Potty Training

I mentioned that big things were afoot hereabouts, and here's the news:  

We've potty trained CC!  And I can hardly believe how easy it was.  I'm hopeful that she doesn't have any kind of major regression, because this process has gone so much smoother than I ever imagined.

CC modeling the latest in toddler girls' underwear fashions

I'll try not to include too many details here, but if you don't want to read about what happens in a bathroom, stop now.  :)

Little Miss Independent doesn't like much help.  She likes to go in the bathroom by herself -- often shutting the door on us  -- clamber on the toilet alone, and let us know what happened afterwards (or during).  She doesn't even tell us when she has to go; she just stops in the middle of whatever she's doing and heads to the bathroom.

The most shocking part in all this is that since the second day, she has been staying dry during naps and usually through the night, too!  For the first few days, I got her up around 10 pm to make a late-night trip to the bathroom, but I've stopped doing that now.  And still, she's often dry in the mornings.

This was our process:

- We went cold-turkey on the diapers, even for naps and bedtime.  We made a big deal about it for the few weeks in advance -- "Wow, you're going to use the toilet like a grown up pretty soon!" And "Look all this big girl underwear that's ready for you to wear!"

- Sitting her on the toilet every 20-30 minutes didn't work for us.  Instead, we just ask her every so often if she has to go to the bathroom.  If she says no, we don't push it.

- We encourage her to drink a lot of fluids, even giving her diluted juice (a special treat) the first few days.  And we make sure she continues to eat lot of fruits, veggies, and high-fiber foods.

- She gets a small candy (a Smartie) for every successful trip to the bathroom.  This is a very big deal for her!

- She gets a half dose of Miralax in her milk every morning.  Just enough to make sure that there isn't any pain or constipation if she decides to "hold it" for too long.  Once we are confident that her potty training is fully complete, we will stop giving her the Miralax.

Of course there's the occasional accident, but only during the night.  Never during the day, and rarely even during a nap.  Someone pinch me!  Also, there's no way all of my kids will be this easy to potty train.  I am definitely doomed with either Sweet Pea or Little Man.  Or both.