Potty Party 2012

Oh, where do I begin?  Please remember that this blog is my way of documenting my children-in other words, the following is going to be way more than you ever wanted to know about our potty training experience with Cooper.  So, with that warning, (seriously, consider yourself warned) here it is...

Why potty training now?  Well, he is 2 1/2, so age wise we thought was appropriate.  Looking ahead the rest of this month and next, we potentially only have one open weekend.  We knew we wouldn't be traveling for a few weeks.  I didn't want to wait until the weather was perfect and we wanted to be outside, at the park, at the pool, etc.  He is definitely having long dry periods, not changing his diaper a lot throughout day.  Was he talking about potty training or wanting to?  Was he telling me to change his diaper when dirty?  Not at all!  However, until recently he would run and kick when changing a poopy diaper (seriously, think he would sit in it for a looong time).  We have had the potty out for months, been talking about it, and always ask if he wants to sit before bath at night.  His answer is always, no!  But honestly, he is so laid back that we are pretty sure he would stay in diapers for as long as we let him.  Definitely not one of those kids that would have initiated it...maybe that is a boy thing?  With that being said, Friday March 9th and that weekend was in calendar as Potty Party!

The weekend was marked-now, how to approach?  We knew that once we started, there was no going back!  Diapers were going to be for nap time only-from here on out, it was going to be big boy pants! That was the biggest piece of advice I received from fellow moms and to take a whole weekend dedicated to it...that means no going out to dinner, no gym, no church, really no leaving the house!  My friend Betsy has a sister with a great mom blog.  She documented her potty training and I loved the approach-read all about it here!  My friend Jenny followed this as well when potty training her girl and it worked like a charm.

The Prep-Treat the weekend like a party, especially the first day.  I mean, think about your life and how you work with people/feel motivated.  Aren't you more likely to jump on board to something if there is a party involved!?  I know I am, so a Potty Party it was!  We talked and talked and talked about it that week.  Every time I went to the bathroom, I pretended it was the most exciting thing that happened since the last time I went :).  I pulled out all of his big boy underwear from Christmas and new ones I bought-Toy Story and Cars theme.  I had downloaded two different versions of the Potty Dance-we sang and danced!  By Thursday night, I think he was ready for this party-good thing because it was starting the next morning!

The Plan-Big boy pants right when he wakes up.  Stock the fridge with juice boxes, chocolate milk-things he wants all the time, but rarely gets.  We needed him drinking lots of fluids!  Set a timer for every 10-15 minutes, we wanted there to be lots of success and get used to the idea.  Try to keep him away from the TV-when watching, his focus is 100% there and we wanted him thinking about the potty idea.  2 bags of prizes-one bag for dry underwear-stickers, a few fruit snacks, stickers and other small items.  The other bag was for potty success-hot wheels cars, m&ms, other $1 toys from Target-definitely more exciting than the first bag!

Is the suspense killing you, I am sure it is...

Potty Party-Day 1, Right when Cooper woke up-it was all about the potty party.  We played our potty dance music, changed him into big boy pants-he chose Cars and to stay in his pjs.  I have never offered him more chocolate milk/juice boxes!  He went pee 8 times on the potty with 4 accidents.  We had the timer set for 10-15 increments and every time it went off, he knew we were headed to the potty.  This first day we really debated on how long to let him sit there-we wanted him to have success, but not spend all day there.  We played cars, watched Toy Story clips on YouTube, and read books.  We celebrated each potty like it was the first-thanks to the McCormacks for our potty song.  We were definitely prompting all the potty trips-he wasn't initiating it, but wasn't fighting it either...a win in our books!  By the end of the day, we were exhausted...who knew potty training could be so tiring and then to think we had days/weeks to go!

Potty Party-Day 2- Same idea as day one-but the timer was pushed out to 20-30 minutes.  He went pee on the potty 10 times (yep, still lots of fluid pushing!) and only 1 accident.  He went first thing in the morning-out of his prize bag he chose m&ms, so that's what he had for breakfast...with chocolate milk, awesome nutritional weekend!  He told us one time in the evening that he had to go.

Potty Party-Day 3-The potty party rages on for a 3rd day.  We stretched the timing out to 45 minutes and there was no accidents with 8 pees on potty...yay!

The potty party rager ended on Monday.  It might have been the first time I was jealous of Adam going to work!  We had been cooped up in this house since Thursday afternoon...aaahhh! Coop was still doing great!  He's still not telling us he has to go, it is all Mom/Dad initiated.  Lots of pee on potty successes and one poop accident.  I will leave out the details on that one, you are welcome.  We have weaned off dry underwear/pee on potty prizes.  Occasionally he asks for something, but we can usually distract him.

I couldn't be happier with our progress!  Honestly, I was petrified of potty training and that it could blow up in my face, but I think (hope) we are headed in the right direction...yay!  Kind of bittersweet, as I feel diapers was the one thing that was keeping him my baby, but he just gets more fun with each passing phase!  A big shout out to Adam who was the best potty training partner!  Don't you worry, I will update you on the poop progress soon, I have good news :).

Toy Story, Cars, and Spiderman...3 of his favorite things!  Could these be any cuter???

 Here's where we were most of the day.

 2 of his cheerleaders

 The first potty

 Doing the potty dance!

 prize bag for dry underwear 

 prize bag for success on potty

 He was determined to keep going and get all the hot wheels cars!

 Cupcakes for celebration on day 2!

 For the past few months, he's always asking about my gum.  My answer...you can have some when you go on the big boy potty.  He did not forget!  We gave him a piece and he swallowed it 15 seconds later.

 Check out those briefs!

 Yay for big boy underwear and a successful potty party!

I am exhausted after this post, anybody still reading?