I was warned about having a newborn. I was warned that you get little sleep. I was warned that they cry a lot for no reason. I was warned that you spend so much time just holding them. I was warned that they are very needy and time-consuming. I knew all of this before having Addison, but I knew that wasn't going to last forever. I knew that it was just a stage and she would grow up and become more self-sufficient and independent.
But I wasn't warned about this stage. I wasn't warned that we would hit a stage where she would again be needy and have mega separation anxieties. I wasn't warned about the stage where she would get bored easily and would need to be entertained often. I wasn't warned about the temper tantrums about nothing at all. I wasn't warned about crazy sleeping habits. I wasn't warned about using her arms as wipes to clean her tray of food scattering it everywhere, making a big mess and thinking it's hilarious. I wasn't warned about the need to be hanging all over every second of every day.
Don't get me wrong, there are so many things fun about this stage. She is funny. She makes me laugh daily. She is curious and it's fun to see the world from her point of view. She likes to cuddle while watching movies or reading books. She is learning so much every day and it's fun to watch her discover the world around her. She is learning new words. She is figuring out how to climb and move around more freely on her own. She is just fun right now.
But it's exhausting. I almost feel more exhausted at this stage than I was at the newborn stage. Maybe because I knew the extreme exhaustion was part of the newborn stage but I had no idea it would come back 15 so months later. I had no idea what was coming. Addison is also down to one nap a day, which means less time to take a breath. I can't get much done while she's awake because she is crawling away or getting upset about me giving something else my attention or getting in trouble trying to "help." But by the time I get to nap time, I just want to sit down and not move or some days take a nap myself, which means I don't always get a lot done during nap time either.
I truly had no idea that this stage would be as exhausting as it is. But we are making it through. Addison is learning how to entertain herself more. She's still getting into all kinds of trouble, but that's just part of the stage we're at. One year olds like to test their boundaries - they don't learn otherwise. She's on the move constantly. She's eating well (only three meals a day, plus a bedtime snack of organic yogurt). We are watching way less Disney movies then we were, which is hard considering we are stuck inside due to winter (we are definitely looking forward to spring!). Addison is learning that sometimes mama has to do other things. And mama is learning that sometimes things just don't get done and if they have to be done then there might have to be some funny (and exhausting) dancing to keep a little lady entertained.
This truly is a great stage, but I'm exhausted. I think I'm going to go take a nap now...
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