Potty Training

Eliza started potty training last week. We have been asking her if she wanted to start trying. She has declined all invitations and requests. She was thrown into the training last week, however, after she took off her poopy diaper and rolled around on the floor with her dirty bum. Paige stuffed her in the kitchen and locked her in there with the potty training toilet and many drinks candy.

Paige kept Eliza very hydrated and every 30 minutes threw her on the toilet for 5 minutes. In between potty time she wore little girl underwear and sat on a plastic covered chair and watched movies on the kitchen pc. We all celebrated big successes and were patient over little accidents. The hardest challenge was being cooped in the kitchen for 3 strait days! The tension was noticeably high and tempers flared from time to time from both camps!

After the 3 days Eliza had the pee-pee down but refused to do anything else. She would go several days without a bowel movement and we were forced to put a diaper on her and let her go in that. A few days later of holding it she releaved herself in the bath tub! This was a greater challenge than John and Paige (primarily Paige as the primary trainer) thought possible.

Fast forward to last night. We are all up in Island Park at the Hahne's cabin. Eliza was crying every 5 minutes that her bum hurt and needed to be changed. We couldn't quite get her to understand that changing her wouldn't help - she needed to go to the bathroom! After many failed attempts we were determined to make it happen. The next hour or so would not be pretty. Everyone seemed to have a suggestion on what would be best. MDL wanted to watch a movie but the commotion was too great. At one point Dad complained that he couldn't hear the movie over the baby's crying at the closed bathroom door. He wanted my mom to put Julia in the bathroom with us. I heard her tell him a firm "No!" John then opened the bathroom door and yelled, "You'll just have to pause the movie!" The movie had to wait, we were getting this poo out! Poor Eliza cried on the toilet as we would not let her off until she finished the deed. The howling got louder and longer. Beads of sweet were rolling off our heads in the hot, unventilated bathroom. John and Paige were bribing Eliza with all kinds of treats - candy bar, twinky, movie in bed etc. Finally, the moment came and Eliza had her first bowel movement on the toilet! Everyone was cheering, including Eliza. She was so happy, but probably happiest that the pain was gone! High fives and hugs were exchanged. Apologies among adults were offered due to minor verbal exchanges in frustration.

The moment of truth quickly arrived. Eliza had done her deed and now she was going to claim all those prizes that were promised. She sat at the kitchen table at 10pm eating a candy bar and twinky! After brushing her teeth she went to bed in the back bedroom with a portable movie player watching Cinderella! What a night. It wasn't fun but it is over and it is a huge step in the right direction.

This morning Eliza was really excited and told John that she now "pee-pee and po0-poo in the toilet!"