Achievement Unlocked: Potty Trained

Who would have known I'd get this excited about pooping? Mila reached another milestone and I can't stop gushing about it. Others may say we're a little late for the party, but at almost 3, Mila finally knows how to properly use the toilet. I'm still amazed with how painless it is to get Mila potty trained. I wish I could give tips for other mommas too but I don't have a magic formula. It just happened and I can't be happier about it. Let me just share our journey and maybe others can pick up something from this too.

Achievement Unlocked: Potty Trained Finally she agrees to use her potty. We did it on our own time and no pain. Tipid na sa diapers. My baby is a big girl na talaga. #milastolemyheartA photo posted by chronicles of life with mila (@milastolemyheart) on Jul 14, 2016 at 12:01pm PDT

More than a year ago, I started training Mila to tell mommy and ask to go to the toilet when she needs to pee pee or poo poo. She's curious enough when I use the toilet myself so I thought she was ready. We were in a single floor apartment and the rest room was easily accessible to her so we skipped the potty seat. We were great for a week. While visiting a cousin, she asked to go #2. I was eating so I asked her dad who just finished his meal to help her instead. Mila was told to just do the deed on her diapers so I can clean her up when I'm done eating. Biggest mistake! From then on, Mila would only tell me after the fact. I tried a few more weeks being diaper-free until we got tired cleaning up the floor and replacing bed sheets. She was not ready after all. Since she knew her dad will back her up, she kept her diaper-soiling days.
When we moved back to my mom's place, we stayed on the second floor room. We only had one toilet and bath which was on the ground floor. It was a hard for my mom to run downstairs everytime Mila had to use the toilet so we settled on using diapers. It's just more convenient.
As an impulse buy, I bought Mila a new potty seat. I had Mila pick her own potty seat so that I'd know she would love it. For a month or two, she used it as a chair or step stool. She would poop in it but just for pretend. 
We let her. No more forcing for Mila to use the potty when she does not want to. We constantly remind her that grown ups do not wear diapers and we use the toilet when we need to. But no forcing her. Until one day, my mom said she will help me save up on some money because she knows I'm saving up for a car. She bought 2 dozens of new panties. We will cut off on diaper expenses, she said. 
The thing with Mila is, she hates being messy. I used that to my advantage. The first day we removed the diapers, she wet herself and she cried "Mommy kadiri. Basa ako!" So I sat her down and explained why she needs to start using the potty. "Honey, when you need to pee, you have to use the potty now so your legs do not get wet and dirty." I demoed it to her once. Since then, she would run to the potty everytime she needs to pee. She knows how to take her panties off, wipe herself, and put the potty cover down. When she needs to poop, she would insist on going to the toilet. She even started learning how to use the bidet and wash herself. I just need to stay there though to make sure it's really clean and that she does not fall. She is still my baby after all.
It's been a few weeks now and no accidents yet. Because Mila had been such a good girl, she deserves a treat. After our doctor's appointment, I asked her where she'd want to eat. I was expecting McDonald's. She said Pancake House. Buti nalang may budget. She ordered her favorite Chocolate Pancake. My mom and I got the Pan Grilled Pork Belly and Special Salisbury steak respectively from the Choose Any Two for P370 promo. Food was awesome and price is on point. Seeing Mila's smile - priceless!