Chapter 4: Working and EC

August 22^nd – August 30^th, 2010

·         Alright, so it was a week of project work for me, thus I had no time to keep up with blogging.  The highlights as I remember them:

·         We caught quite a few more after nap pees and first thing in the AM pees, but aside from that, I did not have the time (or energy) to observe and change diapers, so – we didn’t.

·         The days the babysitter was here during the day (she has officially been downgraded from nanny-status to babysitter status since she didn’t do much of anything with E – aside from watch her while I was working – this is a whole other post, but she was frustrating to say the least!) – anyway, I watched the video monitor to see when E woke up from naps and went upstairs to pee her whenever the babysitter was over.  Not great success rates during that time, but I know we got at least one because I asked babysitter if she heard her go in the toilet, and she said yes!  Yay!

E sporting her Baby Legs - SO much easier than yanking pants off of her each time.

·         Yesterday, the 29^th, I caught a pee in the morning and also a poop!  Catching poops is so exciting.  It’s way less gross when it goes directly into the toilet than having to clean her up when she goes in the diaper.

·         Also of note yesterday was that we went for a walk with Dad and the dogs and I had Eleanor in the Ergo.  We went on the path that is wooded and E was fussing and pushing away from me in the Ergo, so I wondered if she had to pee.  Sure enough, I de-pants’d her and she went!  Unfortunately, her cloth diaper was already wet so we had to put that back on since we were out walking and she wasn’t a big fan of that, I don’t think.

·         Today (the 30^th) she woke up and went to the potty with Daddy. Success!

·         I also caught a couple of pees today, namely one after her 3p nap.  She went and went on the potty, we went to grab another cloth insert, I set her on my lap and checked something on my computer, and then I caught more pee all over my lap.  I don’t know where it all came from, but… I just laughed and did the shii shii sound and then put the diaper on her and then changed my clothes! 

·         Later she was playing and I heard a couple of toots and some grunting, so I took her to the potty.  She really lets us know exactly when she DOESN’T need to be on the potty, so when she sits she normally will do something, even if it’s just pushing some gas out.

Here you can see pee in the potty (sorry), but more that she is fighting me saying "I don't have to go anymore!"

·         After reading an article about praise and what not, I decided to try to minimize the praise for successes and include praise for just sitting on the potty and pushing as well. 

·         We got more than just gas, we got poop!  It’s amazing how great that feels!

·         I know, I know – EC is not about potty training at this point, it’s about learning to respond to her cues and according to the books, it’s not about winning a parenting race either, but it sure does feel satisfying!

I normally don't pee her in the sink, but sometimes she will "sit" for me here as she watches herself in the mirror or plays with the soap dispenser or faucet.