Potty time!

I am very happy to say Q is nearly potty trained! You don't realize how important a development this is until you are standing next to your toddler perched on his mini potty seat, Thomas underwear encircling his ankles, and a smile on his face as he announces, "I went poo-poo!"

"Number 2" is like the holy grail of potty training. Much harder than simple peeing of course. When Q announced his achievement, I clapped and danced. I praised him and high-fived him. I called his dad and let Q leave a voicemail on Grandma's phone. It was a grand occasion. Nothing I could have imagined a few short years ago.

Q had been wearing underwear at his babysitter's house for sometime, and so I decided it was time to lay down the law at home where he was clearly pulling a power trip on his mama. We switched to strictly underwear during the day and muddled through. There were a few horrible messy days of poop-filled pants and multiple clothing changes, but today we were accident-free! Hallelujah!

It's still far from a done deal. I continually ask him if he needs to go potty and have to offer endless bribes to get him there. But I think we have definitely turned the corner.

That means one big thing: preschool. You have to be potty-trained to attend many of them, and now we are finally at that pivotal stage. Q could be headed to 4K next Fall, and I think he requires a little more socialization before that. Preschool is just what he needs.

I hope to get him in somewhere in January, so he can go for a few months at least and get used to the routine.

One more big thing for mama? Fewer diapers. That makes me very happy.

--MM