I first started on this process back in May, and it didn't go too well. Then I decided not to push it, although we tried stickers, M&M's, sticker chart, big girl underwear with Elmo and Mickey & Minnie on them. You went #2 more often than #1, but it was always on your terms, you never would sit on a potty when I asked you to. Well a few months have gone by and I've decided to start getting serious about it once again, especially after hearing that you go at the day care all the time, I thought it was mostly because all the other kids go, so everyone does it at the same time, and then you are interested. So I suggested that you wear underwear and not pull ups anymore, and we're now on day 3 and it's been going ok. So far you've had 1 accident at the daycare per day. At home we are once again having a tougher time. The first day as soon as we got home, you went in your clothes, then I changed you, and almost immediately you did it again, and then for the 3rd time, this was all within 1 hr of being home... I was like what? So I stopped putting anything on you and let you run around naked, and you went on the potty twice #1 and later #2. The 2nd day was a bit better, you promised to keep "minni" dry... and when I took you on the potty once we got home you went, so I trusted you. Well we had 2 accidents, and then once again I had to leave you naked. I am not sure what it is, but you seem to remember to go on the potty when you're naked, not when you're wearing underwear & clothes. And pull ups don't really help at all, you have no problems going in them. So we'll see how this weekend goes. You are still pretty excited to get treats like M&Ms and princess and kitty cat stickers so hopefully that can keep you motivated. I still don't think you have very good control of it though... so once we go out in public I am not sure what to do, put you back in pull ups or keep you in underwear and just let you have accidents? Well one way or another I think we're getting there and I am excited about that!
The other thing which delayed me sticking to this potty training is we went to visit your urologist after having your annual VCUG and ultrasound tests done. He told us that it's actually harder for you to be able to go #1 and get everything out, since some of urine refluxes back into the kidney it's almost impossible for you to really empty your bladder all the way.
So more on the topic of visiting the doctor. This year we were able to have your VCUG done w/sedation. You were such a good girl through it all. It was still tough towards the end because they took the gas off, and you realized what was going on and started crying... but it was still easier than the previous years! Since I couldn't be in the xray room, I just observed from the window, and daddy was so amazing with you, he had Mickey mouse toy on his shoulder, and Mickey Playhouse episode playing on the Blackberry so that you can just focus on the show and now the scary things that are going on around you. Ultrasound on the other hand was super easy, you laid down without a problem and we told you that the lady will just take pictures of your tummy and your back, and you didn't seem to care one bit. You got a ton of stickers at both appointments and you were one happy little girl.
The actual urology appointment was a bit tougher for me to handle. We already knew after your VCUG that you still have the reflux, although we didn't know if it had improved at all, I knew that chances of that are very low, so going into our doctors appointment I thought I had prepared myself for bad news - which is having to do the surgery. Daddy and I have discussed this prior, and both agreed that we didn't want to wait another year and have you on more antibiotics, and then having to repeat the awful VCUG test once again, when chances less than 20% of it actually fixing itself. So like I thought the options were presented to us, and we quickly agreed on surgery especially since baby #2 will be here in November, and it will be much easier for both of us to focus on you 100% of the time and help you recover. After both the doctor and the nurse went over surgery details, I broke down... I couldn't handle it anymore. I kept looking over at you, of course you had no clue what we were talking about, you were just roaming around the room, jumping and looking out the window and I felt so sad that you have to go through something like this... and I still get really emotional thinking about it, and I think about it almost daily. I am sure it doesn't help that I am emotional as it is due to pregnancy. It just became so real, and my eyes tear up at the thought of it.
I am of course thankful for the fact that this condition is not really life threatening and treatable, and it's fixable with surgery (this kind of open surgery is 95% effective, so we definitely have high hopes that it will have a positive outcome). I am thankful for how advanced things have become in the medical world, and that I have the luxury to take my child to a place like Children's hospital where they will take very good care of you, and of course I must only think positive and hope for the best. With all that said, I can't help but feel scared and helpless. Your surgery is scheduled for middle of October... which is so far from now. I was really hoping to be able to get it over with quickly in August or September, but the urologist we see seems to be all booked up. We are on the wait list in case something gets canceled but it's not likely. Now I have to delay your preschool start as well, but that's really the least of my worries, I just hope to get through this quickly and have a successful result.
These un-related to potty training :) pictures were taken at your nephew Aaron's All Star Baseball Game. You hardly sat still through any of it, but we enjoyed coming to watch him play. Even though I or Baba chased you around most of the time. You climbed on these really dirty bleacher seats and we were telling you to get down and be careful not to hurt yourself, and you were making these funny faces at us.
This is just one of many
Just a pretty blue eyed little girl that we love to pieces!
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