Potty Learning

I started Annika "potty learning" today.  It went pretty well for the first half of the day.  No accidents until after 2pm.  Then we had several.  She even went #2 all by herself.  She is so different from Gabriel.  She actually wants to use the potty.  She practices over and over (and over and over).  She is so proud of herself, and is in a big "I do it myself" phase.  She wants to do the whole thing on her own, and it is difficult sometimes for me to let her try and fail.  But she is adamant about wanting to do things her way.  From putting on clothes, to using the big toilet, to wiping, to grabbing the soap off the soap dish to wash her hands - everything is a challenge to meet and conquer.  Though it is time-consuming and often laborious to begin this phase of her life, I am excited for her and enjoy seeing her blossoming.  It is such a joy to have a child whom I don't have to fight to complete the tasks involved with learning this new skill.  It is easier for me to be patient knowing that this messy phase will pass quickly, and she will be much more confident.