Potty Training Success!

No more diapers in the Cook household!  I'm so excited to say that Maddie is potty- trained! If you don't care to read about potty training I've added some cute pictures to keep you entertained.

Maddie was occasionally dry after naps and dry at nighttime around 10 months old, so we bought a potty chair and had her start sitting on it right when she woke up.  She quickly learned what the potty chair was and how excited we got when she went in the potty chair! She would get a little treat and get to watch the iPad when she sat on the potty chair. (One of the only times she got to watch anything) Sometimes she had to sit on the potty chair for a while before she went, so the iPad was a really good solution for us.  At first, I was nervous that she would never be able to go without the iPad... but she now she doesn't need the iPad at all.

When she turned 18 months old we decided that we should start trying to get rid of the diapers for good.  I had been lazy about getting rid of diapers all together, but I knew she was ready. During the day, she had been telling us when she was going to the bathroom with her own little sign she made up. Our first step was letting her run around the house without pants on.  The first few days we had quite a few accidents, but she quickly learned that she no longer had a diaper on and getting her legs wet wasn't very fun.  She started to let us know before she had to go, so we could make it to the potty chair in time.  We spent about two weeks having her pants free at home, but wearing a diaper whenever we left the house and when she was sleeping. We ended up getting a second potty chair from Ikea because let me tell you sprinting up the stairs dozens of times a day with a toddler who is yelling 'Pee Pee' is not very fun.

The real turning point in potty training for Maddie was when we went to Target together and she picked out Tinkerbell underwear.  She held on tight to that little package of underwear and was so excited when I showed her that she could wear them.  Next time you see Maddie make sure to ask who is on her underwear and she will proudly show you!

The most nerve wracking part of potty training for me was when we are out and about.  It is easy to be at home when she gives you a moments notice that she has to go, but when you are at a store or a friend's house it isn't as easy.  She is finally used to sitting on the big toilet and will let you know with enough warning to find the bathroom at Target! (Although the Home Depot bathroom scares her and she will hold it until we're home just so she doesn't have to go in there!)

As of today, she has only had one accident in 9 days!  Go Maddie!  I'm sure we'll still have some accidents here and there, but I'm so excited to be diaper free!