Jumping for joy: He's potty-trained!

Yesterday, Soren and Jeff were on a "guys outing" to the PT Aero Museum and when it came time to use the bathroom, Soren wouldn't let Jeff into the stall with him. Our 2-1/2-year-old locked the door behind him, climbed up on the big toilet by himself, peed, flushed -- the whole works. Jeff reported that when Soren emerged, his pant waist was a little crooked, but that was all that needed parental follow-up.

Whoo hoo!

The breakthrough came 2-1/2 weeks after the day we switched from diapers to underwear and undertook an intensive training session. There were only two "dry days" (no accidents all day long) in that spell, and I was beginning to think we'd screwed up somewhere. The accidents (with both pee and poop) would happen randomly, but more often when Soren was away from home or deep into play and unwilling to take a break to use the potty -- even though he would be crossing his legs and holding his crotch. Sheesh, it was enough to make a parent flip!

But I'd read somewhere that three weeks was a common adjustment period, so I kept telling Jeff and myself we wouldn't panic until three weeks had passed. We did our best to be consistent in requiring Soren to do "practice" runs to the nearest bathroom each time he had an accident. He hated these, and would be screaming and crying as we steered him along with a hand on his shoulder, saying, "Soren wet his pants. Soren has to practice going to the potty. Go fast! Now practice going from the kitchen. Now practice going from the front door," etc. Our training manual called for 10 practice runs after an accident, but we contented ourselves with three or five.

I think it finally sunk in for Soren that he would have to keep up the hated "practice" every time he wet his pants; that it wasn't just a game we were playing for a little while. From March 2 on, he has not only stayed dry, he has also taken more and more responsibility for pottying himself without any help.

Now that that's behind us, we can look ahead... As Soren does here in last winter's rainbow stripeys. (I dressed him up one more time in this adorable but getting-too-small ensemble for this archival photo in mid-February before we handed down everything but the scarf and socks.)

Pottying milestones in just the last few days have included:

• Waking up from a nap on the big bed, which he can climb off of, and meeting me at the top of the stairs saying, "I have to go potty." And then going!
• Hopping down from the table as we lunched with Great-Grandpa Gerry, saying he had to go poop, and stopping me from following him to the bathroom with a traffic-cop hand. "No, Mommy, you stay here and talk with my grandpa [sic]." Then he pottied himself, accepting help wiping at the end.
• Peeing standing up, including outside at a roadside bus stop halfway through his first public transportation ride from Seattle home to PT (one ferry, two buses, and no bathrooms once we board the bus, which had me worried). We have to help him hold his penis for now, so it doesn't dribble on his clothes, but I very much doubt that will last much longer, at the rate we're going!

Nora and Gerry both witnessed Soren's skills, so they'll vouch that I'm telling the truth. We so enjoyed a four-day visit from Auntie Nono and a day visit with Great-Grandpa this past week. Here they are after helping Soren with a jigsaw puzzle. Our little boy has many reasons to be proud.

Soren's passport debut

Since we live so close to an international border, we ordered a passport for Soren earlier this year and two weekends ago we found an occasion to use it.

We crossed the Canadian border at the Peace Arch to visit friends in Vancouver, B.C. Although it's only 3.5 hours door to door from our house to theirs if all the transportation links run smoothly, we hadn't seen them since before Soren was born. And in that interim, they'd had a second child of their own!
Here's a group portrait of Vince (Jeff's grad school roommate), his sons Ming (in stroller, 18 mos. old) and Matisse (a wise 5), and Jeff and Soren (now 20 months). This fun orca sculpture was outside the Vancouver Aquarium, where Soren spent a dizzying afternoon with his nose pressed to the glass of innumerable tanks. Ooh, look, here comes a sea turtle! "Wow" was Soren's refrain for the day. But perhaps just as much fun was the extensive wooden train set that Matisse kindly shared with Soren. He knew how to manipulate it for all sorts of thrilling action, like the ski-jump off the couch...
Hmm, says Soren. This doesn't look so hard to make. Dad has woodworking tools in his shop. I'll memorize the design and try some trademark infringement.
Well, Soren, you don't have to break out the router just yet. Last weekend I found a bag of assorted Take Along Thomas tracks at a thrift store (similar to these, only plastic) and then ordered some more used track pieces that should arrive soon and make a big track set. Friends and relatives take note: Take Along Thomas engines and cars will make great gifts for the foreseeable future!
One rainy morning we rode Vancouver's SkyTrain -- you can read Soren's take on his blog. And then we had lots of fun in the indoor pool at our friends' condo. Soren has discovered the joy of goggles within the last month. Jeff has rediscovered the joy.
But best of all, Soren made new friends. "Ming Ming" and "'Tisse" will be a part of his vocabulary for a while to come.
And now you can guess that Vince was not a fellow law-school classmate, but an architecture student. He designed his parents' house with this incredible facade. More photos on his website -- click on the first building on the Projects page to see a slideshow.

Some of Soren's friends

Splashing with Tayla in the mini swimming pool (a.k.a. dish tub). Tayla is Soren's agemate, only 11 days older, and her mom is one of my best mama friends!

Soren showing Ella his cardboard box "house" for his stuffed animals. Check out Ella's shoeless foot and her adorable ballet-slipper sock! She's a couple of months older than Soren.
Gazing out the window with 3-yr-old Zia, who has been fascinated with Soren since before his birth. Apparently she had the "how are babies made?" discussion with her dad, a doctor, after they saw me at the food co-op in the last month of my pregnancy!

When Zia's mom started reading a story, it was the first time in months that Soren sat still for an entire book reading. He's gradually getting interested in books again, beyond chewing them or flipping the pages.

And, last but not least, Soren has gained three 14-year-old girl friends (this is Sarah), who take turns coming over and playing with him in the role of "Mother's Helper." I'm always at the house as well, but sometimes they take him out for a walk alone. The help is always appreciated, and he loves all of them -- Kaila and Lexie, you, too!