Stages

I have tried to prepare myself for my spirited baby to become a fiesty, spirited toddler complete with her own independent personality. I know that just when I feel like a pro with whatever stage we are in Miss C moves into a new stage.

The last few days have been the I don't want to be on the changing table so I am going to scream and roll over like you are killing me stage. It's also been the I don't like it when you put me in the car seat and we go for a ride so I am going to wail and throw my toys and just be down right pissed off unless you sing to me and then I might keep yelling until you play music that I like on the radio stage. And then there's the I am freaking starving and you cannot feed me fast enough for my liking and don't even think about feeding me anything with plums or raspberries because I will shriek and turn my head away stage. Oh and then there's the I am going to lay on the floor face down with my arms and legs extended and flap my arms like I am throwing a tantrum on two different occasions just to see what you will do stage. Which is right up there with the don't you even think about taking away something I have like that pen that I could stick in my eyeball or the hunk of food that I want to shove in my mouth because you weren't feeding me fast enough and I am hungry damn it so I don't care that I might choke stage.

Wow! It's been fun.

These last couple of days have been trying...TRYING. But I am trying to be calm and logical. Calm and logical...hahahaha. I don't want a bratty kid. I don't want the kid who throws uncontrollable fits and the parents just get steamrolled and overwhelmed to the point where they cave and their kid runs the show. I also know that she is a 1 year old who is expressing herself and testing her boundaries.

I get it. I just don't like it.

So I am trying not to sweat the small stuff and keep my perspective. Like knowing that we started giving her cows milk for the first time this weekend which gave her a little diarrhea. The diarrhea in turn gave her a diaper rash like it always does. Her typical reaction to a diaper rash is to reject the changing table and car seat because they hurt her. Stop the cows milk, stop the diarrhea, stop the diaper rash, stop the screaming on the changing table and in the car seat.

I am also adjusting dinner time because right now Miss C wants to eat at 5:30ish which is somewhat impossible because that is when we are getting home. So, I am trying to give her a little appetizer to hold her off until I can get my coat off and get something pulled together for her to eat. This seems to be working so far.

The tantrum on the floor...well, I ignored that and just redirected her. I am chalking that one up to seeing it done at daycare because it happened those two times and hasn't happened since.

And the displeasure over taking something away from her...well, some times she's just not going to like it but if it's in her best interest and for her safety it is what it is. Redirecting works wonders for little minds that quickly forget what had them so wound up a second ago.

I guess my point is this...I know absolutely nothin' bout raising no babies but I have a brain and I intend to use it. If we screw her up, well, we did it with the most loving intentions.