Potty training success/ Potty Training Chart

I ended up being sick on Friday so we started Saturday instead :)

So this 3 day potty training method I think will be more like an "I'm not sure how many days but we're going to keep truckin' potty training method"...We started off Saturday with setting the timer for 45 min intervals (as the book requested) to head to the bathroom, but after a handful of accidents I found that amount of time was just too long. I switched it up to 25 min and that's when it clicked! He headed to his super cool Paw Patrol potty and pee'd! I cheered and screamed with so much excitement! He had the biggest grin on his face and he continued to have that grin every potty trip. There were several times to he kept saying "mow, mow" ( "more") but he just had nothing left in him! LOL.  

So every time he went in his potty, without any accidents in-between, it would win him a sticker to add to his chart and he loved that part! I was so glad as I loved the stickers I made for the chart as I thought I was so whitty to come up with a fire hydrant and dump truck! haha. But anyways, I used my sticker paper to the back of the paper with another one of my craft tools and then used my Cricut Explorer Air 2, that Lee got me for Christmas, and let me just tell you this machine is AMAZING!!! So he went ahead and added his fire hydrants for every successful potty trip, but I'm sure you'll see there are no dump truck stickers that made it to the chart...I'll let you come to your own conclusions there, but yeah I'll just say I really wish the dump trucks made it to the chart. There is absolutely a difference in cleaning a diaper of poop vs underwear with poop, i'll just add that tid bit...

Poor dump truck stickers that never got used, but maybe in the next couple days we'll get lucky!

  

   A reward for many successful potty trips - Painting on his easel!

So on Day 2 the book says to challenge them and to not set the timer, therefore they can work on just telling you they need to go to the bathroom. Yeah.... this definitely did not work. So after a few accidents I went back to the timer but I increased it to 45 minutes for day 2 and he did awesome. So he's holding it for longer which is a definite plus! The only bummer is that he does have to be told it's time to go potty, BUT he's going in the potty and we're not changing diapers, so that's a win to me!

By Day 3 the book says that our child would be totally potty trained and I have to laugh a little at this because I knew within 5 min of waking up on that third day there wasn't a chance in you know where that would happen. We went to a mommy and me class on that third day, as the book says to go out for 2 - 1 hour outings, so I was hopeful we'd be ok buuuuut no. I think the nervousness of new people got to him. It was a learning moment for me though that although going out for a quiet lunch with us as a family the day before worked out perfectly, that situation was stress free for him as it was just our family sitting outside on a nice day eating at The Bronx so it was easy breezy, but anything or anyone beyond that throws him off. So I'll add that to my notes for Jaxon's potty training!

Overall I am so proud of Greyson for all he's doing at only 2.4 years old. He's able to pull down his own pants 75% of the time and go potty in his own potty chair. He gets to wear big boy underwear and gets to start figuring this new world out and he'll get there! So although 3 days wasn't so much accurate for our little man, I hope within another week or so he'll start understanding that sensation to go and just let us know. But yay for this new exciting milestone! 

 Love, Kaylin

Potty Training my 2 year old!

Ecstatic, nervous and slightly apprehensive are the words that come to mind when I think about these next 3 days. Tomorrow is the day, Greyson is being potty trained. 

I've been actively preparing for the last month, both mentally and physically, as this is going to be my first go at this and I'm crossing my fingers, toes and everything else I can possibly cross in the hopes all goes well! My designated words are set, chart is made, training toilet has been present for months, fun underwear is purchased ( Greyson decided he wanted ALL the underwear packs I showed him verses what I had planned to buy...I guess "puppies" (Paw Patrol), "choo choo trains" (Thomas the Train) and "cars" (He actually got this one spot on, Cars it is...) are just too exciting to turn down!) So we now have more toddler underwear than I know what to do with, but they are washed and ready to go. My fun filled activities are set for the next 3 days in order to avoid the horrifying terrible 2 tantrum to emerge when he's pissed that he's having to stay inside for multiple days. I've got sponge blocks, bubbles galore, puzzles, paint projects with his new easle, a fun movie, play-doh making and more! Thankfully we have a roomy back yard with plenty of outdoor activities so that's also going to be a lifesaver.

I've read this highly recommended book "Potty Training" (They really nailed that title on the head didn't they) - cover to cover, highlighted and now placed it in an easy to grab spot when things go awry. My hope is that Greyson will wake up Friday morning ready to master this little thing called potty training and it won't be nothin' but a thang' but we shall see... In all honestly, he really is insanely smart and picks up things far quicker that I'd ever expect a 2 year old to do. Lee and I have been told many times he acts older than he is, so with that said I think he's going to take the toilet by the horns and own it! My genius 2 year old, please please own it...

So wish us luck as we go through our 3 day potty training journey. By Monday one of my babies will be taking another step to independence and I could cry. Yet, running around my house in pure excitement is also highly probable. I hope to be a pro potty trainer at the end of these 3 days and who knows maybe I'll have my other genius child, Jaxon, potty trained right at 2 years old! Then it will be time for a 3rd child as I feel like I can't imagine not changing diapers everyday, so that's a reason for a 3rd right? haha.

Looking forward to updating you all! 

Love,

Kaylin

Holy Infant Nap Schedule!!

Has anyone else wanted to rip their hair out trying to pin down a nap schedule for their infant?! Well holy hell it's been a pain in the **BLEEP** to say the least. Schedules are my LIFE, so it was very bazaar to me when my infant child (now 6 months old)  didn't understand this is how I chose to work and he didn't jump on board...

So lets just say that initially in the first few months of Greyson's life, Lee and I adapted to whatever worked as he was still trying to figure us out and vice versa. But, by month 5 I was ready to pin down a schedule! So every day I used my Erin Condren planner (best planners ever created) to write down every single nap (*I did miss a couple) Greyson took. The time he went down, the time he got up, everything. I did this for about 2 1/2 to 3 weeks to try to come up with a schedule that worked best for our little man based on his natural rhythm and this is what it looked like when I put it into a report for myself...ummmm yeah.

So after my husband found me feverishly jotting this all down in a chart, he looked at me like a belonged in the looney bin in which I replied with, "Happy wife, happy life"

So after analyzing it all, I found the 3 basic chunks where he slept the longest and/or started his naps most often, and then created this here fancy schedule and so far it's definitely worked! So as of now, here is where we landed:

• 8:30am (Sleeps until 10am)
• 11:30am (Sleeps until 12:30 or 1pm)
• 3:00pm (Sleeps about 30 minutes)

Now you can  imagine my excitement when we went from an all out chaotic nap "non-schedule" where typically I got 25-30 minute naps out of him to now 1-1.5 hour naps! I have heard time and time again that babies NEED structure and routine so really setting the rules and schedules in our house rather than letting out little one decide it all has made things so much better for all of us. This schedule of course will fluctuate as he gets older but right now I'm loving it. So anyone you know that's looking for some help, point them this way as this schedule creation definitely worked for us! Plus you can find your OWN child's rhythm this way rather than thinking you have to follow some schedule that people say you should follow. Following the whole "10 & 2" nap schedule isn't for every baby as I think it's more important to do what fits you and your baby.  So now we're relishing in our new nap schedule and hope this will help others out there suffering from angry baby/angry momma syndrome!