10:32 a.m.
Well, today's potty adventures started at 12:12 a.m. I was sleeping in the room next to Quinn because, if you have not been keeping up, I am all about having my own bed right now. I heard the angel stirring, and I ran to her. She was all set. We ran to the potty. Sat there. Talked to daddy, who was too tired to be helpful, and went back to bed. Nothing in the potty. But I must have sucked her dry because she woke up dry. BUT she woke up at 5:40 a.m. demanding to be awake. I went with it because the next option was fighting with her over me giving her a cup of hot milk so she could fall back asleep. I figured, "Fine, we're up. Let's get this start ASAP."
I started her on juice, and she hung out with daddy in the bed on a towel for a little bit. Then she got all mama centric and wanted me to hold her like a baby or let her sit on my lap. It made me find of sad because I've been mourning her babyhood, and I think she feels it, too. But since she was dry and didn't have that much juice in her yet, I just cherished the moment and welcomed the added weight on my giant body.
Later she had accident after accident for a long time. The text I sent to my peeps said something like, "8 a.m. -- 6 pairs of panties." But just liked yesterday it eventually clicked, and she started getting to the bathroom all dry and filling up that little white bowl. So proud. She was still freaked out about the liquid gas from yesterday, so we gave gas a new name to help her know the difference between gas and poop. She has always called gas "poo-poo." Her favorite sentences. Is (while laughing) "Mommy poo-poo, ewwww!!!" How cute, right? Anyway, we tried a few names and decided together on "toot." Now she can say that she tooted without me rushing her to the toilet. She likes that.
We had a nice morning together. We made juice, watching Elmo while laying on the floor together, and made muffins. She helped with every stage of the muffins. (Well, I did most of the eating.) She never got distracted and started playing with the silverware like she normally does. She stirred and poured and cleaned and actually helped. I loved it. Then we played Playdough, and it all went down hill from there. 
She was having so much fun with her Playdough that she would not go to the potty. Even when I knew she had to go, she would kick and scream. Fighting is not really part of the method, so her booster seat got a few showers. Finally, she had one great pee-pee session, and I decided to make that a great time for a break. NAP TIME!! Amen.Now ... I claim to use the 3 Day Potty Training method, but I have to admit that I am totally going to break one of the big rules today. I need to go to cousin Rachel's dance recital at 2:30 p.m. It is really important to me and her. Quinn is not supposed to leave the house during training, and, in theory, Tim or I should stay with her, but I just really can't miss this event. So, Melissa is coming over at 2:15 p.m. to take over the reins for an hour. This could totally mess up Quinn, but hopefully it won't. Melissa is great, and Quinn really loves her. But, again, I admit, if the 3 Day system does not work IT IS MY FAULT. Also, I should disclose that the, "I can't stop to pee; I just want to play with Playdough" series of events happened while I was busy getting the sitter and talking to Bridget. Again, that is not part of the method. MY FAULT.
Also, today on the potty Quinn wanted to call people and tell her what she was doing. We called and left messages for Lindsay, Daddy, Grandma and Bridget. She has never done that before. It was so cute.
As for the plans for my break time: Grey's Anatomy was amazing. I finally finished watching the season finale at 3 a.m. last night when I was hungry and could not sleep. I loved it. But now I don't have much to do. Fold laundry, I guess, and wait for all hell to break loose.
7:14 p.m.
Oh my gosh. Not even sure where to start. Part of thinks this adventure will kill me, and part of me thinks it will make me the mom I have always wished I was -- more patient, kind, aware, loving, attentive, supportive.
Quinn took a long nap. I sneaked down to see her and check her panties for dryness a few times. She was dry every time. The last time I went down at about 1 p.m., her eyes were open and she was wet. Dear me. Well, I guess that is pretty good considering the amount of juice and the long nap. I can't even remember what happen next, but I don't think she had made it to the toilet before Melissa got here at 2:15 p.m. While I was gone, she went once in the potty to show Melissa and had two accidents. She may have peed for me one or two more times before bed, but mostly she had false alarms and accidents. It sucked. The last two pee-pees of the night were accidents, including one in her bed right after I took her to the bathroom for the third time and then laid her down. Positive and happy, and she is still peeing all over me. Plus, she never pooped today, so I have that to look forward to.
I tried to take her outside a little in the afternoon. That was not good. She is not wearing enough clothes to enjoy the outdoors, and I was not about to start adding peed-on shoes to the wash pile. It was a disaster, and I think sitting on the cement or the grass in a half bare bum gave her some kind of rash because she bawled the next few times I used baby wipes on her tush to clean up a wet accident.
She seems to have a lot more control over her bladder today than she did yesterday, which tells me the accidents are on purpose. She is just testing me. I was mostly even more patient today, so hopefully she will get sick on peeing on Elmo and just roll with it.
Debriefing: Really there are some amazing perks to this process. Even though she is messing with me some of the time (probably for revenge since isn't that what I am doing to her a little?), we are really close right now. We hang out all over the house together. I keep her at an arms length, and she seems to like it. We cuddle a lot, and play a lot more than we ever have before. I am normally a mom who balances a lot of other things.
And I always tell myself that Quinn is independent and does not need me to be at her beck and call. I still agree with that, but I am seeing a whole new side to my daughter and to motherhood. It is a much more selfless side. It is much more completely about the mothering and a lot less about me. I think my amazing sister mothers this way ... beautifully. I appreciate her more than ever. I see it. I get it. I want to remember potty training in this way, so that is why I have included or muffin making pictures as the official press shots for this here milestone.Not sure what to do about the power struggle in general, but as for tonight, I might wake her up in an hour so she can clear her bladder before the (hopefully) long night's sleep.
What to do now? What does the total mother do with her free time? Not sure yet, especially when all the primetime season finales are over.
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