Potty SUCCESS!!!

We've been working on potty training recently - nothing intense and no pressure, but definitely hints and bribes. Greg has been putting James in underpants on weekends, and it's his responsibility to remember to ask James to pee on the potty (for M&Ms, which are fabulous incentives). James does very well with pee pee and I think wouldn't have accidents (we do ask him to go all the time) except for night time. And since naps are fewer and farther between, then we don't have that to worry about as much.

Poohs. Well, a different story. About a month ago, Greg and I told James that we'd get him the Mac car from "Cars" if he pooped on the potty. Well, Greg caught James squatting/hiding one day and got him to poop on the downstairs potty, so we got all excited and trooped over to Toys R Us for the Mac. Plus a Thomas The Tank Engine tent. Plus some other ridiculous toy. A grown man having more fun at TRU than a toddler....hhmm....

Anyway, then there were no other poops on the potty. So, Greg went out and bought "Madagascar 2" (we own #1 and James loves it). He put it on the china cabinet and told James that if/when he pooped on the potty again he'd give it to him.

It was there a few weeks. And James kept saying, "I go poop on the potty and can watch Madagascar 2!!!".

Yesterday, finally, we had a breakthrough. I put James in his room for quiet/rest time. I told him to come out if he had to go pooh or pee. He came out after 5 minutes (groan!) and sat on the big potty but nothing came out. But I could tell his body was telling him something and it was his time to go (pretty consistently around 2 p.m. EVERY DAY). So, I thought fast, and asked him if he'd feel more comfortable pooping on the little potty in his room (since he goes in his diaper in his room, it's darker, more private, etc.). He said yes.

So, I left him bottomless and put the potty in his room and shut the door. Wasn't sure what sort of possible mess I'd have to clean up, but I figure, well, whatever. And bear in mind, he's been peeing on the little potty so he does like it and he understands that poop goes IN the potty, not on the floor.

Well...5 minutes later, he bursts out of his room and proudly yelled, "I pooped on the potty!!!!". It was SO exciting! I jumped up and yelled and hugged him and we were all so excited!!! Nate was just taken aback at how much was going on but he was also laughing! It was definitely in the potty. And sort of gross/weird to look at it, but hey, much better to dump that in the potty and flush than have to change a diaper.

Of course, immediately, he asked for his movie. Heck yes, I pulled it out and he watched it. Twice. Woo hoo!

Today has been another underwear day. We had a playdate here and he didn't go all morning, but after eating, with people still here, he told me he had to pee, so he did it all himself on the potty, got his M&Ms, and went on with his playing. Then, at rest time, I again put the potty in his room and stripped him down. And voila, poop day # 2!!!! Who knows if this will hold, but I'm thrilled. We'll get there, and hopefully before the summer!!!!