Big Boy

My not-quite-3-year-old has been out of diapers for a little over a week. It's a small miracle. Honestly. For once, there's no sarcasm here. (who, me?) BTW, this is a poop post. If you don't care to read about potty training, well, see you next post (or the next, possibly...).

When he was taken across town to St. Louis Childrens at less than 24 hours old for an emergency colostomy, the first of 4 surgeries to repair an imperforate anus, we were told that there was a range of possible outcomes. A range that included losing him, permanent incontinence, all the way to having a mostly normal life. I was either told or read that 15% of kids with his specific bowel issue eventually gained continence. Still talking the poop kind here, as there was a separate statistic for the bladder control, which was also in jeopardy.

Luckily, the doctors forgot to explain that to Trystan.

I'm not bragging that my 35 month old boy is a perfect potty-er yet. But by golly, he's wearing underwear and staying dry as well as the average kid his age. And those italics are because boys are stereotypically harder to potty train than girls. He's had an assortment of accidents all week, and we're sending changes of clothes to daycare every day. One day he used them all up and came home in a pull-up. Friday he came home in his original, unsoiled clothes.

I don't think Charlotte did that well in her first week in underwear (or her first month, actually...she was a royal pain about pottying).

He's still getting used to pooping on the potty. He takes a long time and complains, loudly, about it (I may need to stash earplugs in the bathroom or will be getting hearing aids by the time we're through). But if you make sure he sits there and actually goes, then he gets the job done. Yes, potty training someone with bowel issues is serious training. And he's a 2-year old, with all of the tantrums and stubbornness that come with the age.

But still, I'm thrilled. He's so proud of his "big-boys". Wearing them was actually his idea (though he's tried to ask for his diapers back once or twice since then). I'm sure there will be setbacks. And we have to continually monitor his diet (and medicines) to make sure that he goes. But it's a big, big step.