Adventures in Potty Training

As of tomorrow, we will have officially reached the two week mark with no diapers for Mr. Kolbe Alexander. I'd like to call that officially potty-trained. Hopefully.

To say it has been an interesting few weeks would be an understatement. There have been definite highs (making it through mass, a visit to a friend's house, a trip to the store...accident free) and definite lows (mastering nap time, a poopy accident, and the not-so-accident accidents). Overall, I must admit that it has gone much smoother than I had expected it would.

I think we were destined for success simply based on the fact that Kolbe was more than ready to get started. For the past several months, Kolbe had been telling us whenever he had a poopy diaper. Charming, really. Then it got even more steam-shooting-from-ears inducing. He would tell us BEFORE he needed to go but would sit on the potty, get stage fright, put the diapie back on and go in it two minutes later. Grrr!

But dear sweet Uncle Brian and Aunt Cristi! Oh, how my heart beats for you! Cristi had e-mailed to ask what the boys wanted for Christmas and I simply mentioned that we would be starting Kolbe's potty training soon and he'd be needing some big boy undies. So not only did they buy Kolbe the cutest set of boxer briefs I've ever seen, but they also threw in the beloved Elmo DVD and a little potty training book. Now Kolbe has never been much of a TV watcher. He's a boy! He's much more in to action and playing than sitting down and focusing. He has certainly never been able to follow anything on the TV with a plot or significant amounts of talking. Way too much time and effort for him! But something about the Elmo Potty Time DVD really piqued his interest. It was the final piece that propelled him in to a full-fledged potty-going super star!

The first week was definitely the hardest. We went cold turkey style, just having Kolb walk around in undies and hoping we'd make it to the potty each time he needed to go. Frequent reminders really helped and we had few accidents. Still, the world literally revolved around the potty. Practice makes perfect, after all. And then there was that one lovely morning....

No sooner had I written my posted about my lovely door knob covers than I went in my bedroom for my five minute morning spruce-up and the grossest accident ever occurred. Knock, knock, knock on the door, "Mama!" Nothing out of the ordinary. "Mama!" This is my private time, kiddo. Be there in a sec. After all, I had just taken him to the bathroom a few minutes ago. He couldn't possibly need to go again. By the time I rejoined the troops, an ominous odor immediately told me what was up. Changing a poopy diaper is gross. Changing poopy underwear is grosser. Ugh.

And then there was the other day. There he sat on the potty doing his business. (and yes, by "business" I mean #2...he does the #1 standing up.) Reagan was fussing in the other room so I told Kolb I'd be right back. Not 20 seconds later he pattered in to the room with a nervous "Uh-oh. Uh-oh." I followed him back to the bathroom only to find that his interest in what was going on in the family room with Reagan and me had apparently overtaken his need to finish his business, so he had just slid right on off that potty to come see what was going on, leaving streaks of something special all along the potty and down his legs. Sweet.

But I have to say, the victories have been just as note-worthy too. Heck, today we were traipsing through WalMart and he told me he had to go in plenty of time to get to the front of the store, check out, and use the public bathroom. (Gross.) And the other day, we were all the way down on 19th Street (quite a way from our home) when he told me he had to go from the back seat of the car. I talked him through holding it on the ten minute drive home and we made it without a single leak. I don't even have to remind him to tell me any more. He's got it completely figured out!

The only problem will be the "non-accident accident." Kolbe has figured out that since he has full control of his faculties, he can use them to his advantage, should he decide to do so. For example, today he decided to rear back and hit is baby brother...
"Go to your room, Kolbe, and think about being nice to your baby brother," I told him. He trotted of, the lovely little obedient boy. Thirty seconds later he ran back in:
"Uh-oh. PeePee. Bed. Mama."
"No, Kolbe. You didn't go peepee in your bed today. You made it through nap time with no accidents! Remember? Good job!"
"No. Uh-oh. PeePee. Bed. Mama." He led me by hand to his room where, sure enough, he had sat right in the middle of his bed and let it all go. Knowing that he had just gone on the potty not ten minutes before, this was definitely a non-accident. Let's just say I couldn't force myself to clean it up right then. I literally had to walk away and cool down, I was so mad!

My little guy is growing up. He's gaining his independence and freedom. Really, it's kind of bittersweet. Sweet in that my always stinky diaper pail is suddenly not quite as bad. Sweet in that I now get to see the tiniest little pairs of undies in the wash. (and I mean TINY! Undies on a 24 pounder!) Bitter in that my baby isn't really a baby any more. And I hate it. But luckily, I've grown him in to something just as wonderful. Now, when I ask him if he's my baby he says, "No, RuRu. Baby." (Reagan's the baby.)
"So what are you, Kolbe?" I ask.
"Seet. Haht!" (Sweetheart!)