Is this what Potty Training looks like?!

This is what she looked like 3hours into the FIRST day! I looked WORSE! :)












Potty Training Attempt #1...Yeah, this was rough. I just kind of always assumed, that I would get Hudsen potty trained before the 2nd baby arrived. As, in my mind, I am just picturing our house literally exploding with diapers. I picture myself NEVER leaving the changing table, and our trashcans overflowing with pampers and wipes. So, I decided to try the 3day potty training method when Hudsen turned 23months old.



I'm sure many moms have heard of it, and it apparently has a high success rate - well, maybe our 2nd attempt will be a success :)




Basically, the plan for this method is simple. For the THREE days, you and your child are on lockdown at your house. The first morning, you take all the diapers away, in dramatic fashion by throwing them in the trash with your child so they know they no longer exist. We, however, felt that was wasteful, and instead, had Justin take them away with him in the car on his way to work. So Hudsen and I walked out to the car, and waved by to the diapers, that Daddy was taking away to the 'babies'....not sure what babies she thinks Daddy works with, but this trick worked when we said bye to the Paci at 21months - and daddy drove away with a bag full of pacifiers and we waved goodbye from the street....she still says that Daddy took her Paci's to work for the babies.....so we thought this story would be perfect.



NOT THE CASE.



So, for the 3 days you are required to keep your child in only a tshirt and big girl underwear. That way, when they start to pee/poop (and they will like 50 times a day), you can see it right away and rush them to the toilet. Apparently, after having accident after accident, they realize that they need to tell you before they go in their pants and onto the floor. You are not to leave your childs side for 3days and as soon as you do, they WILL have an accident. And by staying so close to them all day, you are supposed to be able to pick up on their cues....maybe an expression or something that they may make right before they go.



Well, my daughter had no expression, and no look of concern until after pee/poop would be on the floor. And as I would run her to the toilet to try to get at least a little into the 'potty' she would be pointing to the floor telling me there was a 'mess.' (as if I didn't see it splash all over the floor) :) Thank god we have wood floors, as I cannot imagine what the moms were doing with accidents all over their carpet.



Hudsen is a big talker, says everything she wants to say at all times....so she got pretty good with the 'fake outs.' What is a 'fake out' you may ask....well, this is when your child says the word 'potty' and you immediately swoop them off their feet and sprint to the bathroom. Only to pull their underwear down in time to set their tiny little bottom on the toilet seat....and then to hear 'No potty mommy.' Take them off the potty, pull the underwear back up, resume playtime, only to witness another accident minutes later. Repeat this 50times daily, and that was my life during these few days.


Seriously, I was starting to think that those doggy pee pads would be great to put around the house!



So by 9:30am the FIRST day, there had been 8 accidents. That's 8 times where I had to clean up the floors, change her big girl pants, and tell her that it was okay, but to NEXT TIME TELL MOMMY WHEN YOU HAVE TO GO POTTY.....if I had a dollar for every time I said that :)

Elmo also tried to show her where to go potty

I was emotionally and physically exhausted by the end of the day, and the next 2 days were not any better. She was sleeping through the night and not wetting her bed so that kept me going....like hey, she can hold it ALLLLL night, that's impressive, so I stuck with it for a 4th day, and luckily, that was the weekend, so Justin was home to help. Although, again, we just saw accident after accident and by the morning of the 5th day, I was emotionally drained. I cried...again, called Justin, and he said 'Brittani, you have given this 100%, and it is obvious that she is just not ready, can we please give our little girl her diaper back' - oh my god! I felt so much relief.....but also, felt as though a little part of me had failed as a mother. But I had to realize that she just wasn't ready and you are not supposed to push them if they aren't there yet. If we weren't having another baby in a few months, I would not have even tried to push her, and probably would have waited until she was 2 or 2 1/2.
So now Justin and I are just bracing ourselves, and we realize this house will be Diaper Central starting in October :)