Could It Really Be This Easy?

One of my New Year's resolutions was to potty train Miss Audrey right away. Since this is my 3rd child I've potty-trained, I've learned a little something along the way. 1st) Potty training shouldn't be a race. Just because all of your friends' 2-year-olds are picking it up doesn't mean your child is ready. Waiting for her to be ready is okay. It doesn't make you a bad mommy. It makes you a sane mommy. 2nd) It's just as important that the mom is ready to commit to potty training as it is for the child to be ready. 3.) Douse your poor baby in liquids. Give them as many juice boxes as they can stand. This way they'll need to go frequently enough to understand and recognize the sensations.

On Monday I braced myself for our long journey and put Audrey in panties. Monday morning went terribly. We went through 6 pair of panties in 4 hours, and not once did she go in the potty. I was pulling my hair out in frustration. Was she just not getting it? She wasn't even telling me when she had an accident. Could she not feel the wet warmth running down her leg? I mean, come on!

I put her in a pull-up and put her down for a nap. She woke up with a dry pull-up and the first thing out of her mouth was, "Mommy I need to go potty." As my jaw dropped to the floor, I helped her onto the potty and she went right away. It was if everything suddenly just clicked. I kept her in panties the rest of the day without anymore accidents.

I was feeling pretty good on Tuesday. Again, she woke up ready to go potty. We went the whole day with just one pee-pee accident and one of the other kind (urgh). I even took her to a friend's house while I went to an appointment. I put her in a pull-up for my friend's benefit, but Audrey asked her if she could go potty at her house. Apparently Audrey decided my friend's potty was a little too scary and she told her she would wait to go at home. Which she did! As soon as she got home she went upstairs and went, and her pull-up was still dry as a bone!

Yesterday we went the whole day without a single accident. I put her in a pull-up to go to the grocery store and got very sad and told me she's not a baby anymore. She was right. She's definitely not my baby anymore. She's such a big girl.

I'm feeling hopeful for today. I know there's usually a certain amount of regression once a kid is potty trained, so I'm bracing myself for that possibility. But right now I'm thinking it really could be just that easy! Hooray for potty trained kids. And hooray for me living in a diaper-free home!