Potty Training

I grew up in an environment where everybody (?) potty trained very early on - at least that is what I constantly heard. Today, I am not that sure anymore how true that is...
Then I came to America where this subject is handled quite differently. One approach is 'don't push the child' and the other, well I am not so sure. I can only speak for the things that I have seen. So I knew I wanted to get my first child out of diapers rather sooner than later, but with lots of encouragement rather than the push of having-to-do-so. So I started to put him on the potty at around 11 months, and he responded very well to it. Two months later, I got my diagnosis and my surgery, so there was no more potty training. Once I was able, again, to take care of him by myself, he had totally forgot everything and even refused to cooperate....

Well, finally by the age of 2 1/2 years, he got the Number 1 down - just a few accidents during the day, very seldom a full blown one in his pants. But he refused to go Number 2 on the potty. He would hold it for days if I did not put a diaper on him, and once I did, he went right away.... so I knew he knows how to control himself. When we came to Jersey to await the birth of our blessing, grandma helped with getting rid of that 'control' and he finally was potty trained - no more diapers during the day! He is still to this day wearing one at night - which I hate so much!!! It totally irritates me. But what can I do? It seems he waits all day to pi in his diaper all night long - it is so heavy in the morning, it practically hangs between his knees.

So having lived with this for the past three and a half years, I knew I did not want to make those same mistakes. CDing is helping most definitely, as Peanut does not like the feeling of that wet cloth on her skin. I am telling you, those Huggies can hold tons of stuff, it's amazing. Recently, I have the thought of just putting her on the potty and see what happens.... and it worked the first try!

Here is a picture from the very first time:

What an encouragement! She went Number 2. Yeah. She is a little more predictable than Coqui ever was because she only goes once a day. You can see how she pushes, so that is my clue to run her to the potty. She did it again two days later. (May I add that she is not even sitting on her own yet.) I am so proud of myself. Yesterday, we only got Number 1 but today we caught both again! I am so excited....