A Monkey in Monkey Underwear!

There were times, before this one, that I thought Turner was going to potty train.  Like eight months ago.  Or, back in September when I dropped the last diaper I had with me in the toilet.  But, neither time was Turner really interested in spite of his having good control of his bladder.  He told me this, whole heartedly, as he would shout "I am not ready to wear underwear!"  It did not matter that Jagger wore underpants.  Nor his brothers.  He liked his diapers and rarely gave me a hard time to change him.  So, I let him be.

I am not one who believes in forcing the situation.   It is much easier just to wait until they are ready rather than stay house bound for three days and take the kid to the bathroom every 20 minutes.  That way of training is just not for me, I didn't think.  I did, admittedly, work the bribery angle a bit, as it was already decided, by him, that when he trained he, similarly to Ryder's potty present of a guitar strap, would get a case for his guitar.  But, he could wait for it. Instead he pretended he had a case and would tell me, with a pointed finger, to "watch out for my case right there" as I would approach him while he was strumming his favorite instrument.

Then, on Martin Luther King day, ten days after his 3rd birthday, Ryder was sick.  We were going to be in the house all day, anyway.  With nothing to do.  And, Turner is a kid who has control.  A bit of obsessive control, sometimes, but that is another story.  So, I had a lot of faith in him and decided that MLK day, a day of service, would be the day.   We discussed it the night before and he jumped on Ryder's bed, with delight, chanting "I'm ready now, I am ready now!"  And, when we woke up Monday morning we put him in underwear.

I became someone new for that particular Monday and did things that I think I may have said I would never do.  Like move the Elmo potty down to the first floor and set a timer to take him to the bathroom every 30 minutes.  Ew.  And, we had a great day.  After the second timer went off and I told him it was time to go he looked at me and said "I don't feel it yet.  I don't have to go."  And, being instantly reminded of Chase training, I believed him.  And, I didn't set another timer and he spent the rest of the day telling me when "I feel it, mommy" and we would run to the potty and he would go.  There was never an accident.  Never an almost.  Never an issue.

Until he had to poop.  Then he pooped in his underwear.  He told me he was going to.   He even asked for privacy.  But, when I grabbed him and put him on the potty he wouldn't go, he refused.   We read, we sang, we played guitar and all the while he kept his bung hole shut!  Then we got up and he pooped in his underwear.

The next day we went to the guitar store to "look" for  case.  He found the one he wants but knows he can't get it until he poops in the potty.  At least once.  He seems to be ok with waiting.  I also went and bought him a fresh pack of Paul Frank monkey underwear because he didn't seem to think his brothers hand me down Superhero pants were good enough. Plus, it looks cute to have a little monkey in monkey underwear.

It's been a bit over a week now.  Turner is 100% pee trained and has been since day 3.   He has great control, can hold it for hours, and despite insisting on using only the Elmo potty at home (which is now ONLY in the bathroom) he will use a regular toilet when out of the house.  He always tells me "I feel it" when he needs to go, and sometimes enjoys aiming for the cheerio (or the goldfish) when he stands.  He even wakes up with dry diapers.

As for the pooping.  I have tried to get him to go on the potty but he won't.  He does, however, always ask for diapers, promises it is just to poop in, and then lets me change him and put his underwear right back on.   It took Chase about 3 months before he put he pooped in the proper receptacle, so perhaps it will be the same for Turner.    When he decides he wants a case, I suppose he will use the toilet.  I still have almost a full case of diapers left so until they start to run out, I guess I can wait too.

It is a bittersweet moment as another milestone is achieved.  A bittersweet moment as my baby boy grows up before me.