28 Months

Monkey,

For some unknown reason, I've started to call you Monkey again.  It just slipped out one day and you LOVED it.  "Monkey! What?"  "You're my little Monkey, hopping all over the place."  Then you ran around the house shrieking, which I am guessing are monkey sounds and doing your ridiculous skip hop.  Your face lights up everytime I yell Monkey.  Its not a great nickname but you apparently adore it.  And if something gives you that much enjoyment I am bound to do it till the end of time.

I hate to say it but I think you have embarked on something like the terrible twos.  My optimism is telling me it might just be you asserting your independence or you're going through a 'do the opposite of what Momma tells me' phase.  But either way, its a little more challenging and a little less fun.  Specifically, we are having meal time woes and sometimes a refusal to get dressed.  The naked time I don't care about too much.  Worst case scenario, if we HAVE to get out of the house, I'll force some clothes on you.  You cry for about 2 seconds then you're over it.  The eating has got me worried.  I can get, maybe, one good meal in you a day.  You HATE breakfast and starting our day out with a breakfast fight usually makes for a tough day all around.  I am trying not to make a big deal of it because you will catch on and then really not eat.  You have been size 2T since last August after always being 2 sizes up.  I'm worried.  So, please, please Wyatt eat and be happy.  Please.

People come and go a lot around here.  My schedule changes all the time and there is not one morning that all of us are home.  You've finally caught on and don't like it much.  Last night, you woke up crying saying "Where'd Momma go?  Momma. Momma."  I pulled you close to me and reassured you that I was right there.  Once you were satisfied with that, you called out "Gammy!  Where'd Gammy go?"  Because you know that chances are only one of us is home at a time and you would like everyone there all the time.  The other night, it ended in extreme measures that was quite amusing.  I had gone out to dinner with Kari.  I got home around 10 (what wild and crazy kids we are!!) and relieved Gammy.  You became vaguely aware of the bait and switch and started crying.  Gammy hopped back in our bed until you feel asleep again.  20 or so minutes go by, Gammy sneaks out.  All was well for another 30 minutes, when you figure it out again and start crying.  Gammy, being the nosey wonderfully attentive woman that she is, heard you and assumed you were crying for her again.  Except this time you were crying for your dump truck.  Because clearly what you need at 1 in the morning is your dump truck.  Once Gammy is back in the room, you now want both of us.  So there's Gammy on the left, you spread out in the middle, me on the right, and Pup laying with you and his head on my hip.  There was no hope for sleep.  When you woke up, you were perfectly delighted that our bed was so full.  Although not entirely restful, it was a memorable night.

In other random news, Lizzy got a hamster that you like calling the "little mouse." You're confused by it.  Sometimes wanting to play with it and sometimes saying "ew, gross." I feel similar.  Overnight, you have become obsessed with playing with other kids.  Baby Elizabeth has been coming over a lot.  And Gianna, the 3 year old next door, has become your constant playmate.  You watch for her to come out in her yard.  When she does, you grab my hand and make for the fence.  Pulling me to get outside to "play with Gianna!!"  You ask her to come to the beach with us.  You are Alfalfa and Darla, so cute.  Sometimes the two of you will just sit together and watch her older brothers on their bikes.  I am glad you like playing the other kids.  Maybe you won't be such an only child after all. We are embarking on the "why" phase.  Every request has a "why" attached and if it doesn't make sense to you, you won't comply.  You are smart.  It is very hard for me to out-smart you sometimes.  For example, we were at the Y and I was trying to teach you manners.  A boy wanted to play something and you didn't.  I told you to say "no thanks" and that means you don't want to do that right now.  Then, at dinner that night, I set down your chicken and you push the plate away saying "No thanks, Momma."  How, exactly, do I compete with that?!?

I feel like we are on the edge of a precipice.  The baby stage is far behind us and looming up ahead is this new enlightened terrain.  Yes, you came into this world 28 months ago but just recently have you become cognizant of your place in this world.  You want things. You need things. Your opinionated.  You hunger for learning and must have a reason for every action.  You weld your power over me with tiny fists.  The baby phase seems the hardest, the most exhausting, and tedious.  But I am beginning to think I haven't seen the hard part yet.  We are embarking on the age of reason.  Take a deep breath and leap.  For better or worse, I've got you and you've got me.  We'll make it through together.

I love you, everyday.
Momma