Yellow sugars :): PTBC

Potty training is hard work and, serious business! Just had to get that out in the open... in case I forget next time. We introduced Wiggly to the big potty shortly before he turned two. Introduced meaning I sat him on it and just let him hang out on it for however long he wanted to stay on it. I let him take some toilet paper out and lo and behold he knew exactly what to use it for and how... except he couldn't and still can't reach. So we did this randomly a few nights here and there not really thinking WE were ready to do this thing called potty training. Yes I said “we”... never mind Wiggly's readiness.

In my mind, I was going to wait til at least 2 ½ – definitely 3yrs of age before starting the training. But, Wiggly's Daddy thought otherwise. So Wiggly's potty training started (halfheartedly on my part) shortly after he turned 2. Thinking back, we really already were set up for it – we had inherited two (yes 2) potty chairs... one from Ate and one from AR, and Wiggly when we first got him, was already squatting every time he felt the need for #2. Except of course he did the deed in his diaper. The squatting quickly went away a few months after he came home with us. We didn't grab on to the signal partly because we were wanting to be more purposeful about our attachment and bonding process and didn't want potty training to be in the way. Other reason? Slackers! No, I cannot deny it. I wanted nothing but to play and get to know Wiggly last year. There are other reasons but here we are in the potty training business and looking very hopeful in just 3months.

So how did we start it? For a week or so, I would have Wiggly sit on his potty and tell him to go “tinkle” and go “oong-ga.” Wiggly for the first couple of tries would just say... “oh!” and sit on the potty and read and talk to his choo-choo books and not do any serious business. We did this 3times a day, 15min at a time after each meal. During diaper days, he would poop almost consistently after each meal and then some more. The first night he went tinkle, earned him much praise from Daddy. The next morning (last Thur of March,) he went oong-ga for the first time on his potty EVER! Talk about much praise and hugs and lots of big boy praises! He got his favorite Korean biscuit that morning plus gave Daddy and Mommy an excuse to buy a train set from our town's bi-annual children's consignment sale. It just happened to fall on that day of course therefore I remember it distinctly. So we did the same routine for another 3-4days and by this time I'd decided on two things: 1. Potty training is hard work; 2. we were definitely going to run with our plan to potty train and not set him up to fail. Turning back was NOT an option at this point in time. What was encouraging was, Wiggly was so willing to sit on the potty – we had no resistance whatsoever – as long as he had 3-4-5 books at a time while sitting. So we switched to pull ups in that 3-4days period and had a fair handle on the morning oong-ga even at that point. Having one less poopy diaper to deal with per day, was an incentive enough on my part! But the wet pull-ups were still coming on strong! Didn't really know what my next plan was until, I remembered the tip I had saved from the adoption forum I visit. And that is to have the child run around bottomless the first few days as some moms had mentioned. Some moms swore it only took ONE day! Two-three the most! Seriously? So we did just that the week prior to Easter Sunday. I still wish even to this day that I'd remembered that tip sooner. Wiggly LOVED running around half naked and quickly caught on to the potty business after that. Yes I had to clean up pee and poop on the floor a few times BUT the pace picked up much faster to where he didn't have to sit on the potty for 10-15min long. I wish I had pics of the glee on his face when it was time for him to sit on the potty and tinkle especially. And he went tinkle every 10-15min on his own at first - hard work for me but oh so rewarding. And no we really didn't stick to rewarding him every time he tried or had success. I don't really believe in rewards for potty training and besides he didn't really get the concept. Did he get a gummy bear or two or a biscuit? Oh yes but sporadically during the first few days of what I call potty training boot camp (PTBC)days. But PTBC quickly came to a halt the week after Easter Sunday due to sickness on Wiggly's part. Poor little guy had fevers on and off that week as high as 103. Ugh I hate watching him get sick. PTBC picked back up the third week of April with me feeling the pressure because by that time, it was less than a month to a road trip to So Carolina for a family reunion. So back to bottomless Wiggly we went and fortunately he didn't have a problem picking back up the big boy habits. By the end of the 3^rd week of April we had Wiggly in toddler briefs! Thomas and friends at that! Excitement and somewhat melancholy on my part. My baby has grown up way too fast. But those cute yet flimsy briefs just DID NOT help Wiggly or myself at all. They do not hold anything during accidents. So we switched to these Gerber training pants/briefs – more absorbent and washable. Wiggly has done amazingly well since then. The first few days of PTBC I had a dilemma of how was I going to know Wiggly's signal for when it was time to go. And how was he going to tell me when he couldn't even say the word potty. So we had a few accidents (mostly at home) especially no #1. He caught on to oong-ga fairly quickly and still to this day hates, HATES having poopy accidents. Alright with me! The first day he came to me on his own to signal that he had to poop (grabbing his bottom with a weird look on his face) was a great day! I should say, he waddled in to the kitchen at the farm, grabbing his bottom...LOL! I'll never forget it! Of course my response was to shot out of my chair, grab Wiggly and ran him to his potty. The following week, we had dinner with friends and out of the blue, Wiggly goes, “Mommy, potty!” There marks his first time to ever ask to go “potty.” Boy were we proud parents then. Well we still are. He has since moved on to “potty” for #1 and “poopy poop” for #2. How easy can he make it for us? He has us spoiled not to mention completely wrapped around his chubby, little thumb.

He still gets pull-ups for nap times and an overnight diaper for night time but otherwise he is good to go with the training pants. We've now even switched him back to his Thomas and friends underwear and he loves those things. He looks so stinking cute in those too.

How did Wiggly do during the long 2 day drive to Carolina and back? Exceptionally well! I stressed myself out for nothing. Especially whether to have him wear pull ups vs underwear.I decided to go with pull ups the day we left for Carolina. I believe he would have done well either way. What helped out the most was we brought his potty and sat it right next to his car seat and every time he asked to go, he'd get unbuckled, do his business and buckle back up again. Yes, we had a few “I want to go potty but not really. I just want out of my seat.” But those came very few. And who can blame the guy. He had no accidents whatsoever on the way there; coming back he had one wet pull up – during an almost 4hour nap.

Well, never thought I'd write two pages just on potty training alone but I did! The OC in me

is showing a little. Still searching for the pic of our potty set up while traveling but for now...