Growing Pains

Disclaimer warning: If you are not a mom or a grandmother, you will find nothing remotely interesting about this post. And you may even be a teeny bit grossed out.

Four years ago, my struggles involved spit up, like 20 times a day, projectile spit up, like 20 times a day, breast pumps, not getting an uninterrupted night's sleep, worrying about whether or not my baby would walk by her first birthday, and how to soothe teething pain. Four years later, the struggles have not gotten any easier. In fact, just when we thought things were getting a wee bit easier, these girls go off and start growing up on me. And the struggles are different, but anything but easy. With each passing day, we face a new set of "growing pains".

Lexi's growing pains go a little something like this. Friday night, she threw a monster fit because she wanted to sleep in panties rather than in a diaper. Well, listen, I'm all about that! It would suit my fancy just fine to buy one less pack of diapers each week, so no need to throw a fit, right? Sleep in those panties girl! Except that her diapers are like mega full by morning, every morning. Even though we've cut off her liquids after 7. And many nights, the diaper leaks which means I wash sheets like every day. And her baths are always in the morning or else she would just smell like pee all the time! So on Friday night, we let her fall asleep without a diaper and then I went in a few hours later and put one on her. When she woke up the next morning (with a full diaper I might add) she marched into our room, swung the door open, and yelled with her hands on her hips, "WHO PUT THIS DIAPER ON ME?" Cary and I were a bit startled, but we both cracked up! I told her it was me and that I did it so she wouldn't wet her bed. She said, "Mommy, I only teeteeed because I had a diaper on." Well, that sounded reasonable enough. So the next night, NO DIAPER! I woke her up at 1 a.m. and took her potty and Cary woke her up at 4 a.m. and took her potty, but she did it! The sheets were dry this morning when she got up. YIPPEEE! So maybe we're reaching a new milestone.

And then there's Ashton and her growing pains. She's out of her crib officially, still sleeping in Lexi's room on the fold out couch. She sleeps great at night, but now refuses to take naps. Which would be okay except that by 4 p.m. she is thrashing around on the floor in fit after fit because she's so tired she can't see straight. UGH! So naps are officially a thing of the past in this house. We do have "downtime" where the girls lay on their beds and watch a movie. But they never fall asleep.

But growing pains aren't all bad. Sometimes they bring with them a new found independence that we do enjoy as parents.

Last night, Cary and I were sitting on the couch together watching college football, and both girls came in the room in their jammies all ready for bed. I looked over at him and said, "Do you realize our kids are ready for bed and we didn't even leave the couch?" Lexi had changed Ashton's diaper and put her pajamas on her, then dressed herself, and they were coming to kiss us goodnight. WOWSERS! The day I've dreamed of!!!! They were so tired. They played outside for about 7 hours straight yesterday and then put themselves to bed.

This morning, we were running late as usual and I asked Lexi to help me out as we were getting ready for church. So she gave herself and Ashton a bath, washed hair, used conditioner, the whole bit. And while I got Ashton dressed, she dried herself off and dressed herself. Then she brushed her own hair and dried it all by herself. GLORY HALLELUJAH! And the Angels were singing!

I can honestly say, NO, I don't miss the newborn stage. I love havin' me some big girls. Even though we've always thought we would have three kids, with each passing day I think there's NO WAY I'd want to start over! Don't get me wrong, If God chooses to bless us with a third, I know He will give me the added strength and perseverance to take on the challenge. But for now, I'm just taking things day by day, growing pains and all.