Potty Training

I don't know if I've blogged about our attempts to potty train Addi before or not, but we've tried at least 4 times. The last time she was a little over three and we said it was time. WELPPP...I don't know if you know this, but toddlers and ours in particular are extremely strong willed. ;) We did the "guaranteed" three day method where you just leave them in panties and clean up the accidents until they get it. Oh and there is a party and rewards and it only takes 3 days! Well, Addi held it for 3 days. Not kidding. She didn't go at all the first day, held it until she was peeing on her hands the second day, and by the third she was running a fever and crying saying her peepee hurt. We decided it just wasn't worth the pain it was causing her and we would try again when she was ready. Addi is 3 1/2 now and still wasn't displaying signs of being ready or wanting to be ready. We talked about it again and Josh and I decided that we were just going to have to force her into being ready. I truly think she would be okay with just wearing diapers forever. Having a wet diaper has never bothered her and peer pressure doesn't affect her. That might not be the best way to go about it, but with Rhett coming, we didn't want two kids in diapers. 

 I say Addi wasn't on board,  but she actually initiated when we started. She was going through her DVD's and found this potty training DVD that I had bought the last time we tried. It was a cartoon about a girl named Hannah with the most annoying song in the history of the world. But! It got Addi interested and so we just went with it. In the movie, Hannah goes and picks out new underwear and she gets a new potty. We went to Target that night and Addi picked out her big girl underwear! Yes, they are boy underwear, but this girl loves her some pirates and Toy Story. ;)

She also picked out a new potty! We had another one, but she was really excited about this one so I thought, what the heck, maybe it will help.

So, the first day, she wore her underwear and we watched the Hannah video 50 times. My strategy for this day was to just get her to not hold it. I had stocked up at Target with some cheapy little toys and lots of candy. The first day, she got to choose a prize for just going. The first time she went was in the floor and she was a little shocked. I told her she did a great job and I was so proud of her and next time we would just try for the potty. The first day she went about 3 times, but didn't make it to the potty. Which was fine, I was just happy she was going! 

 On the second day, she still wasn't making it to the potty, but she was going a lot more. We cut out the prizes and only did Starbursts for each time. By the third day I was really losing hope. She was being so stubborn about just having to go really really bad, but not going on the potty. She would sit there for an hour and a half and have to go, but wouldn't! I was on the phone with Josh that afternoon and I just started crying because it was stressful. Not a proud momma moment, but Addi went pee pee on the potty for the first time when she saw me crying. She felt so bad I guess and wanted me to feel better. Sweet girl. So we made a huge deal out of it and her and Josh went to the pet store that night to get an aquarium and fish! That was her BIG prize for finally going. Well so about 5 I started having contractions every 2 minutes. They started out just as Braxton Hicks, but kept getting worse as the night went on. I was only 36 weeks so I was freaking out a little. We started timing them and they were consistently a minute and a half apart for 2 hours. My doctor told me to go up to the hospital to get checked out. So at midnight we went up there and thankfully I wasn't in labor. It was so weird though because they were so consistent and painful. I've been contracting at night ever since then and the doctor warned me this would probably be my new baseline. So kinda no fun. 

 So by day 4, Addi was much more comfortable going to the potty. She had a few accidents on the 4th day, but we couldn't have been more proud. By the 5th day, we were down to no accidents and she even went to the potty while at playgroup. I brought her elmo potty and we just went to the car when she needed to go. Josh told her every day she went pee pee on the potty he would get her a fish. So Addi has quite the collection now! 

 

She is so proud and we couldn't be more proud of her! It took a little longer than expected and we did it very unconventionally but I think every kid is different and different things work for everyone. The only advice I have is to keep it positive! Whatever progress they make is great! She still hasn't gone #2 on the potty, but we will get to that eventually! :)