Who flipped the switch?

I am sad (and happy, but mostly sad, right now) to say that Annabelle is fast approaching the "Terrible Twos!"

My, I sure have a lot to learn!

Annabelle and I just arrived home last night from a very long vacation. Oddly enough, pre-Annabelle, I don't think I would have ever referred to a vacation as a "long vacation." But, this child is wearing me out! I honestly need a break from my vacation. And, my husband tells me that he doesn't feel sorry for me after another long, hard day because "I just got back from vacation."

We left on Saturday, July 19th right around 9:00 a.m., and we just got back home last night, Tuesday, July 29th, around 9:30 p.m.

Hubby had a conference to attend in St. Simon's through Wednesday, July 23rd, so Annabelle and I and my parents went along for the ride. Hubby rode back with a friend (coworker) on Wednesday, while my parents, Annabelle and I ventured farther south to Orange Park, Florida, near Jacksonville.

Well, the fun started early in the week on Sunday, July 20th. It probably started before then, but I recall specifically that I experienced the worst dinner out with Annabelle that I have ever experienced. Hubby had other plans for dinner that night, but my parents were "fortunate" enough to join us.

Before dinner, Annabelle wanted to climb from chair to chair in the waiting area. As more people waited, I told Annabelle that she needed to sit in my lap so that other people could sit down, and she didn't like that one bit. So, I took her outside, and we walked around a little bit waiting on our name to be called. Of course, it was so very hot and very humid, so she decided she wanted to go back inside the restaurant only to go back outside again within less than a minute. I told her if we went back outside again that we were going to stay outside until they called her name. She obviously didn't understand the consequences until I would not let her go back inside, and then she just fussed.

Annabelle would not sit still during dinner, and she kept attempting to stand up to get out of her high chair. She didn't want anything I fed her except for the bread and the mushrooms (I know, strange child, isn't she?). There are more specific examples, but I cannot remember all of them now. I just remember thinking that leisurely dinners out were going to be no longer!

When we arrived in Orange Park, Florida to visit with some long-time family friends, Aunt Mary and Uncle Bill, Annabelle walked inside their house as if she had known them forever. Keep in mind, Annabelle is normally very shy when she meets people for the first time, but she wasn't this time! I guess she remembers meeting them last year when she was closer to 6-9 months of age because she made herself right at home!

By the time we left on Tuesday, Annabelle had been going way too strong on very little sleep. She would fall asleep in the car for anywhere between 5-15 minutes every day we were there and out and about, and as a result, she would not fall asleep when I put her in the pack-n-play for naptime (whatever time we finally were able to lay her down for her nap). Her schedule was so messed up! And, she was only getting 10-11 hours of sleep at night. Poor child! She was going on only 10-11 hours of sleep per day when she is used to between 13-15 hours of sleep per day. I guess I shouldn't have expected her to be a perfect angel with the lack of sleep.

But, as parents, we all want everyone to "think" we know how to parent, so when our children act ugly in front of other people, especially family and friends, it is quite embarrassing. Not to mention, since Annabelle has been fairly good until this past week, I know nothing about disciplining! Yes, I know what I always thought I would do in certain situations as I watched parents in awe while I was still childless, but all parents know that they know more about parenting when they have no children, right? We've all been there! "I would never do that!" "I cannot believe that they let him get away with that!" "My children will NEVER act like that!" But, it all changes when you have children of your own and you learn that they don't listen like they are supposed to listen.

So, I am currently struggling with my technique for discipline as Annabelle tries to rule the roost.

What did I hear from Annabelle from Wednesday, July 23rd, through now? "NO NO Mama NOOO NOOOO!" Over and over and over and over!

And, my birthday was probably one of my worst birthdays ever because my child was driving me bonkers, and she threw the worst temper tantrum she has ever thrown for me. It probably didn't help that I left my twenties behind! Happy birthday to me!

