The Change...

So, I have decided that something happens around the age of 2. All of the sudden my sweet, loving, calm child turns in to a gremlin. Yes I said a gremlin. Everything is, "No, I'll do it!", "No mommy!", and anything else that starts with no. Now, I don't want my child to be afraid of me, but I do want him to listen and be a little worried about what would happen if he disobeyed. Today when I put him in time out, he laughed, HE LAUGHED!!! AHHHHHH!!!! I don't think I have ever been so frustrated. So I took the time out mat that is in the nice living room, and put it in his dark bedroom and shut the door. The laughing stopped. He cried for 2 minutes then counted to 10 and then said he was sorry, just like we have been trying to teach him. Maybe this will start to work. It is just so sad I have days where I just love being mother to my sweet little boy and I wish that I never had to go to work. THEN...the next day I swear I am going to pull out all my hair and put him in the outside kennel with Paca, and I can't wait to go to work to get a break. Wow, this parenting thing is pretty hard...why am I pregnant again?

Four nights later...

All I can say is that I am exhausted! The first night was just too good to be true. It has only gone downhill since then. I keep asking my self why I am subjecting my self to this so soon to pulling all nighters with the new baby. AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! Last night I finally broke down and cried. I felt like a new mother again and that I had no idea what I was doing. Okay this is what happened.
The second night:
I put Jackson down and he got out of bed five times. On the fifth time we finally decided to lock the door. I sat on the couch crying sure that Jackson was thinking horrible things about his mommy as he cried in his room. As soon as it was quiet I unlocked to door and went in and he had crawled back in bed and was asleep. We left the door unlocked and went to bed and Jackson never got up till the morning. (Which was around 6:10 when he usually sleeps in till about 8:00)
The third night:
I put Jackson down and he got up three times and then I decided to lock the door again. Again I was upset on the couch but he was asleep about 15 min after I locked the door. I went in again and he was in bed and I tucked him in and left the door unlocked. He slept through the night again but got up around 6:15 again.
The fourth night:
Josh took his turn putting Jackson down. (He is much nicer than I am, as most of you know.) He asked Jackson if he would stay in bed if he left the door open. Jackson got out of bed twice but daddy stayed in the hallway and gave him a stern point back to the bed and he went to bed and stayed!?! WHAT!?! (This made me feel like crap-I could have just left the door open instead of locking it and he would have stayed?) Again, daddy wins the parenting award for the week. Or does he?... Josh then went to go play basketball and came in around 11:30 I warned him when he came in that he should be so quiet and pray that he doesn't wake him up. As soon as Josh turns out the light we had a little visitor in our room. The visitor must have really liked us because he made 3 more repeat appearances that night. The final visit was at 5:00 about 20 min before I had to get up for work. Again, I cried. (It turns out that being 6 months pregnant, working 10 hour days at the office and then another hour and half at the gym and then training your toddler to sleep in a bed all at the same time does not really go together.) When I got to work I texted Josh and told him that I thought we needed to lock the door all night tonight to keep him from waking up to a crazy pregnant lady tomorrow. I was glad that he approved. So parents of the year we may not be but at least we a finding ways not to completely lose our minds. Just when you think, yes I have the parenting thing under control they throw another curve ball at you. AHHHHHHHH!!! There should be a warning label that comes with kids....
WARNING: NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART. AT LOT HARDER THAN IT LOOKS. THEY PROBABLY WON'T LIKE YOU A LOT OF THE TIME. YOU WILL CRY A LOT. SCREW UP A LOT. AND JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU CAN HANDLE THEM...THEY SURPRISE YOU...YOU CANT. GOOD LUCK!

The First Night...

Jackson got a big boy bed for his 2nd Birthday with an awesome basketball comforter. While we were setting up the bed he kept climbing all over it. As soon as it was all put together he wanted to climb on the top and look at all the basketball things on the quit. He kept jumping up and down saying, "Excited, excited!". We were happy for Jackson but we were both a little nervous. With the baby coming in a few months we know that we are going to be suffering in the sleep area again soon and we thought by putting Jackson in the big boy bed that we were just starting our sleep deprivation early. When it came time for bed we said prayers by the bed (pleading with Heavenly Father to help him stay in bed) and then we tucked him in. Daddy stayed in the room for a few minutes to make sure that Jackson was settled and then he just said goodnight and walked out. We came in our room and waited, and waited, and waited...nothing. So we went to bed. I woke up about 3 in the morning worried that his new pillow had suffocated him and that was why he had not come in yet, but no he was alive and sleeping. Then the morning came, I heard him wake up about 7:3o and talk to him self for a few minutes and then I heard his door open. He was up. He came in to my room and of course said, "Watch Elmo?" I couldn't believe we had made it. The first night was a wonderful success...I will let you know how night #2 goes. ...

Jackson's Family Party

Jackson is having his party on Saturday, but on his real birthday the three of us (not for long!) had just a family birthday party. I made cupcakes for Jackson and daddy and we sang happy birthday and opened presents. He really was excited all day long, he kept saying, "Happy Birthday Jackson?". I let him know it really was a special day because that was the only day that mommy would give him an entire cupcake to himself. (I am always afraid of giving him too much sugar so he always gets half a cookie, or whatever treat he is having...I know I am mean.) All in all I think he had a good day and I think that on Saturday he will have even more fun. He did get an Elmo potty training book which we are hoping really pushes him to learn. I am not looking forward to two in diapers, so Jackson has got to get this down pretty quickly!