Thoughts on a Wednesday Morning
Jul. 17th, 2019 04:55 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
spryngHello yes it's time for my quarterly I Swear I'm Going to Use Dreamwidth More Post.
I feel like my memory is seeping out of my brain before the moment has even passed, so I'm going to at least try a new morning routine where I open DW and spill some of that memory before it's gone forever.
My wife is away at a conference all week and it's only Wednesday but this go-around is already going so much better than last year (which was full of anxiety attacks and depression, so). I think that's 50% due to working in an office and being around people, but 50% due to Ms Lady Jr just becoming a bit easier to handle.
Tantrums have really begun to ease and go away, which I didn't expect this soon, but I'll take. There was a solid period of about 6 months where she was super touchy and any moment of hesitation led to a meltdown - complete with screaming and hitting and clawing. I have scars on my arms from all that and I still flinch when she lifts her hand near my face. One thing I didn't expect to ever say was that taking those MMA classes really helped with handling tantrums, because now I have mad-fast reflexes and can block before she hits.
But that's gotten a lot better. I suspect it's because she can actually communicate what she wants now, instead of clearly knowing the thing, but not being able to *say* the thing. And as her communication has gotten better, she's gotten more patient, so there's less We Have One Chance to Guess What She Wants and more a game of twenty questions filled with exasperation. And also the tried and true "oh wow" when I honestly have no idea what she's said.
But the things she DOES say. Omg. "There are two houses! No - FIVE houses!" "I wan' chicken and strawberries. Please." "I love you when BIG HUG." "I wanna see my poop."
SO CUTE
...okay maybe not that last one. Seriously, was not expecting such interest and then anger when I wouldn't show her her poop.
So she's basically a delight, and I'm so relieved. I know it'll get hard again but I feel like every steep hill we make it up in this developmental game gives such a beautiful view and perspective that it's worth all the struggle and tears. I was so relieved when she started sleeping and so relieved when she started walking and so relieved now that she's really talking. She even tells me about her day. Yesterday they had Kona Ice and her friends had it too and somebody hurt their elbow and somebody else was sad and on Monday somebody fell and hurt their knee. I kinda love??? that she tells me about the other kids in her class????
Basically. Baasically. It can be so fucking rough sometimes but it is absolutely getting easier. Sleep was the first big hurdle and now I think being able to sit and do more by herself is the next one that we're so, so close to. Because really that's the hardest part about solo-ing this week is that she's just constantly there and 100% and while I love that 100%, sometimes mama needs to pee.
Anyway, there's so much more than this but let's leave a bit for tomorrow morning. Here's to making this a habit again.
I feel like my memory is seeping out of my brain before the moment has even passed, so I'm going to at least try a new morning routine where I open DW and spill some of that memory before it's gone forever.
My wife is away at a conference all week and it's only Wednesday but this go-around is already going so much better than last year (which was full of anxiety attacks and depression, so). I think that's 50% due to working in an office and being around people, but 50% due to Ms Lady Jr just becoming a bit easier to handle.
Tantrums have really begun to ease and go away, which I didn't expect this soon, but I'll take. There was a solid period of about 6 months where she was super touchy and any moment of hesitation led to a meltdown - complete with screaming and hitting and clawing. I have scars on my arms from all that and I still flinch when she lifts her hand near my face. One thing I didn't expect to ever say was that taking those MMA classes really helped with handling tantrums, because now I have mad-fast reflexes and can block before she hits.
But that's gotten a lot better. I suspect it's because she can actually communicate what she wants now, instead of clearly knowing the thing, but not being able to *say* the thing. And as her communication has gotten better, she's gotten more patient, so there's less We Have One Chance to Guess What She Wants and more a game of twenty questions filled with exasperation. And also the tried and true "oh wow" when I honestly have no idea what she's said.
But the things she DOES say. Omg. "There are two houses! No - FIVE houses!" "I wan' chicken and strawberries. Please." "I love you when BIG HUG." "I wanna see my poop."
SO CUTE
...okay maybe not that last one. Seriously, was not expecting such interest and then anger when I wouldn't show her her poop.
So she's basically a delight, and I'm so relieved. I know it'll get hard again but I feel like every steep hill we make it up in this developmental game gives such a beautiful view and perspective that it's worth all the struggle and tears. I was so relieved when she started sleeping and so relieved when she started walking and so relieved now that she's really talking. She even tells me about her day. Yesterday they had Kona Ice and her friends had it too and somebody hurt their elbow and somebody else was sad and on Monday somebody fell and hurt their knee. I kinda love??? that she tells me about the other kids in her class????
Basically. Baasically. It can be so fucking rough sometimes but it is absolutely getting easier. Sleep was the first big hurdle and now I think being able to sit and do more by herself is the next one that we're so, so close to. Because really that's the hardest part about solo-ing this week is that she's just constantly there and 100% and while I love that 100%, sometimes mama needs to pee.
Anyway, there's so much more than this but let's leave a bit for tomorrow morning. Here's to making this a habit again.
no subject
Date: 2019-07-17 11:49 am (UTC)It really does get easier. That sleeping-through-the-night thing is HUGE. And then when they can climb on the counter and get their own goldfish from the cabinet AND pour their own milk? OMG. And get themselves dressed and wipe their own butts!? Liberating.
And then there's that little piece of me wishing time would slow down because they'll be, like, 18 tomorrow. SIGH. Not really, but it feels like that. 7/8 as been such a magical age! I think I love it the most.
PS: I read your book and LOVED IT. Really, really. <3
no subject
Date: 2019-07-18 09:33 am (UTC)Aaaaah <3 <3 <3
no subject
Date: 2019-07-18 06:43 am (UTC)I am definitely going to use this one. Thanks!
no subject
Date: 2019-07-18 09:34 am (UTC)But yeah, sometimes she just goes off in toddler-speak and I have NO IDEA, but then she looks at me all expectantly, and. Well.