King of the Castle! : Terrible Twos are NO Joke!

There have been a few times over the past few weeks where I have sat in awe while watching a certain 2 year old go from being the sweetest, kindest, most adorable little boy to the spawn of Satan in a matter of minutes. My sweet boy? No way! Oh yes, it has been a trying few weeks. Obviously, we have entered the Terrible Twos Club, but then couple that with some wacky routine changes, a slight case of bronchitis and some 2 year molars coming in and I feel like we have entered the Twilight Zone at times. This all seemed to have started the week after Jameson only slept for 7 hours the night of Darin's surprise party. I do believe that he maybe just never caught up. On top of that, there were a few days where he had to stay home with us due to others being sick, which meant he got to sleep in late and then stay up later at night. And, then of course with me going on bed rest and having to modify all of our routines - things have just been a little nutty to say the least. No wonder the poor kid has been a mess. Who wouldn't be?

We almost feel as if we have to walk on eggshells around him lately. The catch phrase constantly ringing in our ears has been "don't want to" with a side of screaming, throwing fits and hitting occasionally. His sleeping habits (both naps and bed time) have changed for the worse and although we should count our blessings for having a good sleeper for so long, it is frustrating. He screams when we leave the room and then once he calms down, he stands against the side of his crib. Sometimes for an hour or more before giving in and laying down! Stubborn little monkey! I know it's been weird for him though because we have completely disrupted our usual night time routine with my not being able to pick him up. Plus, the time we put him to bed slowly got later and later and I think overall, he is just completely out of whack! The positive thing is that once he lays down, he is out for the night.

I know all of this has tried our patience and has left me wondering what I am going to do when we throw a newborn in the mix. Luckily, we have some amazing families who help us through these things. And, I think my hair would be gray if I didn't have my awesome support system of March Mommies who are all going through similar scenarios with their toddlers. It's nice to know that this is completely normal and that I didn't in fact birth the spawn of Satan! I am completely joking when I say this - we all know that I think the world of my child and even in the midst of this fun-filled stage, my love for him grows every day.

I mentioned in my Before You post how Motherhood has taught me that I can experience pure joy and frustration at the same time and this rings true during these terrible two moments as well. I continue to pray that God gives me patience during these tantrums because I have to realize that my little man is only two. He is still so little and even though he communicates well beyond his two years, he is still only two. This will only last for awhile and he will be graduating high school before I can blink. We have to stand our ground on things so he knows that this behavior will not be permitted or rewarded. But, bottom line, we have to remember that he is only two. And, we have to be extremely grateful that overall he is an amazing two year old. He is well mannered and is just the sweetest boy - always giving hugs and kisses. He is intelligent and actually listens really well...when he wants to. So, in those moments when I feel like I may go crazy, I just have to remember that with every bad moment, we have about 20 more good moments that wash away any trace of the Terrible Twos!

I am happy to report that bed time has gone wonderfully the past two nights! Hoping this means that he is adjusting to our new bed time routine! And, honestly, overall, he has been so much better this week - I really think he just needed to kick the germs, get some rest and adjust to the changes....let's hope so anyway!! Keep it up J Man!

Mid tantrum - I know, taking pictures doesn't help.

This was right before someone started throwing Easter eggs!

Last Thursday night just standing up in his bed. Every once in awhile
we would hear, "don't want to" and "Mommy, get me uppy". An hour and a half
of standing (and sleep standing!) before he gave up!