To Potty Training & Beyond!

Day 2 came all to quickly.  II was dreading it and just exhausted so my wonderful mother came over for support.  I decided to read Pottywise to see if there was something else I could to do to encourage the potty.  My mom (and the book) said to let them sit on the potty for a lot longer, anywhere from 4-10 minutes.  Well that worked!  My mom brought over a potty chair (which I didn't want but my dad thought maybe he was scared of the big potty) but Hudson took one look at it and said "That's tiny!"  Ha ha.  She also brought over some mini m&m's.  We gave him m&m's for sitting on the potty.  He was already getting Thomas fruit snacks but the m&m's work magic for my chocolate lovin' boy!

Eventually he warmed up to the potty.  He sat there and we read books like No More Diapers for Ducky and Once Upon a Potty, boy.  I liked the boy book because it went over some anatomy in a fun way:).  We read and we read.  We were reading and reading and then I had to go potty and our master bath is on the other side of this potty so I told him I'd be right back.  LIterally I was gone 1 minute or less and he had gone.  My boy needed his "privacy" as Nanny 911 says.  Later on, I could tell he had to do his "business" so eventually I put in the DVD player in the bathroom; out it came!  My boy needed time and privacy.  The book isn't a cure all for 1 kid, I know this but when I'm new to something, I try to follow them explicitly.  

Very excited he earned a fruitsnack!  We became a bit attached to Beary during this whole process.  He helped Hudson cope through this new experience:).

So did Mickey!

In the Potty book, the boy and his mom say "Bye bye pee pee, bye bye poo poo" so we do this every time we flush the toilet.  Of course I say it as animated as possible and we both find it quite entertaining:).

Hudson saying "I'm a big boy!"

James the engine underwear, so flippin' cute!

So after an exahausting 1st day, day 2 and 3 were better.  We had a few potty successes, even a bm, but it did take until the END of day 3 for him.  At the end of day 2, I still had decided he wasn't ready but he proved me wrong on day 3.  We stayed home an additional day without leaving the house.  Mind you this is 4 straight days in a row of not leaving the house.  I don't think I've ever done this before!  Jared said we've never had so much money in checking before because I wasn't out shopping:).  

On day 5, we headed up to the lake.  Ideally I should have driven but I rode with my folks, it's more fun!  We left later (because we wanted to see daddy before we headed up for the weekend) and then had to stop half way up there at Safeway.  Well we didn't end up getting to the cabin till around 8:45pm.  Well my toddler hadn't gone potty since 4pm and he was due!  For the last 40 minutes of the drive he kept saying "I have to go potty."  Well a routine thing about Hudson is, he will only go on his potty.  So he wouldn't use the "tiny" one and he wouldn't just pee outside.  Papa tried!  I even tried to put a swim diaper on but he looked at it and said "That's a diaper" and wanted nothing to do with it.

Eventually we rolled in the lake, put on the DVD player, and off he went.  Success!  The next 3 days at the lake were successful due to the movie Cars.  Eventually Hudson ended up spending more time watching Cars then playing outside so I tried to phase out the DVD time and that reverted.  It was a long few days but he was getting the hang of it.

Mmm, m&ms!

By day 12, Hudson still wasn't consistent. I didn't leave the house in fear of an "accident" out and about. I facebooked friends asking for advice.  One friend suggested putting a pull up over his diaper so if he has an accident, its not devastating in public and he could still feel that he was wet.  Good advice!  I asked Hudson, after another accident, if he wanted to wear a diaper, and he snuggled into me very upset and he said "I'm not a big boy anymore."  I was devastated!  I had emotionally messed up my child!  I explained he was still a big boy but maybe just not ready for big boy underwear.  Well he didn't want to wear the diaper so we continued.  

The next day, I asked him if he wanted to  wear a diaper again, he said yes.  So he wore one but told me when he had to go potty and he was 4/4 for that day.  He was back in underwear and successful!  Hudson had made the choice to be a big boy and go in the potty.  Halleluia!!!  I was just worried that if we went back to diapers, he might be potty trained because he knew the difference.  

Good job Hudson, mommy and daddy are so proud of you Big Boy!

Potty Training~Day 1

Being summer and all, I thought I would potty train Hudson.  

Here are the facts as why I chose to do this:

• Hudson has been dry through his naps and at night since he was 1
• Hudson can poop on demand (ha, ha so funny~I would say "Hudson we need to leave the house soon can you get your poopy out" and sure enough he would!)
• I have the time

So I decided to ask some of my fellow "expert" mom friends what they read and did.  I bought two books: 3 Day Potty Training (downloadable Ebook) and Pottywise.  So I read and researched something I seriously love to do!  To my disadvantage, we had been gone for a good 9 days previous so I hadn't adjusted Hudson to the idea of going on the potty.  We hadn't really talked about it so we went cold turkey...

