Potty Time!

So, proud mommy moment.  Jude has only had two wet pull-ups in the last four days.  He's staying dry overnight, waking up and going potty on the potty.  He's been potty trained with the dirty business of pooping for a good six months now, and while he started off peeing in the potty when he started going number two he stopped.  Sort of a a weird switch to me, but that's how it went.  But while on vacation in OR he really started to notice when he was peeing and he'd tell me.  By the time we were back home he was 50/50 of telling me he was going and telling me he needed to go.  It's been almost two weeks since we got home and he's pretty much making it every time.  I'm so impressed with him.  We're thinking big boy under-roos starting this weekend.

Our journey through potty training, for those struggling, went like this:
1) Bought a little potty when Jude was around 18 months.  Also bought Elmo's Potty Time DVD, which is fantastic and I highly recommend it.  Kept the little potty in the living room so Jude could sit on it whenever he felt like it.  Not necessarily to potty, just to sit and get use to the idea.
2) Around the 2yr mark we became more proactive and moved the potty into the bathroom.  I would just take Jude in there if I saw him starting to make "poop" face, and/or when I expected him to need to.  He's has  a fairly regular potty schedule, so that made it easier.  I would also just take him in if he hadn't had a wet diaper in a while and have him pee.  All the while talking about it, encouraging him, giving him an M&M for going etc.
3) When he was peeing but not pooping in the potty I started a potty chart and reward system.

That worked super well for getting him to poop on the potty.

4) Then, as I stated at the start of this entry, we had issues with peeing.  That was mostly over come with simply talking with him about it, telling him he needs to let us know before he pees, encouraging him with the idea of big boy under-roos and getting to go pick some new ones out.  Also by super praise and telling him how proud we are when he does go.  There is the occasional treat too, but I make that inconsistent so he doesn't expect it all the time.  He's just ready to be a big boy now.

Man... my little dude is growing up!

If it hasn't been easy for you, I must point out one thing.  Jude has always been sensitive to having dirty diapers.  He's never been one to stick his hand down them either and we've never once had an incident of him taking off his diaper/pull-up or painting with his poop.  If his diaper started to come off for any reason he'd let me know so I could fix it.  This is not the normal behavior of a toddler.  The opposite is normal.  I'm ridiculously glad Jude is not normal in that department and it's made our job with potty training far easier than it typically goes for most parents.  So don't compare, just keep trucking.  They all get there eventually.