't force her to take off her diaper for that since she's too anxious and will just cry and fight me. It's not worth the struggle and stress.

We sit on it in the morning, before nap, after nap, and before bathtime. I should do it more often but nothing is happening and we can easily be in there for 20+ minutes. Totally boring. Even reading her a book or the comics. I end up peeing more than usual just because we are in there. And as my back has been killing me, hanging out in the bathroom is not fun for me. So if we are in there for 10 minutes, I call it quits and back on the diaper.

If we aren't going outside, I've started to let her wear the training undies. She doesn't like them so if that doesn't work, nudie it is!

I know pee will happen.

Last night she told me she had to go while watching Super Why on PBS. I said Let's go to the potty. Then she said, "No mommy not yet." and for some reason I took her seriously. What she meant was, "I'm busy watching tv and I'll just pee here in the undies on my chair." which is exactly what she did.

I learned MY lesson and the tv gets put on pause and turned off, and we go to the bathroom right away.

I have to say, being in light to moderate pain all the time makes me far less ambitious than I normally am. I realized I'm walking differently and holding my butt too tightly. So I think that has a lot to do with the pain. I'm really waddling more than walking to compensate. Not good.

And I "barely" failed the 1-hr glucose tolerance test last week. So now I have to go tomorrow morning, after another full night of fasting, for the 3-hr test. Basically, after dinner tonight at about 8.30, I won't eat or drink anything (except the glucose drink) until about 11am tomorrow. Holy Christmas, I'm going to be shaking, and fall asleep from the lack of eating.

I'm eating more protein and less carbs than usual tonight. Honestly, I can't believe I failed it. And if I fail this one, I will absolutely cry out of sheer frustration.

Naptime has become different again. Many days, she will take her nap like usual. But there are increasing days where she's in there talking to herself or singing for over an hour. I don't allow the talking and singing but the babysitters were. So we had a chat. What's interesting is that she's tired and clearly needs a nap. But what she is really after is more time with me hugging her while she lays down and singing quiet lullabies.

I guess the regression is in part because of my pregnancy and also she is getting older so naps will eventually fade. But not now. She's not really capable of going without a nap and being normal all day. If no nap happens, she basically loses her mind about 5pm.


I've been getting really frustrated with her this week. My god she can talk endlessly. I now understand more and more what my mom went through with me. Just a couple of anxious Chatty Kathies. Whew. It's exhausting.

Talking, talking... clever!

Thanksgiving was a very relaxed affair. Carolina helped us call a few family members who don't live by and say "Happy Tanks-giveeng!"

We had to practice that one a few times during the days before Thanksgiving as "Happy Halloween" was her preferred greeting.

During Thanksgiving dinner, Carolina discovered two things:
She prefers ham to turkey, and she LOVES gravy.

So, when she'd run out of ham, she'd say "Mas ham pleeeze!" and when we gave her back her plate with new ham, she'd look at it first and then say, "Mas greevy?"

I had brought her new Christmas outfit (there are two) with the blue dress and white, faux fur coat. When she woke up from her nap, before we ate, we got her dressed in the fancy outfit. Decked out in fancy tights and new, fancy shoes. She was delighted.

Earlier that day, she came into my parents' new bathroom after I took a shower and asked me "What dat name?" (which is her way of saying "What's that called?"; an improvement from "Wha dat?") while pointing to the squeegee in their tub area. I explained it was a squeegee and that you use it to take water off the walls and windows. (The new bathroom has a glass door and wall instead of a shower curtain like we have at home.) The next morning after we got home, Carolina found a plastic piece from a clothing tag (the kind that is straight and then has a perpendicular piece at the end). She came up to me with the piece and says, "move the water away." I had to look at this thing in her hand closely before I realized that she thought it looked like a mini squeegee, and that we had talked about that the day before. Very clever.

