“Mama, look! The shoes are still there!”

I am changing Alice’s morning diaper. Lucy is pointing to her nether regions. She’s wearing a fancy pull-up adorned with princesses and flowers.

Sure enough, the high-heeled princess shoes are still on the front.

That means a dry pull-up. That means 12 hours sleep and no pee.

Lucy and I look at each other wide-eyed. We’re both equally stunned.

We’ve talked about not peeing in our pull-ups. How Lucy can just call one of us if she wakes up and has to go. But we’ve had that talk for months. I was in no rush; physiologically I knew she obviously wasn’t ready. But this quite literally happened over night.

That was more than two weeks ago. This past Friday she slept just in her underwear. We even stayed overnight at a friend’s house Saturday and she had no accidents.

One child completely potty trained. If we needed yet another example of Lucy’s maturing and growing up, this is definitely it.

The only downfall to this fabulous achievement is that Lucy has often woken up in the middle of the night needing to go pee. Which means we now take turns hauling our still-sleeping forms out of bed, stumble down the hall, get her into the bathroom, settled back into bed, music, kisses.

It’s like having a newborn again.

But it’s all worth it. We have promised her new undies — Princess and Barbie — for her birthday to celebrate.

(My birthday is in a month. Maybe I can get new undies to celebrate, too?)

Congratulations, Princess Lucy. And yes, that IS a bridesmaid dress from the 70's, courtesy of Eric's Aunt Janice!

I’m so far behind on recording the little happenings in our life lately. Before they are forgotten forever in the vortex of summer and growing kids, a list (with pics, below):

• Three Dora & Diego window stickers & a beach ball now grace the glass and floor in Lucy’s room, because my girl has gone poop on the potty FOUR TIMES in a row! That’s right, no 3+-year-old poopy diapers in a week. We are so thrilled. And so is Lucy. She keeps asking if we’re calling everyone to tell them — and that “I’m so proud of myself!”
• If you’re wondering what worked, it was a combo of give and take: I bought some dollar store toys, and put them in a bucket in the bathroom so she could see them. When she went poop, so got a prize. If she went poop in her diaper, she had TV taken away for the rest of the day. We only had to take TV away three times before she realized we meant business. — and that television AND a toy was awesome.
• Speaking of poop, poor Alice is battling terrible constipation. A result, I think, of adding a second bottle of formula a day, Cheerios and crackers. She just hollers like the devil when she goes. We are taking out stock in prunes
• Speaking of butts, Alice can sit up on her own now. It’s so adorable when they can do that! A whole new world to learn about from that angle
• Also, her top two teeth are coming in. Anyone else hate teething? Yeesh.
• I have piles and piles of reviews to do and write (vitamins, food, play centres, pacifiers). I think the week I’m at the cottage with the girls will be review week.
• Our gardens look gorgeous right now. Must post pics.
• We saw the Sound of Music on Saturday (must see the movie still, as I don’t quite get what all the fuss is about…), and we were away from the girls from 9:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. During the performance, I had this pain in my arm that traveled from my elbow to shoulder, and was all freaked out telling Eric to watch in case I had a stroke. When we got home and Alice drained my milk-swollen right breast? Pain disappeared. WEIRD. Can one get milk backed up in their appendages?
• The other weekend was our local Duck Derby, and guess who was there? Bram from Sharon, Lois and Bram! Remember Skinnamarink-A-Dinky-Dink? ALL the parents in the audience were swaying and singing, blissful in reliving their childhoods, while our kids were looking around suspiciously. T’was hilarious.
• For Father’s Day, Lucy made personalized keepsake jars for Eric, her Papa and Grandpa. They were a hit, and she loved doing them.
• It’s stinkin’ hot out, and I LOVE IT. Been hanging tons of laundry, with Alice babbling away in her booster seat outside on the deck
• I lost three nose pins this weekend — two down the drain, and one in bed. Grr…
• Lucy and I did swimming lessons together for eight weeks. More on this later.
• Stroller Fit class continues to be great fun, and an even awesomer workout now that instructor Kelly has kicked it up: We walk faster, use benches, tip toe up hills. No weight loss, but this weekend I fit into pants I haven’t been able to in years!

And pics:

“Oh! The poop’s knockin’ on the bum door!”

I choke on the glass of water I’m holding.

“Lucy! Where did that come from?!”

“Daddy taught me.”

“Uh-huh. What a surprise.”

Eric from downstairs: “I’m proud of that one.”

“So, are you going to go poop?”

“Yes. In three minutes.” Holding up three fingers.

“Are you sure you have to go?”

“Yes, Mumma. The poop’s knockin’…”

“OK, I get it.”

