Potty Time

I feel like I have accomplished some sort of remarkable feat: E wants to sit on her potty.

I know, that's just really... weird and a little gross. But a little over a month ago, we started "potty training." Her little tush was getting so ravished by diaper rash, I finally just told myself I had to get her out of the diapers. We had tried creams, ointments, anti-biotics, diet changes, diaper changes, wipes, no wipes, naked time... And nothing was working.

So, for a few days, we tried potty training. Every 30-45 minutes or so, we would pull down the panties, sit on the potty, and wait until there was something to clap about. We had some accidents, we had some successes.... we ate a lot of raisins and chocolate chips (hey, who says bribing isn't good every once in awhile?). But in the end, it was me who was becoming trained, and not her. We saw a huge improvement with the diaper rash (as in GONE!), and decided to keep it up when we were conveniently at home.

And then we went to visit the grandparents, got out of the groove, and really haven't looked at the potty since getting home. It's been sitting all alone in the corner, untouched, unused, and stinking slightly of bleach. Yes, that corner of my downstairs has the faint aroma of swimming pool.

Yeah....

Anyway, so, yesterday, we're finishing up dinner when E brings me her potty. It's a nifty little travel potty that's about the size of a large Honey Baked Ham, but not nearly as heavy. It seals shut when closed and has a nice little carrying handle, making it fun for her to lug over to me. She hands it over and says, "Yeah?"

I asked her if she needed to go potty, to which she nodded and said "Uh huh!" (She used to say "Yes, please," but her manners vanished one night only to be replaced by teen-aged forms of grunting). I opened up the potty, got her naked from the waist down, and she sat on it all by herself.

Cue huge welling of parental pride followed by gleeful praises. And plenty of "did you go potty?"

She stood up to show me an empty potty, ran around the great room, and then sat back down. And then repeat. Again, and again, and again. There was a lot of this. We eventually rolled our eyes, agreed that she is still pretty young, and decided that her liking the potty was at least a start.

Two seconds later, she peed on the hardwood floor.

Well, her fascination with the potty continued this afternoon. She had a grand old time sitting on it, standing up from it, sitting on it... Not actually using it... (Again, she peed on the floor and then promptly slipped in it. And, in case you were wondering, this was about an hour after her bath). But I feel like she is getting somewhere. Like she is starting to recognize that there is some correlation between "that feeling" and the potty, even if she hasn't quite been able to put two and two together. And that gives me hope that I may have actually done something right...

...Even if I have no idea what it is or how I did it.

So, in the meantime, I am hoping for a huge epiphany followed by many trips to the potty, little pink girl panties, and tons and tons of bleach....

... It really is amazing what excites you when you become a parent...