I Think We've Got This.....

First of all, thank you all for your wonderful comments when I announced Baby #2. The reality that I am pregnant and this little family is growing is slowly sinking in. We are so excited, and I'm certain that you're going to hear a whole lot of pregnancy and baby talk around here. Today though, let's talk about the toddler.

This whole potty training thing? I think it's safe to say that we've got it. Like, she's really, truly potty-trained!! When I started trying to potty-train Ellie at 15 months old, I knew that she wouldn't be finished in 3 days like some older kids could be. I knew we were in for a long road. And a long road is what we traveled! A year-ish later and I am confident that Ellie is potty-trained (day and naptime and nights). I really don't think that's too bad, either! It was a lot of work, patience, pull-ups, and extra laundry, but it was so worth it. 

Elliott's potty chart. She got a sticker each morning that she woke up dry. She had actually been dry each morning for about 2 weeks before we started the chart, and she finished it a few weeks ago ;) I only made the chart so that we could have a visual and so that I could buy her a Barbie when it was full!

Elliott has always seemed so independent, and I know that she's proud of this latest accomplishment. We had one morning where she had woken up while I was in the shower......I have no idea how long she had been awake for, but when I got out of the shower she was screaming and crying at her door. The poor girl had wet her pants, and seeing how upset she was made me SO sad! She was upset that she had peed her pants, but I was upset because it was my fault! She had tried to ask for help, but I didn't hear her. Thankfully, she doesn't seem to remember this incident, so maybe it was only traumatic for me? Besides that, we've only had one night-time accident in the last month or so. 

I seriously can't believe how well she had done with this! I still always pack extra clothes and underwear when we go out, but I've never needed them. I waited for a while to post about this because, well, I didn't want to "jinx" us. But, that's just crazy talk. Elliott is sure to have accidents, and I've heard many kids revert back to their old ways for a week or two at a time, so I'm prepared for that. But for now, I'm just enjoying not having to change diapers, and spoiling my little girl with "potty treats" from time to time ;)

Potty Training: Update

I haven't talked about potty training here for a long time. Some of you might not even know that I tried potty training Ellie just after she turned a year old. Silly, right?

Well, it's only silly to some. Others might think I'm crazy for not starting sooner. Potty training is kind of a taboo subject, at least in my experience. I really don't care how (or when) others potty train their children. It's not a sign of how intelligent the child is or how determined the parent is. I don't believe that potty training your child at three and a half years old will harm them in any way, but if you think Elimination Communication is the way to go, then more power to ya! I'm not here to tell you that my way worked magic......because it didn't! I think the only way to potty train your child is to do it the way that works for you and your child. 

This has been such a long road for us that I would be hesitant to hand out any sort of advice or tips or tricks. What has worked for us?

Bribery

Consistency

Low-Pressure Attitude

Patience

When Ellie was about 15 months old, I was determined that she would be potty trained by the time she was 18 months old. I knew that starting at that age, we would need at least a few months to really get there.
Well, when she hit 18 months, I set a new goal of being potty trained by age 2! Haha!
I am happy to report that at 2 years and 1 week old........we are well on our way to being potty trained ;)

This potty training business is no joke! And while I'm making light of it, and it probably sounds like we've been in potty training hell for almost a year now, that's just not the case. The truth is, while Ellie isn't completely potty trained just yet, I haven't changed an actual diaper in at least 3 months.
The road has been long and slow, but I actually really like how it has worked out for us.
I feel like this has just been one more transition, and since we've taken it slow and eased into things, it hasn't been traumatic or stressful for either party. Sure, there were days where Ellie hated the potty and no amount of gummy bears would get her to sit her little toosh on it. But then there are days where I get brave and take her out of the house in underwear and she amazes me by staying dry all afternoon!

For me, the biggest motivator is diapers.....they're all cute and sweet when you have a newborn squishy baby who loves to coo and look up at you while you wipe their butt. But my cute little baby started hating diaper changes starting when she learned to walk. She absolutely HATED them. Naturally, I began to hate them too. I would much rather peel soaked underwear off her little bum five times a day than wrestle her around for 10 minutes every time she needed a diaper change. That's the honest truth.
That was my biggest motivator in all of this, and if I had a laid-back kiddo who didn't mind diaper changes one bit, I might not have pushed the potty-training envelope so much.
I can't emphasize this enough, but this is what worked for me and my child and my family. To each their own.

So where are we at now? 

