The Potty Post:

Yes, it's true

Charli uses the potty

Just like me and you

She learned quite quickly
Two days to be exact
She even wakes up dry
In the morning and from nap!

She's no longer a baby
She is a big girl now
She wears her big girl panties 
And we couldn't be more proud!

***

Potty training Charli has not been a priority for us. We figured with all of the other changes in her life (baby brother, new bedroom, pre-school, moving preparation) the last thing we wanted to do was to "push" another change on our little girl. We knew she would tell us when she was ready to take that step away from being a toddler and become a "big girl"!

Well sure enough, a few months ago, she started showing signs (toilet curiosity, embarrassment when she soiled a diaper, waking up with dry diapers, and starting to remove her own diapers) that she was in fact ready! So Steven and I decided that we were going to finally bite the bullet when we returned from Jettie's wedding and focus on potty training!

We got home from our trip late Sunday night and Steven didn't have to return to work until Wednesday, so we took advantage of the few days we had and hunkered down and didn't leave the house that Monday or Tuesday so we could really focus on potty training. We brought her little training potty downstairs so it would be in plain view for her (literally put it right in the middle of the living room). When she woke up Monday morning with a dry diaper we headed straight to the potty, and day 1 had commenced!

We kept her on the potty (even through a couple of tantrums) until she finally peed before breakfast! That first time she peed in her little potty and saw how happy we were you could literally see the lightbulb go off and her figuring it out in her head!

We let her run around naked, including gardening with daddy in the backyard, where she peed several times in the grass (total hippy/drunk girl style) and would announce that she was going! Every time she went we would give her a "potty treat" (we used candy corn because I felt it was appropriate with the season, and she loves them)! With the exception of one tiny accident that afternoon (literally popped a squat in the middle of the living room) she has peed in the potty with not a single accident since!! So you are thinking super easy right?! Though peeing in the potty for Charli was a breeze, going #2 on the other hand was a whole different story...

Towards the end of her first day, and getting to run around naked, we put her big girl panties on and almost immediately had an accident. Same thing almost happened on day 2 of potty training but we managed to catch it in time. She would literally start crying and yelling that she didn't want to go poo poo on the potty. And since we were on constant potty watch for the next few days (constantly asking her if she needed to poop and giving her treats for just sitting on the potty) she decided she was going to hold out... Literally the girl held going poop for 3 days. On day 4 we decided we were going to make a trip to the doctor if she didn't go for us...

Day 4 was an all day effort...
With lots of tears from both Charli and I, frustration, and aggravation, she FINALLY went in the potty! I can't tell you how many frustrating times we had that first week, honestly wanting me to throw in the towel on the whole thing. Thankfully I had Steven there helping and his patience is much better than mine, and with his help we continued on this journey together and I am so glad we did and that we didn't give up! I can confidently say that after just a coupe of days of hard work on our part; not leaving the house, and walking behind her step by step until she would say "pee pee, poo poo on potty" and only 2 pair of panties thrown away, she was completely trained!

It just clicked with Charli! She is a very smart little girl and I knew the moment she used the potty she would get it, and she did! I am honestly so happy we did wait until we did though instead of trying to force it on her just so we could say "she was potty trained before 2", because I feel that with her being a little older, she was more aware and knew exactly what was going on!

So I am here to report that she has been doing incredible! She wakes up every morning dry and goes straight to the potty first thing and the same goes for nap time. She hasn't had any accidents at home, at school, or out in public and I am incredibly grateful! Her teachers have been amazed at how fast she has learned and how well she is doing! We couldn't be happier! She really is growing up so fast! I feel this was the last thing that was left that still made her our little baby, but she isn't a baby anymore, she is a big girl, our big girl, and we couldn't be more proud of her!!

Keep up the good work sweetie!!