Fluke or Perhaps another Benefit to Cloth Diapering?

I always planned to potty train a boy around 3.  It seemed everyone I talked to with boys said its grueling and takes boys longer to be ready than girls?  Well, at least that's what Kate said (of John and Kate) about potty training the sixtuplets.  So it must be true?

I'm a bit reluctant to share this but here goes anyway... at 18 months I bought my boy his first set of big boy undies.  For about 2 months now he's been telling me/us when he needs to go poopy on the potty.  All in all, its drastically reduced the dirty diapers I've had to deal with (although dumping poo and wiping a bottomis still not as fun as I had hoped it would be... ha ha.)

He likes to potty but not have to go back and put a diaper on, so I thought I would try big boy undies so all I have to do is pull his pants back up.  Sounds easy enough if he's accident free, right?

The only reason I bought a potty a couple months ago was because he seemed to time his poos with naps, so we thought we'd just sit him on the potty to see if he wanted to go before a nap.  I still don't plan to be hyper strick with potty training.  I know it takes time so I plan to just help him know when he's going, and make it fun when he decides he wants to use the potty.  So far today and yesterday we've had all the poos in the toilet and not his diaper.  He loves to read books on the potty and loves to flush it.  Currently, those are our only motivators.  Oh... and of course lots of verbal praise!

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I have recently read online that some moms potty train from day one or others potty train around 6 months when a baby can sit.  To each there own.  So far this plan is working for now and it's nice that he can say "mommy poopy" so I know when to take him.  I do think the cloth diapers have helped him be more aware of when he is going to the bathroom... at least that's my excuse.  : )

The first few times he sat on the potty took F.O.R.E.V.E.R.  We sat there about 30 minutes before he would go.  But now he goes right away, which is nice. 

What's your expereience in potty training?  I fully expect full potty training to take another year-- as in he doesn't have to wear diapers during naps... and maybe longer for night time?!  I've also had people tell me their kids do great for a while and then really bad again.  I guess we'll see how it turns out.