Leah and the Potty

So, I really wish I had a video to go along with this story.  Actually, while this was happening I thought I should go get the camera, but then I thought it wouldn't be appropriate.  But, it is funny.

Leah is a week away from being three years old.  We've got the "pee in the potty" part of potty training down.  Why is it that the poop is so difficult for the children?  I just don't get it.  Well, Leah is having problems with pooping in the potty.  She'll hold it for days.  

Leah knows when she has to go.  Wednesday night Sam and I tried to bribe her with anything and everything to go.  We even brought her little potty chair out to the living room to watch tv with us.  I promised her fruit snacks (yes, I know--not a great choice for a constipated child) and even opened the little package for her to see the colors.  Poor thing, she carried around the bag and kept sticking her nose in it to smell the snacks.  She never did try to eat one.  Pretty impressive.  We finally put a pull-up on her hoping that she would poop.  Instead, she crawled up on Sam's lap and just about fell asleep.  No poop.

Thursday morning we were walking out the door to go to gardening class when Leah announces that she has to go poop.  Seriously?!!  

I take her back to the bathroom and put her on her little potty.  She made a little effort but the only thing that convinced her to stay put was for me to sing songs to her.  Yes, songs.

Bless her little heart.  She was really backed up.  I'm singing every Primary and nursery rhyme song I can remember.  She grunting and groaning, her little face is turning bright red at times.  She even grabbed hold of the little wall between the bathtub and toilet for help.

My singing, accompanied by a random child walking by the bathroom from time to time, seemed to be the magic.  Just before she reached out her hand for me to hold and support her during the passage she said to me, "Mommy, sing loudah, I don't wanna hear the poop."