Z has joined the party!

The potty party that is.

It has been over a month that H has been using the potty. And poor Z was getting rather frustrated. You could tell as he looked down in the potty and nothing was there that he was trying to figure out just how to make it all work. So I tried to limit his exposure to H using the potty. For a little while Z even stopped asking to take his pants off.

But then a few days ago he decided he wanted to give it another go. It was pretty funny. It was one of those mornings that he was awake before H and we left the room and ventured to the bathroom (for mommy). Then daddy came and knocked on the door and we knew that he was out there w/ H. immediately Z started tugging on his pants. It was like he wanted to beat H to pick out one of the potties. (they sometimes battle over using a certain one even though they are identical). So he was stripped down and H was still sleepy and not even thinking about potty use yet, when Z stood up and looked down and got the BIGGEST GRIN EVER! He did it! One month and 2 days after H started using it. But he made up for lost time. He decided to use it 3 more times that day. And since then he has been using it a few times a day since....including amazing both daddy and I by on his 3rd day of using it managing to do a poopee as well! (I know TMI but we are just so proud!!!!!) H has only done one of those so far and it was many days (15?, 20?) after his first potty attempt.


So now we have both boys attempting to potty train themselves. I am still not the initiator. I let them tell me when they want to use it. And so far this no pressure concept is working well. They also now have 2 potty books, which they like to have read to them over and over and over.

Oh and as far as the whole rewards bit....well we discovered that washing their hands is reward enough. Sometimes after we have finished and have done the handwashing, one of them will indicate that he wants to wash his hands again. And I say, well ...when you go potty again you will get to wash your hands then. To which whichever boy it was will sit down and promptly force out a tiny bit more just for the joy of another hand wash. Too funny! And they both do it!

And I have begun buying (to Scott's amusement) some very tiny undies for them for when they are really ready. I had heard how hard it is to find them small enough for tiny bums....and its true. I found a couple different brands and even after washing them they are still pretty lg in the smallest size we could find (2). Maybe a few more washings w/ some very high heat on the dryer will help out. And of course there is the possibility that we won't need them for another year and their bums will be slightly larger by then.

I do have to say the tiny bums has to be one of the funniest parts of having become a parent through adoption. One thing Scott and I were sure of, was that our kids would both have bubble butts. We both were called names something like that when we were younger, and we were sure no matter what else our kids would look like...they would take after us in that department. We were wrong!! And I do have to say, these tiny little bums just have to be about the cutest little things I have ever seen!

Of course they do present some challenges clothing wise.

I have been asked what size the boys are wearing ...and it is an interesting answer:


pants...18mnths

shirts 18mnths (or larger w/ sleeves rolled up)

overalls or anything that is one piece from neck to the crotch - either 24mnths or 2t w/ the legs rolled up and the sleeves rolled up. These guys are long bodied so they outgrow the body way quicker than the leg length.

I have to say the best invention is the adjustable tabs on the inside of the waists. Without those even their 18mnth pants would be too big and fall down.

I have also heard of a product called dapper snappers that we'll probably be investing in our future quest to keep their pants up. http://www.dappersnappers.com/main.html

Well anyway... oh and we are all feeling MUCH BETTER! Yeah!