One more story: This morning I went into Carolina's room to get her up and she was not only awake (as she normally is), she was quietly standing behind the door. Scared the bejesus out of me. So I quickly composed myself, kneeled down and said, "How did you get out of bed?" She explained in her own way that she got out of the crib, on to the big bed next to it, and climbed down the other side, walked around her crib and then came to look at the elephants on her wall. I then asked, "So you went to look at the elephants and the lion?" She then explained yes, and it was so she could do a "biiiiig poop" while standing up. (Standing up pooping is her preferred method these days. Just ask Aunt Jee.)

We then talked about how going poop in the potty or the big potty is more comfortable and easy since the big potty has water and you hear the poop go "PLOP" and in the little potty you hear a little "plop". So that she should call for mommy or papa when she needs to poop in the morning if we didn't come in yet. She thought that was all hilarious. We'll try using underwear and actually using the potty more than once a day after we get back from Mexico. I think it'll be easier since she'll be another month or two older and we will have time at home (with it snowing or raining or being too cold to go out) to really take the time to get comfortable with the potty. And if she's not ready then, we'll try again before she goes to nursery school in March.

She went in the potty!

For the first time, she asked to go potty and then actually peed!

After a big poop, it was time for her bath. So in she went, got all soapy and then suddenly looks at me and says "potty" while pointing to it. I said "do you want to go potty?" she says "yes" and tries to climb out of the tub.

I'm amazed and say, "really?" she's trying to get out with a mission.

So I grab her soaking wet and put her on the potty. She sits, smiles at me and starts to pee. She looks VERY serious about it. When she's done, she declines toilet paper but I wipe her anyway and then pop her back into the tub.

I was so proud, I was nearly moved to tears. I of course was emphatic about telling her how proud I was. Then ran out of the bathroom and called her papa. He was equally thrilled and let her know on speakerphone. She was clearly delighted we were so happy.

I'm surprised that I cared so much. Honestly, I still have my doubts this is the fast lane to potty trained but I think we're at least on the on ramp.

Whee!

Potty training?

I'm not sure you can call this potty training, and I really don't care, but it's worth a post. Now that she's almost 28 months and still afraid of pooping without her diaper on, and not very interested I'm the potty, we decided to use her new Caillou doll as a guinea pig.

Since the doll has removable shorts, my husband showed Carolina that Caillou goes potty just like they do in her potty book. So she was willing to sit on the potty without pants and a diaper after Caillou. But she will only go with her papa. And doesn't actually pee.

If she has to really go, she wants her diaper on. Which, honestly, is fine.

We're just having Caillou go after breakfast and if that gets her to sit down for a minute or two, then great.

She's not telling me she has to go and usually tells me "no" when I ask if she's pooing and she VERY clearly is.

I will not change Caillou's "diaper". He's the only doll she has and loves that's definitely a big kid who uses the potty. At least I was quick enough to do that when she asked me to change his diaper too, one day.

I'm sure she'll get the hang of it. And I may mourn the passing of diapers as they are CONVENIENT on the subway and other outings.

It's funny, by the time I'm pregnant with #2, maybe she will be on her way to potty training. Or we'll have two in diapers. Whatever. Everyone poops :)

Mama, poop!

Now I realize this isn't the first time she's alerted me to a poop she's done shortly after she's done it, but today was different.

We were at the park and she was playing in the dirt with a stick ("draw-en mama!") and I was sitting on a nearby bench. After about 5 minutes she walks over to me and says "Poop. Mama, poop!" So I said, "Ok, let me check." She walks closer and leans a bit forward (so I can look at her diaper) and I say, "yes! let's change you."

"Ok, mommy. Change you." And walked over to the stroller bag where she knew the mini diaper bag was. We changed her and I told her I was very proud of her for telling me right away. She looked very proud.

She did this with the babysitter yesterday, too. If she keeps this up, we can start potty training. This and getting her to sit on the potty without being afraid of it. All in good time...