At 2 years old, this is what potty training looks like for us:

1. Ellie wears a pull-up to bed. Usually she wakes up in the morning and her pull-up is wet. It's wet, but not soaked. And sometimes (I'd say one day a week or so), she even wakes up dry!
My next step is going to be waking her up before I go to bed and have her use the potty one more time. We'll get to that step eventually. She was wearing pull-ups for naps, but as of the last week she wears underwear for naps, and it's working out well! I'd say she is dry after her nap 60% of the time. 

2. Ellie wears underwear all day. (If we are going to be gone all day and I know we won't be making it to the bathroom regularly, then I will use pull-ups, but all other times it's underwear.) I pack plastic covers for the babysitter to use......sometimes she uses them, sometimes she doesn't. At home we try and just stick to the underwear without a cover, and for most quick errands we go with just underwear  now (and pants, of course!). Yes, this means she sometimes has accidents, but the accidents are much easier to identify in underwear than they are with pull-ups.
I'm getting over my fear of public accidents.....they're going to happen, no matter how prepared we are!

3. We use bribery. I thought that we would be weaning the bribes out of our routine by now, but the truth is, we just aren't at that point yet. Ellie knows that she will get a gummy bear, or an m&m, or some other small treat if she uses the potty and stays dry. However, if she forgets to ask for a treat afterwards, I don't remind her! I know that eventually we will cut back and change how we use treats......for now, anytime she uses the potty is still a celebration :)

4. In general, Ellie has been doing SO good! Since she is in underwear all day now, it's easier to "tally" up her accidents and keep track. She has been having about 3 accidents each day (this includes naptime), and she's even had a few accident-free days! 

I feel like she is doing a great job, and I'm happy about our journey so far.

I stated earlier that we have a Low-Pressure Attitude towards potty training. I know that some parents choose to wait until their child is "showing signs of readiness" before they potty train, while other parents choose how and when their child will be potty trained and don't stray from their plan.
I feel like we fall into the middle somewhere......I had a general idea of how and when we would potty train Elliott, and I didn't really wait for her to tell me that she was ready. I don't punish Ellie or make her feel bad for having accidents, but now that she knows what to do, I definitely make sure she knows what our expectations are about the potty.
Does that make sense? I feel like I laid out the plans, Ellie showed us how much she could handle, and then we readjust the goals and standards from there.
We are constantly changing our expectations and goals to fit where she is at and what she has learned. 

Like I said, I feel like potty training is just another little transition.......just like moving from a crib to a toddler bed, from crawling to walking, from bottles to food.
 Each transition has taken longer than I thought......its a progression, not an over-night change.
I like knowing that each day is a new day, never the same as the one before or the one after that.
While we may not fall exactly into a category of "diapers" or "potty-trained", we are somewhere in the middle and THAT'S OKAY! 

What are your experiences with potty training? I'd love to hear your thoughts, tips, and advice!

Potty Training.....

I've hesitated in posting this because, well, Ellie isn't potty-trained yet.

So who am I to be handing out advice?! Maybe I should define the purpose of this post.

I'm not telling y'all how to potty train a child. For sure.
I'm not writing a book or a manual, so don't quote me.
But, I would like to note (for personal and public instances) what is working for us in the potty training department.

Sometimes during this process as a first-time mom, I'll apologize to Elliott because I feel like everything is trial and error.....and that's my fault, not her's.
Alas, maybe that will make her a stronger person in the end?!
Because I tell ya....as with many milestones in Ellie's short life so far, we are going at this one essentially blind-folded! Every book I read told me something different, and every person I asked for advice had different tips or methods to try. So we've tried a little bit of everything, and I want to document it (and there will for sure be more where this came from, once Ellie is certifiably-potty-trained).

This little (extremely looong) post is not meant to be an exhaustive guide on potty-training, but I've found that many books don't give you any "real" information. They give you history and facts and statistics, but they often leave a parent wondering "how do I actually DO this?!" My hope is that by giving you a peek into our potty training days, you might gain your own ideas about what potty-training actually looks like. There's lots of accidents, lots of praise and encouragement, lots of poop and pee talk. But, this is real. A real-life look at what's working for us. Every child and family will find what works for them, so I encourage you to take the advice that sounds good to you, and feel free to leave any feedback with tips or tricks that I didn't mention here.

Where When How to Begin

I had intended on beginning potty training as soon as Elliott could walk.
We bought her a potty chair for her first birthday, and started to put her on it. Then I guess I chickened out. My childcare provider sounded a little skeptical at the time too, so I decided to wait a little while. (Tip #1: any and all childcare situations should be on board with potty training. Being on the same page will save your little one a lot of frustration and accidents).
Here we are, six months later, and I've finally decided to take the plunge! Even though she's fairly young, I decided to take an "all-or-nothing" approach. That is, we practically tossed diapers out the window!!