As we were getting in the car for dinner on my birthday, Annabelle decided that she wanted to climb into the car seat herself. Alright, no big deal! She has done this in the past. However, it took her forever to climb in. I finally told her that Mommy was going to have to help her get in her car seat if she didn't get in the car seat right then. She didn't listen, so I had to "help" her in the car seat. She screamed and she turned over in the car seat with her butt in the air. I threatened for just the two of us to stay home while everyone else went out to eat, and I was dead serious! I was pulling her out of the car to stay, and Grandmama said, "She'll be alright. You need to eat. Just get her in the car seat, and she'll calm down." I don't think Grandmama wanted me to eat at home by myself on my birthday. So, I did finally force (gently) her into the car seat, and we left the house for Whataburger with a screaming child in the back seat. Grandmama tried to feed her Ritz crackers and a granola bar, and I think she finally calmed down after she got some food in her tummy shortly before we arrived at Whataburger. She was an angel during dinner.

After dinner, we headed back home for birthday cake. Annabelle enjoyed her Mommy's birthday cake very much until it was time for me to clean her up. Once again, I heard "NO NO Mama NOO NOOO!"

I think by Monday I decided that I was no longer going to put up with this attitude, so when she acted up, I left the room with her and asked her, "Do you want to go sit in time out?" It didn't seem to help much though because she repeated the misbehaving only seconds after she was in "time out."

Also on my birthday, Sunday, I told her that I needed to change her diaper, so I asked her to go into the bathroom. I had Grandmama come in the bathroom as well to help me. I had the diaper and wipes in hand ready to change Annabelle's diaper. That little stinker took the diaper and wipes from me and said, "NO NO Mama NOO NOOO!" She proceeded to hand the diaper and wipes to Grandmama. She did not want me to change her diaper! Of course, I took advantage of the attitude she gave me this time, and I let Grandmama change her diaper. It was quite funny, and Grandmama asked Annabelle, "Did your Mommy put you up to this?" Grandmama told me later that Annabelle also said, "Back!" to me as she pushed me back towards the door after handing the diaper and wipes off to Grandmama. If I had known she said "Back!," I probably would have handled that situation a little different!

On Monday, after she had already been sitting in time out two or three times in a row (probably all within less than 5 minutes), she told me "NOOO!" as I walked inside the house from the garage. And, she was no where near me when she told me "NOOO!" She was standing on the opposite side of the house in the den looking outside the glass door at the birds with Grandmama. She didn't want me to come near her and Grandmama. And, I am positive she was talking to me as she turned around and looked straight at me as soon as I walked in the door. Talk about attitude!

Then, on Tuesday, July 29th, we stopped in Valdosta, Georgia on the way home to visit with my cousin, Beth, and her two daughters. I thought for sure that Annabelle would behave since she was only a few months old the last time she saw Beth (and like I said before, she is normally shy around new people). I was wrong!

She did not want the Subway sandwich that my cousin, Beth, had picked up for us for lunch, so once again, I heard, "NO NO Mama, NOO NOOO!" She handed that sandwich back to me. I insisted that she try a bite before she could have any Sun Chips, but she refused. So, I offered that she could instead have some grapes before eating the Sun Chips. She ate one or two grapes, and I then gave in to the Sun Chips. It wasn't a battle I was ready to fight. And especially not with new people standing by to judge my lack of disciplining skills.

Earlier in the week, while we were still at St. Simon's, Grandmama said that she told me "NOOO! STOP!" I didn't hear the "stop" part of the conversation. I wonder where she learned that word! :)

So, as you can see, a switch has flipped, and my sweet, innocent baby must be gone forever! This is just another step for her towards independence!

And, it should come as no surprise that I have been suffering with canker sours in my mouth ALL week long! They are normally stress induced for me. It looks like I am going to have many more years of constant canker sours! Oddly enough, they disappeared with the migraines while I was pregnant (I do not remember having one canker sour at all while I was pregnant and I recall only one migraine headache), and they were pretty much non-existent until Annabelle stopped nursing as often (around 15 months). Maybe I should just stay barefoot and pregnant! Ha! Ha! ONLY KIDDING!