OPT: Day Four

Yippee! Liliana is on a roll! She put all of the numbers where they belonged today, without a single accident. She even took care of business during a couple of more difficult situations. Also, Liliana is no longer having so many false-alarms at nap & bedtime. Today she actually followed through every time but one. Another step in the right direction. We no longer have a need for the timer, and jelly beans are out the window tomorrow!

I am so thankful that Liliana is gaining confidence and consistency. I can feel my stress level decreasing by the hour. It wasn't fun to have potty on the brain every second of the day. Whew! I forgot how tough it is to be on high-alert 24/7. I guess this is sharpening me for the upcoming months of caring for an infant. Bring on the sleepless nights!

Please pardon my four days of potty-mouth. I hope and pray I have written my last post about pee. Thanks for sticking with me through OPT. Hope your weekend was filled with good things!

Ramona

OPT: Day Three

Day three of OPT has been a success. Although my big girl had one big (and messy) accident at naptime, the rest of the day was perfect. Wade and I are so thankful that this transition has been relatively smooth.

It seems that our biggest challenge will be nap & bedtime. While we want to honor her requests to go potty before bed--and the first hour or so thereafter--we're finding that she asks five or six times before falling asleep. The frequent and unproductive trips are testing our patience (the cabin fever doesn't help), but we don't want to say no when she may really have to go. It's difficult to know where to draw the line. Seasoned parents, feel free to weigh in.

Thankful and exhausted,
Ramona

OPT Update (W/ Addendum)

My little champ is staying consistent on her second day of potty training. She had a couple of accidents first thing in the morning, and the rest of the day has been filled with successes. All of her #2's have made it in the water. Hooray for that! In fact, she seems to be most confident in that area (if you get my drift).

After Liliana awoke from another 3+ hour nap with a dry pull-up, we got a little bold. Against friendly advice, we took Liliana to the grocery store and Walgreens. We knew it was a gamble, but I just HAD to get out of the house (I haven't left in over two days). I packed an extra change of clothes, and we were off! Our outing lasted about an hour, and Liliana did not have an accident. This is going much better than I anticipated. Yahoo!

We also have some adoption situations to consider. One looks very promising (Yippee!!), while the other is out of our range. It's very exciting to have possibilities as we wait. Instead of feeling like I'm sitting on my hands, it seems like we're doing something. That's a good thing.

Tootaloo!

The Score

At the end of the day, the score is...

Potty: 12 (#1 & #2)
Floor: 1
Pull-up (during nap):1

After an accident first thing in the morning, Liliana pottied like a champ. I'm so proud of her--so proud. What more could a Mommy want? Okay, maybe a decrease in the frequency would be nice. But other than that...an all-around great day. I am both thrilled and exhausted!

In the midst of learning to use the little girls' room, Liliana said the funniest things! As I was trying to monitor her first successful attempt, she bluntly said, "Leave me alone." Standing outside the door, I politely explained the term "privacy" and reminded her of good manners. She finished her business, and all was well. The next time she went in the bathroom (and every time thereafter), Liliana confidently asked, "Mommy, may I please have a little privacy?"

The word for the day was definitely independence. From her disdain for the timer to her strong desire for privacy, this day was all about gaining independence and mastering control of her little body. Way to go, Liliana!

A side note: I did not give additional liquids or salty foods. I attribute her frequent trips to the sweet taste of being a big girl and the even sweeter taste of Jelly Bellies. Rest assured, the treats are out the door by Sunday.

Thanks for your encouragement and advice!

OPT: Progress

Liliana is napping peacefully. What a relief. This potting training thing is exhausting! (Calgon, take me away. By the way, does that brand even exist anymore?)

At this point, the score is Potty: 1 Floor: 1 [That's progress!]

Following my last post, I tweaked the strategy. After Liliana protested the 30-minute intervals several times--to the point of tears, I realized that the schedule was (in her mind) insulting her intelligence. It really seemed like she saw it as an affront to her ability to recognize the urge. And I didn't want avoidable negativity to affect Liliana's progress. So, to keep the experience positive and capitalize on Liliana's desire for control...I dropped the mandatory perches on the potty and used the intervals as gentle reminders. So far, so good.

Of the 100 schools of thought on potty training, all of them disagree and none of them take into account my daughter's specific personality. You'd think the so-called experts would have it figured out by now! So, until there's a tried and true method, I'll just use the most helpful hints and trust my instincts.

Liliana's nap is now approaching the three-hour mark. I haven't heard a peep since I closed her door. If I didn't know better, I'd say she's just hiding in her room and pretending to sleep in order to avoid this new challenge. But I know that's not the case. My girl never met a challenge she didn't lick!

Stay tuned...

OPT: The Next Phase

After receiving lots of helpful feedback, we've decided to take Operation Potty Train to the next level. In fact, boot camp started this morning! As of 8:00am, diapers are out and undies are officially in. Of course, she'll wear pull-ups to bed. As a defense tactic, I rolled up the rugs and lined the sofa with towels. No, I didn't cover the floor with newspapers (although the thought crossed my mind).

I'm taking Liliana to the potty every 30 minutes. In the past, she's always responded positively to a timer (because it's not Mommy telling her what to do). However, she's been protesting loudly, saying "There's nothing in there!" or "No way I can do it right now!" I'm hopeful that her attitude will become more positive as the day goes on. After following our strict regimen for two hours, she has refused to let even a trickle fall in the water.

At 10:30am, the score is: Potty: 0 Floor: 1

Yes, this is quite the riveting situation. I know everyone is on the edge of their seats with Liliana's potty-training efforts, so I'll try to post regular updates.

Keep the great ideas coming! Since potty training isn't my area of expertise (and since all of the articles and books contradict one another), it's nice to get so many helpful hints!