N has discovered a wonderful new trick. Right before he goes the bathroom, he looks at us and says "poop". Then his eyes sort of cross and he produces.

For those non-parents out there, this is absolutely fantastic. Potty training is a challenge, and having your 16 month old recognize and announce what’s going on should be a real advantage to us in the days to come.

The key, however, is to realize that his timing isn’t always quite correct. Sometimes, he does his little routine – but nothing actually happens for 5 minutes or so. This can be very disconcerting. He says "poop", appears to do so, you take him to the changing table, get his diaper off – and then everything starts to arrive.

Very unpleasant.

To make things a little more challenging, he has gas.

I know that this doesn’t sound like a bad thing, but when he…ahh…farts (how else do you say that word?) he smells exactly the same as when he poops.

The other day after dinner, he looked at me and said "poop! poop!". He then proceeded to turn a delicately strained shade of pink. I waited until he was done, then picked him up and took a sniff. Confident in my observations, I took him to the changing table and started to take off his diaper.

Suddenly the diaper started to move on its own. Taking itself off, as it were.

Did you know that once you’ve unfastened a diaper, it’s very difficult to hold it in place as it’s being filled up? Particularly so when the wearer is kicking his feet and giggling.

Yes, N, I will be showing this to all your girl friends when you are older.

Payback’s a bitch.