Potty progress details to follow. You've been warned.

Owen knows all about the potty, loves to watch his potty movie, loves to 'help' a grownup in the bathroom whenever he can get in, hates having a dirty diaper, comes and tells me to change his diaper, etc. etc. Sounds like potty training readiness to me. Only problem is that he has absolutely no desire to use the potty, and is generally dead set against it. When Owen sets his mind against something it is not going to change easily! I have shrunk away from forcing the issue. Last time I tried to 'encourage' him, he withheld things for way too long and had a more painful time than usual when he finally let go. I have so many friends who have just waited for their kid and not made a fight out of it, and once they choose to start using the potty, it seems to go very smoothly. The early potty trainers seem to believe that it is extremely important to do it earlier, but I haven't seen the downsides of waiting in my own observations (aside from the landfills and diaper bills)...doesn't mean I'm not missing something, but I just haven't seen it. I'm not talking about waiting til 4...most of my friends have had success by 3-ish.

Well, I dabble with pushing him gently, with no success. So we talk about it and have been taking the slow road. One problem is that Owen is perpetually constipated...unless I feed him cups and cups of vegetables per day (which I couldn't do aside from force-feeding b/c he is not a huge veggie eater), he has some trouble. This morning he told me he needed a diaper and when I went to change him, he wasn't quite done, if you know what I mean. I told him that things were stuck and that sitting on the potty would help him be able to go (no lie!). I decided to stick with my plan even though it wouldn't be popular...stuck him on the potty (required quite a bit of force to overcome his arched back) and he screamed and moaned and fought very hard. I felt like I was traumatizing him, but stuck with it. I knew if we could get the end result he would be so happy, he just doesn't like changes. Well, for this morning, it worked! Got some action in the potty, and when I let him get off I made a BIG deal about what he did and what a big boy he was and how proud I was, etc. etc. I gave him an M&M and told him that we would go to the store to pick out a present because I had promised a present if he ever went on the potty. He was prouder than proud of his little self. His tears instantly dried up and he could not stop talking about his achievement. We went to call Daddy and Owen proudly shared the news. We got a battery operated bubble blower and Owen told the lady in line with us that he pooped on the potty :} I do not suspect that anything will have really changed as a result of this morning's small step, but at least he knows what the goal is, and that he can do it. That's progress!

The later morning was not nearly as fun. We met friends at the park, and while eating lunch on a park bench, I turned my back and my wiggle worm managed to fall over the side of the armrail onto hot blacktop and I heard the most sickening splat sound a mother can hear, followed by the pause and the wail. Normally unruffled by falls, the splat was worse than a normal spill. Owen was beside himself and stayed that way for a good long while, just wanting to cuddle and cry. When I got packed up and carried him to the car he was rather sack-of-potatoes-esque, and did not even want to let me go so that I could drive us home. I tried to check his pupils, but couldn't get them to change much. That, and the fact that he was completely lethargic and falling asleep all the way home (NOT normal), made me turn the car in the Dr.'s office direction. All the way into the building he was limp and clingy, and then as soon as I begin to talk to someone about seeing him (not kosher to walk in...apparently I should have taken him to the ER...the last thing I wanted to do!) what does he do but perk up completely and start talking about the fish tank and being charming and making me look more than a little silly. Well, he checked out just fine, so that's more important than whether I looked anxious or not. I like to try to not be the first time worry wart mom, but I didn't succeed this time around. On the way home, Owen was talking about how he flipped and took a tumble and was telling himself to be careful. Little stinker!

He's now napping and I need one!