I love our Hannah more than anyone ever loved a daughter, I think. She makes me so proud! Not to mention she’s so cute it’s nearly unbearable. And she’s got brains. She’s as smart as a whip, and she doesn’t always use her sharp mind to think up how to pester Paul. She figures out some really neat stuff to do, as some of the following pictures testify.
The latest thing that makes me so tickled with our cute, smart Hannah is that she is potty-trained! And that’s at 1 month shy of being 2 years old. She has so impressed me. A little while ago, I decided it was time to get serious about potty-training her. (She’s been bowel-trained for a long time, starting about when she was 9 mo. old, with one period of relapse in there when she was about a year old, I believe. But after that, no problem, she always told me when she had to go.) Through December and the holidays, at times she would tell me “potty-potty” when she had to pee, but it wasn’t every time. So, after the holiday hustle and bustle, I started taking her to the potty about every hour. She usually stayed dry between times, and she would even tell me when she had to go. That lasted about 2 weeks. I was using the Pull-Ups training pants. Then, she quit telling me when she had to go. When I would take her, she nearly always had at least a little wetness in her paper underwear. It was getting frustrating. I wondered if she just wasn’t ready for this, and considered going back to diapers. However, with Paul, I never went backwards if he showed some new ability in potty-training, and I was still wondering what had happened since she had been staying dry, telling me when she had to go, etc.
A couple days ago, I was getting them ready for baths. I always have Hannah sit on the potty when I draw the water, or inevitably we end up with a puddle on the floor. I had her sit on the potty. I drew the water. Then, she got off the potty and was walking around in the bathroom. In a little bit, she said, “Oh no!” There was a puddle on the floor. She was surprised and I think a little horrified at what she had done. I made a big deal over that it was a terrible mess, and asked her where she should put her pee-pee. “In the potty,” she said. We proceeded with the bath.
After the bath, I got Hannah out and put on her shirts. I left her to roam the bathroom like that because Paul was crying that he was cold. I was dressing Paul when Hannah voluntarily walked over to the little potty, sat down, and peed in it! I was so thrilled! I lavished on the praise and she got two miniature marshmallow treats (our potty treats). I realized that she did indeed know when she needed to go, and she knew how to put it in the potty. Ummmm-hmmmm.
The next day, I didn’t put any underwear on her whatsoever, just a pair of sweatpants. I explained to her that she didn’t have on any underwear, and if she pee-peed it would run down her legs and onto the floor and make a terrible mess. That was yesterday (Wednesday). I was slightly nervous that I might have puddles all over the floor, on the carpet, and go through many pairs of sweat pants. I reasoned that if we kept having puddles after several days, I would quit the program. You know what? She hasn’t had a single accident. She always tells me when she has to go, and she gets right into the bathroom and puts it in the potty. She even didn’t wet at all during her 3-hour nap this afternoon. I am so happy! And she loves going to the potty too.
I think we hit the nail on the head this time. I believe she just got lazy with the Pull-Ups, and didn’t bother to tell me when she needed the bathroom. Now, when she knows there will be a huge problem if she doesn’t get there, she takes the time to tell me and use the bathroom. Our next step is to get her some big-girl cloth panties. (I would put some on her now, but I don’t have any.) We’re going to try to find some pretty ones for her.
Hannah and her great-grandma
Hannah loves to put on clothes–
and she always puts both legs in the
same leg-hole. I think she looks like
a mermaid!
One day when I didn’t see or hear Hannah
I found this.
And another such time, this (She was rocking her
bear and no less than 4 doll babies! Is she a born
nursery-worker, or what!).
Looking out the window of one of the new,
unfinished rooms.
Frequently, Paul will cover up Hannah with
one of her blankies.
Another day when I didn’t see or hear her, this is
what I found. She likes to be up high.
Again, Paul had covered her up, and I’m sure he
surrounded her with some of his favorite toys,
including the brown coconut that he is enjoying
(just like in the Mowgli movie) until I make it
into a cake tomorrow.
