Potty Training Success!

You guys, I seriously thought it was never going to happen. Layla is finally potty trained. Hallelujah and can I get an amen! It's such a great feeling knowing she can now use the toilet and not feeling like I'm literally changing diapers all day. Mariam is a poop machine so yes it still sort of feels like I'm changing diapers all day, but not as bad. One down, one more to go!

Mariam has expressed interest in using the little potty seat and successfully went once a month ago. She is still only just a year and a half so I'm not rushing it. I'm no potty training expert as I had such a difficult time, but I will tell you what several people told me. Don't push it. They will get it when they are ready and that's just what Layla did. She is a few months over 3 now and has been going on the toilet successfully for 4 weeks now. They say night time weaning takes a little longer, but as soon as she started going on the toilet, a week later she was dry every time in the morning and we stopped putting pull-ups on her at night. In these past 4 weeks she has only had 3 accidents. Once at night, once in the car, and once at a birthday party, but I made the mistake of not forcing her to go to the restroom and just relied on asking her--in which she would respond no. She was having too much fun to want to stop. 

I tried a few different incentives, but what worked the best was Earth's best organic lollipops. I spotted these at Babies R us in the checkout lane and grabbed a bag.  You can also find them at other stores or at Amazon. Now I wouldn't give her a lollipop every time she went because that would just be too much lollipops, but she would get one sometimes every day for a few days or every other day. I also alternated with little duck scratch and sniff stickers. I'm sure someone might be reading this and raise an eyebrow at one lollipop a day, but they are natural (100% vegan, 100% natural flavors, 100% daily vitamin C, real fruit extract, soy-free, dairy free, peanut and nut free, and has no artifical dyes or colors). We are also religious about brushing our little one's teeth twice a day. Layla also had her first dentist appointment last week and her teeth are fantastic. I definitely recommend using an incentive. Layla was very very stubborn and I had to go through a few different ones before I found one that seemed to aid in the process. 

So have faith my friends if you feel like your child will never be potty trained. That's how I felt. I touched base on it back in May in this post here. There were some instances where it seriously made me question even being able to mother 3 children. That's how insane it made me sometimes.

Have a great weekend!

Let's catch up shall we?

 

I feel like I haven't really sat down and just breathed in like.....well forever. As a mommy of 3 and a business owner there is just always something to do and I'm usually juggling several things at once. I thought I'd back track a little and jot down what has gone on these past couple of weeks behind the scenes.

 

Family wise, I attempted to potty train Layla 2 weeks ago. I thought I would do the 3 day potty training method and just go cold turkey with no diapers. Well the first day started out great with her using her little potty and I rewarding her. The second day didn't go so great, and the third day was even worse. (Wait a minute here, it's supposed to be called the 3 day potty training method--so why isn't there progress!) Anyhow by the fourth day let's just say I was really stressed out with accidents. It was a good thing I had decided to roll up our Persian rug in the living room before we started this. The final straw was the H-E-B grocery store incident. Little miss stubborn held her pee all afternoon and I made the mistake of not putting a diaper on her when we went to the store and let's just say she opened up the flood gates in the bread aisle all over half of my groceries. I. WAS. MORTIFIED.

 

Serena helped me clean up most of the groceries with paper towels and wet wipes and I drove home crying that day. I remember I got home and told DH to get the girls and the groceries and I went straight up to our room and just laid in bed and cried. I had had it with her. I had had it with potty training. It really made me question even being able to parent any of my children. Part of the reason I was already stressed out was because I had also been working with getting my latest seamstress on board with how the bibs were made, and I was in the midst of completing my biggest wholesale order to date at night with my mother.

 

So the following week I took a break from potty training. Judge me as a parent all you want. I had to take a break for my sanity. We are starting up a new method next week and this time I'm armed with more information and helpful advice from my friends. This is actually my first time potty training really. With Serena years ago, I was working full time away from home and my best friend who babysat her trained her. Serena really gave me no trouble.

 

Speaking of Serena, I'm so proud of my little songbird, She made honor roll recently and also sang at her school districts choral festival. She was one of 10 students from each school selected to sing. Tears welled up in my eyes hearing such beautiful music come from all those kids.

 

 

Last week was a bit calmer. The girls still gave me a hard time during the day but I felt slightly less stressed and workwise, business was steady. Collaborated with P.S I adore you and I received the paperwork from when I filed to become an LLC recently.

 

This week my mom has been staying with us but she's leaving tomorrow to South Africa for 3 months so the girls and I have been spending a lot of time with her.

 

Have a great Thursday!