She is a PRO!!!

It has been a couple of months since we finished Potty Training and she is doing great! Within the last two months, Annabelle has maybe had a total of 4 or 5 accidents. I was afraid  that she would regress when little Eddie Mac arrived about a month ago and she did no such thing.

I still put the rubber pants on her at night ... but honestly I probably could get away with no rubber pants. I still put her on and take her off the potty myself... I don't want to lose that control yet (since she is still so young... she is 20 months).

But everything went great!!!

A little boy that I watch just started potty training and I will update with any differences that I notice between potty training a boy verse a girl!

Just Checking In!

Things are going really well!!! Annabelle has not had an accident during the day (while she is awake) in about a week. We go out shopping and she holds it until we get to the bathroom. I have to say I am very surprised how well she is doing... only because she is so young. (Just turned 18 months on July 20th)


We are still working at nap time and night time. But I understand that comes with time. We are also trying to teach her to tell us when she has to go.


Hope everyone else is doing well. If you have question please ask or comment if something else works better please let me know!!

Final Stage

Now that we have developed a schedule we are looking for muscle control. This is when we have  dry diapers. Once we see this happen a few times it is time to put on the training pants.

NEVER use Pull UP, please use the old fashion training pants and old fashion rubber/plastic pants. The rubber/plastic pants will go over the trainers to protect the clothes and sheets.

Put on the trainers and continue your schedule adding trips accordingly. Be firm when they go in the trainers. If they have have an accident put them on the potty, and tell them this is where their potty's (1's  or 2's ) go.

At this point you will only use a diaper at nap and night, NO OTHER TIME WILL YOU PUT A DIAPER ON YOUR CHILD, YOU WILL CONFUSE THEM AND ALL OF THIS HARD WORK WILL BE OVER. If you go out... make sure they go to the bathroom before you leave. If you are worried about a mess double up on the trainers.

Once you have a dry diaper at night or nap, the next time you will not use the diaper. Night time usually is the last to come. They have THICK rubber trainers you can use at night.

Bowel Movements always seem to be the last to come and sometimes the first one is a little scary for them. Be patient, give them enough time to relax and go. Don't be surprised if they hold it, sometimes for awhile. We don't want it to hurt if they are holding it so make sure you are giving them enough fiber so they stay soft.

Things to remember:

• Don't let them got off the potty on their own; you will lose the control of having them sit
• Once they are in the training pants watch the amount of liquids they are having, their bladder is very small and we are trying to strengthen it. Nothing after 6:30 in the evening.
• PRAISE, PRAISE, PRAISE!!!!!
• When there is an accident, be firm with your face and voice let them know if is unacceptable. Show them your are disappointed. 
• Once you start there is no going backwards only farward
• Under no circumstances do you ever go back to diapers, even if they are standing up in a wedding, pick your time to start ... when your life is simple =)
• Don't ask them if they have to go, just put them on. If you ask they will not want to stop what they are doing to take the time, if you wait for them they usually get distracted and an accident occurs.

It took Annabelle a couple of days to get back on a schedule from our vacation... but she is doing great. We will be starting the trainers tomorrow (Tuesday). She has even been telling us "potty" when she has to go. Well... it sounds more like "Papa" but don't tell my Dad that..lol She does not tell us ever time... but when she does I really praise her... so she knows she did something right! 

Almost finished with Potty Training... and I am very excited. Will update soon! 

Getting Back on Schedule

Well... last week we were on vacation down in Gulf Shores. Under the circumstances Annabelle did great on the potty. But since we have been back home she has had 2 hard/challenging days. So this week we are going to get back on a schedule. If everything goes well this week... we will start potty pants next week Monday. I don't want to rush into this so I will only start potty pants if she gets back onto her schedule. We knew that going on vacation would be a challenge, but we were not going to stop our lives for potty training.

I will update at the end of the week to let you know what we decide.

Well...we had an OK week!

Well... We had an OK week! On one hand I have not had to change a BM diaper all week! That has been really nice... she has done all of her 2's on the potty!! But she has started to crab a little more about sitting on the potty. 


We are still working on the 1's. She is pretty consent in the morning but the rest of the day is hit or miss. I am trying to get her on more of a potty routine during the day. I know this will take time and I have to be patient. 


 So I have added some more times that we sit on the potty. When we wake up (7:30), then at 9AM (usually "BM" time), 10:30(before lunch), 12:00(before nap), 3:00(after nap), 5:30(before dinner), and at Bedtime (7:45). 


I am trying to get her to hold her 1's and 2's ... I am not trying to "catch" the right time. 




FYI... if your child is doing amazing and you need to move on to the next stage this is what you are looking for:
Now that we have develop a schedule we are looking for muscle control. This is when we have a dry diapers, when the diapers have been less saturated or BM have been less in number, they are holding the sphincter muscle. Once we see this happen a few time it is time to put on the training pants.

Moving onto the next stage!!!

Once sitting morning and night is mastered without a problem, (about 3-4 weeks) add before nap and after nap. Now it's first thing in the AM, before nap, after nap, and before bed. Do not skip any of these... everyone needs to be on board that is caring for your child. If they are sitting without a problem just give treats when they go 1's and 2's.

When they go in their diaper, be firm tell them they can "do that in the potty", "no ones in your pants", "your 2's go in the potty, not in your pants."

FYI: Bowel Movements seem to be the last to come and sometimes the first one is a little scary for them. Be patient, give them enough time to relax and go. Don't be surprised if they hold it, sometimes for awhile. We don't want it to hurt if they are holding it so make sure you are giving them enough fiber so they stay soft.

Things have been going really well!! This past week Annabelle has gone 1's every morning. I have been setting my alarm at 7:30am (on the weekends) so I make sure to get up and put her on. Annabelle will wake up and sit in her crib and wait(play) until we come and get her... so I just have to make sure that on the weekends I don't give her the opportunity to go in her pants. 


She went 2's for the first time this past week. She was giving me "the look" and I said " do you want to do your 2's on the big girl potty" ... she ran into the bathroom, I put her on, and SHE WENT!!! Very proud of her!!! 


We also went to a Braves game on Friday and around 8:00P.M. we went to the bathroom. It was very hard for me because I know how dirty they are... but i wiped everything down, put her on, and she went!! 


So we are moving on to the next stage and adding before and after nap. We are probably going to do this for the next 3 weeks. I probably would not do it for that long.. because she is doing so well but the 3rd week we are going on vacation and I necessarily do not want to move to the next stage and come in from the beach every other minute!!! 


So we are doing very well in the Call House and we are very proud of her!!!   

Week 3

This is the final week that we will only do morning and night sittings. Also, she will only get a potty treat if she goes on the potty (one treat for 1's and two treats for 2's).  I have to say that she is pretty consistent in the morning about going... the night sittings are hit or miss. She does not cry at all on the potty and she knows that it is part of our routine now.


If you know anything about me... I am a very impatient person so this phase has been very hard to do becuase I just want to move to phase 2!!! But you/I have to understand this is a process and you don't want to push this process to fast. 


So starting next Saturday we will start phase 2.