"Dora happy?"

WARNING: POST ABOUT POTTY TRAINING. If you do not wish to read the words "pee pee" and "poo poo" then skip on past this post and check back with me later :) 

Hadley turned 2 on June 13. It was a few days after that that we introduced her to her potty chart. 

She had been using her potty chair since she was about 13 months old. We never pushed the issue, but she was always so interested. 

After she turned 2 we decided to introduce the "potty chart." Every time she used her potty she would ask, "You happy mommy? Daddy happy? Dora happy?" She asked about Dora because she wanted to wear Dora panties. We told her that if she pee-pee'd in Dora that she wouldn't be very happy. So needless to say, we named her potty chart the "happy Dora potty chart." Every time she went potty she got Dora stickers. 

Again we never pushed the issue too much. Just let her become familiar with the potty, panties, and the excitement and praise for going. 

It was the first week of July when we were at my grandparents house and Hadley informed us she had to "poo poo."  We put her on the potty and she went! It was that afternoon when she got up from her nap that she started wearing panties. 

Now, let me say this: I had been advised numerous times to "just stay home for a few days so you're close to the potty." I read on Pinterest about the "3-day potty training." I attempt aspects of both these suggestions. It just didn't work for us. I didn't stress about it because I knew when she was ready she would let me know. So as I was saying, she let me know the first week of July. 

I decided that I wasn't going to "just stay home." I wasn't going to "pump her full of sugar and sweets so she would drink lots. Therefore, pee-ing a lot and associating the sensation of having to go." (per the 3-day method.) 

We decided to just let her wear panties and go on with life. As silly as I'm sure I looked, I carried around a beach towel with us everywhere we went. I covered her carseat with the towel while we were going places. (Which was a life saver on more than one occasion.) I would also use the towel for her to sit on while in a shopping cart, booster seat at a restaurant, and basically anytime she had to sit down. I looked like I was traveling to the beach everyday, but I'm telling you - it was worth it!!  

The first 4 days of potty training were the hardest for her. I say hardest, but they weren't bad. She never had any full blown accidents. She would just pee pee in her panties enough to feel the sensation of having to go. It was never enough to wet her pants or wet the floor. But after about 4 days she got it. 

Going "#2" was a different story. It took a her about 3 solid weeks for her to understand this part of it. LONG story short, it all came down to her not being patient enough. She would know that she had to go, but would just sit there and wait. 

I eventually started having to bribe her...with pop!  (Judge away, haha!) The reason pop worked is because she never gets pop. It was really good incentive. 

So we are going on probably 2 months strong of being potty trained. Well, day time potty trained. She still wears a diaper at night and for nap time. Again, I feel like when she is ready then we will know. She still wakes up from naps and night time with a completely soaked diaper. When she starts waking up less wet or even dry then we will try panties. 

But until then I'll leave you with pictures of the events :)