Potty Training....

***What an adventure!!!***
Beginning Date: Saturday, September 5, 2009
Why: It just seemed like Sebastian was ready. For the last two weeks of our vacation he was super weird about always having his diaper on and not even wanting to take a bath because he was just too uncomfortable without a diaper. All I could figure was that he was starting to realize how is bowels worked and was afraid to pee or poop outside of his diaper because he didn't have control yet...but he knew that something was going on. We had been back from vacation for just over 2 weeks and school was starting for BYU-I on the 10th. It was time.
What: I used the book "Toilet Training in Less Than a Day" by Azrin and Foxx and tried to follow its outline for training. Though it wasn't done in a day...it did work as I kept at it.
Biggest thing I learned: It really takes 100% attention to effectively potty train a child. I never knew how much attention I didn't give Sebastian. It is exhausting!!! But, it works.

Outline:
Sat: peed in the toilet once before his nap, otherwise, accidents all day (every 1-2 1/2 hrs). He told me every time he peed, just not before, so he recognizes "wet"
Sun: 2 1/2 hours of complete attention on Sebastian in the morning...an hour of almost accidents and he finally peed on the toilet. The rest of the day he was naked, too freaked to wear underwear because he didn't want to have an accident and he sat on the toilet probably 75% of the day (his choice)
Mon: still naked today but he started to spend less time on the toilet and had less false alarms by the evening
Tue: We got him to wear clothes!!! AND he finally went outside and we played out of the house for the first time in 3 full days (all his choice b/c he was naked and didn't want to leave the toilet). No accidents since Sun either. *He fell asleep on the toilet, we'd been waiting for that one!
Wed: First outing: we got out to Wal-Mart, he had a small accident but he also peed in the big toilet there and did fine with the loud automatic flusher.
Thur: 4 accidents: 2 pee, 2 poop. But...he also pooped in the toilet, twice! So at least that is something, every day there is something new!

(he has a cookie because he pooped!)

Fri: Trip to IF. I have to convince him to go potty to not have an accident. Otherwise he waits until its too late, like he did in Once Upon a Child Today after already having been in the bathroom with me a few minutes earlier. Stubborn child, it must be his choice! And I gave up on diapers tonight!! Every time (morning and after nap) it was such a struggle to get him back into underwear from diapers, and since he was dry for 2 days straight each time I just said "we're done with diapers!"

Sat-Wed: I gave up writing daily in his journal because he wasn't progressing noticeably anymore. No accidents if I was making sure he went potty, but if it was up to him he'd wait to long, pee a little in his pants, then pee in the toilet the rest. Still hasn't figured out pooping, either...he will sit on the toilet for 20min-an hour with nothing, then poop in his underwear a little later. He wants to poop in the toilet, and he knows it yucky to poop in his pants...but he hasn't figured it out yet.
Thur (today): I stopped trying to convice Sebastian to go to the toilet 1/2 way through Wed and he has gone on his own since then. He's been great. He peed a tiny bit this morning in his underwear but he caught himself. Last night he fell asleep on the way home from my sister Angela's at 6:30....we weren't sure if he was out for the night or not...but at 11pm he emerged, slept a little in our room and by 11:30 was awake and getting worked up about getting a door open. Finally I realized it was the bathroom he was talking about and I opened the door and got it prepared for him (seein as he was still groggy and probably had to go really badly) he went pee instantly as he sat down. Oh, and he has yet to wet the bed since I took away diapers! So he is completely pee toilet trained...pooping still has some work, but hopefully he will improve soon!!