Day One of Potty Boot Camp

Parental Advisory: Pee Pee and Poo Poo story

But first, just in case you just want to see some cute photos instead of reading of our bodily functions (hers not mine!) here they are. These are from a day when we were playing on the slide with Daddy. There are two more at the end. :-)

"Pockets!"

We survived Day One of Potty Boot Camp!  I have Madison for four days and we are attempting to 'move on down the track' of the Potty Train one day at a time and see how it goes.  Up till now we have just been taking it easy and taking her to the potty occasionally.  I thought since I had some time with just her and I together it wouldn't hurt to try the 'run naked wild and free' method and see how that worked.

It wasn't working at first, while she loved being naked, she wasn't interested in sitting on any of the potties I had strewn all over the house. 

So, I did something I told myself I wouldn't do, I tried rewarding her with something sweet. (kinda like my desire to not have a pacifier in the house EVER...Hey you do what you gotta do) 

I told myself I didn't want to reward with food/candy because I had enough emotional connection to food and sweets in particular, I didn't want to start something unnecessarily.  I decided it would be okay to try it as I had been using stickers but they lost their novelty pretty quickly.  I found some toddler fruit snacks that I thought might be just motivating enough. Sweet, but not chocolate, gummy but easy to chew.

BINGO...She was naked for 6 hours and no PEE PEE anywhere but in the potty (except for panties while we were in the high chair (I wasn't in a high chair!)  She would run and say "Potty" and then "hurry hurry" and "help" and she would run to her potty and sit and then say "push" and then "candy".  I told her "you can have one if you pee pee." She did it every time.  We would get up and and do a happy dance and high five and then off to the 'toilet' to flush and wipe and wash hands (in the sink not the toilet!). We did a lot of signing of "proud", her new sign and saying "pwoud", very cute.

She usually gets two crackers/two cookies at a time for a snack and so she said "two" and I said "you can have two if you go poo poo."  She pushed and tried every time. No luck on the number 2. She had already Poo Poo'd in the morning before we got started.  I knew I had one more shot at the second Poo Poo of the day but it was getting late and I was beginning to wonder. 

It was time for jammy jams and a book so I went to get them and I heard her running from me. I waited behind the door hiding, (our routine) and when I peeked around the corner here she came running yelling "POOP! POOP!"  Before I could say "Hurry to the potty!", I saw that it was too late. She had plopped out two little poo poos along the way. It was easy to see she was upset and I scooped her up and took her to the big potty in case she wasn't finished.  We got all cleaned up and settled in for the night.  I was so proud of her (and me) it was a hard day but we did a lot of laughing and high fives and dancing.  I am not rushing her, just giving her the opportunity to try it.

PS

You should have seen the look on Roxy's face when the poo poo incident happened. It was like she was saying "HEY, I don't get away with THAT!" Fair is Fair, I think Madison says the same thing when she looks out the window and sees Roxy poo pooing on the lawn! That part was HILARIOUS actually.  

Speaking of HILARIOUS...Rick came home from training in LA and went to Hooters and brought this shirt back for Madison. I thought it was particularly appropriate for this post.

Hide and Seek

Madison loves to hide and seek. Normally if she can't see you, then she is hidden. She was playing with Daddy on Easter and hid herself behind a shear. She could see out but for some reason thought Daddy couldn't see her. Probably had to do with him looking EVERYWHERE BUT behind the curtain. Here are some photos of how it played out. 

A year and a half

Madison turned 18 months today!

It's hard to remember my life before her.

She goes for her 18 month well baby check on Friday so I will have stats then but I couldn't resist posting this photo of her tonight.  I FINALLY was able to get some focus in her eyes, you can almost see ME in the reflection. Now THAT would be TOO much focus! (the white stuff on her face is dried sunscreen that she wouldn't let me rub in. Yesterday was HOT HOT HOT.)

I regretfully didn't get any good full body shots of Madison in her Easter dress but I have some fun shots to share from the day regardless. She felt "purdy" in her "dwess".  She liked her Schnauzer Bunny and did great at finding her hidden treasures outside.

Tawny, are you Skyping with Madison?

I think Tawny might be video conferencing with Madison when I am not looking.  She certainly did not learn this from ME! Just kidding, She actually learned this from Mamo.  

