"P" is for Prize

Little Miss Anna is potty trained! Well, almost...

Over the past six months, Anna would occasionally sit on the potty, but she was usually very defiant and did not want anything to do with wearing undies. She even said to me once when I asked if she wanted a big girl cup to drink from. "No, Mommy. I'm a little girl, not a big girl. I need a sippy cup and I wear a diaper!" She didn't hesitate to put me in my place! So I figured I would let her decide when she was ready.

 About a month ago (on July 7th, to be exact!), she woke up one day wanting to wear big girl undies. We went to Target (my favorite $100 store) and stocked up on cute toddler undies and "potty prizes", which included stickers, rubber stamps, foam shapes, a few treats, and some cheap little plastic bugs and animals. I mixed all of the potty prizes into a big bowl, and each time she was successful at staying dry until she used the potty, she got to choose a potty prize. She seemed to respond so much better to "Are you still dry?" when I could give her positive reinforcement, rather than "Do you need to go potty?" which seemed like me constantly nagging at her. She then went 3 days with only one little accident! 

Since then, Anna really has perfected her peeing skills! She still wears a diaper at night, but during the day she remains dry, unless she has a pull up on. She does so much better with undies. I just have to get over my fear of her having an accident while we are out (at the playground, the zoo, etc.) so that she can wear underwear everywhere we go rather than a pull up. I just need to learn to keep a change of clothes with me...just in case. 

As for the "sort of" aspect of this potty training business, well, Anna's challenge may be the pooping part. She is not so much a fan of the potty for this business. She will only go in a diaper or a pull up. She's been a little traumatized in the past regarding this issue (for months, every time I changed her diaper, she would tell me "No 'ppository, Mommy"). Poor girl. All I can say is that Miralax and Fiber Gummies are our friends! If any of you have any suggestions for us, please feel free to share!
Update from this morning's post: Apparently I posted this a little prematurely...she has POOPED on the potty twice today! Maybe it won't be as challenging as I thought! ;-)

Just a funny little tidbit that fits in quite nicely here...

Last night we were cleaning out our travel trailer so we could sell it. Trav happened to find a few old toys in there from when him and Tracie were kids, one of them being a blue stuffed horse with a rainbow colored mane and tail. He brought it in the house, showed it to Anna, and asked if she wanted it. 

(Um...have you met my child?? It's a horse. Of course she wanted it!)

Her eyes grew big and she began jumping up and down in excitement.  "What do you need to do before you get this horse?" Trav said to Anna.  The answer he was looking for was the usual required hug and a kiss for Daddy. 

Anna looked at him, then looked at the horse, then looked back at him, pausing for a moment. 

"Pee?" she asked seriously.

Trav and I couldn't help but crack up laughing. 

Needless to say, Anna got the horse. "Molly" is now her new snuggle buddy.