Potty Training Lydibug

Well Miss Lydibug has decided she is ready to potty train...

I was actually putting it off thinking she wasn't quite ready.  Every once and a while I'd ask her to sit on the potty and sometimes she'd agree and sometimes she'd refuse.  She never actually did anything though.  She was however really good about coming and telling me once she had pooped or peed and asked for a diaper change ha ha.  I kept reminding her she has adorable Minnie Mouse panties to wear once she started using the potty.  I just figured it would take me forcing it upon her and putting her in the panties one day and just going for it like I did with Natalia.  I thought about doing it after our Disney trip and then decided to try and get it done before.  I'm going out of town with Cheryl labor day weekend, so I thought we'd start when I got back.

Then we were at Stephanie's house Tuesday morning and Cypress was wearing panties.  We asked Lydia if she wanted to be a big girl like Cypress and Jocelyn (who has also started to wear panties and train) and she said yes.  Peer Pressure worked it's magic and she wanted to put them on right then and there.  So Cypress loaned her a pair of panties.  We hung out there for about two hours while we waited for Natalia to get out of school.  She stayed dry the whole time, and kept trying to sit but no success.  She refused to put a diaper back on when it was time to leave so I just went with it.  We were in the parking lot waiting for Natalia to get out of school when Lydia tells me she is wet, I asked if she had peed and she said yes. Sure enough she had.  So I had to put her in a diaper and put her back in her wet seat.  I got it all cleaned up and everything washed when we got home.  I was going to put her back in panties after nap, but then she went to the fair with my mom and I didn't want to risk it.

Wednesday morning I asked her on a whim when we got home from dropping Natalia off if she wanted to put on panties.  She said yes, so I ran with it.  I got everything all set up for easy access (i did the same thing in the old house with Natalia).  I put her potty on the wood floor in the living room, had her tp/hand sanitizer/extra panties/and potty candy ready.  I also put down a garbage bag and towel in front of the TV along with a bunch of toys for her to sit on until she figured out what she was doing. I had her sit multiple times and kept asking if she needed to pee with no success.  She had three accidents in a row, each time telling me she had peed on the towel as soon as it had happened.  Then it was time for me to go get Natalia so I had her sit on the potty with the iPad and left her with Charlie.  I thought if she sat there long enough she might actually go.  Sure enough it worked!  I got home and she was soo excited to tell me and show me that she had gone!  After that something clicked and she had 3 successes.  Each time coming and telling me she had to pee.  It was awesome!  She actually was super upset that I made her put on a diaper for her nap.  (I don't even worry about nap/bedtime potty training at first, Natalia did it on her own about a year later and I just put her in pull ups until she started waking up dry) So I promised Lydia we would go to the store and buy pull ups for naps/bedtime but that for that days nap she needed a diaper.  After nap she had one accident on her towel, but then after that had nothing but success the rest of the night.  We were officially at more potty successes then accidents!  WOOO LYDIA!!

So today, Thursday,  she woke up and I put a diaper on her because we had to run Natalia to school and then go to the store for pull ups and formula.  She actually stayed dry the whole time!!  I've been trying all  morning to get her to go and she has sat on the potty multiple times but nothing.  She was actually standing and playing with Quinton's little excersaucer toys when all the sudden she ran up and said mommy I need to potty!  And sure enough she went!  WOO.  I'm getting a little worried because she has not pooped since Tuesday, and she is usually a very regular pooper.  I found a Minnie Mouse watch and put it by her potty candy and said that if she pooped in the potty she would get 3 skittles (instead of 2 for pee/1 for sitting and trying) AND her Minnie Watch.  I hope it works.  We have to go get Natalia soon and then have lunch with Charlie's dad, so I'll probably put a pull up on her just in case.  She probably doesn't need it she's doing so well, but I don't want her to stress since it's still only day two technically.

Day one, first clean pair of panties on.  I make them go bottomless the first few days to make pulling down easier.  Once they have a good idea of how this potty business goes then we add in a skirt and then pants.  I love teeny tiny tushees in panties! 

Big sister got a little jealous of all the attention and candy little sister was getting.  And by little I mean a lot.  ;)  She insisted on setting up her own potty and "Showing" Lydia how it's done... although Lydia seems to have the hang of it on her own.  Oh well.  I had to take a picture.  Someday this is blackmail... someday they may hate me for making this public.  ha ha ha

As she gets more comfortable with letting me know she has to go, we'll move the potty further and further away until it's in the bathroom.  I did the same with Natalia and it worked.  I just think that the idea of running to a bathroom so far away from the action gets kind of daunting for a kiddo and they tend to have more accidents that way.  =) 

**I wrote all of that before Lunch today.  At lunch she had her one and only accident of the day!  I had taken her to the bathroom (were nothing happened) and then sat down only to have Natalia need to go.  As soon as I got back I noticed that Lydia was distraught and I couldn't understand what she was saying, after some tears were shed I got her to speak more clearly and she said she needed to be changed (she was wearing a pull up just in case) poor baby was so embarrassed that she had had an accident!  So I comforted her and reminded her that it was ok and took her to get changed.  

We got home from lunch and I had her sit on the potty while I unloaded Quinton.  I got his bottle going and got everyone settled and all the sudden she tells me she pooped!  I was soo shocked, but sure enough she had.  WOO HOO!  

Big girl showing off her Minnie watch, she was so proud! 

After nap today I kept having her sit but nothing would happen.  She kept her panties dry and was more than willing to sit for a skittle the many many times I asked if she needed to use the potty.  I had dinner plans with some mommy friends so I left her with Charlie, low and behold she peed twice for him. Both times she told him she needed to go.  I can't believe it, and I'm afraid to jinx us, but I seriously think she's got this thing down!  

I'm so proud of my baby.  I feel weird saying baby now that she's officially done with diapers... but we all know that it doesn't matter how old they are they are still our babies.  What a great kiddo!  I was dreading doing this whole potty training business all over again and she has made it so easy.  But of course she did... she has always been my easy one.  I seriously joke that if all my pregnancies were as easy as hers was (minus the preterm labor scare of course) and all my kiddos turned out as easy going as she is, and such a good sleepers like her too, that I would probably have 10 kids.  ha ha ha.