Wednesday, July 11, 2012

1000 days :: An Ah-Ha Moment

Avi turned two a few weeks ago. A huge milestone. 1000 days from conception until the 2nd birthday. 1000 days.


But as we turned this momentous corner, I found I lost sight of a few things. Let me explain. 

Avi started having some difficulty sleeping. Falling asleep was taking hours and on nights when he did fall asleep easily, he would "wake" several times crying out, "no, no". Sometimes he would be crying out in a kind of bad dream. During the day, transitions were met with meltdowns and screaming became commonplace, frustration levels where through the roof. He became uber clingy and wanted to be carried and held all of the time. We tried to figure out reasons for these things. Was the 4 hour time difference from our Hawaii trip still lingering? Second year molars hurting? Gassy belly from the broccoli he's been loving? Picking up on the stress between his two mamas? Just simply turning 2? Bringing a halt to our 4 am nursing? Too much summertime fruit?

Sure, some and/or all of these things are probably contributing in some way to what's has been going on. But I realized that as Avi turned 2, I/We started talking to Avi about all things "big boy". Big boy bed, big boy unders (underpants), big boy's getting themselves dressed, big boy's telling Ema and Mama when he has to go pee-pee. I'd been asking him about nee-nee (nursing) ending. I/We basically created a paradigm for him to "hurry up and grow up".

Trying to get Avi excited about his big boy unders.
Trying to get Avi excited about a big kid bed by showing him his friends bed. 

Ugh. I/We were pushing too much, too fast. Parenting without mindfulness. Ugh. Time to slow down!!! I put his new unders back in the drawer and decided they would stay there until he asked for them. We are still researching the big boy bed, but have decided to wait a bit... slow down... and introduce the new bed when that is the only "new" thing happening for him.

In the meantime, we are keeping a steady routine with naps and bedtime, eating dinner at home more often to help the nighttime transition, continuing co-sleeping, having longer cuddles before and after naps and first thing in the morning, Jenn and I are pausing our stressful conversations until more appropriate times, and we are generally slowing down and enjoying our two year old. Enjoying more moments likes these:






When Avi woke from his nap yesterday, I asked him about his dreams (as I always do). He told me he dreamt about "diapers and unders". I realized we made the right decision to slow down. Since shifting my own internal state about this -- letting go and slowing down -- so has Avi.

Ahhhhhhh - out breath.


18 comments:

  1. Love this post. And your Ema instincts - sounds like they're right on. Enjoy the yumminess of slowing down.

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    1. Thanks Lisa. I have been enjoying this yumminess!! :)

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  2. What wonderful awareness you have! Enjoy your moments together!

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    1. Thanks. It is great when we can slow down and truly listen. I am learning.

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  3. The rest of the world, and time,
    will keep a fast enough pace...
    you are on a good path... enjoy it.

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    1. Natalie.. thanks. I appreciate it. and we are enjoying it!!

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  4. You are fantastic mamas. You should consider writing a book. I'd buy it for any pregger friend!

    Love to all three of you,

    Jen

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    1. Jen.. thanks friend. I have wondered if a book might be in our future... so many aspects of this parenting journey... raising our children raising ourselves... is that how the saying goes? hugs!!

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  5. My sister wrote a really similar, but opposite, blog post a while back about her little one growing into "almost 4". It was about realizing when they are ready to grow and take on the next challenge and how to help them make this step - to not hold them back. I think this is more my struggle - I want O to stay little forever, to be my sweet baby, to keep him safe where my kiss can always make it better. . . Ahh, finding balance - the perpetual dance of parenthood. I love you, my friend, and I can't wait to see you and your fabulous wife and your big-boy-little-baby bird.

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    1. Karen,
      I read that post. and I connected with that too.. in the way that I wasn't ready for Avi to ride his bike across the crooked rail-less bridge over water but he was ready. such balance!!!! you said it. can't wait to see you in three days!!!

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  6. Well done mama! Have you read Simplicity Parenting? IF not it sounds like you don't need too because your right on track. I'm glad to see he is feeling better. :)

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    1. KC.. funny story about Simplicity Parenting. I started to read it. Then we went on vacation. When I returned it was 3 weeks overdue at the library. The kind librarian, also a mom, waived the fines and renewed it for me. and now, it's somewhere in my house.. due at the library.. unread still... and I can't find it. ahhhhhhhh..... But I still want to read it! :)

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  7. Nice work mama! So hard to sit back and let them lead the way, but really so much more rewarding when we do, for both you and Avi.

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    1. you said it. parenting is the hardest work I've ever done!!!

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  8. kudos to you and Mama!! so many force children to grow up before they are ready. my opinion is because it makes life easier for the adults - less nursing, no diaper changing, etc. but at what cost to the child? I remember when my oldest turned 2 my mother and grandmother started the daily nagging of I need to get her potty trained. I refused, stood my ground, and let my daughter tell me when she was ready. Just after she turned 3 she decided on her own. within a day, she was trained. sure, some may think 3 is a little old, but it was the easiest transition - no stress for her or me. i did the same for my other 2. easy peasy! i let them wean themselves from nursing. children are so intelligent. we can't control everything. I think it shows them we respect them when we let them have some control, allow them to make their own decisions.

    xo

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    1. Amanda, so well put. I wonder how many children have been pushed to grow up too fast because we aren't a culture of slowing down and really listening to our children. It is going against the grain, what we do. But I'm happy to have the awareness to stop and listen. To question and keep questioning until I figure out what my little one is trying to tell me.

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  9. oh I know the topic. Everyone (really EVERYone!!!) started telling me my oldest girl had to go to the toilet when she was about 2 years old. But she didn't want to. she cried and wanted her diapers (is that the right word?). I was really stressed (because of these people, first of them my mother) but then started to refuse to let others lead my/our life. fact ist: my oldest daughter went herself on a pot two days before her 3rd birthday. she took off her diaper and sat down. when she had "filled" she looked at me really happy. and since then she never wore a diaper again. not at day, not at night. she just had the need to decide herself when she was ready.
    that is, what i want to practise with my twins too. just let them their time. and NEVER again let me stress from others.
    love for you two an your wonderful little sunshine :)
    maria

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    1. Maria,

      yes yes. it's funny how outward stresses push us to do things that feel wrong in our gut. In this instance, it wasn't a person, but maybe some underlying cultural believe I held about turning two. or maybe it was just that most of our young friends are older than Avi (even just by a few months) that I'm seeing what is happening in their lives and find myself trying to get us "on track". Each little soul is soooo unique. We can learn so much from listening to them.

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