Baby No. 2

Don't worry, this isn't some lame attempt to announce another pregnancy. Trust me when I tell you that no one in our family is ready for that! While the tot is still number one in our household, she has recently become baby number two at daycare. And she hates it. If there's anyone she loves as much as her dad and I, it's her babysitter. In fact, she typically cries when I pick her up in the evenings. A good problem to have, right? Sure, until something (or in this case, someone) comes along and steals all of the attention. All was well until a new baby arrived at daycare three weeks ago. Since then, Taylor's world has turned completely upside down. Our tot has become second fiddle and she's letting all of us know that she does not like it.

In order to communicate her unhappiness, she has decided to skip the adorable age of one and head straight for the Terrible Two's. Not a day goes by without hitting, biting, and the most intense temper tantrums. Don't get me wrong, all of these things suck, but I can live through them because I know they're just phases and eventually she'll grow out of them. But what really gets me is the fact that she hears me tell her no, turns to look at me, and then stares me in the eye while she does the exact thing I just told her not to do. She is blatantly choosing this bad behavior - and she's only ONE! Seriously, what is going on?!

In order to counteract her poor behavior, she displays moments of pure sweetness. Like last tonight.  I was sitting on the floor playing with her and out of nowhere she dropped her toys, walked over to me, sat on my lap and laid her head on my shoulder (this is her version of a hug). Then, she followed that sweet gesture with a kiss - on the lips, no less! How can I be even mad at her for throwing a toy at my head when my heart is bursting with happiness? I can't help but think of her as a Sour Patch Kid - you know, sweet one second and sour the next. She's far too smart for her own good.

While we are vastly aware of her terror at home, what I didn't realize was that our poor sitter was experiencing equal disdain until I went to pick Taylor up last Friday night. Our sitter tapped me on the shoulder and said, "You're it." As in, it's your turn to deal with the little hellion until I'm forced to see her again on Monday. Crap. Now I'm the mom of the problem child at daycare. I can handle these moments of shear agony when they're confined to our home, but the fact that she is acting out at daycare is not okay. She is the second youngest (with the youngest being a mere three months old) yet she is aggressive with kids who are 2 and 3 years older than her. As she grows, I am learning that this is just a part of her personality - girlfriend is intense when she plays (and has a number of scars already to prove it), but when does it stop being "oh, she's just a baby" and start being "you need to do something about your crazy child." I don't want to miss the transition from her not knowing any better to a lack of good parenting.

My sitter's solution to all of this madness? "You probably need to have another baby." Ha! Yeah, right. The thought of having to deal with Taylor times two makes me seriously reconsider procreation a second time around. Most days I just drink another cup of coffee and wait for this nightmare to end. I mean, there has to come a point when she'll be sweet and loving again, right? Or is that why people choose to have another baby? Are those first few months (when they're unable to move or speak) the only time they're actually enjoyable? But if my memory serves correctly, those months were spent in a sleepless haze of confusion and bloat, and I'm not ready to sign up for all of that again. Not yet anyhow.