3 day Potty Training: Day 1

When Quinn was 2 years and 3 months old, I was 8 months pregnant and needing something to do on maternity leave. Why under do what you can over do, so I started Potty Training. I used the 3 day method from Lora Jensen in Lehi at 3DayPottyTraining.com. I really loved elements of this program, and Quinn and I had a really great experience. The method revolves around spending 3 solid days at arms length from your little one, and I loved what it taught me about my daughter.

So, here we go: round 2. Kenna has been taking off her diapers ALL the time and causing all kinds of crazy messes. So, it's time. Tim took Quinn to the cabin this morning for about 40 hours so I can have the first day and a half with Kenna mostly to myself. I was really excited to spend this time with Kenna ... until about 10 minutes in ... :) Not as in it to win it as I thought. So sue me. But I'm doing it.

Tim and Quinn left at around 9 a.m., and with 3 or 4 full sippy cups of juice and milk in her, it still took Kenna until 10:30 to go pee. Plants were practically growing under Quinn with 10 minutes when she did this. I had only had to come up with 1 activity in which I could watch her dry leggies because the action began and the training started. But with Kenna this took a lot of coloring, dancing, singing, making cup cakes, mixing juice, doing make up and painting nails. I was pooped before the pee-pee even made an entrance/exit. But the very first time she peed in her panties, she yelled, "oh, no, the pee-pee's coming," which is a pretty good sign that she knows how to do this. But she didn't get any in the potty, and she looked totally distraught and also quite ready for a fight -- against me. :)

Next time (10 mins) she got a little in the potty and was not interested in celebrating, and then 10 minutes later she finally told me she had to pee-pee and made it to the potty. Then she started getting really mad, asking for her diapers, and then peeing all over the house because she does not want to go in the potty even when she knows it is time. I kind of remember this with Quinn too. Kenna started sort of hiding around corners or walking on to the carpet, but then she pees, cries, and asks for a diaper. Part of this method is to throw out the diapers right after she put on her first panties. So, I just nicely tell her that the diapers are all gone because she doesn't need them anymore. She was pretty upset for a few accidents (as all the juice kicked in,) but then right before she napped she had an accident that seemed hopeful. She seemed pretty ok with the process. Right now she is singing to her self and doing downward dog in dry panties in her crib. We shall see. I am so sleepy, but I am in it to win it.

Seems like Kenna knows a lot more about the world than Quinn did at 2 years and 3 months. Quinn had huge language development during our 3 days together, but Kenna pretty much has a full vocabulary and can give commands and requests no problem. I don't think Quinn had a lot to say about her diapers when I did this with her, but Kenna seems to understand exactly what it feels like to pee and has decided that she does not want to do it in the potty. Different challenge. Quinn couldn't hold it, and again I declare that Kenna is in this for the win. Her win ... not our win.

One other difference is that I prepped for several days to do this with Quinn and spent about $60 on panties and rewards. Poor Kenna is stuck with some discount candy from the hall closet and a pack of too-big princess panties that we accidentally bought 2 of for Quinn once upon a time.

I am listening to her on the monitor. I wonder that she will say to herself in private if/when she has an accident in her bed.

10:17
Could not take time to write about the rest of the day right when Kenna went to bed because I knew I had a lot of doing nothing to catch up on before bed. Both Kenna and Lizza were down for the night before 7:30, which was a miracle. But basically this is what happen after naps.

Kenna never fell asleep. She talked and played in her bed for at least 90 minutes. Once or twice I walked in there to remind her about her panties and see if she was wet. No Pee. I had the monitor up and on, and I was listening in case she talked about Pee. I wanted to be right down there. Finally she said, "Mommy, pee-pee is coming." I ran down there. it looked like she was moving her panties out of the way. I grabbed her and ran up the stairs. She peed on my, but not much. Nothing in the potty. She was up and happy, and NEVER PEED IN THE POTTY THE REST OF THE DAY. She would just get silly on the potty, but she never went. When she really had to go she would just basically break my heart by talking about how she wants her diapers back. She even once pulled the potty chair out of the bathroom and told me she was giving it back. She would hold it for so long and be in pain, and she she would sort of look at me whimper and then pee with this sad but resigned face. It broke my heart. So, she only peed in the potty one and a half times today. But tonight I read the much more thorough account of this experience with Quinn, and she went through some of this and worse and some how (8 months pregnant) I stayed really positive. Kenna does a lot of pretending she had to go. Runs to the potty. Sits, Stands and then pees on the floor just outside the door. Sounds a lot like Quinn's experience. Not sure what to make of night time. Quinn is still not night time potty trained so it seems crazy to do it with Kenna. But seriously my life flashes before my eyes, and I really do not want two sets of full and completely gross pullups that I have to find every morning because Quinn/ Kenna would rather ride them than walk upstairs to throw them in the garage. Seriously? Worst part of my life.

Tonight after a new false alarms to go pee, I finally told Kenna good night and ignored her cries (which were not pee related). She passed out after like 10 minutes. I went down 2 hours later, and she was wet. I changed the panties, but I did not bring her to the bathroom.

Not sure what my game plan is for tomorrow. At least after reading Quinn's story, I know it is possible, and that I need to keep it up. Today I was feeling like the wicked witch of the west even as I only used nice words all day (except for when she wrote on the walls with chalk after I told her not to ... time out.)