Terrible 1's?

Lately life with a 1 year old has not just been exhausting, but very confusing.

The routine that we had, the simpleness of our life, was going great. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, went smoothly, nap times; smooth with some thunderstorms in between and bedtime was the same.

It seems as if when Carson turned 1, he also gained a complete independant mind of his own. If Carson wants down, Carson will immediately be "jointless" and wiggle his way until he can get down, whining the entire wiggle down your body until he gets to the floor, only to be picked up again, "jointless". When I say "jointless" I mean as if all of a sudden, his arms come out of his sockets, he becomes dead weight and unless you pick him up around the waist, there is a chance he is going to win the battle, yet again.

Another example, if Carson doesn't want to be in the high chair, he knows what to do to get out. He arches his back, reaches and reeeeeeeeaches for you to get him out. If it is the highchair at home, if he is not ready to eat, he arches his back so you cannot get him in the highchair. Then once you get him in, he won't eat until he is good and ready. Is anyone sensing yet that there is no doubt that this is Geoffrey's child? haha.

Nap time has been a little bit more difficult now that he knows what really goes on during the day. He doesn't want to miss a thing, he got that from his momma. From what I have read, this may be his way of transitioning out of 2 naps a day, but I swear, he needs it. He is a monster if he is tired.

Nighttime routine has always been the same and he has always been a pretty good sleeper other than when teeth are coming in or he isn't feeling well. It is almost as if we went back in time and he is 6 weeks old again. Goes down at 8:30 and is back up to 3 or 4am, then sleeps until 7:30/745am. Whereas, he use to sleep from 8:30 until about 6:30/7:00 am and then snuggle until about 7:45/8:00am. Maybe we have been spoiled. I drag my feet into work M-F, lately with bags underneath my eyes hoping for some extended sleep in the near future.

On top of this all, my poor poor baby has an obscene amount of teeth coming through. Since day one, he was a bad teether. We knew when a tooth was coming. All the symptoms. Runny nose, fussy, cranky, low fever, won't eat, won't sleep and just wants to be held. He has more top teeth coming in, so not only is my little baby trying to become a boy with his independant, I can rule the world mind frame, but he is in pain from his teeth and HYLANDS TEETHING TABLETS ARE RECALLED! Augh!

In conclusion, there really is no set routine. There is no one MASTER GOLDEN BOOK that says every child will do this and every child will do that. Instead, one morning you just wake up and realize the baby, who is becoming a boy, became a pint-sized Ruler of the World and you are his disciple, that is until he gets a boo boo or needs a little snuggle time.

Life as a parent isn't all rainbows and butterflies, its food throwing, water splashing, I don't want to wear this diaper, you can't make me eat, hug hug kiss kiss, snuggle with me Mommy, no I don't want to snuggle, no I want Daddy, no I'm tired, no I want "juice".. kind of life.

After all this, I wouldn't trade it for a thing........