The Young & Potty-Training

Addy is potty-training. There. I said it.

She decided. That is no joke, and makes perfect sense for my almost two year old, strong-willed child. She loves to mimick her friends, and having several friends who are big girls, has without a doubt influenced this.

I'd be happy to tell you all about our experience, someday, if you'd like to hear. But today, a specific story.

Addy has decided to use the potty, 90+% of the time, except to poop. I'm not pushing her about anything, because she's so young, I'm afraid I'll jinx it. I've decided to just embrace where she is, and take our time. So at any given time, we might be wearing a diaper or undies, depending on what we're doing and how upset she gets at the idea of a diaper. We even wear undies in the car and run errands with them on. We've peed in many a store toilet, and that may well be why Addy Bear is sick (just a cough/sore throat thing).

All that felt important to relay, in order to grasp how we got to the point where on Thursday we were at the library with a diaper on (of course we peed there, if you're curious). Pete was getting off work just in time to pick Addy up from me before I had to interview for an internship (I was hiring, not applying). Addy has also developed quite a little attachment problem to momma. That may be in part to having a stranger drive her to the ER last Friday, being forced to go with Aunt Kelli in the middle of the day during a confusing situation (she LOVES aunt kelli, but perhaps the circumstances played a roll in this new behavior), being left at strangers house (our friends she had never met) for the football game in Lincoln last Saturday, or it's just a phase. Needless to say, I could hear her screaming through the double set of doors at the library, even though she was in her daddy's arms.

So when he got to the car, she was all riled up and he decided to take her for a walk instead of straight home. They went past the playground which was torture for her, but only open to the public after 6 (it's at a school), and on towards town. For some unknown reason they ended up at Staples.

So when I'm done with my interview I call Pete to check in and find the car still in the parking lot. He says he'll explain, but they are on their way back. So I walk to meet them.

Addy runs to me with open arms, something akin to the Disney movie reunion of Belle and her Papa. Afterall, we hadn't seen each other in something close to 20 minutes!!

She tells me she has to go Potty. Pete shakes his head no. I ask if she went at Staples. He said yes. Turns out she pooped in the pen section. Naturally. But she's commando, and has some "leftovers" still on her. Apparently he didn't want to take the diaper bag so he scraped off as much poop with toilet paper as he could, but it's tough you know. I get that. So I carry her all the way back to the library. She's 31 lbs. people!

Just as we get to the car (in the back of the lot), she grabs herself and says, "Go potty!!" So I look at Pete and say, I have to take her. Since she's commando, in my arms, and I want to respect her statement, even though I was with her when she potty 30 minutes earlier, we run to the library, up the 25 steps, down the hall to the potty. She forces herself to tinkle. Good girl!

My arms are SO shot. I seriously needed a protein bar after that weight lifting workout. Today, I realized my arms are a little sore. Potty training is turning out to be a workout.

In other news - I need to start packing travel-sized hand sanitizer. Some bathroom sinks are more of a problem than a help.