Dry Nights

Two nights ago, Charlie stayed dry for 8 hours overnight. I was ecstatic! He got up and peed on the potty right away. Today, he woke up dry after TEN hours! He wouldn't sit on the potty so we went to the kitchen nakie butt to get some milk poured real quick, and he peed while I was getting the cup ready. No biggie, it was funny because I knew I should have put the diaper back on before we left the bathroom, but I didn't.

He has been doing great during the day too. Yesterday we made the drive from Michigan to Illinois and he only had 2 wet diapers during the 8 hour drive--there were 3 times we stopped and he was dry so we put him on the potty and he peed.

Also, he is signing "potty" now! He does it BEFORE he goes, so I see him do the sign, take him to the bathroom, and he goes in the potty! He has only done it during meals so far, but I'm hoping he will soon start to do it while he's playing too. I decided that by our next trip to Michigan, I would like to have him signing more consistently. So the next 4 weeks will be devoted to that. :)

Phases of EC

I saw these phases for EC and I think it's an interesting way to say when your little one becomes a "graduate". It's not a one stop thing--these phases allow you to feel successful even before they can wipe themselves and I like that. :)

Phase 1: Staying dry reliably with mom's help
Phase 2: Signaling rather consistently, needing occasional reminders
Phase 3: Independence in going potty
Phase 4: Self sufficient, including wiping

I think we are probably around Phase 2. Charlie has been very dry reliably for a few weeks now, but he occasionally has misses. He is also signaling quite a bit by getting extremely fussy when he has to go(I wish he would say or sign "potty" though!)

Yesterday we had a playdate here with another mom and baby, and Charlie started getting SO cranky. He crawled to his bedroom door so I assumed he was sleepy. I got him his blankie and he still was crying. So I said "Do you have to go potty?" and he stopped crying, so I took him to the bathroom, and he peed! Today he did the same thing while we were eating lunch, and he peed and pooed.

I keep saying it, but we need to just stop using Pullups except for nap and night. He does so much better when he's wearing training pants, and if he misses, he does better signaling the next time he has to go. I just have to dive in and not look back! :)

Good days!

Charlie has been doing great! Not completely dry, but mostly. I have stopped putting him in Pullups when we leave the house unless I feel we may miss a poo. He had 1 pee miss while we were shopping on Thursday, and 1 while we were shopping on Friday. It *seems* to have made him more aware since he was wearing training pants.

Today we went shopping for hours. He had peed before we left at 9:30. We ate lunch at the mall. After lunch, I brought him to the bathroom. I just bought this cool travel potty the other day, it fits right into my diaper bag. Here's a link http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3132746

I set it up as a stand-alone potty, and tried to get him to go. Nothing. So I figured he'd go on the way home(I had him in a Pullup). We got home at 12:30 and he was still dry. I put him on the potty and he peed. He stayed dry the entire time we were out!

Well...

The past few days haven't been as great. But, that's ok--it's all a learning experience! Every poo has been in the potty, but the pees have been off--I think it's because his nap schedule has been off this week too, making it more difficult for me to know when I should try.

Charlie does have a new game to play while sitting on the potty though--peekaboo! He uses the shower curtain. It's SO cute! :)

Another dry day!

Day 2 of being 100% dry! He went 4 1/2 hours today from the time he woke up from the morning nap until he woke up from the afternoon nap--and I tried about 4 times before he went down for the 2nd nap, he just wouldn't go!

This is amazing and I can not believe he has gotten EVERYTHING in the potty 2 days in a row(except overnight)!

Perfect day!

And, what would my first day of blogging be without a rundown of our day??

This morning Charlie woke up with a very wet diaper. I took him to the potty and he peed, then he went back to bed. He woke up again about an hour later with a dirty diaper. Again, brought him to the potty and he peed. The remainder of the day he STAYED DRY! And this was in diapers, not training pants! He pooped 4 more times today, and ALL of them got in the potty. Then the 7 or so pees. Both naps he stayed dry! He even had a 4 hour stretch since he wouldn't pee before his afternoon nap, then slept for an hour, and finally peed when he woke up.

This was his first dry day! Probably one of the reasons I finally got the motivation to start this blog!

You don't have to be a tree-hugger

I like to think of myself as environmentally friendly, but in reality, I am nothing compared to the other EC moms I have spoke to. I didn't start EC as a way to reduce waste. I started because it made sense to me and I wanted to do something good for my son.

I don't do attachment parenting. I was not a baby wearer--my baby was born 9 pounds 12 ounces and 22.5 inches long--it hurt too bad! I have let him cry it out on different occasions for different reasons. We don't co-sleep(yes, if he wakes up in the middle of the night, I walk all the way to his room to take him to the bathroom).

Anyone can do EC! :)