Potty Trained!!

I've put off telling the good news until Joelle went a whole day without an accident, and that was yesterday!

It started just for fun about a month ago when we were sitting her on the big potty if she she told us she was 'going'... when it seemed she was constantly aware she was about to "go", we got her a kiddie "pobby" (as she says) and took a layed-back approach to letting her sit on it if she wanted.  She took to it quickly but if #1 or #2 didn't come out immediately, she would only sit for a microsecond and then get up- only to make little Lake Joelle's elsewhere in the house!

So I figured she needed to sit and let her muscles relax, so we brought out the timer and make her sit for 5 minutes.  We still have lots of false alarms and she will sit for 5 minutes and not go... but she'll learn to read her body better soon.  I'm sure she'll be in nap/nighttime diapers for a while yet- she's only 18 months old.  But two diapers a day? I'll TAKE it!

The five minutes were like agony to her (and me) so I put up alphabet stickers so we can sing the ABC's each time, and I also put some paint in a zip-lock baggie to play with.

I have to say, I learned an important lesson in perseverance.  One day I was not feeling well and I just wanted to slap on a diaper and put her in front of the TV with a bowl of granola- but she was so insistent when she asked to sit on the "pobby" that I gave in and sat with her 21 gazillion times while she tried.  It was THAT day that she really got the hang of getting there on time, sitting until she was all finished and even learned to wipe #1 and throw the tissue away.  I can't believe what I almost missed out on by being lazy!

Hopefully this post isn't a huge jinx!  Way to go, Joelle!  ... now to find tiny pairs of underwear...