Adventures in PT

No, I'm not talking "physical therapy" or "physical training", though, I guess in a sense what I am referencing is "physical training". I mean potty training. Oh the joys!
So last week we decided to voyage down the road of potty chairs, princess and Elmo underwear(which is a definite motivator for Leah; she loves picking out a pair in the morning... or the afternoon), and accidents. What an adventure it has been! Some of you might be wondering why we're pursuing this so early (Leah's not quite two), especially when many children are older when they undertake this training. Leah's been interested in the toilet since Christmas, and I've heard that a parent should capitalize on that interest, so, here we are.
Obviously, Leah's had successes and failures, but thankfully, she's been more successful lately. When we initially started, I wasn't diligently asking her every 15-20 minutes if she needed to go. Not like I didn't mean to; it's just that I tried keeping track of time without a timer. Yeah, that didn't work so hot. By day three, I had resorted to using the timer... and taking Leah to the bathroom every 15 minutes. Exhausting, yes, but successful; Leah "accomplished her mission" at least once during that day.
So fast-forward to Saturday. After being relatively successful on Thursday and Friday (she even managed to be accident-free one of those days!), she had TWO. TWO!! But there's a positive to those accidents: Leah does NOT like being wet. When she has an accident, her eyes round out and her body freezes. She doesn't cry, but she's definitely not pleased, either.
Now it's day 8, and although she's not trained yet, she's doing better than she did this time last week. Last night and this morning, she actually told me BEFORE she wet her pants that she needed to go. (She's managed to tell us when she needs to take care of the "heavier" business, but never the "lighter" one.) Based on those successes, I decided to just ask her every 30 minutes. Hmmm, maybe I jumped the gun a bit; she had one accident just before lunch.
All-in-all, I think we've made the right decision. I'm still not confident enough (in Leah's ability) to take her out while running errands (at least not while wearing Elmo), but that will come. In the meantime, should you come over for a visit, please don't mind the plastic on the chairs or the regular potty-breaks.