Honeymoon's Over

The honeymoon period with Zoe is definitely over. No longer do we spend our days simply admiring our adorable little offspring and her various antics and accomplishments. No longer is our main concern only health and safety issues. Nope. We have arrived at the part where we have to consciously and patiently nurture our little one for good character and a good heart, which is easier said then done when baby is swatting at us. In short, we have entered the era of defiance, petulance and belligerence. The famed terrible twos are not here yet (according to other knowing mothers), but the little horns are growing on her head already. I fear the path ahead is going to be a lot more challenging than I thought it would be. It is going to take a lot to be consistent in our application of rules, to be determined to show her we are her parents and we are higher in the hierarchy, no matter how cute she is. It is going to take a lot to not cave in when she screams and whine and just as much to not overreact when she does. It might take more to teach her that screaming and whining is not an acceptable mode of communication. But I suppose all this is normal and all of humanity's parents have been through it. And so we shall too.