As I was loading a few diapers into the wash today, I looked down and realized I'd empty the whole pail without coming across one poopy one! Now perhaps this would not be cause for a celebratory dance in everyone's books, but I was over the moon! This summer, without even realizing and without really trying, we've found ourselves using less and less diapers as it's become easier to simply let Sam go diaperless and use the potty. He's so great at holding it now and on the rare occasion that he does have an accident, it's usually only a little tiny bit. He'll say "uh-oh, Mama!" and I'll whisk him onto the potty to finish.
Starting around two or three months we started putting Sam on the potty. And depending on my diligence we had more or less success. The name Elimination Communication sounds too dorky for me, the abbreviation EC, as most people call it, is a little better. I don't like infant potty training either, because that's really not what it's about at all. For us it was simply the idea that, hey, I wouldn't want to sit in poop or pee either! Out of respect for Sam, I've tried to give him the chance to go on the potty as much as was feasible given constraints of time, energy and mama's sanity (some days, I just wasn't up to it). And in spite of all those times when I wasn't "on" and we went through periods of being kind of lazy about it, he still seemed to "get it." He much prefers going in the potty (wouldn't you?) and now that he's mobile and can communicate more and more we're seeing less and less dirty diapers. In the next month or two I may give baby undies a try. Maybe for his 1 and 1/2 year birthday:) Definitely a cause for celebration!
We find that an unsnapped onesie makes for the perfect loin cloth-style, summer outfit. Prevents flashing the neighbors and provides quick access to the potty.
