Toilet Paper

Thankfully Lydia is independent with going to the potty (which is SOOOOOO nice!). But last night James and I were reminded why the tiny 25lb toddler has her very own bathroom that we refuse to use!

I entered Lydia's bathroom to help her brush her teeth (which I do twice a day - so she is not really totally on her own with hygiene!). I found poop in the potty - not flushed. Been there awhile! Had yet another conversation with Lydia about "please ask for help to flush the potty" (old toilet - she really doesn't have enough strength to flush...). Then I realized oh, didn't look that closely but toilet paper - did she use it???

So I decided to go check her recently changed underwear - sorry no real privacy when you are 2. But before I accused her of not using any/give her a bath I wanted to double check. Clean underwear - HURRAY!!!!!! I walk back to the bathroom joyfully telling Lydia what a good job she did wiping.

And then I see the huge smile. "Yes, mom did good wiping. Front to back". And I brush her teeth.

As I am turning on the night light I smell poop. Weird. And then I look down at the toilet paper roll. OH LYDIA NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, James daughter decided to skip the step of tearing the toilet paper off the roll. Just wipe - front to back atleast - and leave dirty toilet paper on the roll.

The environment can thank Lydia for trying to be green and save a tree. And James and I are once again reminded that we will continue to avoid her bathroom like the plague!

No Privacy Left at The Stojan House

This morning we were out and Lydia needed to go potty. I was skeptical that she really needed to go potty but she insisted. So we went and found the disgusting public restroom (I haven't found a public bathroom that made me sing and dance for it's cleanliness yet!). I take her in to the potty and after she quit admiring the dusty fake flowers I usher her into the little tiny stall.

Lydia: Potty Mommy I will watch.
DeAnna: (Thinking quietly to herself, "seriously did you really just insist that you needed to go potty to watch me potty in this disgusting bathroom"???)
"Lydia, I don't need to go potty. I went at home."
Lydia: Shaking her head, arms waving "No mommy potty".
DeAnna: Do you need to potty?
Lydia: Still having a small fit "No I AM FINE".

I then wiggled and squirmed to get the upset child and myself out of the disgusting bathroom. Got ourselves washed up and as we are walking back to find James Lydia is loudly declaring "Just wanted to watch Mommy potty".

I have no privacy out in public and defiantly no privacy at home either. 

Mom and Dad Apologize

Lydia has a "new" (slightly annoying) trick. After she is tucked into bed, she knocks on her door and says she has to potty. We play this game for 45 - 60 minutes - pretty much every night for the past two weeks.

My patience is growing thin with this "trick". James patience is growing thin with this "trick". And she gave us a couple nights off - we cheered for her and were hoping that we had survived another developmental milestone.

Last night she started her trick again. I played the game for 35 minutes and then told James it was his turn. (He was SOOOOOOO excited!). James played the game for one round. The second round Lydia was informed that the game was over and she needed to go to bed.

James went to watch his football game in the basement. And I heard the knocking again. Ignored it. And then 45 seconds later lots of banging with a new urgency.

Oh, yes. Lydia wasn't lying that time and really needed to poop! 20 minutes later after that lovely mess was cleaned up and the little girl was tucked back in the bed James and I both apologized to her. Tonight we are talking about only knocking when you need to potty (how can we know if your knocking means something when you knock lots of times for NOTHING!).

24 Hours of Firsts

First bee sting (and thankfully not allergic!). AND amazingly enough, I have never had a bee sting nor have I ever cared for anybody with a bee sting. So we are thankful for neighbors who are always a phone call away ;)

First time fishing underwear out of the toilet. Not asking how. But lesson learned - we don't put things in the toilet. First fishing out of "stuff" from the toilet is complimentary. NEXT time dear child, it's on you to fish whatever you threw in the water out of the water!

First time washing Lydia's big girl sheets just because it's been a week and a half since I changed her sheets! Not wet with urine. Not poopy. Just dirty from daily use ;) Celebrate!!!!!!!!!!

And last night, we went to Goodberry's. First time we have gone with our not peanut allergic child. So our frozen custard treat was made on the machines directly infront of the window and I lifted Lydia up to watch. She thought this was the greatest thing EVER! In proper Goodberry's fashion when our treat was served to us, the treat is tipped over, and then handed to us. Lydia thought this was pretty neat. We talked about it but I didn't think a thing about it. We drove home in the 90 degree heat and ofcourse our treat melted just a bit. I gave Lydia her bowl of frozen custard and she promptly poured it out. In slow motion just watching her sweet goodness dribble out of the bowl, on to her pretty dress, all over the seat, and down to the carpet. I would like to say a lesson was learned but nope. Lydia's viewpoint on the entire situation "magic ice-cream". Yep it's magical - or something like that!

Power of M&M's

What will a little girl do for ONE M&M? Stay dry all night! Motivates a little girl to not be lazy and walk the 7 steps from her bedroom to the bathroom at nap time too.

