The Potty Trainer

Potty Training.  The words make me cringe.  I am not a fan at all.  However, I do see the light at the end of the tunnel as Hadley is the last little person I am going to potty train.  Tanner was easy.  Actually what I think was easy was the lack of judgement I had when he went through this.  No one ever made little comments that hurt me or made me feel smaller than them. Carter was probably an easy potty trainer too however I felt so inefficient and small by others during this period.  It was an odd feeling for me.  My confidence in the whole thing was gone.  I will never forget sitting with another mother whose child was a few months younger than Carter. I mentioned that I was going to start potty training Carter and she got this looks like I was behind the times and said (in what I felt like was a very uppity and snide way) that their child was "almost totally potty trained" while I was still struggling with it. It's silly that I even allowed myself and my emotions to be controlled by others. But I did.  I sat there with a pit in my stomach feeling totally down, disliked, and not a very good mom at all. Where was the encouragement?  Where was the support? Aren't we all moms here just trying to do the best we can? It was all I could do not to just get up and walk out.  

I promised myself that with Hadley I would not allow myself to feel inadequate or judged from anyone. So, I tried for 3 days to potty train this little precious cutie of ours.  No luck.  No luck whatsoever.  I wasted 3 days and was mad the whole time.  Well, not really.  I did get the bathroom painted a very pretty color while I was trying to get her to be potty trained. It would have been some awesome multitasking if I had completed both the paint and the potty training, but alas, just the paint was complete.   At least no one was there to tell me their younger child was already almost totally potty trained, right?  So I stopped. I'm not doing it if she isn't ready.  She wasn't ready and I was totally done painting.  A few weeks later, she was ready.  She did it all by herself too.  She took off her diaper.  She climbed up on the potty by herself and she went.  And she continued to do this. Of course we still have an accident now and then but things are great.  I even went out this morning with her for 2 1/2 hours and she did wonderful!  She used the potty in Hobby Lobby too! Yay!  I am so proud of her and I am especially proud of me for not getting "down" during the whole process.  

This is what happens when you spend a considerable amount of time in the bathroom! You go a little crazy and wear swim caps! How could I ever allow myself to feel anything but a great mom when I look at this adorable face? She now yells as she is running to the potty "Potty Trainer in the house!" And she raises the roof with her hands as she says that.  Hilarious. 

 Everyone is proud of Hadley!  Because we can't seem to ever be apart.  Ever. if she is in the bathroom going potty, we all are.  Privacy has no meaning in this house. Of course the cutest thing is that Hadley wants to tell the brothers every time she goes potty in the potty and they are just as elated for her if not more about the whole thing.  I just love the encouragement we've got going on right now, it warms my heart and is just what we all need. I love seeing what my kids come up with when I give them the time and space to fill with whatever comes to their sweet souls. 

 In the midst of all this Tanner is playing T-ball.  He has yet to have a game but he has had a few practices and team pictures.  Its going to be great! 

Hadley and Carter at Team Pictures!

 Everyone in this picture has on undies! Hooray!!