Some people have asked us if elimination communication (EC) is worth the extra time and trouble. Strangely enough, we don’t see it as being any more trouble than conventional diapering. In fact, we much prefer taking her to the potty than having to deal with the mess of a poopy diaper. You should see the firedrill that ensues when I (Penn) have to actually deal with a poopy diaper. Does it take extra time? Yes, I suppose so, but potty time usually involves a lot of talking, signing, and reading with Arden, so it ends up being time well spent.

We really didn’t start trying EC with a goal of early potty training (although we certainly hoped for that as a nice side effect). Our real goal was nuturing early communication with Arden and helping her learn how to control her body, both of which can be very empowering for an infant or toddler.

Anyway, the bottom line is that EC is not the hassle you might expect it to be and I can guarantee that a trip to the potty beats a diaper blowout any day.

Last weekend, Arden got to meet a golden-globe-carrying goddess in the form of a real Emmy!

Arden’s grandfather, John Bayless, won the coveted award for Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Miniseries, Movie, or Special for his work on the HBO miniseries, John Adams (which if you haven’t seen yet, you should).

Arden seemed a little nervous in Emmy’s sparkling presence, but interested nonetheless.

Congratulations Grandpa John!