Toddler Transitions, Part II: Potty Training

It's May 18th and I have been MIA for over a month.  Well, I unfortunately can't say I have been on vacation, that would just be a dream.  I have been doing a lot though.  My mother came for a few weeks to visit and on her first day she decided it would be best if we went ahead and started potty training again.  Yes, my mother.  Well, it worked.  Since our failure the first time around my husband and I realized that we were just being lazy.  We knew that our son was definitely ready to try again as he knew full well when and how to hold it when it wasn't the right time to go.  He knew how to use the potty and also hated his diapers more than ever.  The first try at potty training went very well until one day we had a face off with the potty.  N still hadn't figured out how to go number two on the potty.  We don't know if it was fear, stubborness, or just laziness on his part.  He went a whole hour of screaming, crying, and panicking one day because he had to go and didn't want to go in the potty or in his diaper.  We realized it was probably time to take a potty training break.

I think we made the right choice.  When we started up again N went full steam ahead.  We didn't use stickers this time for going pee pee, we just used encouragement and this worked perfectly.  For number two we used matchbox cars.  That's right, matchbox cars.  One dollar per poop.  Unbelievable!  But you know what, this sucker likes his matchbox cars, and it's worked!  We haven't had one poopy accident!  He loves going in his potty!  He screams with delight when he sees what he has done and declares, "I get a new carrrr!"  I am not happy about this, but you know what, whatever works.  I will eventually have to figure out how to end this because our salary cannot afford to continue this expensive reward, but for now it is working. 

The other thing that has helped this time around is instead of using a potty seat insert we tried the baby bjorn individual potty.  This kid loves it!  He loves being able to go through the whole process by himself rather than us boosting him on the big seat everytime.  I should have went with my original instincts and stuck with this seat the first time around.  I had a lot of people telling me that it would be an added step to transition him from the little potty to the big one, but you know what...I don't care.  I am going to do whatever my son does best with. I don't have to potty train overnight.  I don't mind it being a long drawn out process, I just want it to be a natural transition with him.  Just like all of the other transitions that toddlers go through, it wears on them...and us. We have to do our best to make it as easy for them as possible.  He is so much less stressed about it this time around and doing better at it!  The reason this is, I think, is because I am less stressed about the process.

Our next transition, taking that lovely pacifier away.  This transition, I am the one that is not yet ready for.  We shall see.  But I have a feeling that this will be more difficult for me than it will be for him. 

So, for now, my question is, how did you stop with the rewards for potty training?  I'd love advice!