Lydia had been staying dry at night. And then she decided that she would just pee in her pull-up (seriously why did I give her those??? Sometimes Mom will do anything to sleep!). We will avoid my soapbox but Lydia was choosing to pee in her Pull-up rather than walking to the potty. I had talked to her. I had kindly taken her to the bathroom when I went to bed - which equaled Lydia being awake until 2AM. James had talked to her. We had offered her park trips, pool trips, walk to the lake, etc... Really nothing was motivating her and she was peeing more in her Pull-up. Really a little girl should not be peeing so much in her Pull-up that she is soaking the bed!

And then she started having trouble at nap time. Which we mastered nap time dryness weeks after potty training. I was frustrated to say the least!

But I decided to show my poker face and not let Lydia see my frustration. So as I was eating chocolate after cleaning up poop in the bed (it's a fact anybody who scrubs poop off their potty training child gets the chocolate treat of their choice!) and Lydia wanted a treat. My initial thought: oh, no! I am sneaking this treat because I just cleaned up your POOP because you refused to walk into the bathroom and poop! But I was the grown up and gave the toddler a small bite which she declared "mmmmm" and wanted her own handful.

My response: "Well, sweet girl treats are for big girls who stay dry".
Lydia: "I will stay dry"
My response: "After you are dry, you can have chocolate".

James and I decided that we were not going to make a deal anymore about her sleeping wetness/dryness and just move on. Pull-ups aren't that evil AND sleep. Well, we all need it.

The next morning I hear a little knock coming from a certain some body's room followed by a little voice "get chocolate need to peeeeeeeeeeeee". I go running. And that child had stayed dry all night.

And she got THREE M&Ms.

60 hours and counting of dryness!!!!!!!!!!!! (P.S. The Pull-ups are leaving our house - at our house the Pull-ups breed laziness! From mom and daughter!)

Party!!!!!!

This monument must be mentioned.

We do not have any diapers left in our house. None. Zip. Zilch.

PARTY!!!!!!!!!!!

Toddler Lesson of the Day:

When sitting on the big potty don't clap for yourself!

Re-Motivating the Little Girl!

After loads of laundry and a little girl convinced that "pee pee hurts", we have had to encourage Lydia to pee in the potty. Our beds are cheering because apparently when one doesn't want to sit on the potty  that person should just go to the bed to potty!

Lydia's Newest Sticker Chart

Lydia's new toy for when her sticker chart is full! 

Our Week....

Yes, my child is screaming as she tries to potty. 

Which led to laying in the floor screaming. Refusing to be consoled. And miserable. 

Which then led to a call to the doctor's office and taking a screaming little girl to the doctor's office. I would have pictures of the car ride but A. I was driving and B. I think we can all see she was miserable.

Lydia thoroughly enjoyed getting stickers from Cousin Grant at the doctor's office. 

The doctor really wanted Lydia to pee in a cup at the doctor's office. We needed a positive urinalysis in order to get antibiotics. However, Lydia was refusing to pee in the potty. So after 2 hours of playing tea party with Lydia in the doctor's office, Lydia peeing every where BUT the cup, we took the cup home to pee in.

As we are riding the elevator in the doctor's office Lydia announces that she has to pee. NOW! Not feeling real hopeful I take her to the bathroom to put a diaper on her and go home. Lydia refused the diaper. So I put her on the potty and she proceeds to pee. After 2 hours of dealing with trying to get Lydia to pee and then she pees in this public bathroom, I cry. After all that, we drive to Chick-fil-A and go home.

Sometimes a little girl just needs her dad and they stayed cuddled on the couch for a long time! 

After a rough over night, Lydia wakes up with a smiling face, no tears at potty time, and is in a good mood. But James and I still felt like we should follow through with this pee in a cup. So Lydia proudly took her treasure to "Miss Sharon". I am sure that Miss Sharon, the doctor's office receptionist was thrilled to see a 2 year old handing her a cup of pee!

And after all that, no urinary tract infection. Although I really think Lydia's body had just fought the infection and we should have skipped the doctor's office because that was traumatic for all of us!

Potty Training Adventure

Lydia: Need to potty (while doing a potty dance)
DeAnna: ok. (gets child ready to potty)
Lydia: Nope Mom no pee (walks away)
DeAnna: Well, why did you tell me you needed to pee?
Lydia: (with a sweet smile and a hug) lied!


So I guess she knows what a lie is... Good to know!

Journal of Potty Training

This blog is really used so that out of town family members can see what is going on in our house. AND I am terrible about filling out the baby book. One day I will dust off the cover of the baby book and try to remember her milestones. Or better yet, just print the blog and make a memory book! 


Anyway, all that to say I hesitate to publish this entry but I wanted to remember (and family members out of state want to know!) how potty training went. Lydia really was very simple and easy and every kid is different. So friends please read this is a comical journey and I will pray and cheer for you during your potty training adventure! 

