Prince of the Potty

I have been thinking about writing this post for several weeks now, but it seemed like every time I'd get ready to sit down and write an accident (or purpose) happen right on cue.  But  now, after four solid days of potty perfection (including nighttimes), I feel like it is finally a documentable milestone...Jake is now Prince of the Potty!

Prince Potty was a gift from Nana

I will be honest that he did not take his throne willingly (pun intended), but he was more than ready...whether he liked it or not.  At first we tired to prompt him with rewards...then we tried taking away treats and his morning show, but it wasn't enough.  And if we tried to make him go...well, that never worked either.
Then one morning I had had enough.  Somewhere between having to change two boys' diapers and too many nights of not enough sleep, I lost my patient hippie "he'll do it when he is ready" attitude.  Instead I decided it was ridiculous for any child who started walking and talking at 9 months old to still be wearing diapers so close to their 3rd birthday.  So I explained to him that we were out of diapers and it was time to use the toilet.  He objected of course, and refused to go to the bathroom all morning.  When he couldn't hold it any longer he decided the office would be a perfect and hilarious place to make his puddle.  Needless to say he wasn't laughing quite as hard after a time out and my threat to make him put back on his wet PJ pants.

Since our little battle of wills, and he realized we weren't backing down, potty training has been pretty easy.  Daddy of course made a huge deal about it, and immediately took Jake to the store to pick out big boy chonies, as we call them.  Not surprisingly, Jake picked out Spider Man and Toy Story ones, and I love when he calls them his "Fruit of A-Loon."

It hasn't been seamless, of course, but now we really don't even have to ask anymore.  He just goes to the bathroom and takes care of business.  Now I just have to teach him that he doesn't get a treat every time he goes number 2 in the toilet. 
Now that it is all said and done, the most unexpected part to me is how being potty trained has caused him to be even more confident, independent, and grown up in other aspects of his life.  He is suddenly okay going to nursery alone, he always wants to dress himself, and has started being able to fall asleep without my lying next to him.  I guess he sees himself as a big boy.  I, on the other hand, am not quite ready for him to be too much of a big boy, but I am great with him being Prince of the Potty.