The Potty Training Diaries: Day 3

2:00pm
Brooks woke up again with a wet diaper (as expected) but no poop!  He went and peed right away on the potty.  And the morning was accident free!  Hooray!  But I didn't really give him a whole lot to drink (other than milk at breakfast) because we went outside to play (it snowed this morning!) and I really didn't want to deal with a potty mess in snowpants :\

Right before nap Brooks asked to go potty.  Then as we headed upstairs to his room I reminded him that if he needed to go potty, to knock on his door and let me know.  I tucked him and as soon as I shut the door he came running and knocked on the door saying he had to go potty.  He just went, but since he hadn't pooped since yesterday morning I figured he was due.  So he sat down.  No poop.  Underwear back on, pants back on and into his room.  I go downstairs and he starts knocking on the door and yelling "I hafta go poop!!"  Back upstairs I go.  Sit him down.  No poop.  Got him dressed and back in his room.  Go back downstairs and yep, you guessed it.  He started yelling again "I hafta go pooooooop!"  (sigh)  I feel like I'm being played here but at the same time I don't want to deny him to chance to go potty.  So back upstairs I go.  This time I emphasized that this was my LAST time coming upstairs and he needed to poop NOW or he'd have to wait until after nap time.  Still no poop.  So I tucked him in and headed back downstairs.  I considered just putting the potty in his room, but figured that would cause more problems than it would solve.

And now it's quiet.  Sweet sweet quiet.  And Carter is sleeping too in my Moby wrap, so it truly is quiet in the house now.

3:00pm
Brooks woke up and I heard him yelling upstairs - his usual reaction when he finds himself all wet after naptime.  So I hurry upstairs and find him standing in the middle of his room in a puddle.  BUT his bed is dry!!!  Which means he made it through nap time without an accident.  That again made me consider putting the potty in his room during nap time.  We'll see how I feel about it tomorrow.

6:15pm
My patience is running very very thin.  Brooks has discovered how to manipulate this potty thing.  As in, every 15 minutes he comes running urgently saying he has to go potty.  And since he hasn't pooped since yesterday moring (and with all those stinky farts, I know he needs to go) I take him seriously and sit him down.  I wish he would just poop - even if it was in his pants - just to get it over with.  It started right before nap time and has been the continued theme throughout the evening.  Pair that with a fussy baby who is nursing every hour (every.hour) and who refuses to sleep anywhere but in my arms and I am one exhuasted mama.  Oh, and Chris is at church tonight so I'm all alone tonight too.  (sigh)  He wanted to stay home but he has responsibilities at church teaching the boys class and I know he needed to go.

The plus side is that Brooks hasn't had any accidents this afternoon/evening, but how can he when he goes "potty" several times an hour?  So I declared tonight a movie night.  I just don't have the patience to do anything but sit and veg.  And since we hardly ever watch TV, Brooks will be occupied for the better part of an hour.  Then possibly an early bedtime.  Lord, give me strength!

9:30pm
The evening went better than I expected.  The movie kept Brooks entertained.  Add in a bowl of popcorn and we were golden for over an hour.  Food always makes my kids happy.  Heck, it makes me happy!  During the movie, Brooks said he had to go potty and he did!  Then about 15 minutes later he walked into the kitchen and I could hear the grunting.  I literally ran in the kitchen yelling "Noooooo!  Don't poop in your underwear!!"  I hauled him into the bathroom and sat him down on the potty.  I caught it in time.  No poop in the undies!  But after sitting on the potty for a whole 15 seconds, Brooks declared he was all done.  Knowing that he wasn't, I suggested we sing some songs.  This kid NEEDS to poop.  So we sang a song.  And another song.  And another.  And during our singing I saw the tell tale face of a pooping kid.  And when we looked?  Victory!!  Poop in the potty!  There was much celebration by everyone.  And Brooks received a new balloon.  This kid LOVES balloons and that's been his incentive for pooping in the potty.  Oh, you should have seen his face.  He was thrilled!

After that was bedtime.  We did the usual routine, put him in a diaper and tucked him in.  Here's hoping for a good day tomorrow.  We're taking our first trip out of the house.  Eeek!