Day 1 of Potty Training

Gracie's Potty Chart, Beginning of Day 1

Wow, what a day!  I stayed up late last night reading (book review will be on this Saturday's Blog Post Roundup) and did NOT want to get up this morning.  Gracie waited until about 8 AM before waking up.  I knew I had to get up so that we could get this potty thing going.

I took her to the potty first thing.  She didn't do anything but that was ok; it was more to establish a habit.  I put her in her new panties (Gerber training pants) which I think she was somewhat excited about.  We put her diaper in the diaper trash and took the whole trashbag out to the big trashcan outside and said, "Bye-Bye Diapers!"  Well, I did.  She got distracted by the neighborhood cat that was in our yard.

Not long after, she came to where I was in the kitchen, and said, "Poo-poo!" and started crying.  Sure enough, she was peeing on the floor (fortunately, we have ceramic tile).  I got her cleaned up and into new panties.  I didn't expect a "failure" so soon in the day.  Then, not even 10 minutes later, I heard another scream and cry: she had wet her panties again.  To my great surprise, she wore all nine panties throughout the course of the day, plus her "night-night panties" (Gerber training pants with plastic cover) during her nap.  I think a lot of it was my fault.  I just couldn't get the timing right on when to take her to the potty.  Most of the time she went before I was going to take her; other times, she went right after I took her.  Throughout the day, I would make a big deal of asking her, "Are your panties dry? They ARE dry!  YAY!  Your panties are dry!  You get a sticker because you kept your panties dry!"  I let her peel off a sticker and stick it on the potty chart.

I even got two of her baby dolls involved.  We put "baby" on the toy potty and she enjoyed doing that.  A couple of times (maybe three), when she wasn't paying any attention, I put water in the toy potty for her to find the next time she went potty.  I think she was rather shocked.  I made over big on the baby and got Gracie to hug and kiss her, too.  She kept checking the toy potty to see if she had gone again.  It was pretty funny.

I was trying to stay optimistic, but was a ***little*** bit discouraged at the seemingly lack of progress, not to mention going through all those panties.  I washed the first couple of wet ones in my first load of the day and about five more in the second load (I make it a point to do only one or two loads a day.  Three is unusual and only if necessary.).  I'm all set for tomorrow morning, at least.  Robert came home when it was time to take her potty again.  I let them greet each other and had Gracie show Daddy her stickers, and then I took her to go potty, and she finally went!  I shouted and cheered!  I was genuinely thrilled that she finally went.  She looked so surprised, like, "What just happened?"  About an hour and a half later, she went again.  I think she had two accidents after that.  Then in the evening when we were all sitting on the couch, she said something about going poo-poo, and then I felt it.  She had already gone and it got on my skirt (yay, more laundry).  I took her to the potty and let her have my phone to play with while we waited.  She wound up calling my mom!  While I was talking to my mom, Gracie went poo-poo in the potty!  She still acts scared when she goes, and she cries.

I gave her a bath tonight and let her play for a good long while.  Then we went to the potty again before dressing her in her nightgown.  She didn't go, but she MAY have gone in the tub.

I guess, all in all, it could've been a worse experience.  I'm encouraged that she had three successful potty events.  I hope to have more tomorrow.  I also hope to do better about taking her at the right time.

Gracie's Potty Chart, End of Day 1, 14 stickers for keeping dry!