"I can't quite see if each lash is separated just right without my contacts. I might need to get closer and use the magnifying side of the mirror."

"Oh Yea, that is much better."

"Getting ready to see the Easter Bunny is a lot of work, I better sit down to finish."

"I am going to have to teach Mom a lot of stuff about being beautiful, I can tell already. It took her an hour to find her eye lash curler so I could get myself presentable for the Easter Bunny."

I think I have a girly girl on my hands, what do you think? Maybe she can teach me a thing or two and help me decide between Shear Cover or Bare Minerals! Gotta cover those 40 year old spots!

Family Toilet Seat Reviews

Madison has decided that sitting on the "BIG" potty is more interesting than her "little" potty so I have been on a quest for an alternative to the potty seats that sit on top of the regular seat. I had no luck finding anything local so I went online. Since I needed one for home and one for Mamo's, I bought three types to try.  

I bought them on Amazon.com so returning was easy.  We ended up keeping two of them and sending one back. I thought I would write about my opinion of the pros and cons of each just in case anyone else is looking for some alternatives.

ONE AT OUR HOUSE (Amazon photos, this is NOT my toilet!)

The one we kept for our house is above.  It is the elongated version of Xpress Trainer Pro All In One = $29.00. (Seller is Cool Bath Design)  We had good communication with the seller as they emailed to confirm we wanted the elongated version. It comes in both standard and elongated. It was shipped quickly and arrived in perfect condition.  From the top with it closed you can see it is a bit different than a regular seat. You open the small part of the lid which exposes the toddler seat.   To use the adult seat you lift up the toddler seat or if closed you lift up both seats. 

PROS: Madison fits well on it and can sit unassisted (once she is helped "on" with the use of a step). It has a self closing feature, you just start to close it and then it slowly closes on its own which I imagine will be good for not smashing fingers.

CONS: The adult seat is a bit narrow and not as comfy as our cushioned regular seat but it works. Rick doesn't like that he has to lift the lid, toddler seat and the adult seat to get ready and says it is hard to get used to when you 'really have to go'.  He can go in the other bathroom. :-)  The toddler seat doesn't hook or magnet into the lid so when you push it up, sometimes it touches your back when adults are sitting.

I think the pros out weigh the cons and Madison seems comfortable and willing to sit on it, which is most important right now.

ONE AT MAMO'S

The one my Mom decided to keep is called Family Seat by Trendy Kid, $30.00. I've read that some Targets have had it at some point but only online now. (at least in Modesto).

PROS: Madison likes it and fits well on it, similar to the one we kept. The toddler seat fits snug inside the lid and secures with a magnet.  So when it is closed and you lift the lid the toddler seat goes with it so for a bathroom that is used primarily for adults, this is perfect.  You don't hardly notice it at all.  It is lightweight so smashing fingers is not a problem.  The adult seat is wider and actually more comfortable than the one we kept.

CONS: The adult seat sits a bit over the bowl ledge which is not a problem, just an observation. The plastic is a bit thin and other online reviews have described it as cheap. While I see this more of a pro because of no smashed fingers some might find it as having a 'cheap' feel when compared to a traditional seat.

ONE WE SENT BACK

This is the Family Seat Antique Pine (pressed wood) by Trendy Kid, $40 I also found this seat at One Step Ahead, which is where I originally got the idea to search for "family seats".

  

PROS: It is pretty with the wood grain especially if you are using it in a bathroom where decor is important. The hardware was pretty also. I liked the idea of the lid fastened into the lid which would be good for the bathrooms that only occasionally are used by toddlers.  

CONS: This seat was extremely HEAVY. The first thing I thought of was smashed fingers.  I didn't like the fact the the toddler seat sat on top of the adult seat and left a ledge. While I didn't put it on the toilet (so I could send it back) I did imagine that if Madison sat on it long, her little legs would go to sleep because they would hang over in two places.   The fastener was plastic and with such a heavy seat, I imagined that it wouldn't last long.  The toddler seat isn't shaped as toddler friendly as the other two versions.  It was the most expensive. The main problem with this seat was that it arrived damaged with a ding in the side.

I guess that's it.....Happy Potty Training!  I have a four day weekend this month and I am going to try the "go naked or without diaper/panties all weekend and see what happens" method (Let me clarify, MADISON will try it) Wish me luck!