“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times . . . .”
I’m 100% certain that Charles Dickens was raising a small human when he wrote those opening words to A Tale of Two Cities.
The dichotomy of how ridiculously amazing and how hair-pulling-outingly frustrating it can be to spend all day, every day with the person you love the absolute most in the world is simply mind-blowing.
I’m a “give me the bad news first” kind of gal, so let’s start with the Worst of Times.
WORST OF TIMES
1. Constant Company.
Showering, cooking, pooping — yup, you’ve got eyes on you. For a while, my kid wasn’t necessarily *on* me all the time, but right around 3.5 we entered a clingy stage and Oh My Dog, can you please stop tugging at the skin on my elbow? WTF?
2. Sleep Issues — Again (or Still)
M didn’t sleep through the night until she hit her third birthday, and even that was preceded by several bouts of interrupted sleep and random late nights and extremely early wakes, which was all the more frustrating since we had finally been able to get to five-hour stretches at least. Now as we approach The Big Four, things are settling in again. Yes, I know: FOR NOW.
3. Meltdowns
In a word: epic. The meltdowns over things like ‘Those stuffed animals just don’t fit into that purse. Here is a larger purse.” NOOOOOOOO WAAAAAAAAH.
Or the changing of her mind three times within ten seconds. Or the purple marker has run out of ink. You know, the big stuff in life. Toddlering is hard, y’all.
BEST OF TIMES
1. Random Acts of Cuteness
Out of nowhere and for no apparent reason, M will shout, “HUUUUUG!,” which is the cue for us to, you guessed it, hug. This is when she’s completely happy, perhaps playing on the other side of the room, so it’s said with a smile and then often followed by running toward me with her arms open. OMG TEH CUTENESS.
Similarly adorable is when she talks baby talk to the dogs and helps them do things. Or wants to help me do just about everything. Girlfriend knows how to work the washing machine—something her father still hasn’t quite mastered.
2. Toddlery Turns of Phrase
Every day there is a new phrase that cracks me up. I post many such verbal exchanges on the Baby Espresso Facebook page, but the most recent one that comes to mind is when she bit into a particularly juicy peach and shouted, “Mommy! There is a peach river running right to my belly!”
3. Constant Little Buddy
I’m quite certain I will never feel more loved by my daughter—perhaps by anyone—than I do right now during these early years.
I know my mini-person adores me, just like your mini-person adores you.
A D O R E S you.
Even when you lose your shit and think the day couldn’t possibly get any worse, she still loves you and she’s always (ALWAYS) there to show you that actually, today is the best, too.
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