The first few days were spent isolated in our kitchen, armed with:

~ a potty chair ~

~ wipes ~

~ small (edible) treats ~
~ snacks, as well as juice and water! ~

~ lots of towels and cleaning solution ~
~ training pants and/or underwear ~

~ books, and easy potty-time toys and activities ~

~ lots of patience and positive reinforcement!!!! ~

Why were we in the kitchen? Because in our house, it just made sense. There is plenty of room to roam and play, and it is the largest area in our house with "cleanable" floors.....if your house is wall to wall laminate flooring, then maybe you don't need to trap yourself in the kitchen. For me, I knew that potty training was going to involve a lot of accidents, so I tried to think of fun things for us to do while trapped in our kitchen (baking cupcakes, floor activities, movies on the iPad, etc).

No, that's not a bruise on her back. It's a Mongolian spot. And I think it's cute :)

So, we just went for it. I committed to staying at home for two to three days (which didn't totally happen), and let the girl run around naked in the kitchen. For Ellie, she really had to learn what was going on inside that diaper, and the only way to figure that out was for her to be naked from the waist down. Yes, that meant lots of pee on the floor. But, I was watching her like a hawk, and anytime she started to pee, I quickly whisked her to the potty while saying "You're peeing! Pee Pee goes in the potty!!" I used "pee", "pee pee", "poop", and "potty" probably way more in those three days than I would like to admit.
But again, she had to learn.
She needed to know what was happening down there, what to call it, and where to put it.

A few times throughout the first day, I would set Ellie on the potty at the "right" time....she had to pee, but didn't know it. I guessed, and I was right. Those moments made for great opportunities for her to succeed, and she would get a small treat for each time that happened (a marshmallow, or a chocolate chip, etc. And please note that Elliott is not usually motivated by food...but trust me, sweet treats will get 'em every time :). Other times, I would have her sit on the potty for a longer period of time, just to get comfortable with it. For those times, we read lots of books or watched videos on the iPad (a great recommendation from my friend Amanda, who has been a constant source of knowledge and support during this process). And still other times, Ellie would start to go on the floor. I would tell her what was happening and that she needs to go potty. (Tip #2: patience!!! Please, do not yell or sigh if your child has an accident. They can sense your frustration, and they certainly don't need to hear it! Stop and take a moment before you react, and stay calm. Encourage them when they succeed, and try to not respond at all if they mess it up)

By the second day, I knew we were making ground. And I was so excited! She was seriously getting it, and if you want to know what mama pride feels like......go ahead and potty train your 18 month old :) It seriously feels like they are the most amazing being to ever walk the planet! You'll think they're so smart and talented and advanced (and then they'll pee in your shoe.....true story). Yes, by the end of the first weekend, Elliott had learned some bladder control: as opposed to peeing a tiny bit every couple minutes the first day, she could now "hold it" and pee more at once and less frequently. She also knew what exactly the potty was for, and what "peeing" and "pooping" felt like. These are all very basic principles that youngin's like her need to be taught (a three year old going into potty-training might already have these abilities....but then again, I've never potty trained a three year old so I can't really say).

 
Tip #3: Lots of Fluids!! More fluid = more opportunities for practice (and success!)

She wasn't, by any means, potty-trained though. I could feel my frustration building. Anytime I put a diaper on her, she would go in it, and not even tell me.

What We're Working on Now

Once she had these basics down, I felt like it was time to do something. Elliott needed to learn how to communicate to me when she needs to go potty, and she also needed to learn that peeing or pooping in diapers and/or underwear is not right. I had a funny thought right then that gave me renewed patience for my little one: When we have an infant, we teach them to pee in their diapers (ie, you're changing your baby and they beging to pee all over....our first reaction is to quickly cover them up with a diaper and we yell and shout if they pee on us.....). And now, as toddlers with their own ideas and wants, we expect them to UN-learn this. Why is it all of a sudden NOT okay to pee in the diaper?! Isn't that what we've taught them all along?

See? Potty training can be exciting!!

