The Dreaded "Potty Training" Post.

This will not be the post where I give you tips and tricks in mastering your little bundle of joy to sit on the pot like a pro and rid your home of diapers {for baby number one}. Whether that be disposable or cloth.

Nope. Not the post. Not here. Not now. Hopefully in the future though. Hopefully.

I despise that word {two words Becky, two words} you know. Whatever. The phrase. The term. The whole concept in general. Truly. I didn't even want to write about this topic. Ever. Not even before we started this whole shin-dig {if that's what you want call it}. And certainly not during. Or after {ha. I don't know when that "after" will be}.

You see, we are having issues. Lots of them. Well mainly one; It's not happening. Anymore.

I often ask myself... "How do these mamas do it over the weekend. Just like that and their kid just gets it. Trained." And then I snap out of it and quickly come back down to reality. Beck you know the answer to that. I do? Yes. Repeat after me...

Every.Child.Is.Different.

Something I have been saying over and over again during the past 2.5 years of motherhood. Something that I have drilled in my head, my husband's head, and every other person that cares to listen to me ramble about children. They're all different. They learn different. They walk different. They act different. They reach milestones differently. They're different.

Have I mentioned, they're different?

So, why was I here ever questioning why my child was even having problems? Then again, why even call it a problem? It's just something we have to learn. Another part of motherhood.

You see, I purchased the "potty" {play some haunted music right about now} at around 18 months. Not in hopes of her being trained by then... just introducing it. Having it sit in the room. Talk about it. Read books about potty training. Have her see it. That's it. Then the two year old mark came. And I was all... we got this. We will do this soon. While being 8 months pregnant, might I add. Just a thought.

Then we went to our doctor's appointment for her two year visit, and what do you know... the doc shuts down this lovely idea of potty training and says..."Wait until this summer when she's 2 and a half. She's not ready, not with the baby coming." Remind me to hang up my nurse mentality and listen to doctors more often, will you?

So I let that thought sink in.

Now lets fast forward a couple months; We have the baby. We are adapting well. We are rockin' this whole life with two kids. 

And one night it happened. IT happened.

Elliana was talking about Caillou  and "no more diapies" and I took that as a sign. She's ready. So ready. So I tested out this theory, helped her take off her pants and said try to go pee pee baby. On the pot in the living room {apparently that's a big no no in the potty training world}. And after about an hour of running around she plops down on the seat and goes pee. Just like that. JUST LIKE THAT!

I'm pretty sure I still had the little man nursing when I was running to the kitchen to get the piece of chocolate that I had promised to give her if she would go. I couldn't have been happier to see her eat chocolate like I was at that very moment. Thrilled.

"Holy cow this stuff is easy!" I thought. She was going to master this thing and make it look like a walk in the park. I just knew it. Sure of it.

Then we tried to go number two the next day, and what do you know, just like that SHE WENT! Of course bribing was involved. Of course a treat was given. Of course the praise and my screaming shrills of excitement could be heard all throughout the neighborhood. Pictures were taken and sent to all family members. And we were proud. P R O U D.

Then we had accidents. That was okay. They were happening more often than the "successful" trips. They became more and more frequent.

Days had gone by and we had not been successful. I thought she got it, the concept. She could stand to hold her pee for 5+ hours and then when she really had to go she would beg for the diaper and the pants.  She was doing the whole "potty" dance and all. Legs crossed. Walking around like she was holding onto a bucket of water. In her bladder. She would begin to cry until I put them on. And it wasn't the "tantrum" type cry. It was the real cry.

I was at a loss. So confused. Unsure of myself. Mom guilt. I felt every emotion possible. Even frustrated {another no no in the potty training world}.

And that's when I knew enough was enough. She just wasn't ready. The first time she cried when she had to go... I blamed it on her being tired. The second time? I knew she was trying to tell me something, and here I was completely clueless and holding onto the idea that I just knew she was ready. When all along she was trying to tell me that she wasn't.

So we packed up the potty training idea and put it in the closet. For now. I plan on re-introducing it again in a month and try something new. We are going to completely do things differently. Including buying a new potty. That's how new I want this to feel. I'm going to go into this with a different perspective. Learn from our first little trial and error, and try to avoid all the "no no's" in the potty training world.

At the end of the day, Potty training taught me a big major lesson in life. In motherhood.

Listen to your child. Forget the books. Forget the experts. Forget what every other kid is doing. We are talking about your kid here. Your life. Your joy. Your everything. She isn't like every other kid, she is her own self. So what if she didn't get it over the weekend? So what if she isn't ready?

So. What.

So although I have to admit Mr. Potty training.... I highly despise you.
Just know this...We WILL beat you.