Thomas the train and Potty Training Ben

First off, let me say that this is totally a Mom post. What follows is what has been going on in our adventure with potty-training Ben this past week...so be forewarned. If you don't want to read about going potty or the adventures of potty training a 4 year old, then you have my permission to skip reading and move on....
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So, I mentioned on Monday that we were in the process of potty training Benjamin. We stocked up a while ago with new underwear (Star Wars themed and white ones) and with a treat for going on the potty-- mini Thomas the Train engines. (Ben is OBSESSED with Thomas and has been for the past 2 years!)In the past year we have tried several things to get him to go on the potty to no avail including stickers, candy, letting him look at a book while on the potty, etc. He just refused to go. 

Ben is 4.5 years old. He has refused to go to the potty instead choosing to go in his pull-up. Ben is also 60lbs. so most pull-ups are too small for him. With some of his development issues we have just been putting it off. Well, his pull-ups were starting to leave marks on his legs and finally my husband just said "It is time!" 

So, on Sunday I came home from church to find that Ben was in regular underwear. We decided to just do it trial by fire. For the first half of Sunday, Ben went through at least 3 pairs of underwear while peeing on the floor and then screaming and crying when we made him sit on the potty. By Sunday evening, he was done crying while sitting on the potty but still was peeing in his underwear. Finally he went pee in the potty, and was awarded a mini Thomas the Train engine. He was so excited!  

On Monday, he would go sit on the potty on his own and had only 1 wet accident but he did poop in his underwear. Tuesday he had no wet accidents but pooped in his underwear. We ran out of mini-trains on Tuesday night. 

Wednesday, I ran to Walmart and bought a few more mini-trains and 3 large ones. I told Ben he would get a "big choo-choo" if he went poopy on the potty. Well he did not poop at all on Wednesday but he also didn't have any wet accidents. 

Yesterday, he woke up in a dry pull-up (we are still using them at night) and then went potty on the potty! He came home from preschool with a dry pull-up (we are also still sending him to preschool with a pull-up) and then went potty right after we got home. He wore the same pair of underwear all afternoon and evening with no accidents! His favorite saying these days is "I have to go potty NOW!" Lol. AND best of all, he went poopy on the potty yesterday afternoon! He was scared to get off the potty when he was done, but was happy that we were excited. And he got his big choo-choo! 

We are just a few days in, but I am so pleased with the progress he is making! Now to get him to not wear the pull-up at school without any accidents....