Potty-Chair Diaries

So, for all you mommies out there that have yet to experience the wonderful journey of potty training or are about to embark on that journey shortly, I have words of wisdom, encouragement, and humor.

Kali was an easy potty trainer. Being a girl helped, but just being so eager to please her parents, also helped. Praise before and afterwards was all she needed. No candy, cookies, treats. Easy as easy goes. In four days, she was potty trained for the most part. We got off easy!!! Woohoo!!!

Fast forward 9 months. Not so easy. Between 'just potty trained' and '9 months later', Kali had some constipation here and there. It was sporadic enough to dub as not enough 'good foods/fiberous foods' in the diet, which definitely could have been the case since Kali is the pickiest eater known to mankind. Between October and December, Kali had a broken leg and we had an aweful start to our winter that her activities also decreased alot. That catapulted her constipation issues beyond the norm. Felt like we had gone back to the beginner days of potty training! Since the beginning of potty training, she would usually cry and protest and make going poo-poo a near death experience. I mean, who likes going 'poo-poo'?! It takes time out of our already hectic day, makes us HAVE to slow down when there are people to see, places to go, and is a downright pain in the butt (no pun intended). Can't it just disappear somewhere without coming out?! Well, I'm sure Kali must of thought of that. In the mind of a 2 yr old, right? So...the crying, protesting, etc. was nothing new to us...eventually after sitting for at least 5 minutes (our minimum when we knew she had to go-she was a fighter) she would present us with what we knew would conspire with a little coaching and cheerleading on our part. I'm sure our upstairs neighbors thought Steve and I had some real issues after WE went potty with the little poopy song and dance number we did after Kali's successful attempts! But nevertheless, she was excited after the deed was done through alligator tears and told herself "good jobbie" and would proceed wave to whatever contents that were being whisked away down to "poopy-doom".

Soon our concerns mounted to new highs when she hadn't gone in 4 days right after New Years Eve. Her appetite was going down and she always complained of an "owie tummy". She was seen by peditrician and our prognosis was that she needed an enema. I kinda panicked in a panicky way like I was the one getting it. Then a sickening feeling came over me. I felt horrible for Kali...but it needed to be done. The procedure went underway and...before I go on, I have to say, thank God I'm not a nurse...they have to do all the dirty work (no pun intended)...come 20 minutes later Kali underwent the potty of all mother of potty experiences. I felt like I was coaching my 3 yr old how to birth her poop. All my dancing and singing was anything but entertaining to the nurses out in hall. I pray on bended knee that I never have to go through that experience myself. After 3 hrs in the doc office, we were given the okay to go home and let Kali rest...with an apple juice box and sticker in hand as we left. Kali even waved to the doctor while feeling a bit on the "lighter" side. I think I was more tramuatized than Kali after that visit. As we were walking out of the office, I mentally vowed to myself that I would only eat lettuce, prunes and apples from there on out.

So if this story helps you in anyway, or makes your own situation seem like breeze...I'm delighted. She's been the child that you wonder if you shouldn't just open a tab at the emergency room or keep you peditrician's number on speed-dial #1. She's definitely given us a lot of memories to look back on and I'm sure more to come. But if anything, remember potty training is something that takes time, patience and a sense of humor...cuz potty training is boot camp for both of you.