Day One:
SO we have a very excited but teething toddler. James and I have debated on the intelligence of tackling this adventure TODAY but Lydia is so very excited. But also getting new molars, recovering from a week with lots of extra attention and never hearing the word no, and in the excitement of her new bed I am not positive that she is sleeping the greatest yet. (Or she is just really tender from the teeth and vacation!)

Strike while the iron is hot is our thought process. And Lydia is excited to get to be naked, eat marshmallows, and play with mom. So we are giving it a gentle and sensitive try today! Wish us luck ;)

Coloring the Potty Chart

Pretty much sums up our day - sitting on the potty and reading books! 

P.S. James decided that he needed to make a down payment on giving Lydia icecream and really wanted to take her out for a treat tonight. We compromised and she had a treat at home. Lydia's new favorite word "down payment please".


Day Two:
The good news - the only bribery needed was to glue a pom pom onto a piece of construction paper (ofcourse when somebody gets 12 pom poms on this special piece of paper then she gets an ice cream cone!). We will save the better bribes for something different.

Two accidents yesterday. Seven successes (even got her poops in the potty!). I think that is fantastic! After a day of chasing a half naked toddler, cleaning up bodily fluids, and being home all day I needed a break. A shower seemed like the perfect thing. James took over potty training for 20 minutes and got to clean up pee from a little potty, serve brownies, assist in gluing a pom pom to the construction paper, and was so thrilled to hear the water turn off in the shower!

So far the morning of day two went ok. After being home all day yesterday, we wanted outside. Lydia had just done her thing on the potty. We slipped on some new undies and shoes and walked to top of the driveway to get the newspaper. Thought we would be golden for this little adventure. Wearing her new undies she had a mini accident outside. And then inside she had another mini accident. Moral of the story: I guess the toddler is just going to remain inside, naked, and doing her thing on the little potty in the middle of the living room for a little longer ;) I know better but it is a work in progress!

Day Three:
Can we say stir crazy??? Yesterday Lydia and I were both ready to break out of the house. I lost track how many accidents we had outside (but atleast they were all outside and in the rain!). Last night we went out for milkshakes and sundaes because well, sometimes you just NEED chocolate!

We did at the very end of day two succeed in getting all our pom poms glued onto our chart. SO YES WE ARE HAVING ICECREAM CONES TONIGHT!

I am happy to report for day three that Lydia woke up with a mostly dry diaper (which has been her normal for awhile now). Went potty right away and was so proud of herself. After baking birthday cupcakes, we went to Target to buy those icecream cones (and pick out big girl panties!). Lydia was so very proud that she was dry and out of the house - she showed everybody her dry panties. Every poor soul in Target was really proud of her - genuinely excited even (praise the Lord that people were kind to my not so modest child!). We talked on the way home and Lydia just told the neighbors that she was dry rather than showing them. Small steps of victory!

Fingers crossed that we can remain dry the rest of the day ;)

Opening her big girl underwear! 

James and I got off easy with this purchase - no expensive Disney characters just  bright colors for us!

Day Four: 

Which is also birthday party day. Cupcake play date with friends in the morning. The local cousins and family party in the evening. Trip to the park. To only have one accident and all that chaos is amazing in my opinion! Dry for nap time. 

Day Five: 

Father's Day. Lydia stayed dry at church, grocery store on the way home, playing outside, told us she had to go potty, AND then saw one neighbor that needed a quick hug. Didn't stay dry for the last hug but she did stay dry for a long time and tried the little people potty at church. We consider that a great day ;) Dry at nap time again!!!!!

Day Six: 

Mom teaches on Mondays and Lydia goes to daycare. I was not expecting success at the babysitters for the newly potty trained little girl but she stayed dry. Whoohooo!!!!!!!! AND dry at nap and night time. Can we hear a cheer???

Day Seven: 

I thought James and I were going to be getting a raise when we potty trained Lydia. No more diapers in the budget. Which is true. But we have spent $20 - $30/month on diapers and wipes since she was a brand new baby (hurray for sales and coupons!). I believe that we will be allocating that $20 - $30 to toilet paper and water for the foreseeable future though.... Can I get coupons for the water bill??? Sale prices??? 

Wet Dry Vacume

We won't really go into why we needed the wet dry vacume but we did. And at 9:30 at night James quickly drove to Home Depot to buy a wet dry vacume hoping that A. Home Depot was still open and B. they would have a wet  dry vacume in stock.

Home Depot saved the night!

After I saw this contraption and the way it cleaned up water! AND oh my can any potty training household not have one of these inventions???

Lydia wants to potty train and she gets to very soon but I am still anticipating some messes. The beauty of the wet dry vacume if she can get over her fear of the vacume, then she can clean up her own potty training lessons!!!!!!!!

Stay tuned!