An Underwear and Potty Update

Fans, we have been meaning to update you on the underwear and potty front. We are pleased to report that Joe has been accident free--during the day, and at night!--for some time now. We had no hopes, let alone expectations, with respect to the night, and then had two nights in a row after which Joe woke up dry. So we asked him if he'd like to wear underwear to bed, and he said yes. So underwear it was. He had accidents the first two nights. Thereafter, he went through this spurt where, in addition to stripping off his pajamas, he also stripped off his underwear. Some nights we saw some really debauched rock 'n' roller nocturnal poses! Other nights, we would find he'd made a trip to the diaper drawer to cart a few diapers back to his bed. Then, he stopped stripping off his underwear, and stopped making trips to the diaper drawer, and he's been dry in the mornings for at least a week now.

During the day, he's totally self-sufficient when it comes to this potty business. He may announce that he has to go, or he may not. Either way, off he goes when he has to go. He sits to poop and stands to pee. When he stands to pee, he pitches himself forward and grasps the flipped up seat with both hands. Then he pushes off and climbs on down.

When he's out and about, if a low urinal is available, he will avail himself of it. Ted informs this author that Joe has informed Ted that he "pees on the pink thing." Indeed. This author has not seen such sights, but has heard tell of them, and can tell you that is particularly thrilling to hear tell of such sights from her three year old because of all it represents--i.e. increased independence and advanced hygiene. These days, we are known to discuss with the parents of other little people, the relative merits of public bathrooms (Whole Foods, good; Yum!, surprisingly not child-friendly--no stool, an industrial kitchen cart that's meant to be a changing table--we think? really, Yum!?), and, in the case of our fellow parents-of-the-recently-potty-trained-that-are-boys, where the urinals for little people are to be found. We can also report that Joe knows when to hold it. When at Lake Calhoun recently, Joe reported he had to use the potty, Ted took him off to the port-a-potty. Joe took one look at the delights inside, and said no.

The only hiccups are that he sometimes puts his underwear back on backwards, and he's not always through when wiping after pooping. At home at least, he knows to call for someone to help. We have also had a clogged toilet twice as our newest potty user learns the appropriate amount of toilet paper to use. We'll take it.