Today was a Good Mommy Day!

Some days arent such great mommy days. Some days I find it difficult to keep my diva toddler happy all day long. Some days the laundry piles up.  Some days we are late to appointments or gym class.  But today? Well....okay, so the laundry may be piled up and we may have been late to gym class (for the very first time EVER), but I accomplished my number one goal: Our little girl was sooo happy ALLL day...and that makes everything else rather insignificant.

Dont get me wrong. Whitney IS a truly HAPPY kid ( Side note: I just realized I used to write "Whitney is a truly happy BABY" without thinking, and now I instinctively chose the word "kid" to describe this little girl who is very much OUT of the baby stage.) You wont get too many "sniff, sniffs" outta this Momma. She may not be "a baby" anymore, and she may have opinions all of a sudden, and she might even have perfected the word 'NnnnnnO!" recently......but this stage freakin' ROCKS! It comes with its challenges (did I mention "NnnnnnnO!"??), but the rewards are even bigger now that Whitney shows meaningful affection and is easily able to let us know what she does or does not want or need. 

Whitney was always an easy-to-please infant.  She rarely cried, and literally did not shed one tear until she was well over 6 months old.  She has always amazed us at her ability to smash, bonk, hit, or slam her head, fingers, knees, or face into anything or anyone, and still bounce back without even flinching.  It took a lot to ruffle her feathers, and when she got her diaper in a bunch, we knew something was really wrong.  Now? At almost one-and-a-half? I am happy to report that she prefers the response "YeeeaaH!" over "NnnnnnO!" And while the "NO!"s are definitely in the house, they are said in more of a "lemme-think-about-whether-or-not-I-want-anymore-to-eat-ok-ive-thought-about-it-and-the-answer-is-NO!" kinda way.  Not a snotty or mean-spirited "NO-and-did-I-mention-i-hate-you!" kinda way. She is learning that she can get what she wants and avoid what she doesnt want, just by using two simple words..."YEeeeAAH!!" and "NnnnnnO!"

Somedays, we can ask Whitney "Do you need a diaper?" (when we already know the answer) and she'll say "YEeeeAAH!", and walk to her room to get a diaper change.  Other days (or minutes later), we can ask the same question, again knowing the answer, and we will get a "NnnnnO!"....the NO inevitably comes when she is busy or involved in somethign way more fun than a diaper change. (I've tried explaining that they are no picnic for me either...)

A few days last week had me struggling. I felt like Whitney was winning the game.  Not only was she winning, but she hadnt even explained the rules of the game to me, her apparent opponent in this game.  She wasnt crying or sad...she was mad.  She was trying to get me to react to things by going rouge. Hitting Bailey. Kicking the fridge.  Standing in the tub.  Just generally stuff that she would never even think to do, but had suddenly become "fun" for her.  Independently, these actions wouldnt bug me or break me down.  But for some reason, it seemed like it was all day, everyday....for a week.  I thought maybe I needed a break from her she needed a break from me, so I planned an entire day of sewing with Mandy, and dropped Whitney off to play with Mac and Gramps and GG.  I was refreshed and had some grown-up conversation and watched old episodes of 90210 and was eagerly looking forward to swooping Whitney into my arms when I picked her up from my parents. 
And what did the stinker do?? I walked in the house and went to find her playing tea party....she took one look at me, got up and RAN AWAY FROM ME....and to add some salt into that wound, she yelled "NNnnnOOO!" as she got further out of my grasp.
To say I was crushed is a HUGE understatement.  I didnt do it there. I waited til I got her home and down for a nap.  But then...it happened.  She broke me down.  I cried.  "My kid doesnt LIKE me!!" Of course, I kept telling myself it was a phase and that she was just mad because I wouldnt let her stand in the tub. Or she would wake up happy and refreshed and she would just wrap her little arms around me and cuddle close and all would be forgiven.

Yeah...no.

She woke up from her nap and asked for Daddy (not unusual, but it still broke another little piece of my heart, ya know since she hated me 2 hours earlier and all...)
And while the blatant "i dont want mommy" moments were done, the general feeling of diva-tude was stuck in Whitney's world and I was not feelin' the love.  It could've been because Daddy was home for the week...or it could've been teeth....or it could've been a growth spurt (those last two excuses are my reasoning for 99% of what this child does "wrong").  But HALLELUJAH, let the angels SING, and PRAISE THE LORD....that attitude is GONE! (for now.....she'll be back...I know....but for now, that little bugger is gone, and my old, happy, smiley, easy-to-please Whitney is back in the house!)

