State of the Bladder

Lately, I've been feeling a little like I'm pregnant again.

Well, that is to say, I can now report on the location, quality, and cleanliness of the restroom facilities in many stores in our area. Since Everett is out of diapers (aside from during sleep) now, errands are a bit more of an experience. When I strap him in his car seat, I give him the same talk I always do.

"Everett, we're going to ride in the car for a while. You CANNOT go potty in the car. You must wait until we get into the store and I will find a toilet for you to use. Do you pee in your underpants? (no, he says) Do you poop in your underpants? (no, he says) That's right. What happens if you go in your underpants? (no prize tonight, he iterates)"

He nods agreeably through my mini-lecture and understands exactly what I expect of him. So far, we've had no accidents in the car, and I'm hoping this trend will continue.

Our process when we go in the store is a little complicated. I have him use the bathroom in each store we go to, mostly for my peace of mind and less for the comfort of his bladder. Telling a teenage employee at Wal-Mart that there is a "spill" in aisle 7 for him to attend to is not high on my to-do list.

However, Everett's reserved nature extends to unfamiliar bathrooms. This necessitates an introductory trip when we enter the store, in which I show him the facilities and maybe even use them myself. . . and in which he nervously clings to me. If I take him in my arms and tell him he doesn't have to use it now, he is fine. If he thinks he has to use it, his pulse pounds, he dissolves into tears, and is inconsolable until we exit the bathroom.

Before we end our shopping trip, I have to take him back in the bathroom for one last visit, which usually happens as uneventfully as can be expected when I cram myself, a walking one-year-old, and a toddler who has to strip halfway down, into a stall the size of a refrigerator.

So far, no public accidents. I'm counting my blessings.

Today, he napped without a diaper and without an accident. I hope he will continue to have this much bladder control, because I have no idea how we're going to night train him. Any ideas?