Pooping is Tough Stuff

I remember a woman at work telling me I needed to have my son potty trained before I gave birth to my daughter. I scoffed. He wasn't even 2 yet. She let me know I was going to have one hell of a time.

That hell of a time has begun. We got Will a potty a long time ago. He loved it at first. He peed and peed. He loved to "flush" it. He even pooped a few times. But now, he freaks out when you tell him to poop in it. Full on tantrum.

I read that you know boys are ready when they can pull their pants down. You know when they start expressing they have to pee or poop. Will does all that. He announces when he is peeing in his diaper. He announces he is pooping in his diaper. So, to keep him ready, I keep him diaper less. It's my only option. Well, he pees but he won't let that poop loose.

This morning we had a complete meltdown. I have the potty in the living room. He announced in the kitchen he was pooping. I told him to hurry, go poop. He freaked. He screamed. I stripped him down and fought him to sit on the potty. I don't like it one bit but I have bribed him. At first it was vitamins. Now it's chocolate chips. He says no to it all. He succumbed to my strength and sat on the potty. Lets keep in mind Kiki is on the kitchen counter, strapped into a booster seat, hungry. I am on the kitchen floor wrestling a two year old onto a Elmo potty. He stayed. I got back up and started to feed her again. I stayed with him long enough to communicate everything was alright and he had to stay and poop. Well that boy wouldn't get up for anything. After half an hour I practically had to force him up. His poor butt suction cupped itself to the bowl.

We moved the potty to under the window in the living room. Nothing. Nap time came and I diapered him up. He woke up soon after falling asleep because Kiki couldn't be quiet. I stripped him again to another temper tantrum. Kicks. Tears. The works. He got back on that toilet again and didn't even get off when the trash man came by. That was impressive. He strained himself to see him but never took his butt off the potty. We managed to eek out a baby turtle head. I exclaimed joy, excitement, gratitude and pride. I could get nothing more. Once James got home he remained diapered for the day and had two severely stinky poops in his diaper.

Tonight I told him that if he had a big poop tomorrow we would take down the mixer and make cookies. He loves the mixer and the process of cookie making. He wants to make cookies for his uncle Derek. On Monday he wanted to make black cookies for his uncle Muddy and uncle Jackson. I really wish my future self could come down and tell me how this all pans out because I could really use the golden poop ticket.