This revelation gave me a new perspective, and encouraged me even more that this can be done......that I need to take responsibility for what I've taught my daughter, and with grace and patience, she will learn a new way to do things.
So, we entered the second phase of our training with confidence......and out went the diapers.
Now, I still put a diaper (cloth or disposable) on her for naps and bedtimes, and for long trips away from home and/or bathrooms. The rest of the time, it's cotton undies. I strongly recommend Super Skivvies, a product that I've reviewed here on the blog before. They're amazing training underwear that will save your carpet and couches, and can still be used once you're youngster is officially trained. The best part of these for Elliott is that the extra small size is a perfect fit! Have you ever tried a pair of Gerber training pants on a little skinny-minny?! Even the 2T is ginormous!! (and if your only option is Gerber, then I say hot hot wash, and extra hot dry....they'll shrink just a little)

Tip#4: Throw out the diapers!! It will give you and your little one a boost of confidence (and, then there's no turning back! Ha!)

 

So, we still have many accidents each day. But Ellie knows what she is supposed to do, and having her in underwear encourages the adults in her life to be proactive about getting her to the potty in a timely manner. Her babysitter is so supportive, and that is helping a lot with this process! I'm working on teaching her to tell us when she needs to use the potty, and encouraging her when she is able to keep her underwear dry. (Tip #5: invest in plastic pull-on covers, they're a life-saver at this point! And, Gerber sells them in 0-3 and 3-6 months which are actually the perfect size for toddlers!)

Elliott might be potty-trained by next week, or she might be potty-trained by her second birthday. I'll be sure to give you an update when she finally "gets" it. But for now, I am so proud of her accomplishments! This is so much to learn, and she's taking it all in stride. And I have the satisfaction of saving quite a bit on diapers every single day! Woohoo!

Seriously.....Super Skivvies are amazeballs!

A vote for my potty-trainin' sweet cheeks?!

My Week in iPhone Pics

I think I jinxed us.

I got all excited because we had a couple of summery-ish days, and  now?! Rain.

Lots and lots of rain!

It's pretty depressing, but I've got a jam-packed weekend full of fun stuff to cheer me up!

Here's a look back at our week, in cell phone pics.....

Ellie was sick all week :( She started out with just a fever and runny nose, so I chalked it up to teething. But, it's definitely a cold/cough thing. Poor babe! We went to the dr. just in case (her cough was sounding pretty nasty), but she is going to be just fine!

Despite having the sickies, we trucked on with our potty-training (I promise I will write about this in detail......I just want to make sure we master it first!) and this included lots of fluids and fun new toys!

These two kept my week pretty entertaining! Elliott makes the funniest faces when she's drinking, and.....she was shoveling rice into her mouth by the handful one day. This never happens!! She really loves her some rice. Also, she fell asleep in the car with her hand still in her bag of Veggie Crisps she had been snacking on!

Scott's kickball team won in their division last season, and with the first game this season they received some pretty cool sweatbands (well, as cool as sweatbands can be I guess). He was pretty excited!

And finally, a couple random shots from this week. One day at work, I brought in a tutu to show a few ladies how I make them. Next thing I knew, we were off to JoAnn's to load up on tons (almost literally) of tulle!! During our lunch, we shopped the craft store, and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one spending part of my weekend crafting :) Also, like I mentioned before, summer around here has been rained out. Very literally. I hate summer rain. The warmth mixed with precipitation = humidity and I hate it! It does, however, create beautiful rainbows from time to time.

Next week I'm going to have fun posts about potty-training (if we're successful), Tutus (if I ever finish them), and The Warrior Dash (if I make it out alive!!). Fun fun stuff!

Now, get out those cell phone pics, and head over to A Good Life to grab the linky code.....it's fun, and all the cool kids are doing it ;)

Happy Weekend!

Winner: Super Skivvies Giveaway!

The winner of the Super Skivvies giveaway is...........

Enter a lower limit:
Enter an upper limit:
Random Number:

Amy from A Good Life!

AmyLee said...

i coulda sworn i was already following you, but i guess not! good thing i checked... i am now :)

Saturday, May 21, 2011 11:57:00 AM PDT

Yay!

Thanks to everyone who played along :)

AND, don't forget, you can still get 20% off all Super Skivvies orders (excluding Special Offers...those are already a great deal!!) through June 19th!! Just enter PRETTYLITTLE at checkout!

Shop Super Skivvies HERE!

I took some pictures of Ellie in her new Super Skivvies last night, too!

Just for fun, here's some Wordless Wednesday action ;)

 Dancing. I think.

I had no idea this was whawt was going on when I snapped this picture. Hmmm....

 

Go buy some Super Skivvies and enjoy your Wednesday!

Oh, and if you like giveaways, please give us a quick vote!!


