Potty Talk

Last weekend we decided to get the small potty out for Macy. Since it is one of the last remaining items that has been in storage since Norah was little (besides clothes), I am happy for the process to begin so we can soon get it out of our house completely. 

Macy immediately sat on the potty with a gigantic smile on her face (is there any other way for her?) and announced that she went potty. 

Um, not so much. The potty was empty. We explained that she actually needed to go pee pee on the potty. 

"Oh yeah!"

So she sat back down, and with encouragement from big sis proceeded to go pee pee on the potty. She continued to go on it throughout the rest of the weekend.

Norah was very excited about the whole idea and the two of them like to go at the same time (the potties face each other). We tried to get Macy on the potty every 30-45 minutes, which is sort of annoying when we're doing things around the house. I taught Norah how to put the diaper on the floor so Macy could lay on it and she could fasten the tabs. It often worked, but occasionally Macy came strutting down the hall with her diaper barely attached. Norah is super helpful and is always eager to wipe Macy and help her wash hands.   

Tonight after Macy went on the pottty I asked if she wanted to wear underwear. She wore them through dinner and then went on the potty again right before bed (at which point we obviously put on a diaper). We made a big deal out of it and she was super proud.

While we're on the topic of potties, when did I miss the big reveal of these bad boy seats with the kids's seat built in? 

What's even more annoying than missing the big reveal is that I'm sure there wasn't one, and that they have been around forever and I just totally missed it. Meanwhile we have been stuck with one of these.

So incredibly inconvenient and probably not the most sanitary. We threw it in the trash immediately after Seth installed the new one. Norah has complained several times that the new one hurts her bottom. I just nonchalantly suggest that she move around a bit and then I quickly change the subject or leave the bathroom to avoid further conversation. Too bad, girl - no way are we going back to the old kind! Maybe we need to get some meat on that bottom of yours...

Okay, enough potty talk for one day (but be prepared for more). 

Potty Progress (and a few cute quotes)

In the past four days Norah has made significant progress with the potty. She has used multiple public restrooms (totally gross, but unavoidable and a milestone as it means she is wearing underwear), gone number two on the potty at home, and today, for the first time, wore her underwear all day at school. Evidence below. 

Here are two recent quotes that really made us really laugh:

- She came out from one of the bedrooms holding her baby doll (named Mikayla), and said, "I am very frustrated with her because she is not listening." (Gee, that sounds familiar.) Seth pointed out that, yes, it is frustrating when people don't listen very well.

- One of the first things she told me this morning in a very sad voice was, "This hand threw Nana (snuggly) down" (while pointing to her right hand).

Cry-it-out Nights Number Three and Four

As a follow up to my previous posts on our attempt to get Norah into a better sleep routine, I can say that cry-it-out night number three was pretty much a repeat of number two. In other words, not pretty. At all.

Last night, however, was a significant improvement. She literally went down without a peep. I left her room and we did not hear another sound.

In the middle of the night she got up once and wanted her diaper changed. Can't really deny her that. Then she woke up at 5AM, but slept on and off until 6:30. Way better.

She is also doing really well with potty training. She has worn underwear and gone in public multiple times, and continues to be a champ at home. The next step will be getting her to wear underwear at school, which she has still refused for some reason.

Transition time!

Norah has been in her current room, the 18-24 month room, since before she was 18 months old. When she moved into that room, I remember feeling like it was definitely time.

It's time again. She is barely over 2, but I think she is very ready to move into the next room. She seems to be ready for a new routine and new things to learn. And perhaps the biggest thing? Potty training!

So as of next week she will be moving to room J and will stand in line with everyone else when it is potty time. I have been waiting for this to happen because she is definitely showing signs of being ready. She tells us all the time when she is "pee pee wet" and does not like to stay in a wet diaper.

But now I'm totally dreading the public toilet thing. Nasty! For the past several months we have been putting her on the potty whenever she asks (she "dribbled" into the potty a few times, but nothing more). We have been teaching her from the very beginning to put her hands on her knees. Hopefully that will stick.

So the transition starts next week. She has traditionally transitioned with extreme ease, so hopefully that will be the case again this time.

Time to do some reading on potty training...