PT Update...We're DONE!

I figured I'd give an update on Owen's potty training since the last post was me talking about how much trouble he was having pooping and the post before that I mentioned that we were trying to stop the training.  Well I am very pleased to announce that our little boy is 100% potty trained!! The only things we need to help with are wiping after pooping and sometimes he has trouble getting his pants/undies down.  But other than that, he will let anyone know he has to pee or poop and go in any restroom and not cry or whine at all.  It was quite the adventure potty training.  I am glad it's over and I have taken some notes for our next, which won't be for about three more years (thank goodness). 

How did I get through our last hurdle you ask?  Well, we weren't able to get him to use the pull up again; he just would not go in it.  So after reading many articles online and seeing what other families did, we decided to just drop the "poop" subject all together and let him figure it out on his own (since he knew what he's suppose to do, he just wasn't doing it).  This was very hard for me, especially when Owen was in pain and telling me that his butt hurts.  But he is so stubborn and every time I would take him to try, he would scream and cry and jump off the potty and run away.  He would get so mad at me (at one point he hit me!).  It just became a huge ordeal.  So finally, Sean and I discussed things and decided that he knew what to do and when he was ready, then he would be the one to decide to poop. <--(that is soooo important with potty training. Your child needs to feel that they are in control of the whole thing and you are just there to help.)  At first it started out kind of ok.  He would hold his poop until he couldn't hold it anymore and then cry to me that his butt hurt.  So I would just take him to the potty, but not say anything, and put him on the toilet.  He would tell me no and cry and want to get off (a lot of the times he would get off and we would just continue this cycle over and over...but again, I did not mention "poop" or anything, I just walked him to the potty and if he'd fight too much I'd take him off and let him go back to what he was doing.), but after about a minute the poop would come out. He would be so happy when it did too, and I would praise him and give him a reward for going, that way he knew that it was a good thing.

Over time this became a little better, he would just whine as we were walking to the bathroom but then would immediately poop after he got on the toilet.  Every time he pooped he was so excited and wanted to tell everyone.  But again, Sean and I were not pushing the subject and not telling him to do anything.  In the mean time, he would always let us know he had to pee and would do that just fine.  But the pooping was still tough.  Eventually, and I can't really remember the exact day, Owen just started pooping without making a fuss!  It started probably a week and a half ago.  His digestive schedule changed also.  He would say he had to pee and while he was peeing, he'd have to poop too and he would just let it out because he was already on the potty.  After that happening a few times, I think that he finally got familiar and comfortable with the idea of pooping and what he needed to do.  And now, it started about a week ago (maybe 5 days), he tells you when he has to poop and will just go in and poop with no fuss!!  HALLELUJAH!!!  It just clicked one day and he was doing it. 

And a day or two ago Owen started discovering "bathroom privacy."  Now he would like us to stand outside when he goes. Haha. It's so cute. It's actually a little hard for me because I want to help him and make sure he's ok.  But he is getting bigger and more independent and can do things on his own now.  It's hard because my little man is really becoming a little man and isn't my little baby anymore.  He's just getting so big and smart and I can't help but hug and kiss him and try to hold on to these moments because before I know it, he'll be in school, then college, then married...ahhhh (I'm not going to think about that now)!! Anyway, that's all, I just wanted to update you with his potty training.  We have our happy little man back...he's back to his normal self and is happier than ever. Plus, I know he's sooo proud to be a big boy that uses the potty.  So after about 50 days, Owen is officially a potty trained toddler! I think 50 days is good...that's less than two months!