T is for toddler, teenager, and tired

So...somehow we made it almost two and a half years before I would concede that things have become "difficult" around these parts.   Each time we have added members to our family, it took a little time to find our new normal.  For the past few months, however, we have been S T R E T C H E D and this mama is T I R E D. 

One of our primary challenges is the whole teenager/toddler dynamic that we have going on.  That is not for the faint of heart and I readily admit that I underestimated how difficult it would be to navigate those two challenging ages simultaneously.  Holy cow.  Holy cow.  Holy cow. 

Such precious cherubs.  Those sweet smiles hide the fact that certain ones have been giving us a run for our money.

Another challenge has been Sena's thumb.  Her thumb, you ask?  Her thumb!  It was our best friend when she first came home.  It was her built in comfort and whenever she would feel upset or overwhelmed, she would pop that baby in and she was good to go.  Instant calm.  Instant snuggles.  I knew early on that this wonderful feature would one day come back to bite us and we are now considering ourselves bitten.  Badly.  We might need stitches.

How cute is she with that little thumb?

Cute, but slightly angry

 

Still cute

 

 

Her first day in our custody.

 

 

She definitely needed it on this day!

Sweet baby

 

Addie is following in her big sister's footsteps.  Briefly.

The zone out

Zone out, part 2

In the summer, Sena had her dental checkup and our dentist advised us that it was time to think about giving up the thumb.  My heart was torn because I hated to take away her comfort and, selfishly, I hated to think of what taking away her comfort would mean for me.  However, her teeth and her bite were beginning to get really funky, so I knew it was time to get serious.  Sena and I had several conversations about it and though she was not a fan of having horse teeth (it was the best I could come up with for a description - please don't judge), she just couldn't seem to keep from sucking it on her own.  So, we pulled out the big guns.  I had done some research and asked other moms what they did and it seemed that our best option was a little thing called Mavala Stop (or yucky cream as Sena calls it) that I ordered from Amazon.  Apparently, it has a very bitter taste that deters sucking, biting, etc.  We painted a tiny amount on Sena's fingernail and it was like magic.  She didn't go anywhere near that thumb for days.  You might say, "That's great!"  And it was great that she wasn't sucking her thumb.  What wasn't great, though, is that the girl who had been sleeping through the night and taking great naps since the day she arrived home now was waking in the night.  Sometimes a few times.  UGH.  Holy cow. Holy cow. Holy cow. 

Additionally, we had a cranky pants on our hands.  The first couple of weeks were brutal.  However, as time has gone on, she has settled down.  She is still having some sleeping issues, but her daytime behavior is so much better.  As an added bonus, her teeth and bite are already starting to look better!  If we could get the sleep thing figured out, we would be in business.  Some nights are better than others.  Part of the issue is that she is probably ready to give up her nap.  Her nighttime waking, however, means that she is tired in the daytime and most days she wants to sleep.  We have tried a variety of things to try to help her sleep:  Melatonin and Benadryl (per doctor recommendation), letting her sleep in our bed (no one slept at ALL), and our most recent endeavor is having her sleep in Addie's room.  The jury is still out on that one, but it looks promising. 

As if those things do not provide enough excitement, we have been working on potty training with Addie.  For weeks.  And weeks.  And weeks.  After five kids, I am SO over diapers.  Addie is a smart little cookie and is completely aware of what is happening in her body.  Sometimes, she will flash a smile and announce, "I pooping my pants!''  Other times, she will totally go on the potty.  Just in the last week, I feel we have turned a corner and she is starting to tell us before she needs to go.  I cannot express how excited I will be when we can be done with pullups (which, let's be honest, are really just glorified diapers.  Glorified = more expensive.)

I am hoping that things will continue to settle down around here and that sleeping all night will once again become the norm.  I freely admit that I am a big baby and I NEEEEEED my sleep.  When mama doesn't sleep, it is not pretty.  It just isn't.  The boys have stepped up to give John and I some breaks recently and that has been wonderful.  Sena and I are connecting on a new level and that is also a good thing.  We have spent a lot of time just talking about things and I am seeing yet another benefit to having daughters! 

James 1:2-4 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.