We wait. Several minutes go by with my daughter and I locked in a Mexican stand-off: Her perched on the toilet, me on the edge of the tub.

“Nuthin’, huh?”

“I just love Mumma!”

“I realize that, Honey, but are you going to poop? This is the third time we’ve tried, and we’ve been in here for 10 minutes.”

“I want to watch a movie.”

“OK. Let’s go do that.”

“No, in here.”

“You want me to bring the television and DVD player into the bathroom?’

“Yes.”

“Listen, this isn’t a drive-in bathroom, Missy. We don’t set up shop here.”

“But, Mumma, the poop’s knockin’ at the bum door!”

“Trust me, Love, if it’s still knockin’ after 15 minutes, chances are it’s not coming out to play right now.”

“I really love pink! And purple! And red is your favourite colour, and blue is Daddy’s. I think Spencer Dog likes brown, but we don’t know what Baby Alice’s favourite colour is.”

“Do you even realize you’re sitting half nekkid on the toilet right now?”

“Mumma, the poop’s…”

“OK, get off.”

And so the dance continues. She tries and tries and tries, and ends up going in her diaper at the end of the day. I give her props (we touch knuckles when we say this, in our lame attempts to be cool) for trying, but mygoodness it’s a long and frustrating process. I know some of you must have gone through this. I think its because Lucy has always pooped standing up in her bed, and now sitting is a whole different position to master.

Added from your comments: We try sitting on the little potty, too, and on the toilet with a potty seat. She also knows she gets a special “Princess Treat” (a Disney chocolate egg with toy inside) when she goes. And she has gone a handful of times in the past six months, but very sporadically.

Any advice?

Two things you have to know ahead of reading this:

1. Lucy recently learned to use the toilet without a seat (AWESOME!)
2. We always talk about electronics etc. needing new batteries

“Lucy, please take your pants off before getting up there.”

“I might have an ass-ident.”

“That’s right. We don’t want to get pee all over your clothes. Especially while you’re on the potty.”

“We might have to get a new Lucy!”

Lucy’s potty training was going fantastically — hardly any messes, consistent peeing in the potty and sometimes even on the toilet — but leaving the house was a huge problem.

My loud-noise-fearing daughter refused to even discuss going pee-pee on a toilet in any restaurant or store. You know those toilets with the long silver handle that don’t have a back tank and flush right into the floor? Generally pretty loud because of the bottom suction?

Lucy’s been terrified of them since she was wee. So the thought of sitting on one was panic-inducing for my poor girl.

This resulted in a few awful public accidents: After repeated asking around potty time if she needed to go, are you sure you don’t have to go, you must have to go?, Lucy would just…pee herself. And pee? Not in a diaper? Soaks everything. So we were back to a full diaper bag, with multiple sets of clean clothes, socks, even shoes.

But one day at the zoo — after many trips to public washrooms with me showing not ALL toilets were loud, and those that were we didn’t have to flush when she was in there — she built up enough courage and trust to go. And I tell you…the celebration in the squeezed toilet stall was epic. I didn’t care who heard me or the looks I’d get, my girl went pee-pee on a big public potty, and damnit she knew how awesome that was.

After reaching that milestone, the hunt was on to find a traveling potty seat. I found it a few days later in Sprawl-Mart: The (gotta love this…) Cushie Tushie Traveller by baby U. Around $12. Folds up well, is padded, comes with a washable bag. Did I mention the damn thing is padded?! Geesh.

It works perfect, and Lucy has never complained about being pinched or fallen in or anything. An excellent investment that will easily carry into the next baby.

Our next potty training challenge: Getting her to poop in the potty, and not in her nap time diaper. Suggestions?

Everyone talks about how expensive babies are, with their constant demands for diapers! and wipes! and clothes! and toys! and blankets! and! and! and!

But did you know pregnancy costs money, too? Not just in excess food (*ahem*), but in toilet paper.

You may not notice how much toilet paper you use while gestating a baby that is constantly crushing your bladder if you work in an office all day. But when one works from home, it suddenly dawns on you why “TP” is once AGAIN scrawled on the grocery list between bananas and parmesan cheese.

It’s all the peeing (not pooping, mind you, an act reduced to luxury from the moment the pee stick turns positive, hmmm?). The every-half-an-hour waddle lumber trek to the bathroom. Which requires — no matter how pitiful the result is, and boy are there some weak-ass piddles when you’re pregnant — wiping and, thus, toilet paper.

