Update, a (Tentative) Game Plan, and THANK YOU!!!

…or…

The Potty-capades, Part 2

I introduced the girls to the potty chair on Sunday morning. They were more than excited to sit on it off and on (and off and on and off and on) all day on Sunday, but I don’t think we had any actual output.

On Monday, Baby A had a small performance, which was met with much praise. Since the girls were all about flushing the potty (when we were using the potty ring), I decided their “reward” would be helping Mommy deposit the contents of the bowl into the big potty, still allowing them their beloved flush. That seemed to click, at least with Baby A, and we had a pretty good day.

Tuesday was quite grueling, but Baby A had a lot to show for herself. She had three very successful trips, one in the morning, one after lunch, and one before supper. She still used her diaper a little bit, but I would wager that more than half of her production for the day went into the potty.

So what was grueling about that???

Putting the potty seat in the kitchen, adjacent to the den, has alleviated some of our challenges. I can now have a good handle on both girls – the one on the potty and the one playing solo in the den.

But Baby A seems to have a preternatural gift…the ability to tee or poop a tiny amount at a time…which has added a new element to this adventure.

I am not kidding when I say that each of her three potty times lasted about 30 minutes. She would tee an ounce or two, and then want to empty the cup in the potty. At first I thought she was done, but she was adamant about sitting back down. She did this again and again and again, with pee and then with poop. I’m guessing we made no less than 12 or 15 trips between the potty chair and the bathroom per session. (I guiltlessly considered that my workout for the day.)

I’m hoping some of that will resolve itself as the novelty of the potty chair wears off, and/or I may look to tweak my process a bit.

I am so very appreciative of the advice, words of wisdom, and the encouragement from my post on Monday.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

I am reminded that this is all part of the fun…it won’t last forever…it has been done before and will be done again…and – in the words of Gloria – “I will survive…hey, hey!”

So, what’s the game plan?

I feel that Baby A is “ready”…or if she’s not ready, I’m not sure how to stop her from taking off her diaper and making a puddle on the floor (or smearing poop in her crib after nap, which may or may not have happened yesterday). While I reserve the right to change my mind in the next couple of days, my gut is to officially start training her this weekend.

I’m going to give both girls the next couple of days to continue to get accustomed to the potty chair, and maybe to hone the “dump and flush” procedure. I bought a jumbo-sized package of teeny-tiny panties, and Baby A and I are going into the trenches on Saturday morning.

Daddy will be home to lend a second set of hands – I expect to largely keep Baby B at bay, who I don’t think seems “ready” just yet.

I’m planning to stock the pantry with some reward chocolate (for me), and maybe get some of those Skinnygirl margaritas to try (for me, as well). I’m thinking take-out pizza one night, and maybe take-out sushi the next…after the girlies are in bed and I can relax for the day.

I’m setting myself up to go with the flow as best I can (no pun intended). This, too, shall pass! [So many wonderful word plays when it comes to potty speak…so little time!]

Stay tuned for the next exciting installment! :)

An Unpleasant Milestone

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post on our Mothers of Multiples site about “mommy milestones”…those memorable hurdles I crossed with my girls, and was so proud of myself for doing so…things that once seemed almost impossible, but have gotten easier with time.

Feeding the girls by myself…taking the girls out by myself…taking the girls to the pediatrician by myself…oh, what sweet memories!

This evening I experienced what I guess I’ll describe as a “milestone”. It’s certainly memorable, but it was pretty far from sweet.

After quite a bit of chatter, the girls finally settled down for their afternoon nap. They were still sleeping at 4:30, so I decided to go wake them. I opened the door to their room and saw my precious angels napping so peacefully. But then I noticed something in Baby A’s crib. Had the poor baby gotten sick to her stomach?

I spoke to the girls, and they both started to stir. Baby A sat up quickly as I approached her, and she started to cry a really pitiful, scared cry.

And then the smell hit me.

Baby A had not gotten sick to her stomach. No, she had somehow unzipped her sleeper blanket, taken off her diaper, and made quite a smelly mess…all over her bed, her crib, and all over herself. And she didn’t like it one bit.

I felt like I had no choice but to give her a bath. And I had no other choice but to leave poor Baby B, who by that point was very upset by her sister’s wailing, in her crib.

At the end of the day, Baby A smelled like roses (or at least baby shampoo), Baby B recovered from her “abandonment”, and we got to bed only 10 minutes behind schedule.

My guess is that this is a rite of passage that most parents encounter at some point. I would like to think I can check this off the proverbial list. And just in case Fate happens to read this post, I have no interest in this process getting easier with time.