We have had an amazing week so far. Yes, yes, it's only Tuesday...true...but still. We've started this week out with great smiles and happy attitudes for everyone :)  Whitney and I went to the park with our favorite neighbors yesterday, then had a brief visit with my parents, after which Whitney got back in her carseat without the recent "MAAAC!!" squeals. She switched to one nap last week (excuse #4 for the Little Bugger attitude), and has perfected it this week. She woke up to Avery in her playroom and couldnt have been happier to play and laugh while Mommy and Mandy sewed and bowed.  She woke up as usual....happily singing, counting, laughing, reciting books from memory, and tossing binkies. And has just been an absolute JOY all day!
On Sunday night, after she'd had a bath, we all laid on a blanket on the floor in the family room and watched Super Why.  She snuggled between me and Eric with her pillow, multiple blankies, and Baby, and even Bailey joined in the family fun on the floor.  It was a nice way to wind down the night and simmer down from a fun weekend.  When Eric and I went to bed, I left the blanket on the floor with the pillows, not really thinking about it much.  So when Whitney woke up Monday morning, she ran to the fsamily room and plopped on the pillows and blanket, and cuddled up for some Mickey Mouse before we headed to the park.  She even headed back to her new favorite spot after she was out of jammies and dressed for the day! Whitney wasnt too cuddly or snuggly last week, so I was taking full advantage of every snuggle and floor-cuddle I could get this morning when Whitney ended up back on the blankie with her pile of bedtime friends and a bunch of pillows.  I did NOT want to get up, get us breakfast, get us both dressed, pack the diaper bag, blah blah blah. I wanted to stay on the floor and soak up the love!
But alas, this kid LOVES her some gym class time, so I did the right thing and un-lazied myself and Whitney.  We hurried out the door at 9:09 for our 9:15 gym class, and made it juuuust in time for Whitney's favorite parts. (She repeats the "circle time" routine..."bounce, bounce, bounce...open...shut...open...shut...open...shut...BIIIG HUG.....see...saw....seeee...saw....seee...saw.."...yes, i know it, too.) We had a GREAT gym class! The happiness continued through the end of class, with Whitney doing AWESOME during "separation time" and participating in all the activities the teachers were offering (she has been clamming up and running away whenever the once-loved-now-feared teachers would try to hold her or help her with anything...she ONLY wanted Mommy to hold her.)  But today? She was back to her happy self, trying new things and laughing with her little friends and receiving several compliments from other mommies.  (My favorite: "She is so cute, but her personality is just AWESOME!"...yeah...I know. thanks. :))

The fun didnt end with gym class though! We played Memory a lot today, and she has proven that she knows every single card in the game and can pronounce most of them quite well ("watermelon" is just gonna be "melon" for a while longer...im okay with that.)  We read lots of books (the old stand-bys win EVERY time...new books are not welcome in the mix yet). We watched had Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella playing in the background while we laughed and snuggled and read and just enjoyed each other.  ALLLLLL the "NnnnnnOs!" and the running from me last week was (almost) forgotten when she ran her hand along my arm as we laid on the blanket in her playroom watching Belle sing about her "provinvial life" and hopped up to lock eyes with me, hug me close, and lean in for a kiss with a loud "MMMMMmmmmmwah!"  Yep. She pretty much rocks.  Im back on her good side :)

While she napped this afternoon, I was able to whip up this little number for her:

And finished up this cute dress for the pumpkin patch this weekend:

And then, after a nice dinner as a family, we all got back down on the floor to spend time together tonight. 

We sat in the playroom and grabbed the blocks and just started building. Whitney thought it was GREAT fun to tower the blocks as high as she could and then laugh hysterically when they toppled over.  What kid DOESNT like that!? Heck...even Eric and I thought it was funny!

She gets the tongue waggin' when she's concentrating...too funny :)

Pile 'em up!!

Topple 'em over!! CRASH!!!!

She decided that her table would be a great place to take a nap today. She tossed her blanket, bear blankets(2), and Baby up on the table, cleared off the books, and climbed up.  She watched part of Cinderella up there before I encouraged her to nap in safer places.

I wonder what we'll get into tomorrow ;)

Dont get me wrong.  MOST days are great Mommy days around here.  It is rare that I question my motherly ways (not braggin'...just sayin') since Whitney is happy, healthy, and pretty smart.  But last week humbled me and put me in my place, in a good way. It always helps to remember that the tough times make us stronger, and that those crummy, icky days make these "normal, nothin' fancy or special" kinda days seem like a party.  I am enjoying and learning from every single second with Whitney, and I couldnt be more grateful for our Whitterbug.....even when she's a little stinkbug.