Reluctant potty training adventures

Charlie and I had a long "parenting" talk last week about things that were frustrating us lately -- his big one was Connor's sleeping habits and mine was his reluctance to potty train, despite obvious signs of readiness...to the point of refusing to go in the bathroom for a bath unless the lid to the potty was shut.

Charlie's issues were relatively simple to fix...he wasn't insisting on Connor moving out of our bed yet, merely that he go to bed before 11 and also go to bed for him instead of only for me. I worked on the first part...I forced some early wake ups, some closed draperies and black out curtains early on and shortened naps (he was wanting to sleep til 9, then sleep from 1 until 4 or 5) -- with the result that within a few days he was consistently going down around 9-930 and waking at 730, then getting a nap from 12-230. We braced ourselves for the tantrum and freak out to end all existence as we know it when daddy went to put him down for the first time, but to our immense surprise and gratification it took maybe only 20 minutes longer and zero tears to get him down! Woo hoo! He seems relatively cool with either mommy or daddy, as long as there are multiple readings of Thomas the Tank Engine and If You Give a Moose a Muffin, and he gets a crack at a pbj sandwich for his pre bedtime snack. Parents: 2, Kid: 0. Whew.

Now...potty training has been something entirely different. We've tried potty training at other points, but it's always ended in multiple accidents and him hiding in a closet weeing away. No more, we declared triumphantly, and decided today was actually Independence-from-diapers Day.

Knowledge and physical/mental readiness are not an issue. He knows what goes where, he can practically change his pull up himself, pulls it off, puts it in the trash, wipes himself and can almost get the thing all the way up himself with just a little assistance. Poopy ones are tougher but since we don't want poo smeared down his legs, we choose to help with those. This kid can recite the ABCs forward and backwards, is starting to read words, and can count to 20...he ain't dumb, in other words. We do, however, have a willingness problem...and a physical one that is not helping mommy and daddy at all.

Connor's bladder apparently takes up 50-75% of that little body. It's been 8 hours of diaperless condition now and no pee, despite one 12 oz cup of cranberry juice, one popsicle, 6 oz cup of milk and 1.5 8 oz juice boxes and sips of mommy's iced tea in addition to his usual sandwiches, cereal and fruit. We even shoved a ton of fresh watermelon into him since it's a diuretic. And nary a drop yet. He's got the willpower of Superman and the bladder capacity of Lake Michigan. I should have known...this is the kid who, as a newborn, REFUSED to pee for two solid days and then screamed all the way through the first mammoth pee because the concept just seemed to bug him that much. He also comes from a long and illustrious line of men who are part-camel and can drive for five or six hours without peeing while slurping a Big Gulp, as the desperate womenfolk are trying to whiz out the car windows.

It doesn't help that all the standard sit on the potty bribes don't work. Charlie's all the way up to offering a sports car for his 16th birthday. He LOVES raisinets, but even those are being disdainfully rejected for potty training sits. We're honestly beginning to wonder exactly how long he can hold it without exploding. A science experiment of the first order I guess. We've been stalking him all day and watching his every move...there is zero chance that he has snuck off to pee unbeknownst to us. Freaky child. Maybe I'm making up for it by having to pee every five minutes myself -- seven and half months pregnant equals much time in the bathroom even without a potty training toddler.

This is a fight we will win though...we don't dare not, because this will just reinforce that he can win if he holds out long enough. But eek eegad yow, my 2 year old should be studied! Send "pee" vibes our way!

ETA: Nope, we lost. Connor managed to hold it for over 12 hours even after being forcibly held on the potty for 12 hours with so much liquid in him his tummy looked like a Somali orphan belly. We finally gave him his night time bath an hour past his normal time and put him in a diaper and he wet through two complete pull up changes before he was able to sleep. It was miserable and awful. Hope they make size 20 diapers, because he'll be wearing them to college at this rate. Can you tell I'm discouraged? Sigh.