The Twos: They can be terrible....

...but they sure are terrific!

Maya has officially entered the "terrible twos" stage of extreme moods, attitude, and temper tantrums.  She can be sassy and naughty one instant and loving and sweet the next.  I have always felt that each stage keeps getting better and better and I still truly believe it.  While the tantrums get bigger, everything else seems to get better.   I simply adore my sweet girl who says "Love you, Mommy" and smothers me with hugs and kisses CONSTANTLY!  And to see her show this kind of affection towards her daddy totally makes me melt!

This past weekend was a particularly difficult one for Maya.  Rob and I had planned a weekend of painting and projects with the help of our friends and family.  We had quite a big agenda and had it well-planned to assure that all of our projects were completed before the weekend was over.  Maya spent part of the day on Saturday with her Grandpa Bob,  while the rest of us painted the nursery.  She then had a sleepover with her Grandma Sue so Jenni and I could finish up some projects later Saturday night and run some errands Sunday morning.  While Maya had a great time playing with and being spoiled by Grandma Sue, she was definitely lacking in the sleep department.  When I picked her up late Sunday morning, I was certain she would crash in the car on the way home and take a long afternoon nap.  However, that was not the case.  Maya was so incredibly over-tired by the time we got home, she absolutely refused a nap.  "No sleep! No bed! No nap" she adamantly repeated.  Instead she sat in her room jumping up and down in her bed, singing and talking like a crazy person!  What's a mom to do??  I certainly couldn't FORCE her to stay in her big girl bed, nor did I want to.  She has always gone down for a nap and bedtime very easily and  I wasn't about to turn it into a power struggle.  After a few times of reminding Maya, "It's bed time. Please don't kick the wall."  OR "It's bed time.  Please stop banging your head on your headboard" I finally got her up.  We snuggled, read books, and watched some tv so she could at least have some "quiet time."

We proceeded with our afternoon, working on projects around the house, playing, and having dinner.  I was CERTAIN Maya would go to bed early after having only about 8 hours of sleep in the past 24.   When bedtime came, Maya came up with EVERY excuse she could think of to delay it.  "I want an apple, I want a drink, I want Daddy, I want to read books, I want to watch Mickey, I want a snack, etc..." At first, I tried to appease her just to get her to bed, but I could tell nothing was going to work.  I finally ignored all future requests and set her in her bed.  She COMPLETELY LOST IT!  As soon as I laid her down in bed, she panicked and followed me to the door.  I gave her a kiss and put her right back to bed, only to have her follow me back to the door crying and screaming.  We did this about 3 more times until I finally sat in the doorway with her crying and screaming in my arms, "Rocky rocky.  I want to snuggle with Mommy.  Out There." while she pointed to the living room.  I was NOT about to give in.  I was not about to break the rules.  I mean, can you imagine me rocking my two and a half year old to sleep nightly while nursing a newborn?! I think not!!

After about 5 minutes of this, I could not take it anymore. We were both tired and frustrated and inside my heart was breaking for her.  I scooped her up, Nuks, blanket, and all and carried her to the rocking chair she was begging to snuggle in.  The same rocking chair I had rocked her in, practically from conception.   As soon as we sat down and began rocking, Maya immediately relaxed and began to doze off.  As she relaxed, I felt myself begin to relax as well.   And then it hit me... Maya needed her mama and I needed her.  I think I needed her as much as she needed me in that moment.  I began to look at my perfectly happy, healthy, and sweet little girl and wonder about the last time I had rocked her to sleep in my arms.  I couldn't even remember, it had been sooo long.  Maybe 9 months old?  Maybe once when she had been sick? She had been going to sleep by herself for so long, I hadn't rocked her to sleep in ages.  But I noticed how relaxed and safe she looked snuggled up in my arms.  My thoughts quickly changed from "hurry up and fall asleep so I can finish putting away laundry" to "I wonder if we could snuggle like this all night long?!"  My moments with Maya are so precious, as I know her world is going to change drastically in only 9 more weeks when this new baby arrives.  She is going to need me more than ever, but so is our new baby.   I know it will be a challenging time as we all adjust to our new normal.  As I watched Maya sleep in my arms that night, it became very clear that if I make all future decisions by following my heart, I know they will always be the right ones.

Sunday night, I definitely made the right decision to snuggle her to sleep!  <3