Pee Pee 'Gain Mama (Potty Training Part II)

"Pee pee 'gain, pee pee 'gain mama! ... mama, pee pee gain."  That's what I hear all. day. long.  And it truly is a good thing.  How exciting that my 2 year, 4 month old now recognizes when he needs to use the potty all on his own!  And how thrilled am I that my little boy, who had "some" people convinced wouldn't be potty trained for at least another year, is telling his mama it's time to race back to the toilet yet again.  Yes, it's going well.  But less than 2 weeks into this and I'm kinda getting tired of the whole "Pee pee 'gain" routine.  Maybe I could teach him how to say it in French?

But what can I say, Jack's gotten it!  He's figured it out!  All it took was that one tear-filled moment and then it CLICKED!  Someone get me an easy button because this wasn't at all what I was expecting.  To be completely honest, I wasn't expecting Jack to be potty trained at all at this point.  I gave it shot two weekends ago just because I had the chance.  And we weren't even trying that hard.  Oh me of little faith.  I should've known my kid would eventually catch on and run with it ... 'gain and 'gain.

Now that's not to say we don't have accidents.  But some days he is totally accident free.  And the other days he may have just one accident.  And more often than not, he's been waking up from naps and nighttime completely dry.  Which is definitely more than I had hoped a few weeks ago.  And so far, we've only accomplished "pee pee 'gain."  We're still waiting for the "poo poo 'gain", actually we're still waiting for just plain "poo poo" on the potty for the first time.  But we'll get there.  I promised a multi-part series so I gotta save something for Part III.

Still we have plenty to work on currently.  Such as, not crying wolf.  Jack is so much into "pee pee 'gain" that he kinda says it even when he doesn't mean it.  In fact, it didn't take long for him to realize that "pee pee 'gain" is a great way to leave the dinner table without finishing your food, or get out of bed when it's time to take a nap, or get mommy's undivided attention when you're feeling bored.  Which means I have to put down whatever I'm doing - nursing baby, folding laundry, mixing dough, typing emails - and run back to the bathroom to fulfill my duties as pants puller-downer, only to be told "uh oh pee pee bwoken" and then repeat it all over again a few minutes later. 

So recently I've just left him there in the bathroom and went back to what I was doing.  But this isn't really working out for us.  Jack definitely needs a moderator.  Someone to not only assist him with his pants and underwear, but also someone to ensure that "pee pee's pointed down."  Remember that thing I said last time about teaching Jack how to pee IN the potty and not ON it.  Well he's definitely taken that to the next level.  Picture a garden hose, lying unassuming in the backyard.  Now picture someone cranking up the water pressure full blast, the hose lifts off the ground, and water sprays everywhere.  On the walls, on the vanity, streaks across the door, paints lines across mommy's pants and puddles on the floor.  Yeah.  Picture that.  I've started keeping a mop and cleaning supplies in the bathroom, right next to the toilet, for instances like this.  Which generally occur ten times a day.

But let's not be negative.  Let's celebrate the big accomplishments this week.  Like going pee pee away from home!!  On Wednesday I realized that the kids and I hadn't been out of the house since the day we got robbed.  Cabin fever was setting in and a snowstorm was in the forecast so I decided to be bold and take both boys to "Chickalay" for some playtime and lunch.  I rarely take the boys out of the house by myself these days, but Chick-Fil-A is the one place I dare venture on my own.  Simply because they are so sweet.  One time, when we first moved here, the manager took Jack's hand and walked him out to the car with me since I was carrying Jude's carseat during lunch rush.  They always offer to carry my food to the table.  And I love how they come around and offer to get refills.  Oh and everything is "My pleasure."  And a playplace!  What's a mom not to love?

So apparently those 9 month crazy hormones were raging that day because after I pulled into the CFL parking lot it dawned on me what I was attempting - taking two small boys to a restaurant by  myself, one an active little guy wearing big boy underwear in a public place, about 20 minutes after he had drank an entire cup of water.  Jack has his shoes off and was ready to play before I had even set our stuff down at a table.   I dragged him up to the counter to order.  The manager offered to carry our food to the table when it was ready and that's when Jack announced "pee pee 'gain."  This was it.  The big test.  I grabbed his hand and carted Jude and our things to the bathroom.  Thankfully CFL has one of those seats you can strap a baby into so your hands are free, so I didn't have to try and hold a baby while helping Jack.  We did the sit-backward-on-the-potty maneuver and that was it.  Worked beautifully.

Jack must have been pretty excited about the whole ordeal because he "pee pee'd 'gain" two more times in the next 20 minutes.  And each time I had to put our food down, get Jude out of the highchair, throw anything worth money into my purse, and "hoo-wy, hoo-wy" back to the restroom.  By the fourth trip back the manager took pity and offered to hold Jude for me.  She is the only person who has told me that my eldest looks younger than 2, and was so impressed with Jack's new talent (or "Jack skills" as his daddy has taught him to say) that she brought out a little stuffed cow for him to take home since "we like to celebrate things at Chick-Fil-A".  Man I love that place.  The chicken is good too.

And that's what I'm talking about!  I just can't get over the fact that my little boy is in underwear.  Think of all the money I'm going to save on diapers!  Now if I could only figure out a way to teach Jack he better mean it when he says "pee pee 'gain" ... and maybe teach him another way to specify his need to use the potty.