This has been a very trying and tiring month for this mama. Besides the cold, foggy, icy, snowy, cloudy long days the girls have been going through some rather unpleasant changes. Clara, now 7 months, is taking less naps, 1-2 a day sometimes 3 and needs a quiet place to do so which with Lily is very difficult to find. She went through a couple weeks where she was up until 10 or 10:30 which made for even longer days and is in the habit of waking at 3 or 4 in the morning then again at 7:30 or 7. Which could be worse I know, I just haven’t figured out what to do with her since I don’t want her to stay in her bed in the room with Lily crying as loud as she does. I’ve continued to move her out into the living room into the swing and give her a pacifier which she’s happy with, but she completely fills that swing up and is really beginning to weigh it down! I’ll have to figure something different out soon which I’m afraid will mean less sleep for me.
Our Lily is certainly at that wonderful “terrible twos” stage. She’s gaining more independence, but has such clingy whiny times it drives me crazy. Sometimes if it’s not whining she’s up to it’s crying/screaming at me. Poor thing. I know she gets so frustrated trying to tell me what she wants and when I finally get it it’s usually something she can’t have! That really sets her off. Then I’m stuck trying to distract her with something else instead of giving in to her and that not working and both of us frustrated.
And we’ve decided to give potty training a more determined try. We’re using the “Naked and $75” method. It’s been 5 days now putting her on her potty every hour and she’s actually starting to tell us she’s got to go then going once we put her on the potty! Today she even went all by herself without telling us anything! We were very proud, but there are still the 2-3 other times during the day that she’s NOT using the potty but the carpet or her crib. Yes this “training” takes time and yes she’s still only 18 months old I remind myself. I think she’s getting the hang of it and I would hate to go back to letting her go in her diapers all day now because it might confuse her. I’m glad she’s getting used to the idea and not afraid of the potty, that’s a step in the right direction I think, but it’s not an easy thing to get housework done, care for another baby and get to a naked baby before she makes a poo on the living room floor!
We’ve had some difficult days but with the hard times have come some very sweet moments. I want to jot them down so I don’t forget and to remind myself that when I feel like my sweet baby is gone forever and been replaced with a Queen Toot and I think I’m gonna lose it, she can be so sweet and will always be my little girl who I love and am so proud of. Lily is such a doting big sister. A couple weeks ago while I was on the phone with my mom I saw Lily go to the table, find a paper towel and come back to the living room and wipe Clara’s face. I hadn’t seen the big spity Clara had ejected so big sister took care of it!
And I don’t want to ever forget how cute she is after our bedtime stories and hymn, when she gives kisses, tucks her bottle under her arm, waves bye-bye and marches happily down the hall to her bedroom to pray with Daddy and go night-night. Tonight she was even yelling “nigh-nigh”!
As hard as it gets to be a mama, staying at home 24-7 with little ones I don’t want to forget that as long as these days can be, they are short. These stages my babies are in will pass and then will come other stages. As hard as it gets to deal with these crying, yelling, pooping, messy babies they won’t always be this way. My days have frustrations but if I can just stop for a minute I’ll see they’re really filled with sweet moments, proud moments, laughs, kisses and hugs that I’ll carry for the rest of my life.
