Sweet Cheeks

I've been seeing a bit of plumber's crack around here recently, but I'm not at all grossed out. This plumber's crack is at the top of two of the sweetest cheeks I've ever seen. Potty training is in full swing around here. We started last Wednesday, and we're not going back to diapers ever again. I'm proud to report that Kenly made four successful public outings this week wearing underwear. Yep, we stopped using Easy-ups for outings. I always hold my breath , but she's doing great. We've ventured out to Toddler Fun, swim lessons(twice), and the library story time.

Kenly's been far more successful at this potty training stuff than I ever imagined she would be, but that doesn't mean this job is easy. Potty training might be one of the hardest things I've ever done. Let's face it. Keeping my cool when Kenly is standing in her sixth puddle of pee is not easy. It's hard to be reassuring when I'm bone tired. Remembering to keep up the sticker chart and reward the successes with stickers and M&Ms can get a bit tedious too. Reading Teddy Shares or the complete Biscuit collection for the twenty-seventy time is also a bit draining.

Kenly is also a smart cookie. She's a quick study, so it was no surprise when she discovered that crying potty got her Mommy's undivided attention for a long time, especially if she cried poopie. Just two nights ago, she put off going to bed by saying she had to poopie. We sang and read while she sat on the toilet for 30 minutes. Every time I tried to take her off, she would say, "I have to try one more time. Read Teddy Share one more time, Mommy." Apparently I'm slow because it took me an eternity to realize she was using the potty to avoid bed. When I finally caught on, I was not happy.

A few times Kenly has even called to go potty in the middle of the night. Most of the time she's already gone, but at least she's waking with the sensation of wetting. Maybe we won't have to pay for Pull-ups for napping and bedtime for too much longer.

If we have another child, I will not follow the 3 Day training method exactly next time. This method claims that one parent should take the responsibility for training the child. However, when we did this, Kenly would get upset if Adam tried to take her to the toilet. Next time we will tag team the three training days together over a weekend. Now it's not an issue, but for about 6 days, I was on call for potty duty 24/7.

She does look really cute while reading on the potty.

The first five days of training we stayed really close to a bathroom. Kenly's not a huge drinker, so I tried to pump her full of Capri Sun so she'd have to go. She also walked around for days in nothing but a shirt and underwear. In those days, her undies would droop exposing those sweet little cheeks.