Chapter 10: A Good Sign

November 6^th – November 24^th

·         During the first half of the month, we were pretty much on the same track for EC.  Not much communicating.  More catching after naps and when first waking up.

·         Pooping went from mostly in the toilet to cleaning many more diapers than I would prefer! 

·         However, during the second part of the month, we have figured out (at least we think) that E is starting to communicate using hand signals. 

·         She is 10 months today and today I decided conclusively that she knows what we are working on… she has started using the “milk” sign language sign to indicate potty. 

·         Today, we were at lunch at a Chinese restaurant and she was eating her baby food and had water and she signaled “milk”.  I wondered if she needed to pee.  Scott took her and sure enough, she went for him while we were out!  (Diaper was already wet, but she did pee in the toilet a bit, too).

·         Later while at home, she had nursed about 10 minutes prior to signing for “milk” again.  I put her on the potty, but she didn’t want to go…  I did feel, however, the diaper was very warm/wet, likely indicating she had just gone.  From what I hear, this is a logical progression in “normal” potty training as well.  It’s so exciting to see that she is understanding that she shouldn’t be wet.

·         She has also started grabbing the potty chair while at home.  Typically this indicates that she has already gone.

·         Also, a new development is that we have started giving Gerber puffs as a “reward” for going in the potty.  We are also encouraging her to sit on the potty, even when she protests being on there by saying  “Good sitting on the potty!”.  She seems to respond and sit there (although, she still doesn’t typically go).

·         Tonight, she had about 15 minutes of diaper free time after just having gone in the potty and peed on the kitchen floor during that time.  So, we’re not over that hump, but I do feel like progress is being made now that she can sign that she is wet (hopefully that will turn into the correct sign and learning to signal before she wets).

Chapter 9: Baby Girl Goes on Strike

October 10^th – November 5^th, 2010

·         This month has been a little challenging where EC is concerned.  She is now 9 months old and I think going through as many changes as a baby should ever have to endure at once!

·         She’s crawling, pulling up, teething, got her first case of the sniffles, eating more food, eating less milk, etc.

·         This last week she has been very obviously on a potty strike.  She is still mostly consistent with the after nap pee if I offer it in time.

·         Other than that, however, if I try to put her on the potty chair many times she will sit for 5 minutes or so and do nothing only to get off, crawl around and pee (or poop) on the floor.  I have to say I’m thankful that the pees and one poop have been on the hardwood – so much easier to clean! 

·         The other day Dad changed her and set her in her crib while he got a diaper ready – almost immediately she began to pee when he put her down in there.  The same thing happened to me recently even after I tried for quite a while to offer her the potty, the potty chair, the sink, etc.

·         Night time EC we have mainly given up on.  Occasionally when she wakes around 5 or 6 am, we offer her the potty.  I typically have more success than Scott does – not sure if it’s the way I hold her or just the fact that it’s me.  I will have to try to get a picture, because I don’t think this hold is in the EC books – it’s not the prettiest thing and after a few times of being peed on or missing the toilet and peeing on the ground, I finally figured out the way to master it!  You have to hold a cloth diaper under her butt and let the drips go there.   J

·         We are still offering after naps during the day and occasionally after nursing, but she nurses such a short amount of time lately that I don’t think she’ll have to pee afterwards.

·         I guess on a positive note, I have learned that when not in a diaper – she very clearly squats to pee and I have seen her squatting and focusing/pushing to poop the couple of times it has happened when we were not over the toilet.

·         Today, after offering the potty chair for a while, she crawled off came over to me, then went back to her chair and started playing with it.  I KNEW she had to go, so I went over to her and put my hand underneath her but and sure enough, she peed a very tiny amount in my hand.  I told her “E no shii shii on the floor, shii shii in the potty” and then set her on there – and of course got nothing, but not sure what else to do and this seemed to be the recommendation from the DFB group.