(At least a few of the washroom visits are made somewhat entertaining by a potty training toddler, who likes to stand beside the toilet, expectantly stare at your mostly-covered-by-baby-bulge crotch until the tinkle starts, then yell, “Yay, Mommy go pee-pee on the potty!” while applauding. It’s nice to have a cheering squad. But by the end of the day when Mommy makes her 47 billionth trip to the toilet, said toddler just rolls her eyes as if to say, “Oh, for the loveofgod, not again.”)

At least I’ll have an excuse when the time comes for the kids to leave home and further their schooling, and they realize there is no money left in their education funds: “Sorry, girls, but remember when you were camped out on my bladder for 9.5 months? No? WELL, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS.”

On Sarah’s advice, we picked up a pair of Kushie’s training pants last week.

If you’re looking for a travel solution for your potty training toddler, I’d highly recommend them:

• we’ve had two full pees in them while out and about, and they’ve held everything with no leaks (albeit, she was standing both times — but the outside layer was dry, so I’m sure they’d have held if she was sitting)
• easy to clean: wash and dry, just like normal underwear
• they fit great under regular clothes, and are no more padded than a diaper (less, even)
• reduce rash because they’re 100% cotton
• great price: under $7 at Sprawl-Mart
• accessible at national retailers
• cute patterns!
  

And…I can’t believe there’s so much to say about this issue. I can’t get over how much gear you need, just like any other stage of child development. It’s crazy. We’re still on the hunt for a travel potty (after a ridiculous amount of reading about pinching butt cheeks, cleanliness, stability handles and storage — WHO KNEW?!?! — we want this one), but to buy it in Canada and get it shipped is almost as much as a full-size potty.

Gonna wait on that until she’s more trained, because after 12 pairs of underwear, the training pants, the potty and the extra laundry in the past two weeks — let alone diapers and wipes and creams — I think I can safely say we’ve spent more money on my child’s butt in the past 2.5 years than we have on anything else. Ever. Except our house. Maybe.

Good thing she’s cute.

On the advice of my friend Other C, a few months ago I picked up The Potty Book for Girls.

Other C said it really helped connect the dots for her daughter — who is just a month older than Lucy — and solidify the concept of potty training.

I have to say she was absolutely right.

The little girl in the book, Hannah, is about Lucy’s age, loves hot pink, and is still quite content to do her business in her diaper. But once she starts sitting and trying and having accidents, she realizes how great and freeing it is not to wear diapers anymore.

And then — oooohhh, the climax! — Hannah goes pee-pee AND poop on the potty and her parents take her to pick out her own underwear! Eeeee! Can you feel the excitement, people?!

Lucy loves it. Whenever we talk about the potty and being a big girl and wearing underwear, she always says, “Like Hannah!” or, “Lucy did it just like Hannah!” Obviously the book has really made an impression with her.

The book came with an animated version of the story on DVD, along with a bunch of great songs (there’s one for boys, too). We watch this a lot, as well as Elmo’s Potty Time. The Elmo movie we’ve had forever, and certain parts have really stuck with Lucy: The boy trying hard to pour milk but making a mess until he finally gets it, the kitten climbing up the big stairs, the girl washing her hands. A great tool.

As for the type of potty, we had one misstep along the way. The first potty I bought a year ago had little handles on the top to help toddlers…hold on? brace? push? and Lucy’s chubby little butt would get stuck when she tried to stand up. The poor kid would be all hunched over, staggering, with a plastic seat stuck to her arse. It was absolutely hilarious, but obviously not working. Thankfully the good ol’ people at Sprawl-Mart took it back no problems — albiet with some shared snickering as Lucy sat in the cart looking at us blankly.

I broke down and invested in much more sturdy, multi-use, no-handled one with a padded seat no less: The Comfy Cushy from Safety 1st. It comes apart to go onto the toilet, and can also be used as a step stool. The padded ring has a built-in, uh, splash guard for the male species, but flips over for girls.

Well worth the money — I think I paid around $30? — for its ease of use, functionality and longevity for multiple kids of both sexes.

Any books or tools or tips to share? We are by no means settling on just this. I’ve liked that so far we haven’t had to use any “things” — treats, candy, stickers — to get Lucy to use the potty. Talking about being a big girl who doesn’t need diapers anymore — unlike her soon-to-be-born little sister, who will — is a huge help. We just haven’t reached that level of coercion need yet, but lordhelpus we have yet to broach the subject of pooping…

Lucy spent a lot of time at the cottage like this:

Not just standing on the bench exclaiming, “Look, Mommy, grass! Look, Daddy, water! Look, Spence-ah, sand!” but wearing big girl underwear (with no pants, of course).

Operation Get The Child Potty Trained Before the Next One Arrives has begun.

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