My first baby was what is often referred to as an “easy baby.” As far as baby/toddler things were concerned Sophia was super easy. She was sleeping through the night within a few weeks. She started sleeping in a twin bed by 16 months old. She was potty trained by 24 months. She has always been well behaved. She always stayed by my side, nicely holding my hand. And I can admit it, I got cocky.
I was like, “I am an amazing parent!” and I hate to admit it, but I started judging other parents too.
Hold up! I am not going down this road alone. MY HUSBAND was just as bad.
We would often see another kid having a full on fit in a store or a restaurant and we would
give each other this “look” that basically said, “Ugh, look at that kid. We are so much better than those parents.”
We would see things like “leashes” for kids and become completely offended that such contraptions even existed.
And then Lulu was born.
When I first laid eyes on her I could not believe how much she looked like Sophia. And that is where the similarities ended. Both my girls are as cute as can possibly be, but when it comes to personality, it is like night and day, up and down, good and EVIL.
Lulu is what is nicely referred to as a “spirited” child. I like to refer to her as “my payback.” That’s right. All those years of my husband and I being all cocky and thinking we were the shiznit had come to bite us in the ass. To say that raising Lulu has humbled us is an understatement.
Now it was us with that baby throwing a fit at the restaurant. I can’t tell you how many times I have had to leave a restaurant and sit in the car with a screaming Lulu while the rest of my family eats. Lulu is now 17 months old and is still not a great sleeper. Now that she is walking she wants to move around all on her own. However, when I try to steer her in a direction she runs the other way. Also when I try to hold her hand she yanks her hand away and if I hold on tight enough to it she just drops herself to the ground. She yells, she screams, she hits, she throws things.
Now not only do I understand those kid “leashes,” but I am seriously thinking about getting one.
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