Will Poop For Thomas

 Potty training wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be.  I attribute this to a few things: 1) he was physically ready, he was aware when he was going potty  2) he saw a lot of his friends at school go potty and get trained during the year (yes, he was the last kiddo in his class to potty train)  3) his BFF Cameron started potty training and was having great success  4)  cloth diapers are bulky and get heavy when they are wet (and I've since heard that cloth diaper babies potty train faster for this reason)

Here is my recipe for successful potty training of Seamus Donald Fergus at 2 years, 4 months...

1) Seamus picks out "big boy underpants" he wants to wear
2) We had an entire day to spend at home
3) Set the timer in 15 minute intervals -- everytime the timer went off, we sat on the potty. If there was success, he got 1 M&M. If there wasn't success, "That's OK, we'll try again".
4) Excellent pee - pee in the potty songs:  "Pee in the pot-tay, pee pee in the pot-tay... hay... ho...hay....ho"

The day started out rough -- 15 minutes was too long to wait and within 5 minutes of drinking his morning cup of milk there was an accident. oops!

However, as he started to have success at going on the potty he was very excited.  Yes, we skipped the potty chair, and potty seat -- the theory being that I want him to be able to go potty anywhere and when we are out and about we don't carry that plastic crap with us (pardon my language).  He is perfectly capable of climbing up on the stool and holding himself up on the big toilet seat all by himself.

For the first two days there were many "wee wee" successes.  However, everytime we went I was getting more and more nervous that no "poos" were making an appearance and I thought of the horror stories I've heard of kids having compacted poop because their afraid to go in the toilet and they have to go the hospital and on and on....  So I got an idea....  I went to TJ Maxx where they often have discount wooden toys and I prayed (I really did) that I would find a Thomas the Train.  Lo and behold--- on the clearance rack for $5.00--- a wooden Thomas!  I took that puppy home and explained to Seamus that as soon as he poops in the toilet he would get Thomas. We placed Thomas on the counter next to the the toilet.  It took 3 attempts for Seamus to push it out, but he did, and he earned his Thomas!  From that moment forward he had no problemos. 

Now he is such a pooping connoisseur that he categorizes his bowel movements. "Mommy, das a maaaan poop".  "Mommy, dat a baaaaaby poop".  Awesome. Thanks son. TMI.