Tinkle Tinkle, Little Star

Dexter has been familiar with the potty for about a year. Over this time, his interest in the potty has ebbed and flowed. When he was interested, Ben and I would invest time and energy in promoting potty use. While Dexter would enthusiastically sit on the potty and read potty books, he never actually produced anything on the potty. Last night I noticed that Dexter was talking a lot about going to the potty so I suggested that tomorrow he should wear his big boy underwear again. This morning Dexter was excited to wear his big boy underpants and picked out blue ones with trucks. Ben and I repeatedly reminded him to let us know when he had to go peeps or poops. Suddenly, without our prompting, Dexter came running up to us, exclaiming "I have to go!" I grabbed his hand to lead him to the bathroom and realized he was running funny. He was running funny because he had actually already peed and his pants and socks were soaked. Take two: camoflage underwear, same story but with Daddy since I was at a doctor's appointment. Take three: blue underwear with soccer, basket, and footballs on them. This time he just came up to me and said he wanted to get new underwear. I asked if he had pooped and he said yes so I told him we'd have to change his underwear in the bathroom. But when I looked, I saw that there was no poop, just a tiny spot of pee. I suggested he sit on the potty and he agreed. More potty books, no peeps. This time I suggested that he not put on any pants or underwear and managed to get him engaged in playing with his Lincoln Logs. He started running around a bit (enjoying feeling pretty free) and then came up to me and said, "I peed while I was running!" I didn't see any pee on the floor but did notice some drops on his legs. Back to the bathroom we went. More potty books, more waiting for nothing. The next time, Dexter came up to me and said he had to go. I helped him onto the potty and we started reading "My Very Own Potty" and while I was reading the second page, I saw a funny look on Dexter's face and heard his pee-pee going into the potty!! We looked at each other with sheer excitement on our faces. I said, "You're going pee-pee on the potty!!! Do you hear it?" "Yes!", he exclaimed with a huge smile on his face. He couldn't wait for Daddy to come home from teaching to tell him all about it. He didn't have to wait long - within 15 minutes Daddy was home and barebutt Dexter was telling him all about how he went pee-pee on the potty. We all had a big parade for Dexter and then Dexter again said he had to go to the potty. Daddy took him this time. We both were thinking this would be a poop but it turned out to be another pee! Then we took Dexter out to eat and celebrate the first day he did a peeps in the potty.

Forever I will associate Leap Year with the first time Dexter ever peed in the potty.