Potty Trained!!!

You guys. I have a child that is potty trained. Like this is real life. I can't believe it. It was such a failure the first time and I seriously had anxiety and PTSD thinking about it and thinking about the need to do it again eventually. I put it off for that and then I also put it off because of moving and thinking it was Christmas time and we would be going all different places.  And then I realized I had like 3 days off and I thought - you know - I really should just do this. I'm sick of changing his nasty poo diapers and it just needs to happen. I knew January was going to be a SUPER busy month and so I just figured I'd go for it. I didn't plan on doing it as hard core/HAS to be done in 3 days like last time - even though this lady swore up and down it's supposed to work for everyone. I'm done believing that crap and I'm gonna do what feels right for me and my individual and unique kids. I figured if it took us several weeks and wearing diapers and pull-ups at night, then that's what we would do. And I knew I couldn't have eyes on him EVERY second with Greta and such too.

Anyway - long story short - it went FAR better than I was expecting. He pooped and peed his pants like within the first hour of us putting underwear on him. I blamed myself because I had ran upstairs for a few minutes both times. But after that he started telling me he needed to go pee and it's pretty much been that way ever since. We started on December 7th if I remember right. I was going to get some pull ups for night or let him wear a diaper the first few days but he ended up peeing a few times before bed and we didn't let him drink later and so I figured we could let  him give it a whirl. And he didn't wet the bed. He didn't for like 2 weeks. And in the whole month he only did one time. Not wet during naps or night. Glorious.

Best picture ever.

Poop was a different story. Oh my gosh that was hard. We were like 0 for 8 in the week. Poor Laura ended up having to clean out several nasty's while babysitting. And I just did not know how we were going to get it. We would spend hours on the toilet trying and waiting and urging and bribing and threatening and praising and literally ever thing I could think of. We ended up going in and out of the bathroom like 6 times one Sunday and then 10 minutes before church ended he pooped his pants. And then when we got home and changed and ready to head out he peed his pants (that was the ONLY other time). Weird fluke. But he ended up going once for Tanner. He had a poop "chart"...

Obviously he has been successful since  - but it stayed empty a long time. So he went for Tanner once while I was working and Tanner sent me a picture :) Haha. And I face timed him and he was SOOO excited and he called all the grandparents and got to make a "check mark". I thought for sure we were good now - he realized he can do it and it's a happy, good thing. Nope. It took us a lot more accidents to get the 2nd one (again for Tanner). And more for the 3rd. He actually pooped his pants a tiny bit and then we got him on the toilet and he wasn't getting off until he went. Crying and playing and frustration and impatience etc and finally he went. Right after that we headed to Toys R Us for a toy because that had been the promise for awhile. He actually got some Lego's for going pee so good earlier...

He thought his efforts warranted this...

It almost felt like it would have been at times! It took a lot of wandering and deliberating. I was surprised how many things he saw that he didn't get excited about. But when we finally saw THE one, there was no question it was right. He told Tanner and I after we had been wandering the aisles for awhile that he "had to buy something AWESOME!" It was hilarious.
He settled on what he had told Santa he wanted - a little late so it was good he took matters into his own hands. An orange garbage truck (this kid has been obsessed with those things since he was 6 months old!)

Ever since that third one he has been GOLDEN. He tells us when he needs to go pee and poop. Keeps his bed dry. And life is GOOOOOOD! Oh it's so glorious. Way to go Mr. Harv!!!

His potty trained face is less excited than mine!