Week 2

Week 2 has been much the same as week 1 except I'm starting to feel the drag of fragmented sleep a lot more.  Man it sucks to only sleep 2-3 hours at a time.  I can't believe I've been sleeping like that since Noah was born and probably will continue to do so for at least another week or so.  Ugh.

All this crappy sleep is making me into a super crabby person, and sadly, I think I've been taking it out on Judah the most.  I feel awful every time I recall how cranky and short-tempered I am with him.  How I get so quickly annoyed at his antics.  How I grit my teeth and stiffen my neck and count the minutes until he finally goes down for a nap.

But honestly, the kid can be really hard to handle with a full tank of sleep and energy.  I don't know if I should attribute his oppositional behavior to the 'terrible twos' or if it's just part of his personality (because honestly, the spouse is one of the MOST oppositional, autonomy-seeking people I know)--but whatever the reason, it is grinding me down people.  Grinding.  Me.  Down.

They're so sweet before they turn into little toddler monsters.

EVERYTHING must be challenged.  NOTHING can be agreed to without first whining, running around, yelling 'No!', etc.  In fact, the very act of suggesting something triggers Judah's defiance and makes him want to do the exact opposite.

And of course we have to set boundaries and check unacceptable behavior.  So there are an endless string of time-outs threatened and given and given yet again.  It is exhausting.

But Judah is exhausting even when he's not behaving badly.  When he's just being a normal, regular kid, he is constantly talking, asking, questioning, inquiring, telling us what to do, telling us what he would like to do, telling us his random observations, talk talk talk talk talk!  I turned to the spouse the other day and said, "Gosh, I really miss the time when Judah didn't know how to talk."

But Judah doesn't just talk, he yells.  His 'normal' speaking voice is just so very loud.  And the kid, like most 2 year olds, repeats himself endlessly.  Just the other day he was delighted to find out that his rubber snake glows in the dark (thanks Lauren!).  And he just HAD to shout out his discovery no less than 16 times.  Do you know how annoying that is?  Let me try to simulate it for you...

"IT GLOW IN THE DARK MOMMY!"

"That's nice Judah."

"IT GLOW IN THE DARK MOMMY!"

"Yes Judah"

"IT GLOW IN THE DARK MOMMY!"

"Mmmhmm"

"IT GLOW IN THE DARK MOMMY!"

"mmm"

"IT GLOW IN THE DARK MOMMY!"

"okay"

"IT GLOW IN THE DARK MOMMY!"

"How many times are you going to say this?"

"IT GLOW IN THE DARK MOMMY!"

"Stay still, I'm trying to put on your diapers."

"IT GLOW IN THE DARK MOMMY!"

"Stop moving."

"IT GLOW IN THE DARK MOMMY!"

"I know"

"IT GLOW IN THE DARK MOMMY!"

*silence--counting in my head*

"IT GLOW IN THE DARK MOMMY!"

*silence--11*

"IT GLOW IN THE DARK MOMMY!"

*silence--12*

"IT GLOW IN THE DARK MOMMY!"

*silence--13*

"IT GLOW IN THE DARK MOMMY!"

*silence--14*

"IT GLOW IN THE DARK MOMMY!"

*silence--15*

"IT GLOW IN THE DARK MOMMY!"

*silence*
*oh thank God it's over*

See what I mean?  See what I have to endure every minute of every day?!  You add some really crappy sleep to the mix and you get super-cranky-mommy.  But I do feel awful about it.

So every day after I put him to bed, I tell myself to try to be better tomorrow.  I have to be more patient.  To smile more at him.  To give him longer cuddles.  To love him even when I don't like him.

Judah has a fun outing with dad and gives mommy a much appreciated break!

And to make the spouse take him out of the house more for some father-son-only time!