Big Steps Forward

Fair warning: Some parts of child-rearing are TMI. If you don't want to hear about pee, pee, and more pee, read no further!   :)


Sometimes the kids decide to take a big step forward and it completely takes me by surprise. 


When we moved (8 months ago already!), the kids had so much change to adjust to that we lost the progress we had made with night time potty training and both of them have been in pullups at night ever since. They've been growing and progressing in so very many ways, I decided not to pester them about the pullups and that I would just wait until they showed me they were ready. 


Last week they suddenly decided they were ready! For Rebecca, it was the fact that she is Five Years Old now and that is Very Grown Up. For Caiden, it was the fact that Jack has been hard at work staying dry at night to earn a big kid bike, and Caiden already has his big kid bike. On the ride back from the park last week, they started talking to each other out of the blue about whether they should be all done with pullups. 


Let me tell you, I was SO EXCITED I could barely drive the car. I spent the entire ride home pretending I didn't know what they were talking about and that I couldn't care less which way they decided.  :)


Well, that night they both went to bed in underwear and have every night since. So far, Rebecca's record is three dry nights in a row. Caiden has a much harder time (but he's younger!) and just yesterday had his first dry night ever! Then he totally surprised us all and repeated it this morning. We seem to be on a roll!


Of course, this last week I've felt like I'm swimming in pee. I have yet to wake up in the morning without at least one full bed to wash, and several mornings I've found myself washing all three beds...but the short-term pain is worth the gain, right?  Right!  This is my morning mantra.  :)


The kids are SO proud of themselves and the decision seems to have stuck. The first few days they wanted to keep pullups on hand just in case they changed their minds, but now they're begging me to throw them out. The deal is that when Rebecca has 7 dry nights in a row I will buy her a Dreamlight, which is a pillow pet with a constellation light inside it's belly to light up your bedroom ceiling.  When Caiden has 7 dry nights in a row, he wants rollerblades.  


And for Mommy? I'll be taking myself out to dinner.   :D


We could be only a few short weeks (please tell me it won't be months!) and several dozen (or hundred?) loads of laundry away from fully potty trained!!!!