Diary of a Mad Pregnant Women Trying to Potty Train a Toddler - Day 2

Day 2

Today was a lot better than day 1. In the morning I gave Lizette tons of liquids, in the hopes to get peeing in the toilet down. But she didn't go pee until 11. She tinkled a little bit on the carpet, but I have her run really fast to the toilet and she finished peeing and there was a lot of pee. Since she had such bad diarrhea yesterday, for some reason she was really constipated today. Which was awful, but at least I wasn't picking up poo everywhere. After nap we had a friend come over and play outside with some buckets of water. Lizette peed outside in her bathing suit, she told me and we ran to try to make the rest in the toilet, but we didn't make it. AT LEAST IT WAS OUTSIDE.

By the end of the night, Lizette's stomach was hurting probably due to the constipation. We spent a lot of time on the toilet the whole day in the hopes of a bowel movement. Hopefully tomorrow she will be back on her normal cycle and all will be well. I almost don't know what is worse diarrhea or constipation.

While we were getting ready for bedtime we put Lizette in a diaper, and about 5 minutes later, she said, "Mommy, pee in toilet." So Tyler and I ran to put her on the toilet, Tyler thought she was trying to get out of going to bed, but a minute later, SHE PEED IN THE TOILET! She didn't do a drop in her diaper. I was really proud of her. I hope that tomorrow will go even better than today!

Diary of a Mad Pregnant Women Trying to Potty Train a Toddler - Day 1

Today was the official first day of potty training. I tried to get myself really pumped up for today. I have read a couple of books about potty training, and Lizette has been watching Elmo's Potty Time DVD for the past couple of months. I have TWO buckets outside the door one for peed on things and the other with water and detergent for pooped on things. We have to toliet set up and ready for when she needs to go. We also have plenty of Elmo underwear and Princess underwear.

Lizette went poop in the toilet about 2 months ago but hasn't done it since. Today we started off the day with sitting on the toilet for a couple of minutes with no success. After breakfast and a little bit of playing and peeing on the floor, she asked to watch Elmo. So I turned on the 30 minute Elmo Potty Time DVD and 15 minutes later she told me," Poop, toilet" so we ran to the toilet and SHE WENT POOP. In one of the books I read it says that you praise them when they sit on the toilet and nothing comes out and when something does come out you act REALLY REALLY EXCITED. So we called Tyler right away, and told him that Lizette went poop on the toilet.

Unfortunately about an hour and a half later, she got a mild case of the diarrhea she pooped in her panties. Then a couple of hours later I was letting her "Donald Duck it" or "Porky Pig it" (for those who don't know that phrase - when you are wearing only a shirt) and she pooped all over the floor, but she came and got me right away. Then after her nap, we sat on the toilet for about 10 minutes, and nothing happened, and an half an hour later she pooped in her underwear, and it got all over me. Poor kid getting diarrhea the day we started potty training.

I have been really good and I have not gotten frustrated yet, even for picking up poop 15 times - not joking. She hasn't peed in the toilet yet, but she tells me every time she gets wet. I WISH I had hardwood floors at the moment, but she loves to help me clean the floor after accidents, of course I only let her help me when I have already cleaned everything up. I am very hopeful that after today only good things can come. Luckily for Tyler he had to work until 9:30 tonight.

I AM ALIVE

Yes, I am still alive. I have many postings to add.. A lot of people have been asking for the black bean recipe, so here it is until I can update more.

Black Bean Recipe

BLACK BEAN RECIPE

1 pound of black beans
1 small - medium minced onion
4 pieces of chopped bacon
2-3 garlic cloves crushed
1 bay leaf

1. Rinse the beans thoroughly and discard any discolored ones. Soak in water overnight.

2. Tip the beans and their soaked water into a large pot, adding more water bring the level to about 4 - 5 inches about the beans. DO NOT ADD SALT at this stage, as it hardens the beans. Bring to a boil and boil rapidly for 10 minutes, then lower the heat. Simmer for about 2-3 hours, or until the beans are soft. When necessary, add more water so the beans do not dry out. The beans are done when you take a bean and crush it.

3. While the beans are simmering take the 4 pieces of bacon (whole or chopped - I have done both ways- If I cook it whole I will chop it once it is cooked.) and cook it. You DO NOT want it crispy just lightly cooked. You mostly want the grease from the bacon in a pan. Once you are done set the pan aside, and add the bacon in about an hour after it starts simmering.

4. In the frying pan that you used for the bacon, use that bacon fat to saute the minced onion until the onion is lightly colored. Then add crushed garlic to the onion for an addition minute. Then add bay leaf for an additional minute - Add some bean water if you need some more liquid.

5. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaf mixture about 45 minutes before the beans are done. Some times I add some bean juice to the frying pan to make sure you get every piece of garlic and onion.

6. Once the beans are done season with salt and pepper to taste. I don't crush my black beans but if you want to after the black beans are done take about 2-3 ladles of beans crush the beans to a puree and cook for an addition 15 minutes.

If you want more meat you could add shredded sausage or chorizo as well. I haven't tried either.

After dinner once they have cooled. I will put the remaining beans into several glass jars, and freeze them, and take them out when we want them.