Snow vs. Potty Training

Dear Abigail,

Well, it's that time. As you may recall, we tried potty training back in September because all signs pointed to you being ready; however, you decided to hold "it" for 16 hours, multiple days in a row, and therefore caused your bladder to swell, to which causes bladder infections (not to mention many many tears and trips to the doctor), and therefore we seized all training. It had been suggested by both your teachers and doctor to wait until you were 28 months old, a little maturer, they said. So we did. And January 5th made you 28 months old. Perfect! It was after the holidays. No plans for being out of town until the last weekend of the month. No parties to go to for a couple weeks. Perfect. So, Mommy decided before Christmas that come January 5th, it's on! Well, January 5th was on a Wednesday, so I decided that, since gymnastics was on Thursday (and a bunch of errand running needed to be done) that we would start on Friday, January 7th. So we did.

The first day of potty training was pretty much just like last time. You running around with just a shirt on, sitting on the potty for hours straight, watching "Booty and the Beast" and eating popcorn. And nothing happening. I can't really remember every detail from Friday (as I try to block horrible memories out of my mind) but I'm pretty sure you did the 'other thing' first in the potty and then maybe #1 later on in the day. Over all, it was clear that you were back to holding it. Because we wouldn't dare take you to Mexican on the first day of potty training (and because we can't dare be away from our friends on a Friday night!) we had the gang over to our house for Mexican. Mommy, being bored all day from watching you sit on the potty went all crazy and made all sorts of Mexican things, with the goal of using every possible dish in our house. And I succeeded. (Oh, and we made doo-doo cookies (again) for dessert!). So the gang came over at the exact time you were at your breaking point from holding it. You saw Ryan at the door and ran, pantless and all, straight from the pottty, to greet him, only to invite him over to sit by you as you continued to sit on said potty. So, yeah, you are VERY aware of the fact that you need to be sitting on the potty because you have to go, but you JUST WON"T GO!!! So after about 30 minutes of watching Ryan play with your toys near by, you decided to chance it (and MOmmy and Daddy had decided we'd let you because there was just nothing else we could do considering it had seriously been 2 hours of sitting there!). Oh, and also because it was time to eat dinner. So, I'd say about, oh, 1 and 1/2 minutes into eating dinner, you reached your breaking point and came running in the kitchen saying you needed to sit on the potty. Funny part was Ryan was "running" right behind you. I say "running" only because he was trying to run, but it's hard to run when your legs are spread apart because you are trying not to step in the liquid that you are following...

So, we reached the potty (soaking wet, I might add) and then the melt down begins. I didn't know why, at first, but later figured out, that you had a rash on your bottom. Not sure how it got there, maybe from sitting in teh same spot (i.e. the potty) for hours on end, but nonetheless, you screamed and screamed and had total meltdown. After about 10 minutes, we got you calmed down, decided to put that diaper on you, and let you eat your dinner and play with Ryan and send you to bed. I was real hesitant with putting the diaper on you and letting you play for that last hour before bedtime, but it didn't matter. You didn't go... You did have fun with Ryan though! You kiddos loved playing in the 'coffin', and particularly closing each other in it!!

And then we all had so much fun playing dress up with Ryan (that is, me and Miss EP and you! Miss Leigh wasn't too thrilled that we were putting necklaces and high heels and tiaras on him! And Mr. Lee didn't know it was happening!!). Finally it was time to head to bed, and Mommy to relax.

