Potty vs EV's Will (2:2)

EV has been potty ready for awhile--she stays dry in her underwear, tells us when she needs to go, and can hold her pee until she is ready to let it go.  However, the usual scenerio is, she's in her underwear, she tells us she needs to go, she sits on the potty for a little bit, then says she needs her diaper while crying.  There's no convincing her to try going in the potty as long as she knows she has the option to go in her diaper.  No bribing, begging, coaxing, assuring would convince her to use the potty.

Solution:  Last week we told her that Mr. Diaper Man called and will be coming in 7 days to take all the diapers from the house.  At first she was actually excited and was saying how she's a big girl and that she will be using the potty in 7 days.  As the countdown continued, she started getting more anxious and unsure.  On the last day, she quiety came to me and said that she doesn't want Mr. Diaper Man to come.  I assured her that it'll be okay.

Day 1:  EV wakes up and is excited about wearing underwear (not really thinking that eventually she'll have to go pee).  She plays, goes grocery shopping with daddy, eats lunch but refuses to go pee.  After lunch, we try to convince her to go pee--she starts crying and saying she's scared.  We comfort her and she says she will not go.  We make the decision to put her down for her nap without a diaper because if we do then she'll always hold out until naptime to go pee.  We are sure that she will wet herself but after 2 hours of napping she wakes up and she's DRY!!!!!!!!!  We were shocked!  Poor baby--she hasn't peed since we took her diaper off at 6AM!  She's miserable, cranky, and in pain.  She sits on the potty and asks if she can watch some videos.  So I concede and let her watch videos on the iPhone.  She's whining and suddenly she clenches my arm and then she PEES!!!!  Potty: 1pt

After she pees what seems like a gallon of pee--she is super happy, proud, and excited.  She wants all her treats now.  She's dancing and singing and lauging.  She plays, eats, and the afternoon passes into the evening.  We go to buy her chocolate ice cream to fulfill our end of the bargain.  We come home and she has to pee but refuses.  It's late, she's tired, cranky, and it all seems hopeless.  We turn on the bath and she's in agony.  The bath water makes her want to go pee.  She refuses.  I am confused--didn't we have a victory?  Shouldn't it be all better now?  Isn't she officially potty-trained?  I guess not!  I tell her it's okay to pee in the bathtub.  She takes a bath, pees in the bathtub, and gets ready for bed. 

To give her a diaper at night, now that is the question.  We decided to keep her in her underwear and change her later.  We check in on her at night, she has peed, we change her. 

Day 2:  It's a new day!  EV wakes up and immediately asks for her underwear.  She goes with daddy to breakfast club early morning and is in an overall good mood.  As we are getting ready for work and school, she says she needs to pee.  We sit on the potty but no pee.  She is dropped off at school and we tell the school the situation and absolutely no diapers.  I think of her all day.

Jimmy picks EV up from school and is told, "EV is a very very strong-willed child."  Apparently, they tried putting her on the potty every 45 mins and would let her sit for long periods of time but she would absolutely refuse to use the potty.  She naps and pees.  She plays outside and pees.  EV's will:  2 pts

EV comes home and tells me that she peed in her underwear and the she doesn't like peeing at school.  She says she wants to pee at home.  She sits on the potty and is noticeably uncomfortable.  She refuses to pee.  We have dinner and afterwards, she starts crying.  I immediately take her to the potty and that's when the heart wrenching crying begins.  She's peeing little bits at a time and cries, cringes, and cries with every drop of pee.  She's sweating, she's hysterical, she says, "Mommy, I don't want to be a big girl.  I am a baby.  I want my diaper."  My heart is breaking and I am wavering.  I call Jimmy in and ask if we should give her a "d-i-a-p-e-r".  Jimmy says that we have to be strong and not give in.  She pees a little more; she's clenching my arm now; she's in so much pain.  After what seems like hours, she's peed a good amount and says all done.  We cheer and give her some sprinkles as a treat.  She paces back and forth, then runs back to the bathroom saying she has to pee.  She sits on the potty and cries again and pees a little more.  We do this 2 more times.  Then finally, after the third time back on the potty, she just lets go.  She pees and pees and pees.  She says that she feels better and that it doesn't hurt anymore.  We tell her how proud we are, especially how she went back to the potty every time and did not have any accidents.  Potty: 1pt

She takes a bath, gets ready for bed, and goes to bed in her underwear (around 7:30pm).  We check in on her at around 11pm and she's still dry!  We were shocked, but decided to go ahead and put her in a diaper, unsure if she can stay dry the rest of the night. 

So currently we are tied 2:2 between the potty and EV's will.  We are on Day 3.  It's going to be a long week but I am confident that we are making progress.  Now we just have to convince her to go poop...