"When you're ready, I know you'll do it..."

This was a phrase I learned at Monday school when we discussed "potty learning." With Evan, I think pooping was an emotional thing he wasn't ready to cope with. So I'd always offer the potty, but he chose to do his business in the diaper. I'd then repeat the saying to him, "When you're ready, I know you'll do it." I really like that. I think it gives him respect and self-confidence that we're going on his timetable, but reminds him that we are still working towards pooping in the potty.

Yesterday we had our first success. It was such a non-event for Evan, that it seemed like he was doing it forever. Here's what happened:

We were homebound with the "car wash man" working on the car. I put Evan in BVDs and he went on his merry way. He was in his room watching the car wash man work. I was in our room. He called out, "Is Evan wearing a diaper?" I said, "No! Evan is wearing BVDs. If you have to use the potty, come here!" He came running over and asked to use the big toilet. I placed his potty seat insert into the big toilet and let him go. I told him to aim his penis down if he's going to go shi shi. But with very little effort, he went number 2! I was astonished! Just like that! So we got some high fives, hugs, called Pops, and I gave him lots of words of encouragement - "I knew you could do it when you were ready!" and "I'm so proud of you, big boy!"

His reward was to play with his special toy - Bob the Builder Car Wash toy. It was an idea another mommy gave me (thanks, Heidi!) where this special toy is reserved for going number 2. It's out where Evan can see it but is not accessible. Evan was so excited to finally open the toy up and play with it. At random times, he would say, "I pooped in the potty!" It was so cute. You could tell he was so proud of himself. I'm not sure if part of the reason Evan decided to go was having the car wash man here. This morning he asked if the car wash man was coming back. Uh, no. But you can still poop in the potty and play with your car wash TOY! So we had another success this morning and he got lots of playtime with the car wash toy again. Let's hope he keeps it up!