Toilet training is looming before us

Since Noelle started attending Tues/Thurs preschool in the 2 and 3 year old class, she has been starting to show more interest in toilet training. Throughout the day, the class has regular "potty breaks" where the children take turns at the diminutive toilet inside the classroom. Many of the kids have been part of this procedure for a while, and a few are even becoming proficient at...um...'expelling waste'...ehem. Noelle has been carefully observing this process and even discusses it at home. She wants to imitate her classmates, and she even prefers diaper changes standing up - the way they do it in her classroom. That's what I call positive peer pressure!

Noelle is also excited to have a potty that is just her size. No falling in, or falling off - like at home, if we forget the insert (oops!). She is used to going tinkle before bath time and before bedtime (if her parents remember...), but neither Eric nor I are very consistent with taking her regularly to the toilet. Frankly, diapers have seemed easier than stopping frequently during a busy day of running errands or running the risk of a leaky mess out in public.

The past couple of weeks we've even been reading a story book at bedtime which tells of a little girl learning to use the big potty. It has a nifty flush button the Noelle likes to push. Noelle is sorta, somewhat, kinda maybe beginning to understand the concept of bm's in the toilet rather than in her diaper. What has continued to boggle my mind, however, is how can a kid stand that warm, soggy (or lumpy, as the case may be), stinky mess smeared to the back of her behind?!!? I mean, any self respecting person would run screaming "Ick! Ick! Get it out! Get it off me NOW!!!" Right? Well, I guess not, 'cause Noelle seems perfectly happy sitting or rolling around in her messy diaper. And when I ask (because the odorific evidence in quite enough for me), "Did you go potty in your diaper, Noelle?", my child, with a quick guilty look downward, states innocently, "Noooooooo."

Yesterday evening after an almost successful 'potty' (aka 'poo-poo') in the toilet - I caught Noelle "in the act" and whisked her to the bathroom to finish - Eric and I decided that maybe we should start following the potty schedule at preschool. At least when we're at home. (Hey! No need to jump right in with both feet, huh?! Baby steps, okay?) So while Eric was off at karate class, I sat Noelle down for a serious discussion.

M: Noelle, instead of always wearing a diaper, would you like to wear panties, like Mommy does?

N: (Big eyes) Yeaaaaaaahhh.

M: If you have panties on, that means not letting tinkles or potties go into your panties. You'll be wet and it feels icky.

N: (Bigger eyes) Oooooooohhhh.

M: That means if you need to go, you come right away to find Mommy or Daddy to take you to the toilet.

N: (Silence)

M: Want to go to the store right now to pick out you first pair of panties?

N: YAY YAY YAY!!!!!!!! (this, accompanied by much jumping up and down)

Okay. Cool. That was all the affirmation I needed. So we jumped into the car and headed down to our neighborhood Family Dollar store. When I stopped the car in the parking space, Noelle hollered from the back seat, "I want to go buy panties!!!" When we found the undies aisle, I was surprised to see a decent selection. I laid out Noelle's choices and she ended up picking a 5-pack which included pastel colors, stripes, and...frogs.

Excitedly, we headed back home. Noelle was in the back seat, ripping open the package and carefully examining each pair of cotton underwear. Once back inside, Noelle began stripping almost immediately. She chose the froggy pair. She pulled them up, and I fixed the wedgie. Oh my word! Toooooo cute!! Our little baby doesn't hardly seem like a baby any more in her big girl panties. Here's a picture of course.

So to give you an idea if we've had any success so far--

Later that night, Noelle was cuddling with Eric an the couch. Suddenly he felt a warm spot on his leg. He jumped up immediately with a shout something like "AAAwwweeeeeUghh!!" It seems that Froggy - with the help of our daughter - had wet on daddy, the throw blanket and the couch.

Then today, for the first time ever, Noelle pottied in her bath! I found IT floating amongst the bath toys. EEEEEickkkk!!

Ahhh. The fun is just beginning...