Potty training

I decided to start potty training at 16 months... It was as close to baby due date as possible. I set out with intentions to at least try. I figured I'd be able to tell quick if he wasnt ready and I was willing to stop and try again after he turned 2. I couldn't pass up an opportunity to try before the baby was born though...the pay off of one less diaper to change or pay for, and to not have to potty train with another kid in the mix, seemed worth a try.
I began when he turned 15 months by teaching him the sign for potty. Then we would take him to the bathroom with us when we went. We would talk about what we were doing and let him flush and tell the potty "bye bye" (which actually became the first time he said"bye bye").
We began PT on monday, july 25th. My strategy was to not leave the house for a week, to not put a diaper on him for that week, pump him full of liquids so I'd have lots of chances to teach, and have him sit on the pot every 5-15 minutes.
For 2 days we stayed home and only played on the hard wood floors and Beck ran around without a diaper. I put him on the potty every 5 minutes. It was really hard to get him to sit much more than 10 seconds. He had lots of accidents to which I told him "no no, pee on the potty, not the floor." He began to catch on. I would hear "no no" and look at him to find he had an accident and was pointing to his pee on the floor. He became the accident police...if he drooled, spilled water, anything wet on the floor, he would point and say "no no". He had about 4 or 5 successful pees on the potty.  We did a pee pee dance and he got an M&M (he'd never had chocolate before, he loved it!)
On day 2 he began to prove Pavlov's Theory true...every time the timer went off, I better have him on the potty because he was peeing!
On days 3 and 4 Jamie had the day off so we could celebrate our anniversary. We hadn't planned for potty training to be a part of that celebration, but I wasn't going to stop what I'd begun. However I did have some flexibility because I felt Beck and I needed it. I had expected to be further along in the process since the only training I knew of was a hard core 5 day training plan from my friends. I was doing all the right steps, but Beck wasn't moving at the rate of the other kids I knew. So I had to step back and realize all the potty training stories I knew of and that my friends were advising me from were based on kids 2-3 years old. I realized I needed to use my own judgement about what Beck needed and what speed was considered "good" for him. I also asked some other generations what had worked for them and their opinion of his progress. I got very different feedback from them. My mom, who had my brother and I potty trained by 14 months thought I should stick with it, expect a slower rate, and be pleased with the progress so far. Grandma Janet was equally impressed with Beck's progress and encouraged me to stick with it.
So on days 3 and 4 while jamie was off work we potty trained without a diaper on at home, but we left the house occasionally in which he would wear a diaper. It was nice to have the break.
I had learned Beck's poop signs and on day 4 while we were playing I had suspected he had one coming, so I stayed close by. About 10 minutes into the watch I decided to go get a towel from the laundry room. As I walked back into the room I saw the poop hanging out of his bottom about to drop onto the one bare spot on our white wool rug (the spot that I had run to get the towel to cover). Jamie was into his play station game 6 inches away from Beck and completely unaware of what was happening. Without thinking, I ran over to Beck, stuck my hand under his bottom and caught the poop in my bare hand.  Jamie then became aware of the situation from all the commotion, and looked at me like I was crazy and started laughing. After I realized what I had done I quickly walked to the bathroom without looking in my hand and disposed of the evidence. Not one of my finer moments but I didnt have a mess to clean up on the rug!
The next couple of days didnt seem too successful. Beck wasnt willing to sit on the potty every 5 minutes anymore, he wasnt responding to the timer like before, and he seemed bored with his toys and the same room we'd been confined to for a week. So I became discouraged. Thats when the encouragement my mom and grandma gave really made a difference and I decided not to give up.
On august 1st a light bulb went off in Beck's head. He began pushing when I put him on the potty (which was about every 20 minutes now). Almost every time something would come out, even if just a dribble. He was getting it! He only had a couple accidents a day for the next couple days.
Then another couple days of set backs. He quit trying to go while on the pot and had lots of accidents.
On august 5th another break through. He signed (rubbing his belly) that he had to potty. So I put him on the pot and he went poop! If it weren't for these moments, I'd have given up!
The next few days were pretty consistent. He began signing more often to tell us he had to potty. He has been waking up from naps and night with a poopy diaper. I assume he is trying not to poop while he is awake so it happens when he has a diaper on.
So at the beginning of this week, on monday august 8th we started our 3rd week of training. He is having about 1 accident or less a day. If I put a diaper on him to run errands or at mom's house, it is usually dry in between potty breaks. He has started throwing fits if I try to make him sit on the potty and try. At first I was fighting him but have decided not to since he has gotten so good at telling me when he needs to go and not having accidents.
On wednesday august 10th he showed awesome progress! We had been at the zoo all morning so he had worn a diaper. We got home and I left him in his diaper for lunch because I didnt have time for PT before nap. Just before nap, I told him "mommy is going to potty, do you need to go"? He said "no no" so I went on to the bathroom. He came in, signed potty, and so I put him on the pot. He pooped and peed! He got 3 M&Ms, 1 for telling mommy, 1 for going on the potty, and 1 for not going in his diaper.  I just couldn't believe it! He could've just not said anything and gone in his diaper! This was when I felt like the PT was going to stick and decided to post it on facebook for the first time.
Today I decided that he was ready for another step forward. So we took up all the blankets/towels off the rug, opened all the bedroom doors, and put him in big boy undies. We had our house back! Once he started to have an accident but we caught him and he was able to finish in the potty. He also went on the big potty for the first time! Hooray! Another good day!
So throughout the day we ask him if he needs to go, and take him if he is willing to try, but mostly he just tells us when he has to go. He loves to do the potty dance and get his "treat".
Our next step will be leaving the house with undies on...yikes! Thats gonna take some courage and patience! Stay tuned!