Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Yes, I am very proud

If everyone could have my good fortune the world would be a better place...literally- there would be less diapers in the landfills, happier parents without smelly kids, fatter wallets in parents' pockets from their savings, and the candy factories would be making even more of a killing.

Here's why: For the last 6 months Ava has been using the potty for all of her bodily functions. This is an exceptionally great thing. I hated changing diapers, especially pooped filled ones. Honestly, the smell of someone else's poop makes me want to vomit. When the girls use the potty I flush it as soon as the poop hits the water then I wipe their bums and leave the paper floating in the bowl until the next time someone uses the potty so I don't waste any unnecessary water. (Ironically in the middle of creating this post Ava had to poop.) Afterwards we all get to indulge in a small sucker for a reward.

This process has been so easy with Ava. It wasn't exceptionally hard with Olivia but Ava just doesn't like the feel of anything in her panties which has helped tremendously. I think she's been wearing her panties now for 3 months. The first month she wore them in the house only and whenever we left I put on a pull-up and then took her to the potty at every store or place we went. She had an accident every couple of days at home but did really well overall. The second month I took her to the park and for quick trips to places like the post office in her panties. Ava never had an accident. Then I just started forgetting to change her out of panties before we left the house because she stopped having accidents and we'd be eating in a restaurant and Ava would say she had to pee and woops there were the panties. So now she wears her pull-up for sleeping only and not for outings too.

This is the best part: Ava's been waking up from her nap 6 out 7 days completely dry. She's been waking up in the morning dry probably 3 days a week. She wears the same pull-up everyday for nap until she pees in it so we end up using maybe 3 or 4 pull-ups a week. Awesome. Simply freakin' awesome.

Olivia has been dry during naps for a while now too. She re-wears her pull-ups until she pees. She probably uses 1 pull-up a week for naps and she's wakes up dry on most mornings too. Livy also gets out of bed at night and uses the potty when she needs to. What has happened??? Did the potty fairy come and sprinkle magic dust over our house and create good fortune? It definitely feels like it. And I am SOOOOO thankful. I didn't mind so much changing pee filled diapers but if I don't have to, why should I? I put an extra change of clothes in the truck for Ava and can now ditch the diaper bag for good. Traveling has become a grand opportunity again. I needed that. It's hard enough taking two small kids to any place by yourself but then when you have to pack a lot of extras...well let's just say that I am not a pack mule.

I wish everyone could have a potty trained 2 year old. I have been fortunate enough to have two of them and it has saved us a bundle of time and money. It also has shown me that kids are much cleverer than parents give them credit for and when given the opportunity to achieve a goal they will. Ava tells me she does not want to wear diapers. She loves her panties and can't wait to put them on. For this I am thankful. Now if only they could learn to share as easily as this process has happened I'd really be stoked. Patience and age. I'm sure it has something to do with that.

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