Potty training

Raising kids continually amazes me...you just have to roll with the punches and follow their lead. A lesson I'm contantly learning. So Bubba has been using the potty since he was 16 months old. His older brother is only 2 years older so when Bubba was just a year old he pretty much spent much of his time in the bathroom as his older brother was 3 and we were in there a lot for big brother. So it wasn't too surprising when he at 16 months wanted to sit on the potty too and was doing both #1 and #2 pretty quickly after. But I didn't hold my breath and expect that he would be potty trained by 2 years. I figured by 3 years like brother for sure, as that seemed to be the magic age I saw with all the kids in my playgroups and preschool.

So sure enough he turned 2 and suddenly wasn't that interested in it anymore. We backed off and if he didn't want to go that was fine. He was in pulls ups now and we packed away the changing table and diaper genie into future sister's room and became used to the new routine of pullups and dumping the load into the potty and flushing it so Bubba got used to the idea of the potty. Too much info...I know, if you wanted to skip this post I'm sure you wished you had now!!

So imagine my surprise when we were on vacation and suddenly Bubba was dry everytime I would check. Okay..roll with the punches..not expecting new changes while on vacation but we can do this no problem. So we increased our times visiting the potty. When you are on vacation and you have to visit every public bathroom you become pretty efficient about what you have to accomplish so your child is not touching everything in that 2' space. Yuck!! Total sidenote: I really hate public bathrooms and I especially hate to visit a restaurant that I just enjoyed eating at and then see how nasty and unkept their bathroom is. Makes me wonder what the kitchen looks like and their santitation habits...you know what I mean? So I was very surprised that this was the time Bubba decided he wanted to be potty trained. We went with it and took him as often as he needed.

We hadn't been sleeping as well as our normal routine at home. Sometimes the kids were going to bed at 10pm or 11pm at night and once their heads hit the pillow they were out. This one night it must have been 2:30am and I hear at the foot of my bed a thump and then the bathroom light goes on and a "mommy help." Bless his heart, in the middle of his sleep, Bubba had thrown himself over the edge of his play and pack and navigated an unfamilar room, made it to the bathroom and was all tied up in his pjs bottoms trying to get them off. We were in time and he made it, but that told me..he wants this. He's continued being dry at home and so we made the trip to the store to buy his his big boy underwear. Never a prouder child have I seen. He has shown anyone he can that he wearing his new big boy underwear and makes such a big todo about which new pair to wear each time...elmo, spiderman or lighting mcqueen..such important choices!! He has had a few accidents and at night time we still put him in his pullups with his underwear over or under them depending on what he chooses. But this is a choice he has solely made and he is trying so hard and we are so proud of him. You go Bubba!! I guess with Bubba almost out of pullups I'm that much more ready for bringing home my baby girl!!




Update Sept 13: So I started the above post awhile ago and in the meantime, Bubba is still using the potty but we have had a few more relapses since school has started. He was pretty dry throughout the entire day since coming home from vacation and having accidents just in the evening and over the past 2 weeks we have had a few more accidents during the day. I know it is party my fault too. I got a little sidetracked with school starting and adjusting to the new schedule and haven't been as diligent about having him go as often. Shame on me!! I hope to do better this week. The good news: Bubba can now get his own pants and pullup off and climb on the potty himself and we are working on getting his legs in the right leg holes and once they are on he can pull up his pullups himself.