Two Months and One Week

"Momma, put down the camera, I'm trying to explain to you how to play in the sand the RIGHT way."

"I love tackling my Momma, then cuddling."

"Seriously, Momma, haven't you taken enough. I'm at work here!!"

Well, we've marked another milestone...the two month mark. Eli has been home with us for 9 weeks on Saturday, and the honeymoon is officially over! This week has been marked with lots and lots of tantrums, meltdowns, changes in sleeping, and defiance. But Eli reserves this change only for me, not so much for Dave. This is where it really hurts to be a parent...setting boundaries isn't easy or fun. Consistancy is truly the key, as well as knowing your child.

For acts of defiance (a matter of the will, not toddlerism) he receives a spank. I make sure it's in the same place in the house, so he knows what's coming and I don't react out of anger. For other things, such as tantrums and bad moods, I place him in his room and tell him he can come out and play with Momma when he decides to be nice or be in a better mood. I have to make sure I use short sentences because of his age (at 3 they only absorb short directives). Like I'll say "Bad mood. Room. Come out when ready." Or, the biggest one, "Listen and Obey." He knows that phrase. That means he's standing on the line, and if he pushes it any further it's a time out for sure.

I've decided this week (because of his whining and tantruming) to work on his attitude. He started really getting whiny, and that just doesn't fly by me. So he's placed in his room when he even starts to whimper, and it seems to sort of be working. He spent most of Monday in his room playing by himself, and it's slowly decreased throughout the week. Today was our best day yet!

He's really not a defiant child, but he's testing us to see how far he can go right now. I guess he's still trying to figure us out a bit.

Eli has been getting up at 6ish every morning this week, too. But he's being really good. At first, he came to me and tried to cuddle with me. But it was too early, so I took him back to his room and explained that he could play with his toys quietly. The first few days he cried, then quieted down pretty quick. Now he stays in his room and plays quietly...sometimes he's a little too quiet. Those are the times I find him in the living room or kitchen playing with his cars. Sneaky kid! He knows how to open doors out of shear determination to get out of his room in the morning. Sigh.

On a positive note, Eli sat through most of our church service (in the sanctuary) on Sunday! We left after about 40mins, which isn't too shabby. I think we'll have some training to do later (he tries to draw in the Bibles), but for now he's just taking it all in. Thank you, God, for riding vacuum cleaners!!

And the wedding was fun. Shannon and Tim are happily married and on their honeymoon. And I spent the day away from Eli for the first time. It was really tough! But I felt so refreshed (and tired) and excited to see him and spend time with him. What a difference a few hours can make!

Eli's OT and PT are progressing well, although I have homework. Don't these people know I can barely hold it together, much less have homework? It's stuff that can easily be weaved in to the routine we have now, and it's for his benefit, so I don't mind too much. I'm also going to try to include Dave so he feels more a part of the process. The PT was very optimistic about Eli's bones and muscles. He said basically that his core is very weak and needs strengthening. And he may need a cast of some kind to straighten his ankles a bit, as well as shoe inserts. No big deal.

Oh, and here's a funny tidbit. Eli's newest phrase "Yeah Baby!!"