A fun day at the zoo and eating blueberries herself

Since Papa had to go to the office to get the mini harddrive her forgot on Friday night, we decided to all go to the Central Park Zoo this morning (sort of near his office). The Children's Zoo isn't a petting zoo as I recall it being years ago but Carolina had a great time at both zoos nonetheless.

She looked very serious in all the photos but in fact had fun. She had her "I'm checking this out first" face on. Then we went home to nap as it was too warm for her to relax and nap outside.

Then, tonight, she fed herself two bowls of frozen blueberries. She's doing more and more self feeding. I've never discouraged her nor forced her to. I've just presented it and knew when she was ready, she would. I've often fed her still sincebits easier than clean up but now she's asserting herself. So she does her own cereal with milk, yogurt, and blueberries.

And she loves to drink from a real cup but that's mostly met with her wearing a good amount. We make do and the Nalgene sippy cup is great. So whenever that works out...

Same with potty training. She's not QUITE ready but I see signs that tell me we are getting closer. Again, no pressure. I don't mind diapers that much. Never really have. Even the super-pooper ones.

First pee pee in the potty

This past Sunday night, just before her bath, Ismael got Carolina to pee in the potty. A real pee!

She was a little freaked out about how happy we were, and I've heard of other kids about her age getting nervous/worried/scared that something just came out of them and there it is!

Well, we were delighted. I have no idea if this is going to be a regular occurrence or just one of many small steps towards pee-pee-dom. Whatever it is, we were proud!

It takes one day to adjust

So after many short trips and the big one back home, we have figured out it takes Carolina one day to adjust. The first day back she was irritable and fussy. Out of sorts. The next day she rested and was more herself. She's still a little off but then she's not settled back into any kind of routine since we've done something different every day.

Looking at apartments and meeting up with some friends at the High Line.

Since I can't know when a new change is coming because she's getting older vs a temporary change because she's not well or something's up. I feel frustrated (and depending on how long it goes on for) a bit of a cockup until I figure it out. My in-laws have a different approach: If there's nothing obviously wrong and she's not sick, just ignore it. It'll pass. This is totally not me and it's probably how they raised so many children.

Don't try to figure it out; just roll.

I can't. I gotta know. Like the head banging and body rocking. I need to figure out why and help her stop. It was pretty exhausting the whole month. Made me wonder if I can handle a second one. And then most of the time I was bummed out I wasn't pregnant already.

I think C will make a great big sister.

In the meantime, as soon as I get the baby potty I ordered from my parents place, we are going to start a laisse faire approach to potty training.

Just when I think it's forever, it's going to change soon (again)

Just as I get really comfortable with always buying diapers and forgetting that she won't need them -- even though we have conversations about her going to potty train one day -- I finally realized she's going to be out of diapers sooner than I imagined.

I'm not going to get ahead of myself, and honestly I'm not really looking forward to it. I just know that she's starting to show signs of 'being ready' to start potty training. She tells me that she has to poop, sometimes. She shows me the ASL sign for changing diaper when she wants her diaper changed, even if it's a lot of pee. And I'm just impressed that this is happening, by her own momentum, at all.

Since we'll be away for 6 weeks, I've zero intention of starting to train her while not at home. But there is a potty at Abuela's house and maybe, if she shows interest and wakes up with a dry diaper, I'll start to put her on it and read her a book to see if she pees in there.

So far my entire knowledge about potty training is what few things my mom told me last week and something a friend told me last year.

As you all probably know, I can get too caught up in something if I get anxious. So, I'll get the potty training book from the library when we get home and listen to advice from other mothers while we are away. I'm certain there will be sufficient advice and tips that I may not even need a book. It really will depend on how my little munchkin takes to it and how ready she is when we get started.

Funnily enough, of all the things about being a new mom I never minded was changing diapers. I'd get tired of it some days and some poops were good enough to make me want to pass out, but honestly it was fine. I've always viewed it as a daily reminder(s) that she's healthy and everything is working -- or not.

Ok poop-tastic chat over!