Phases

Parenting is full of ups and downs. Good phases and bad.  With Parker, we've gone through nearly 6-7 weeks of ear infections and teething back-to-back.  During that time, we've gotten a few good nights of sleep.  Little pockets of calm bookended by wakeful nights of up every 3 hours, or he gets to sleep (in our bed) but I don't, because he's kicking me all night.

Last night, we played cards with Kath & Andrew (long overdue) and I was sure I was going to pay for my relaxation by spending another wakeful night.  But we received the most fantastic prize!  Parker slept from 8:00 pm to 7:30 am without waking for a feeding, a rocking, patting, crying or anything else.  Maia, bless her, even slept in until about 7:15. She then, of course, woke Parker.  But what a stark contrast to the night before.

Friday night, we got a new sink installed (details coming!) and to keep the kids out of the way and just have more fun, I brought the kids to my folk's house for dinner.  The installer was late (very late) and so I stalled, and ultimately, Maia didn't get down until 9 pm and Parker 9:30.  Well, maybe Maia will sleep in.

Nope. Not only did she not sleep in, she was at my bedside at 5:45 a.m.  "Wakey wakey momma. I haff a poopy diaper. Get up! Get up!"  Children up, fed, changed, dressed.  Well, off to run some errands then.

We went to a McDonald's playplace for breakfast.  Maia did a pretty good job on her breakfast (Parker ate much of the rest of it), asked to go to the bathroom, but didn't end up going. Sat down for 30 seconds and said "No! No!  I don't have to go anymore!"    Fast forward to the "Okay, one more slide down" warning, at which point she crawls back down and announced "I have poopy in my undies, mom."  Sigh.

So after that enjoyable clean up (ahem), we continued with our errands: Home Depot, where Maia, who had been so good at breakfast, started refusing to ride in the cart, and didn't want to talk to Bekah, Jeremy and Gracie. She desperately wanted a balloon, but had a complete meltdown when the man tried to tie one around her wrist.   After leaving, we determined all other errands could be run by leaving the kids in the car, hopefully sleeping.  Maia slept for about 15 minutes, and that was it for sleep for the rest of the day.

Parker slept in the car for a while, but didn't take another nap for the rest of the day.  Between the two of them, by the end of the day, we were ready to ship them off to anyone who would take them. Frustration abounded.  Bedtime couldn't have come fast enough.  It was nice to blow off some steam by laughing a little over a game of 75.

Maia is generally doing very well with her daytime potty training (the above not withstanding).  What I'm not particularly fond of is her flip-flopping.  Is it the terrible twos?  Every day it's:
(said in a growly voice) "I don't want that!"
"I'll put it away, then."
(said in the most whiny tone) "I waaaaaant thay-at!"


When dropping her off at daycare, it's I don't want your kisses, mommy!  and when I say "oh, that makes me sad. See ya later then!" she's immediately running after me in tears because I left her without giving her a kiss.  And then she won't let go.   It leaves me in a tail-spin sometimes, she changes her mind so quickly, and with so much emotion!


I've told a few new moms recently that the best advice I now have for them is to remember "Everything is a phase.  The good moments, the bad. It's all a phase."