Worries and Honesty

Thanks to THIS POST and THIS POST for the inspiration to write about reality, not sugar-coated life.  Life with a toddler is hard.  Not every day, but a lot of days.  Daniel is a great kid. He's smart and happy (most of the time) but we still struggle.

Meals: he doesn't always want to eat what I give him.  And yes, sometimes I give in and give him fish sticks or chicken nuggets just so he will eat.  He likes broccoli, so most of his meals have broccoli. It's easier than peas ending up all over my floor.

Sleep: overall, a great sleeper. BUT he wakes up at 6:15, EVERY MORNING.  Not just awake, but screaming his head off in his crib. It's incredibly unpleasant.

Temperament: Both Sparky and I are independent, and can be strong willed, so really, D's behavior shouldn't surprise me.  He wants what HE wants when HE wants it.  He wants keys? He'll scream until he gets keys.  He wants a snack? He'll cry "naaaaa" "naaaa" until you let him in the pantry to get a snack, which he then proceeds to either feed to the dog or spill all over the floor.  He's tired? Well don't even try anything but putting him to bed.  At restaurants, he's good while he's eating, and then he wants to walk around and play, or he'll make your meal a living hell.  We don't give into his tantrums, so there are a lot of times that I have a very unhappy, whiny, crying baby walking around the house.  This is probably my biggest challenge. My niece is so happy and docile all the time, but not Daniel. He doesn't sit still. He doesn't stop moving EVER.  He won't sit and watch TV or play with an iPad or anything like that.  The longest he sits still is when he's eating.  So of course, I worry, did I do something wrong? Or is he just a 16 month old boy?

Development: Overall, he's awesome.  He comprehends everything (put your books away, give the dog her treat, pick up your milk, etc).  But he's not incredibly vocal.  He knows how to say the words but refuses to say them.  I guess this is normal, but again, my niece(5 months older, so 21 months) can say short sentences and pronounce all of our names.

All parents worry, but no one talks about that.  All we see on Facebook are happy babies and blessed mothers, but what about the hard times when milk is spilled all over the floor and your house looks like a tornado blew threw and you haven't cleaned toilets in weeks because you just can't find the time? What about the guilt about falling asleep on the couch right after you eat dinner and not having any time to talk to your husband? That's reality for me these days, and as much as I hate it, I am exhausted.  I guess no one wants to hear about that, until they do, until they need the reassurance that they are normal.  Not everyone can be super mom, with the perfect house and the perfect chevron-striped paper straws that match every party occasion and the children that can eat pasta without getting a speck of it on their monogrammed polo shirt.

Keys AND phone in this picture