So Saturday came around and, well, remember that statement about how we didn't have any parties to go to - WRONG. You ended up getting invited to a birthday party for a little boy at school AND Daddy got invited to a work party later that afternoon. Well, we decided early on that the birthday party was not going to work out because it was at a jumpy house place and, well, no way you could control yourself there! So we didn't go to that. But by the time the afternoon party came around, both Mommy and Daddy needed a break from this whole potty training gig. Yes, you continued to hold it and cry and hold it and cry. I think you ended up going in the potty that day. Yes, as a matter of fact, you did both! And we were so proud (this was before nap). So off to nap (with no diaper, I might add!) you went. After nap, Daddy made the executive decision (against Mommy's will) to put you in a diaper to go to this work party. Something about cleaning up a mess on their marble floors or something... So, we did and you had such a good time playing with all the kiddos there. We decided to go out to dinner, since we were already out (can you tell we were dreading getting back home and dealing with the potty training??!!) and, well, you weren't the best, let's just keep it at that. We decided to get you home and in bed and start fresh on Sunday. Let me just say, the reason we were so relaxed (for Daddy and me) about this was because we knew you were going to school on Monday and were going to go all week. So we were going to hand the reins over to them. So, Sunday comes and we spend all day in the house. We try and try and try all different approaches to getting you to go, but you refused for hours on end and then at the last minute, would go. Problem was, that literally, you went 2 times on Sunday. 2 times! All day! Once before lunch and the other that afternoon, right before bedtime. And you were 50/50. So, yes, I can't complain about having to clean up messes and stuff but man alive you NEEDED to go like 8 times, you just wouldn't, so we'd have to just watch you come up with clever ways of 'holding it'. Such as...1) asking Mommy or Daddy to hold you. Some reason this stopped the pressure... 2) Physically holding it yourself. Yes, this was not pretty. 3) Sitting on the floor or table. You figured out that if you stand up, the pressure is more intense, so if you had to go get something, you'd just scoot along on the floor rather than walking to it. Clever baby girl, but so annoying. At this point, all I could think of was Monday can't come soon enough. But it did... And so did the massive amount of snow. Like 5+ inches. And, guess who was closed? Yep, your school. UGH!!!! Well, at this point, Mommy and Daddy both were just going with the flow. If you wanted to sit on the potty, sit on the potty, if you wanted to run around and hold yourself, do it! Just get us through the day without losing our minds!! Eventually, we decided we wanted to play in the snow, and that we wanted to play with Ryan in the snow, so off we went to the Grugett's house! And, just because I know you are wondering, we did put a diaper on you. AND, just because I know you are wondering, you did NOT go in the diaper - at all. The whole 2 hours in the snow and you didn't go in your diaper. And hadn't gone all morning. Holding it. ALL THE TIME. Regardless of the situation. So frustrating!!! But, thankfully we all forgot about it for a couple hours...

After playing in the snow, we ate some lunch, took some naps, and decided to go BACK over to Ryan's to let you kiddos burn off a little more energy (and let Mommy and Daddy chill, too!), oh, and to watch football. And no, you did not wear a diaper, but you did go in the potty over there!!! Just once, but we were all so proud! Later that evening, after a couple prayers, Mommy checked to see about your school and HOORAY it was open, a couple hours later, but nonetheless, OPEN!!! You better believe I had you dressed and ready to go at 8:30 (it opened at 9). I just didn't know what to do anymore, so I was ready to let your wonderful teachers give it a go. I took you to school on Tuesday and explained the whole weekend to them, clearly stressing the stress, and they said they would give it a go. Well, I was just waiting for that phone call (they were the ones last time that called to tell me you needed to go to the doctor...) and low and behold, 2 hours into school, and I got a phone call. I was SO upset to see your school number show up on my phone, but I picked it up anyway. And was I surprised - you had already peed TWO TIMES in the potty. TWO TIMES, in 2 hours. I waited 16 hours and got once in the potty, once not! TWO TIMES ABIGAIL! I was ecstatic, to say the least, and they promised to keep me posted as the day continued. Well, Daddy picked you up and it was reported that you went a total of FIVE times, all in the potty, no accidents, no crying, no sitting on the potty, nothing. Just decided when you needed to go, and bam, you went. WHAT IN THE WORLD! I have no clue what Daddy and I were doing wrong/different, maybe it's peer pressure, maybe it's the potty, maybe it's just a different environment. I don't know - but I do know you are going to school ALL this week and if they were open on weekends, I swear you'd go then, too!! (j/k - Mimi is coming up this weekend and we all know she wouldn't have that!). I'm hoping by the time the weekend comes that you are comfortable with doing it at home, because you seem to have the school thing down pat!!!

Overall baby girl, you are not a baby girl anymore!! You are my big girl and I couldn't be prouder. You've proven so many things to me this weekend including both determination (as in you are determined not to go) and intelligence (as in you figured out how to hold it!), but most of all, that you CAN do it! You have your own special way of proving things will be done on your time and your way (not sure where you get that from...) but you CAN do it!! I'm so proud. Keep up the good work. I love you!!!!