The Newest Lesson - Headstands

This evening, Jonathan taught Christian how to do headstands! Here's some video action

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Daisy Mountain Railroad

This past weekend, we drove up to Anthem, a town north of Phoenix, to check out the Daisy Mountain Railroad. It's a cute little mini-train that travels around a large community park.

Given Christian's obsession with all things vehicular - planes, trains and automobiles - we knew it would be a thrill for our little kiddo.

He loved the train, and he loved the park with its awesome playground and exciting play structures with multiple slides.

Over the past few weeks, Christian has certainly become more adventurous. I used to describe him as a child who didn't take risks ... who wasn't too adventurous. Little by little, he's been getting used to slides, and at school we'd occasionally hear that he'd gone down the slide by himself.

On Friday night, we went to Chick-fil-A and they had a play structure where the kiddos could climb to the top and then go down a tube slide. I went with Christian the first time (yes, a full-sized mommy in a structure designed for small children - crazy, I know), and then after that, he went up all by himself - over and over again. Jonathan and I sat watching in shock. Since when did our little boy get such a sense of adventure?

At the playground in Anthem, there were some pretty tall tube slides, and Christian loved them.

That's my boy ... now filled with adventure!!

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Delusions of Grandeur and Moments of Surprise

Two nights in a row of Christian peeing in the red cup had me awfully excited and hopeful. I thought he'd start doing it nearly every time ... I thought he'd tell his teacher at school when he had to go to the bathroom. I thought we were all set for complete - and rapid - success.

Um ... no. Yesterday at school, he had two accidents. Last night, he refused to pee in the cup and just played around about the whole topic of going pee.

This morning, he woke up with a dry diaper ... and when I picked him up at school at noon, he was STILL DRY.

We got home from school, and he told me he needed to go potty. He was really giddy about it, so I assumed he was just playing around. I give him the choice of the potty or the red cup. He chose the red cup, and actually peed in it.

HOLY COW! He held his urine all night, and all morning. He could have peed into his pull-up at any time, but he waited ... and he told me ... and he went into his cup.

So, lesson learned: it's a process. There will be successes, and there will be setbacks. There will be good days, and not-so-good days. One success doesn't mean total success, and one failure doesn't mean total failure.

And as my sister likes to tell me, "I can assure you Christian won't be going to high school in diapers."

An update: Christian also came up to me after his nap and told me he wanted to go pee pee in the red cup ... and he did and got the usual supply of chocolate chips. A few minutes later, he told me he wanted to go pee pee ... and I thought surely all he was trying to do was get chocolate. Sure enough, he produced more pee! And hence, he got more chocolate. He tried really hard a couple of more times during the next couple of hours - but nothing came out (what was left??). So, it appears that chocolate is a FABULOUS motivator! :)

Another Newsletter Photo Op

Christian made it into the school newsletter again this month. The day of the photo, they put mousse in the kids' hair ... and made Christian's all spikey.

Wordless Wednesday - March 2, 2011

An Encore Performance

After last night's extravaganza, we were hopeful about today. Chrsitian woke up with a dry diaper, but despite our best efforts, we coudn't get him to pee before school. Reluctantly, I sent him to school in underwear. 45 minutes later, he had an accident and wasn't bothered enough by it to tell his teacher.

After his nap this afternoon, I encouraged him to try again - without success. Jonathan got home and took over the "pee watch." As we were eating dinner, Christian got up to wander around and we kept asking if he needed to go pee pee and he declined each time.

However, eventually, he made his way over to me and said, "Go pee pee." I reached for the "red cup" and he started pulling down his underwear ... we knew success was near! Christian quickly headed towards our foyer, where he peed in to the cup last night. Jonathan followed, and within moments, the urine was flowing.

AN ENCORE PERFORMANCE!

Hope it happens again tomorrow ... and the next day ... and the next day ... ! :)

At last ... SUCCESS!! Yay for the Red Cup!

On Friday, the powers that be at Christian's school decided that since he's been staying dry at school, he could visit the coveted preschool room. I reminded them that he's not actually going potty, and so our potty training is not actually working. But, they are satisfied that he's staying dry. So he got to spend about an hour and a half with the preschool class.

So, Friday evening, we decided we were going "cold turkey" on the potty training. And that meant underwear all the time - except at bedtime and naptime (no need in interrupting successful slumber!). And I also declared that while we were "out and about," we'd use pull-ups. However, Jonathan reminded me that we really need to be using underwear - even when out and about.

On Friday, we went out to eat and Christian had no accidents. Saturday we went to a town about 45 minutes away, and had lots of fun, and had no accidents. Yesterday, we went to a bookstore and lunch and remained accident free.

At home wasn't so accident free, so we spent all of our time at home focused on potty time. And if Christian wasn't focused, we sure were ... always watching his underware for signs of wetnesses. Always asking if he need to go pee pee. Always waiting for an accident.

It was frustrating. He'd hold his urine for hours, and we'd KNOW he has to go ... and then we'd hang out on the potty and nothing would happen. Put the underware back on him, and he'd go.

Today was Muffin Monday and Jonathan braved a morning of the outside world with Christian in underwear. They went to several places today, and Christian stayed dry. They came home and convinced that Christian was going to go pee any minute, Jonathan stayed with him like white on rice.

We've got a "red cup" (a small red pitcher) that Jonathan keeps nearby in case Christian starts to go. Jonathan was either in the potty or watching Christian like a hawk ... for a LONG TIME. So long, in fact, that I suggested we just put a pull-up on Christian so he'd go (he hadn't peed all morning, so we KNEW he had a full bladder). At long last ... at long, long last, Christian started going pee and Jonathan captured it in the red cup.

So we praised Christian like crazy and gave him chocolate chips. Our motto, after all, is "chocolate for pee pee.

But, wait ... the success doesn't end there!!

Between waking up from naptime and dinner, Christian hadn't peed. After dinner, we were playing around - ever watchful to see when Christian indicated he might be ready. I was out of the room when Jonthan whistled for me to come.

And here's what happened:

Christian, "Want to go pee pee."

Jonathan, "Oh, okay!"

Christian, "Pull down my underware."

Jonathan pulls it down.

Christian, "Get the red cup"

Ever handy, Jonathan positioned the red cup ... and Christian peed in the red cup!

AT LAST! He recoginzed he had to pee, he told us, and he peed. He actually peed!

I can't tell you how absolutely thrilled we were!! He got lots of hugs and kisses and praise ... and of course chocolate chips!!

We are VERY HOPEFUL that this evening marks the beginning of continued success.

YES YES YES YES YES!!!