an [unsuccessful] attempt at potty training emma

i had thought it would be awesome to have emma potty trained before #3 made his debut since 1 kid in diapers is easier on the budget than 2. but i also knew we would need to do it a few months before the baby was born to try and avoid regression when he comes and that meant she would barely be 2 (which while i know it's not unheard of, seemed really young to potty train). emma has been interested in sitting on the potty for a long time, but at the end of may she actually pooped in the potty on her own and so we decided to use that momentum and potty train. i have to say, seeing her in little undies was just the cutest thing ever!

my mom came over to help so i could focus 100% of my attention on emma (which caused logan to become unusually whiny and clingy. he's the one i am worried the most about when this baby is born. but that is a different topic for a different day)

 cute little girly undies!

 the stock of rewards 

 i love these chubby little feet

 success! she got an ariel doll for going pee in the potty. i loved hearing her say, "i did it!"

after 2 days of not leaving the house and being 100% focused on this cute girl (and being on edge, ready to jump up and rush her to the toilet if she started going, which by the way is exhausting), she was still really inconsistent and to be honest, didn't seem to mind at all if she had an accident (if anything she got to pick out a new pair of undies, which she was excited about). it was pretty clear she was not quite ready and i would much rather wait longer and have her potty train quickly (like logan did), than be "potty training" for months (and months). 

at the same time all of this was happening, she did have 2 other "milestones." the first was that she no longer sits in her high chair. she has always preferred her high chair to the table and since she is an "involved eater" we have been happy to have her contained. but she came home from utah and after sitting at a big table for a week, wanted nothing to do with her high chair any longer. i have to say it is fun to see her sitting at the table next to logan. the bigger milestone however is that she no longer uses a binkie. since she was 1 she has only gotten her binkie when she goes to sleep, but for months and months (and months) we have been saying we needed to wean her off of it (especially before the baby comes). we had even tried to cut the nipple, which didn't seem to faze her. it seemed like she was almost weaning herself and so one day we just didn't give it to her and that was it. easier than we could have hoped! our little girl is growing up!