5 Things I Learned This Week

1. I would not be a good single mom
This week was Soccer tryouts at J's school. J is going back to coaching soccer after a year's absence. BOY--it is so hard without him. He left before P woke up and he got home after she went to bed. That left me with 12 solid hours of P by my self with no help. ALL WEEK LONG. It was exhausting. I am so glad that I do not have to do that every day. Plus--little girl was definitely missing her daddy in the afternoons. She kept looking at the door and saying, "dada?" Broke my little heart. These next two months are going to be really hard on me as J will not be home most nights until around 6 and a few nights a week he will not come home till I am probably asleep. I am going to need some alone time on the weekends. It really makes me appreciate all of those single moms out there. Ya'll are the true heroes. To do this without help everyday--incredible.

2. Teething is a bad mother
As I wrote about earlier in the week--P is cutting 4 teeth at once and she is miserable. Homegirl spent most of the week hopped up on Motrin and I am not the least bit sorry. Usually I try my hardest to keep from having to give her medicine--but teething is a bad mother. She needed relief.

3. Taking away the bottle is not an easy thing
So at P's one year check-up her doctor was really pushing me to take her bottles away cold turkey. OMG--it was horrible. I took them away and LG would not take either of her naps that day. She screamed like something out of the exorcist. I wish I had the patience to deal with that. BUT--I have got to work during her naps. Like I HAVE TO. So--back the bottles came. Everything is right in the world again. Today I am trying again. I am hoping that by Tuesday they will be gone and I don't have to worry about it. Send me all of your positive vibes.

4. P understands what I am saying--and she is ignoring me already
So this week I had an epiphany. I was sitting on the couch working and I watched P go over to the makeshift "gate" that I have created to keep her in the living room. I looked at her and said "no!" very firmly. She looked at me and walked away. Then, once she saw me return in my work, I watched her out of the corner of my eye sneak back over to the gate and push past it. I stood up and ran to get her and she started running from me. I realized--she understands that she is not supposed to go over there, and she is doing it anyway. HERE WE GO! Once I returned her to the living room--she pitched a mini fit complete with slapping in my general direction. I thought,"I am in so much trouble with her it is not even funny!"

5. I am quickly becoming one of those parents that gives in to their child's tantrums and I don't know how no to be that person
I never wanted to be that person. However, it is so hard. I just want the tantrum to stop, and so I give in. I know--it is horrible.