Amazing Update from Rest of Today

Okay folks, we had an amazing day potty training. How unexpected! She got up and we went potty this morning, count 1. Then tried about every 45 minutes in the morning, until went pee-pee before nap time at 11:30, count 2. We did the whole take a turn bit. So I went first and then she went! Then when she woke up at 3. She went again and we took turns, count 3. And lastly, tonight at 7:30 pm, she went poo-poo on the potty, count 4. Four times!!!! Wow, we got a lot of practice in! In between 3 and 7:30, we went swimming for a long time, so who knows what happened then, but we had to get out of the bathroom, so it was a good break.

I knew she had it in her and now we wait for the breakthrough where she tells us she has to go. I am just elated that we are making good progress. Of course, I have to tell myself we are going to have days that we may step back.

For those of you who are asking for tips, here a couple we have learned the last few days, not that I am an expert, but these things worked for Kaitlyn:
1. Have a fun sticker chart to encourage them just to sit on the potty - giving and putting a sticker on after just trying helped to bring her to the potty every time we said let's go. ("Potty Training in A Day" book is what I went by for all of this.)

2. Once we started her on the potty, there was no turning back to diapers. It was underwear the rest of the day and training pants for naps/night time.

3. We had a potty-training doll and this helped Kaitlyn because she is into dolls/babies right now.

4. We had a bucket of small presents from the dollar store, etc. for when she did go on the potty and this has been great motivation, once she figured it out.

5. We got the "Potty Power" video and she has watched this over and over. She loves the songs. We also bought a few books she can read, but not as much into those right now. But this is how we started the whole thing, was to alternate between the bathroom and going to read a potty book or see a video.

6. I would sometimes bring them into the bathroom. Having a portable video player helped to keep her on the potty as well as games/coloring/cards so we could try and catch her.

7. What has helped the most was our excitement and big, happy and smiling faces. We would race to the bathroom, get excited over stickers, her just sitting on the potty or just staying dry. She definitely picked up on our fun and excitement as well has having family members being excited for her.

Tonight, I couldn't help but see how she is turning into a BIG girl right before our eyes. She read Brown Bear, Brown Bear all by herself. I read it first and she started to. She was saying all the names twice and then turning the next page and saying that animal just like how it is written. I hope she becomes a great little reader! Then she can read me a night time story and I may just fall asleep and can't be moved!