~Amanda

Giveaway: Super Skivvies

That's right, Pretty Little Life is hosting it's first giveaway....ever!!

That's because I have 60 of the most faithful followers a girl could ever ask for! Seriously, you guys are awesome. With every comment, and every new follower, I feel the love and it keeps me motivated. I realize my life is not the most important thing out there.....but the fact that someone took a few minutes out of their day to read about my pretty little life?! Well, that's huge! And I do my best to return the favor, and to get to know all of you!

What I do know is that most of my readers are mommas.....either young, old, new moms, veterans, or soon-to-be moms. So, I think most of you will appreciate this giveaway!

Steph, the mastermind behind the ingenious Super Skivvies, is graciously giving one of my readers their very own pair of Super Skivvies, as well as a Super insert to go with it! Cool, huh?!

Now I bet you're wondering what Super Skivvies are?! Let me tell you....

Super Skivvies are underwear.

But, there are a few things that set these undergarments apart from anything else you've ever seen. You see, there's special absorbent pads that you can add to these underwear to make them just absorbent enough to be helpful while potty-training. This gives your child the confidence of wearing underwear along with the uncomfortable "wet" feeling when they have an accident, but your carpets and couches will be saved!

Also, when your child is fully potty-trained, you can use the Super Skivvies without the inserts, and you've got real underwear! I love this idea, because while these undergarments can be a bit pricey, they're well worth the investment. And with the generous sizing and amazingly stretchy legs and waist, these skivvies will see your little one from their early potty-training days well into toddler-hood.

I found Super Skivvies at a local boutique, and I just HAD to have a pair to use with our potty-"learning". The store only had boy colors left in Ellie's size at the time, but I didn't care (and I actually try to buy all of our cloth diapers and such in gender neutral colors anyway......you know, for future use!), I had to have them right away! For now, we use them every evening between bathtime and bedtime. It's a good amount of time for Elliott to have "freedom", but I don't want to be cleaning up baby pee off of the carpet, couch, dog, etc. I've found that Super Skivvies do exactly what they say they will.....there's just enough absorbency to hold in one accident. When Ellie has an accident, I can feel that the undies are wet. However, it doesn't soak her or her clothes (or my new couch, or my lap). Ellie can also tell that she's wet....I'm sure it's a little uncomfortable for her, and that's exactly how it should be!

I wash Ellie's Super Skivvies with either her diapers, or a load of normal laundry.....either way, her undies come out just as soft and stretchy as the first time, and the insert becomes a little more absorbent with each wash cycle, as well! I cannot wait to be fully stocked so that we can get this potty-training under way....I believe that Super Skivvies are just what we need to succeed!

My favorite thing about Super Skivvies is that they come in an extra small size. You see, I went in search of training pants a couple months ago, and the smallest size that most stores carry were a 2T. These were obviously way too big on Elliott, who tends to hold down the smaller end of the growth curves. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the extra small Super Skivvies fit Ellie decently right now (at 15 months and 19.5 lbs), but have plenty of room for her to grow into. Because the sizing starts at extra small, I'm sure you can imagine how big a large would be....yeah, I think there's a Super Skivvie for every size of toddler out there!

Whether you choose to potty train early and need something small enough to fit your little peanut, or you want to start potty training at age 3 and need a little something different to get you through the overnight training.....Super Skivvies are definitely the answer! I emailed Super Skivvies owner, Steph, to personally thank her for her genius idea and the high quality product that she offers. She was quick to respond, and super helpful! I can tell that she's a great person to work with, and I will be going to her for all of my potty-training needs!

Want to know more about Super Skivvies?!

Visit their website here.

Visit the Etsy shop here.

See their Facebook page here.

And now, one Pretty Little Life reader will win a pair of Super Skivvies, in the color and size of their choice. The winner will also receive a Super insert. Please read below for directions for entering this giveaway. A winner will be chosen at random, and will be announced here on June 1st! So get all your comments in, and stay tuned!

While the winner will be announced on June 1st, today we are all winners! You can get started on your Super Skivvies stash today, because Stephanie is generously offering Pretty Little Life readers 20% off of all Super Skivvies in her shop! Pretty cool, huh?! Just enter PRETTYLITTLE at the checkout, and you'll be well on your way to stocking your kiddo's drawers (pun intended). This discount will be valid until June 19th, 2011. (Steph has "special offers" in her shop, and this 20% discount may not be applied to those special offers....they're already a great deal, so just add em to your cart, anyway!)