After coming back from meeting Baby Claire, I have Hudson 1 day or "normalcy", whatever that looks like in my house:), and we went straight for the 3 Day Method.  We started off with a celebratory breakfast, homemade pancakes, strawberries, whip cream, and orange juice.  Yum!  Then we went upstairs and started to put away the diapers and we talked about how they are for babies.  I bought Hudson some fun underwear with Thomas, Cars, Nemo, and Toy Story.  He liked those!  I then showed Hudson the potty seat and explained we were going to go on that now instead of in our diapers.  He was less than enthused.  Great I thought, but mentally I have committed to 3 days!  So we put on our big boy underwear and off we went to play.  The book says to not leave their side for 3 days and rush them to the potty when they start going.  I would ask him frequently to "check himself" and see if he was dry.  I would also let him decided when he wanted to go potty.  

So we played...

And played...

And played!

Checking if he was dry!

I believe he is saying "I have to go potty."

I was letting Hudson drink and drink but my kid has fabulous bladder control!  On average I'd say we only changed 5 diapers a day with him.  Finally around 11 or 11:30 we had our first "incident".  I rushed him to the potty and he freaked out!  He wouldn't sit there and the book says (as my father laughs at me and says "look in the book") to not leave them their a long time only a few seconds.  Well I tried this all day.  He ended up waiting me out till nap time and did his business in his bed because he was so afraid of the potty.  I would ask him all the time "Check if you're dry."  He would and he always was.  Then I would say "Let me know if you have to go potty, ok?!"  That way you are putting it on them and its not "Let's go sit on the potty now."  I myself have never done well with direct orders...I tend to...rebel:).  I love the parenting book "Love and Logic."  Give us two choices, both which you are ok with and let the child choose.  We do this a lot with Hudson!

So after a full day of rushing my kid up and down my stairs to go potty, we were 0/4 for the day.  I was very discouraged and decided he wasn't ready but I made a commitment to try for 3 days.  2 more days to go and boy was I exhausted physically and emotionally.  Its like when you bring your first baby home and you're trying to nurse them and your milk hasn't come in, very frustrating!  It was hard too because I don't care for messes but that's how they learn:).  I tried to be as positive and supportive as I could.  That night we were both VERY HAPPY to see daddy!

Chillin watching a Thomas movie:).

Big Boy Bed

That's right, we have a big boy on our hands now!

In an effort to attempt potty training this summer, I converted Hudson's crib (ok Jared just took off the rail:).  I put a swim noodle under his sheet because last summer I had multiple friends transition their kiddos into a big bed and they kept falling out of it but the noodle saved them!  Preventative measures:).

Then I took it out because he didn't seem to need it after.  Well after day 2 or 3, I saw him on the floor early in the morning and caught him almost falling out of bed twice.  The noodle went back in:).

Mommy wow, I'm a big boy now...dun dun.

4th of July Celebrations

The lake is very different with a 2 year old...Hudson is wanting to be "outside" all day long!  He is so fun to play with!  The first thing we spotted at the lake were some butterflies on the beach.

2 means we are very busy, busy, busy!  Even though we spent almost every waking moment outside playing, Hudson enjoyed sitting on his chair looking at the lake and watching the boats...with his sword of course:).

Then we went for a boat ride, well 1 each day.  By day 3 Hudson let me stop singing "Jack and Jill".  He was quite scared of the boat, motor, and the dock...because the dock means you have to go on the boat.  Ha.  So we put him on the boat 3 days in a row so he would get used to it.  

Play time!  I LOVE that he is finally wearing his Mickey hat from Disneyland.  He wore it quite often this weekend so I took many, many pictures with it on him.  So cute!

As the sun came out, we needed some water.  Since Hudson didn't want to sit on the sand or be near the water, we filled up the buckets!

Look at that view, and Mickey ears:).

Gigi and Gpa came up for the day to celebrate.  Gigi makes a famous deviled egg so Papa always requests it and boy is it mmm good!

Gigi likes to share her whip cream with Hudson.  He likes it almost as much as his mom:).

Hudson learned that he can hear the ocean through Mater.  So funny!  He did this all on his own!

All the sudden we are quite attached to Beary again.  He has to have snack with us at the moment.

Then we were back outside, chillin.

Papa, let me help you clean up.  

This year I made a flag cake.  So good!  

Hudson is holding up his 2 fingers to say that he is 2.  The funny part is its his pinky and ring finger.

Then on Sunday we headed to our "lake friends" place for a potluck celebration.  Angela is talking to Hudson about the boats on the water.  

The men checking out the water.

MMM, dessert

Let's go for a walk

A new favorite game

His shirt says Mr. Independent:).  Reading his favorite Thomas book.

Daddy, doing what he does best, studying:(.

Later on Uncle Daryl & Aunt Tiff came over on the Jet Skis and brought Huddy a super soaker.  This was a lot of fun!!!  His face says it all!  LOVE this pic!  Thanks guys!

Our trip ended with a wonderful meal at Cavanaugh Bay, our favorite!  We had to bribe him to get on the boat with some ice cream:).  I'm a great parent, ha.  While we were there, 2 planes flew over and landed at the airport behind us.  Hudson thought this was SUPER cool.  He kept saying "I saw the airport" over and over.  It was a fabulous time.  

Thanks for another fabulous weekend at Priest Lake parents!