Mission Potty Training: Accomplished.

A few months ago, I set out on a mission to potty train AB3. I was armed with Resolve carpet cleaner, a scrub brush, multiple pairs of toddler briefs, and treats galore. That particular mission was very short lived. It's failure can be attributed to the following reasons:

1.) AB4 was a newborn and needy. (Riiiiiiiiiiiight.) It was too hard for me to tend to AB4 and put him down in time to get AB3 to the potty.
2.) Extreme frustration and lack of patience (from me, not AB3)
3.) He just wasn't ready.

Excuses...er.... reasons number 1 & 2 can be easily explained, but I was struggling with validating reason #3. Clearly, AB3 didn't tell me: "Mommy, I'm just not ready to pee pee in the potty." People were so quick to tell me that he should already be potty trained, but they failed to tell me how difficult it would be to do. Because I was about to begin my student teaching, I put the mission on hold until I was done with school. No more homework, no more studying, no more excuses.

Which brings us to August 11th, 2010. 8 days AFTER my student teaching. No more excuses.... I decided on a whim that that would be the day that we start our newest mission. To be very honest, I walked into the mission with complete dread, panic, and expectancy to fail.

Lo and behold, AB3 had something else in mind. After watching the Elmo Potty Time DVD and running around the house completely naked, AB3 decided that he would pee on the carpet while I was upstairs. I walked down and caught him doing this and immediately whisked him into the bathroom to finish his business. He screamed and cried the whole time but I made it such a big deal that he stopped to give me a crazy look and stared into the toilet with me. ("Pee pee in the pot-ty, pee pee in the pot-ty" was my song of choice for those three long days!) After AB3 realized he had done it... he was so proud of himself and excited to eat his 2 M&M mini's as his reward. That first day, we only had 2 accidents. The second day, we had 1. The third day, we had NO accidents! And at this point in time, I think it's safe to announce... wait for it, wait for it...

AB3 is POTTY TRAINED!

::Cue heavenly music::

It's been a long time coming, but I was right when I said that months ago, AB3 just wasn't ready. I don't know what changed inside of him between then and now, but I'm so beyond glad that the switch went off and we're out of diapers. Thank you to all my amazing mommy friends for the encouragement, advice, and support!

But wait. There's more.

Now that my rejoicing of AB3 being potty trained is over... let the sadness enter. AB3 is potty trained. My sweet little AB3, my first born son, my little baby. First he was out of infant clothes. Then he dropped the bottle. Then he left the crib (his wooden one... but he was still in the same house, just in a twin bed), and now he is out of diapers.

Um... what does this mean? Does this "officially" make him a big boy now? I mean look: he sleeps in a "big boy" bed. He eats at the table in his own "big boy" chair. He rides around in a "big boy" car seat. And now he wears "big boy" undies. I can't refer to his undies as "baby" undies because he wouldn't want anything to do with them. And the baby (AB4) has taken over the crib and the high chair, so I can't refer to his twin bed as the "baby" bed, or "baby" chair anymore either. ::Gulp::

This growing up stuff happens waaaaay too fast. Where does the time go? Before you know it, I will be posting about AB4's potty training! <-- Luckily we still have time for all that!

Although AB3 is considered a "big boy" everyway you look at it, he is and always will be, mommy's baby boy. I love you, AJ and am so proud of the "big boy" you are growing up to be. Thank you for making potty training easier this time around. xoxo

Until next time,
Mama Brown(ie)