Again, thank you all for being such faithful readers! I hope that you enjoy this little treat, and hopefully there will be many more like it in the future!

To enter the Super Skivvies giveaway, please follow these instructions:

1. Please leave one comment per entry

(you do NOT need a blog or google account to enter this giveaway, but you MUST leave a comment! Just try it.....it's not hard at all!)

2. With each and every comment, please make sure that I have a name and contact info

(I know it's a pain, sorry! But if you win, I must be able to contact you via email, otherwise I will have to pick another winner)

Now, here is how you can enter. Please leave one separate comment per option that you complete (think of it like a raffle....the more items you complete, the more chances you have to win! yay!) :

1. Check out the Super Skivvies store here. Leave a comment telling me which pattern/color is your favorite! (this entry is mandatory!)

2. Follow Pretty Little Life with Google Friend Connect and leave a comment, or leave a comment telling me you're already a follower! (not mandatory, but I'll love you forever if you do!! Just click the little button on the left.)

3. "Like" Super Skivvies on Facebook and leave a comment telling me you did so.

4. "Heart" Super Skivvies and Prettiest Littles on Etsy and leave a comment telling me you did so.

5. Follow Super Skivvies on Twitter and leave a comment telling me you did so.

There you have it! Five easy peasy ways to up your chances of winning some amazing Super Skivvies! Don't forget, you can get 20% off your order of Super Skivvies by using the promo code PRETTYLITTLE (valid until June 19, 2011). So go stock up now! (Steph has "special offers" in her shop, and this 20% discount may not be applied to those special offers)

You have until May 31st, 2011 to enter this giveaway! A winner will be drawn and announced on June 1st!

~Amanda

My Week in iPhone Pics

I have to say.....I'm already enjoying being spoiled this mother's day weekend!

I got to get out for a little bit today and enjoy some alone time. I got my hair cut, my eyebrows waxed, and walked around Fred Meyer (alone!!). It was nice :) And I'm pretty sure there are more surprises on the way from my sweet hubby and baby girl, so let's make this quick, shall we?!

Stella and Elliott passed out after the March for Babies. Elliott wearing a super duper cute dress at a family BBQ.

Top Pot Doughnut Dash! I've definitely got a taste for competition (and doughnuts) and I'm sure this won't be my last 5K this year. Do you see all those doughnuts?!

This first pic is what our morning routine looks like lately. And this shirt? My mom bought it for Ellie....FOR A DOLLAR!! I know, right?!

All I can say about Tuesday is....I think these jeggings are dunzo!

Wednesday someone wanted to watch Glee before bed. And, this momma crafted her little heart out after Ellie went to bed. This is my favorite invite I've made yet!

Thursday we had a surprise lunch date with Auntie Katie. And do you know anyone else who can pull off these stripey pants? I didn't think so.

Friday we hung out at Gymagine with Aimee and Camden (although it was impossible to get a picture of those two kiddos together!) We tried on our first pair of Super Skivvies (some amazingly awesome training pants) and some new sunglasses (which are now her fav.....she won't take them off)!

That's all, folks!

If you want to join in the fun, head over to A Good Life to add the linky to your post. Then link up!

It's fun!!

~Amanda

Potty Practice

At 14 months old, we've started what I like to call "potty practice". I'm not sure that it can officially be called potty training, and I'm not sure we're ready to make that full-on commitment that goes along with it, either. For now, we're just practicing.

But, so far so good!

Elliott doesn't mind sitting on the potty, and it has made diaper changes a whole lot easier (which was my sole intention of introducing the potty at this point). She sits on it anywhere from once a day (on really busy/lazy days) to upwards of ten times a day (days that I'm feeling very motivated and Ellie is cooperating). Yesterday was one of the good days, and I'm proud to say that Elliott peed on the potty three times yesterday!!! And the day before that?! She peed in the potty twice and even pooped in it!

Needless to say, when we have good days like the last two, both of us are all the more inclined to incorporate more potty time into our days! It's such a great feeling for me to know that she really gets it (now when I tell her to sit on the potty, she actually walks to the bathroom and tries to sit down. When I take off her pants and diaper, she will often try to go!), and I'm sure it's a great feeling for her not to be sitting in a soaked diaper! I try not to get too excited when she goes, but the thought of one less wet or dirty diaper to change is, well, thrilling!!

Yep, I'm the mom that takes a picture of her daughter's first pee in the potty!!

Here's to many more weeks and months of "potty practice".....and light at the end of the diaper tunnel! Woohoo!

~Amanda