Pottytrained!

photo from October 2013 (2 yrs, 9 mos)

We did it! We can finally say Adam is diaper free, and he did it all on his own terms. No reward system or potty chart did the trick. I've been saying for weeks that Adam is potty-trained; he just refused to use the potty. He would throw a fit if we asked him to sit, and it would get to the point that he would be asking for us to give him a Pull-Up (instead of his underwear) because he knew he had to go. Recently we tried a couple incidents of keeping him in the bathroom with us when we knew he had to go and waiting it out. He didn't like it, but when he couldn't hold it any longer we were there to move him over the toilet right away. I'm not sure if this tactic helped the overall process but a couple days later he began actively telling us when he had to go.... and then go! After Sat and Sun with no diapers, I knew we couldn't go back and we sent him to school on Monday with big boy underpants. All last week, his first week sans-diapers, he only had 1 accident on the first day.

He is now using the toilet for all his business and even wakes up dry from naps and sleep. But, oh, the urine! Let's just say we are working on AIM!! Before we were just happy he was using the toilet; now we are rewarding him for getting it all in the water!

I have to say, I look at him differently now. There's a new maturity about knowing he's out of diapers and when I stop and look him I think how big and grown up he looks.

Other updates on our favorite 3 year old...

He loves to go grocery shopping and insists on using his own cart. He's very good at it, too, and has to be the one to put whatever food you pick out into the cart himself. We are very big at doing things ourself these days!

He loves riding his bike or going on bike rides with Daddy. Many evenings we enjoy a family stroll in our neighborhood or visiting the park.

He has most of his books memorized, and if you try to skip over a sentence, he'll surely correct you.

He continues to impress us with his words. After watching a few Sight Words videos from his Aunt Megan he points out words he knows on signs, books and even the scrolling news at the bottom of the tv screen.

And every night before dinner if we try to say grace, he interrupts and says we first have to sing Oh the Lord is Good to Me, a prayer he learned from his buddy Ryan.

There's probably tons more I can say about him, how his new fascination is road signs (No Outlet, Speed Limit 25/45/etc), how he loves to play baseball and swing the bat, how he is always observing ("Worms don't have legs") or is always wanting to learn more ("What does sand start with?"). He continues to amaze us and entertain us, and lately is favorite book is Brothers are Forever (thanks, Sarah!) and that's what is the most endearing -- seeing him talk to Sam and give him toys. 

If you haven't seen him in a while, you're definitely missing out.