Uh Oh

I just took a trip down memory lane and was reading old blog posts. In many a post, I said something like "thank god this is just a phase." But...I realize that I kept saying that over and over about the same things!! Things I thought were phases have turned out to be just part of her temperament.

Namely, the strident, obstinate "I am going to do it my way, on my timetable, on my terms, and there isn't a damn thing you can do about it" attitude. Who am I kidding? I'm completely at her mercy. I have no control whatsoever. I'm terrified of the teenage years!!

Fortunately, the biting has stopped. It took about 2 years. Now we're down to scratching, hitting, and hair pulling. *sigh*

And the sleeping. I've always thought of her as a "good sleeper." But looking back on the posts, I see how much WORK we had to do to make her be what amounts to about an average sleeper. She's still a handful at bedtime. Just doesn't want to go down.

Finally, and thankfully, the sweetness and joyful spark are still there. Morning reunions after a night of sleeping in separate beds are oh-so-cuddly. "I love you" still makes an occasional appearance. She is greatly concerned for the comfort and well-being of her many stuffed animals, making sure they are properly fed, blanketed, pushed in the stroller, and comforted when they are crying. She's just full of energy and positively glows while enjoying the simplest pleasures, like jumping on the bed.

I can't wait to shake this miserable cold/infection I've got so I can keep up with her again!