A dose of reality

Don't look now, but both Ian and Maggie have been sleeping for over 2 hours... that is the definition (in this house) of over-tired pups. We've had a few crazy weekends plus busy weeks in between, so it's about time they take a decent nap to catch up!

I've noticed that I don't feel like writing when we've been having a tougher-than-usual spell, and that makes sense, as it's not nearly as fun to write about tough days as it is good days. But if we're being honest, a journal should reflect all the days and remind us later that it's not all cake and ice cream, sometimes it's vegetables and water too (I prefer cake and ice cream). We need the latter to be healthy and to grow, and to appreciate the former:-)

For the last few weeks, we've been re-living our first weeks/months after Maggie's arrival- namely Ian's erratic sleep, stubborn attitude, "acting out", pushing the line of "gentle" with Maggie on a regular basis. Poor Nora, who has just also entered the world of two, is also bearing the brunt of an overly physical cousin. It has me pulling my hair out and shedding a tear or two (Am I doing the right things? Am I spoiling him, or being too hard on him? Am I too loosey goosey, or overly structured? Am I paying equal attention and sensitivity to both kids? It also brings back all that guilt that any mom may experience when bringing home a new little love to divide her attention). Who knows what spurs these things- for Ian it smells of physical and developmental growth- but it could also be a normal timeline as the little newborn turns into an almost-mobile baby. The truth is that we'll never know, we can just grit our teeth, read more books on how best to deal, and wait to return to our normal harmony. The trick is not expecting each day to be hard, because then it most certainly will be!

On the more usual, happy note- Maggie is trying SO hard to crawl. She won't sit long anymore, as she's flopping over to get onto her belly and reach for the toy just out of her reach. She's rocking on all fours, and just wants to go somewhere. I had a lovely Mother's Day, the highlight of which (aside from the great BBQ with the Hurleys and McQueens at Creekside in Estes) is my "maid for a day" present- I get someone to come do the deep cleaning and scrubbing that I just can't find time to do! Ahhhhh, I feel mentally healthier already.