the potty diaries update

Well, she is "potty trained". And by that I mean she tells us when she has to go with the occasional accident (mostly when she is busy playing and forgets to pay attention).

To aid in the process, Ashley sometimes carries a potty with her ... like to the park (this one has no potty which is rather strange). {Editor's Note: I only did this ONE time because it only week two of potty training and Eden's CC and I really wanted to get E out of the house for a bit. Not a single other person was at that park that morning.}

By the end of the first week, Eden had pottied at Keegan's house, Whole Foods, the science museum, and Josie's house.  Whole Foods, the museum, and Josie's all happened in one day ... so much better than her first outing to Keegan's when she screamed at me "No Daddy! No potty!" then proceeded to poop in her pants 15 second later.

At first, we cheated with a diaper over the training pants because Ashley was too scared of Eden going on the car seat or in the grocery cart, but that only lasted two days. Other things in our potty arsenal include (1) two Elmo potty seats - one for each bathroom since she is sometimes in the mood for one or the other ...

(2) the boon,which is not only awesome for portable potty any time but also for those times that she just can't make it all the way to the bathroom. It was the only potty seat that Eden would sit on in the store, and the size is still just right for her little feet to actually touch the floor. She prefers it most days. It has now actually been moved to the hallway right outside the bathroom. Hey, we're getting close.

(3) Gerber white training pants which were key at first, though she found some Zoe panties {of Zoe and Elmo} in her drawer and keeps asking to wear those now.

(4) a waterproof baby mat for the fest few weeks while E was sitting on the couch

(5) marbles which we used to give her every time she went, though they weren't really that enticing, and she lost interest rather quickly

(6) lots of praise - indeed she liked it much better that Ashley and I would cheer loudly every time she went than when we gave her marbles

(7) Curious George books - her complete collection book was the one I read to her during her first potty experience

(8) and stories about flying dragons and the brave Eden - that is Ashley's invention to keep her on the potty for long enough to go.

Now we're starting week 3, and we think we can say she is officially potty trained ... bring on the "accidents". Although there have been many accidents, she's doing well overall. She even tried to get out of bed by herself the other morning to go and went by herself the other afternoon without telling us, but forgot to pull her underwear down (though she was sitting on the boon when we walked out of her room to see what she was up to). That one counts, right?