Potty Training Diaries: Ellie Edition, Pt. 1

Longest title ever, but completely necessary. I want need to remember this for the sole purpose that when we're successful (and when I say we I mean WE because this potty training is no joke) I want to be able to look back on this when Fitz has me in tears. It's amazing how quickly you forget those little but so important things. If you are not my children (and even if you are), I really don't expect you to make it through this post. I tend to write every single mundane detail. Right now I am currently catching up on the Bachelor and savoring every second of alone time. I'm totally going to stay up way too late. So, let's dive right in...

We started potty training on Monday February 29th (LEAP YEAR!) 2016. Ellie had been taking off her poopy diapers and valiantly trying to climb up on the toilet and wipe her bum like a big girl for a couple days. While I so appreciated her efforts, poop is the most difficult of the bodily excretions for me to handle. Oh, by the way, this post is going to be full of too many TMIs (sorry kids!). So we were forced into potty training with Ellie. I would have gladly waited a bit longer to do this. To be totally honest, 2 kids has kicked my butt in the ugliest way. I'm still not ready for this.

Back to Monday, I woke up to the sound of the toilet lid opening. I panicked that I would be starting the week cleaning up massive amounts of poop so I sprinted out of bed and there was my sweet little bean climbing up onto the potty on her own and going pee pee. She was SO proud of herself. So was I. Then I got all starry eyed and was like, "this potty training thing? Owned. Already." Then the drinks started flowing and so did the urine. Okay, to give Ellie credit she only had 4 accidents that day. And she pooped. Twice. Oh! and she took a 3 hour nap AND woke up dry. Do you know how much cleaning I got done in 3 hours?! magical! She rocked day one. She also is claiming that there is a poo monster in her bum. Just writing that down to have her groan at me in 10-13 years. However, potty training has also showed me that I am a selfish parent. The method I'm following has me staying hypothetically tethered to Ellie for 3 solid days. That means no (adult) shows, phone, or closet snacking for myself and no quiet/individual play for Ellie. I NEVER realized how tethered to my stupid phone that I am! It's awful and I've cried ugly tears over it. It was also awful how hard it was for me to sit and do whatever Ellie wanted to do all day while being totally present (you know, to make sure the pee didn't happen). I will be working on that. I love my girl and our moments are so fleeting. It's also amazing the difference spending the time with her has changed her general behavior. She loves, needs, and thrives on cuddles, praise, and one-on-one time. Every time she made it to the potty and even the times she didn't I praised her like I've never praised before and every time her eyes lit up and she felt so loved. I could tell. Kids are so hard but really when you take away all of those complicated layers, they're so simple. They need love.

Okay, this is getting a little mushier than I was planning on but I love my babies! I can't help it! But to keep things extra real I was also mentally and emotionally exhausted by the time Jeremy got home last night. I'm pretty sure I went somewhere to escape for a couple minutes but I honest to goodness can't remember where I went! gosh! You'll understand when I tell you about day 2.

Today, day 2, AKA hell week condensed into a single day: It started at 5:58 a.m. You guys, there are very very very few days that I have had to clock on before 7 a.m. I can probably count them on less than 2 hands. I also have never had the complaint of long days. Our days fly and I usually find myself at 7:30 p.m. every night wondering where the day went, why I got nothing done, and pretty positive that Ellie wouldn't be making her 8 p.m. bedtime. Today was so loooooooooonng. Painfully long. We had 8 accidents, 8! before 11 a.m. For some reason she woke up dead set on showing me that her bladder control wasn't up to me. Well, first she just woke up wet. At 5:58 a.m. and did not go back to bed. She also told me to "stop saying those annoying words" (!!!) which are "tell me when you have to go pee pee or poo poo!". I don't blame her, it's totally annoying! I don't enjoy it either. I've also found that treats will only get us so far. She really doesn't care much. We're going to try stickers to work towards a balloon tomorrow (thanks for the idea Lisa!).

She had accidents EVERY time I've gotten on the phone to talk both days and even had 3 accidents today within 25 minutes. Tell me, how does one tiny bladder hold 30 gallons of urine? By the 7th accident she fought me tooth and nail to stop wearing her undies. After much negotiating she won. I asked her why she didn't want to and she said she didn't want to pee pee in her undies. That softened me up a little bit. She likes to be in control and please people like I do. Sadly, her last accident (and worst) of the morning happened sans undies. I whisked her away upstairs (while getting saturated), sat her on the toilet, and cried. I shouldn't have, but I did. Ellie sweetly patted my head and said, "I so sorry mommy." That's when I realized I needed to suck it up. This is not about me at all. I'm here to teach and encourage her. So I told her that I was just frustrated because we were doing such a hard thing. That I was so proud of her hard work, and that I would be there to run her to the potty anytime she needed it. After our heart to heart over the potty, we both happily succumbed to an afternoon nap. We both woke up in better spirits. Ellie has caught onto my drinks trick and claimed that the drinks hurt her tummy, so not much pottying happened in the afternoon. I think we both needed the break. We snuggled, watched movies, and played little people for hours. J.rue finally made it home around 6:30 and I was so ready for him. After we spent some time together I high-tailed it out the door to make some returns, make some much-needed phone calls, and do some shopping. I'm trying out a new Anastasia eyebrow pencil so I'll let you know how that goes! I also got a quick workout in.

I'm feeling refreshed and somewhat ready for tomorrow and at the same time I still feel like we're going to be stuck at home potty training for an eternity. Also, are you wondering about Fitz? Probably not, but he's been SO good. Today was a little rougher because I think he was tired of playing second fiddle and those dang teeth have to be moving around like crazy because THE DROOL! Good thing he loves his sister oh so much.