Thursday 11 March 2010

Life Buoys? SOS!


Seriously kids, Tiny is completing doing my head in, flipping flap jacks with my brain, making risotto with my mind, turning my intelligence to squid soup.

First we started off with another 12:30am call out. This time Matt had fallen fast asleep so it was me to fend for myself. Darn it. That Tiny sure knows how to screech.

And this morning she rose at the very novel time of 8:30am. Novel for her. Nightmare for the Doctor and I who were attempting to leave the house at 9am sharp.

Thankfully I had to be elsewhere but a babysitter was coming to look after Tiny.

30 minutes after I had left Tiny with the babysitter I receive a text message saying: She's having a massive tantrum. She won't stop crying.

Hey lady - I'm paying YOU to deal with the tantrums. YOU deal with it. Ok not really, but I what am I going to do when I am on the opposite side of the city?

And so it is, tonight, after two million tantrums and the subsequent realisation that the terrible twos really do exist, and they are alive, and very, very well, I find myself perusing photos of Tiny when she was really tiny and only had eyes for her mama. And wasn't scaling the side of her cot. And head butting the floor. And scratching my face. And screeching 'not yours' at me.

Tired? You bet your bottom bippy.

PS - that photo down there is NOT me with a goat. We don't have a goat (and I don't own any scrunchies - PHEW!), but we do have a psycho rabbit.

16 comments:

Michelle said...

just sending hugs
xxx

Suzy said...

No advice, just sympathy. And usually these feral cranky stages only seem to last a week or so. Can the babysitter stay on duty all week?

Julia said...

I can't tell you how relieved I am that someone else has a girl like mine. I remember saying to other mothers that mine really is in the throws of the "terrible twos" only to be told that 3 is much worse. Did that really need to be said? She turned three in January. It has it's good and bad points. Hang in there. You're not the only one experiencing this x

dorothybills..... said...

Oh I feel your 'tiredness', and the 2's can be so hard especially with no sleep, hang in there it will get better......!
Great idea to look at the old pic's!

Michele @ The Hills are Alive said...

this to shall pass (trite but true...although someone once said to me "it doesnt get easier just different" as they get older and theres some truth in that too.

Been there. Survived it. Still in the midst of it some days. My youngest is 2 yrs 10 mths so we will see if 3 is better/easier/different.

Hang in there.

PS Great idea to look at the small lovely tiny baby photos and remember the love and purpose of it all

PPS After a bad day I often go in and see them asleep and reset my brain and heart for the next day. They always look so cute and loveable when asleep

PPPS just think "growth spurt" (another version of "this will pass" I guess but sometimes helps to think of a reason/possible cause for why the crankiness...could be anything I guess but growth spurt kinda covers it)

PPPPS love the little birdy brooch too

Cindy said...

I wish I could help but I can send lots of love and sympathy - oh and chocolate - does that count. Could it be seperation anxiety? I know that seems to be the source of alot of Poppy's issue.

trash said...

Drugs. For anyone who is to hand!

Just keep chanting 'this too shall pass.' I believe the hypnotic effect will get everyone off to sleep eventually.

jo price said...

I live with wild beast here and it comes as a shock when it comes out of the blue...I used to rack my brain trying to work out why..is miss Ivy getting a virus...is she having a growth spurt...is Miss Hazel getting teeth...have I given too much sugar...you get the picture. Its all very exhausting. The good thing about little kidlets is that things are always a changing...and all bad days come to an end. Goodluck with that.

Megan said...

stick in there! you're doing a fabulous job!! and keep venting, i'm a firm believe that a bit of venting goes a long way. we are all here to listen to you and send our wishes for a good nights sleep your way.
i don't know if you've already tried this, it may be very obvious (i wouldn't know not being blessed with motherhood yet) but a friend was having trouble with her daughter sleeping and she called Ngala which is a Mothering Support group here in WA. Not sure if it is national, or if you have something similar over there?

Sophie said...

my older one was always EXTREMELY difficult when she was about to make a developmental jump -- ie. learning some big new skill. it seemed like all her mental reserves got directed into this, and she had nothing left when it came to regulating her own behaviour. the only things that helped were being very consistent with the routine (meals, baths, stories, bedtimes) and keeping things as calm and mellow as possible at home. and then waiting for the cool new skill/ability/understanding to show itself...

good luck mama! if she is anything like my older girl, you are in for an exhausting ride! exciting and fun (mine is 14 now, and wonderful and amazing), but very very tiring.

teddybearswednesday said...

Oh Lexi, my heart goes out to you guys. I'm so sorry.
I don't have any pearls of wisdom for you just heaps of sympathy.
xo

Rachael @Mogantosh said...

Oh, daer, Mummy needs the funny farm... I'm so with Soophie above: both Ivy and Ted have always cracked their most crazy times just before breaching some new developmental phase. And also, it alwasy feels like they test you to your absolute limit before they calm again...sort of like 'mum's in the foetal position, my work here is done...'

I'd say go zen, let it wash over you, one foot in front of the other and all that, and also relax some rules a little if it helps you cope while she's being ratty- more telly time, etc.

Good luck!!

Bek said...

Oh hard... I remember when Caleb went through a ... challenging phase and there is a very mixed bag of emotions to deal with as mum. Feel for you. Add sleep deprivation, and ... wow, Bad.

Caleb's "terrible twos" did pass in time, and like others have said, Tiny's will too. But it's hard not to know the time limit on it!

mel @ loved handmade said...

Oh Mama, do I hear you!! Our life revolves around tantrums...it's like living with a time bomb, you just never know what might set it off or where or when...there are no rules, rhyme or reason. Like taking a walk each day in a mine field! You know, his motto is 'Fight to the death!'...

Kate Moore said...

Have you thought about screeching back, you know, just to see what happens? Nothing to lose here. I'm all for the, "oops, that wasn't so good" approach to parenting.

Cath @ chunkychooky said...

Feeling your pain. sending patience and slef preservation...