American Woman: Book 4

Chapter 15

"Come on Dev, just pee pee." I hear Prince plead. He has been cramped in the bus bathroom with her for the last ten minutes. He didn't want to waste anytime so as soon as we got up and on the bus this morning, on the way to OKC, he has been constantly sitting her on the toilet and begging her to do something. She has yet to do a thing but she thinks it's fun to sit on the big potty.
"Baby just leave her alone." I command from outside the door. "We don't want to make it a stressful situation. We have lots of time before November."
I hear them washing their hands and the door swings open and he puts her down. "How can she learn how to hear so well with her implants and all the sign language she knows, but yet can't piss in a pot?!" He huffs, sitting down next to me.
"Babe we just started trying today. What did you think was going to happen?" I chuckle.
"Well I thought once I sat her on there she would do something. Lord knows she knows what a toilet is for since she watches us use it all the time."
"She's two, honey. She has to learn the sensation of needing to go, then stop herself from doing it in her diaper before she gets to the bathroom. And if kids are playing or enthralled in something, they don't want to stop. It's a process, and it's not going to happen quickly. And even once she does it well when she's awake, she will still need to wear stuff at naps and during the night when she's asleep bc that's a whole different ballgame. And she is not going to be able to wipe herself when she poops for a couple more years at least."
"Damn I didn't realize it was so complicated. She kept pointing at the bathroom all morning so I thought she needed to go and was chuckling to myself about how easy it was going to be." He laughed.
"She just likes to sit up there and feel big. Since you put her on there this morning, she just will want to keep doing it bc she thinks it's fun. But when she does finally do something we need to make a big deal out of it. Do a potty dance."
"I don't potty dance." Prince chuckles. "How about a treat?"
"Maybe both." I agree.
We got to OKC mid afternoon and the show wasn't until tomorrow night so we had the rest of the day to do as we pleased. We left Devon with Candy and went to the OKC bombing memorial. "So are we only going to go to places of national tragedy?" Prince joked on the drive there.
"Sorry. I like history and I've never really been to the south long enough to stop and see these places. Do you think they will build something in New York?" I ask solemnly.
"Yeah I heard they are, but would you want to go?" Prince hesitantly asked.
"I don't know. Maybe one day. I thought about going to the site when we were there last month for the ceremony but I couldn't bring myself to do it." I sigh.
"Well maybe next time we are there. I think I have three shows in a row there in July. If you want, we can go together." He suggests, bringing my hand up to his lips and kissing the back of it.
As we walked through the museum and saw the little chairs outside that represented all the lives lost on that day, I couldn't keep the tears from flowing. A mix of being pregnant, having a personal connection to a national tragedy, and knowing some of those lost were babies and children bc of the daycare inside the building weighed heavily on me. Of course being a parent made it even more heartbreaking to me. To think about dropping Devon off at daycare or school and never seeing her again would kill me. I will never understand how cold, callous, and evil a person has to be to want to inflict so much pain on others. As we were walking back to our rental car silently, I chuckle, "I don't know if I could handle the one in New York when I'm falling apart at this one and I didn't know a single person."
Prince unleashes my hand and wraps it around my shoulder and pulls me closer to him. "I understand momma. You don't have to go until you're ready. No matter how long that may be."
When we get back to the hotel, we asked Candy how Devon acted since this was her first time actually babysitting her and not just watching her with everyone else for a few minutes here and there. "She was great! She peed in the potty..."
"Really?!" I exclaim. "How did you get her to do that?!"
"She just walked in there and started to pull down her pants so I helped her get on the toilet and she went a little." Candy explained.
"That bull headed..." Prince began before I cut him off.
"Devon!" I shriek and scoop her up. "Did you pee pee in the potty like a big girl?!"
She smiles and nods her head.
"Yay Devon!!!" I laugh and start dancing around and singing about going in the potty.
"Ummm does Candy need to go grab her sax...to drown you out!" Prince laughs while covering his ears.
I shoot him a "go to hell" look and he smirks at me. "So was that the infamous potty dance? I guess I missed that part of parenting class." He jokes.
"Fine Mr. Smooth Dancer, you do it." I demand.
"I told you I don't do no potty dance. Give her a piece of candy or something." He suggests.
"Yeah, I hear that actually works." Candy informed us. "Like an M&M or Skittle every time she goes. That's what my sister did with her kids. And she swore by the little potties and training pants."
"Ok. Thanks for the advice. We will invest in all of that." I reply.