In recent weeks Finch has had some ups and downs and is currently driving me crazy.
First the girls were here and he had the experience of suddenly losing the little pet position in the family. Then, he became quite sick with a chest infection and stopped eating. At one point you could have overheard The Captain and I pleading "we will give you a vitamin if you please eat this chocolate pudding...just one bite...please eat some pudding!"
He finally rallied from his weak and frail state and still has an eye infection/stye/something that weeks of working with eye drops, ointment and antibiotics is still not improving.
And the big kids are home on school holidays, so our whole routine is upended in the most delightful of ways.
It should make perfect sense that my almost-three-year-old would be rattled by all of this, but I am struggling to keep seeing it from his perspective.
From my perspective-
He is waking up repeatedly in the night, often wheedling his way into our bed.
He is waking up early from naps, and comes out crying just when I am settled into "my time".
He has developed an intense fear of the house falling down and asks me about a kajillion times a day "house won't fall?" despite all my efforts to calm his fears.
He is suddenly also afraid of thunder, and any other loud and rumbling noises that might indicate our house it about to fall down.
He would rather hang around my legs than play with the other kids.
He insists on being taken to the toilet, even though he is perfectly capable of going on his own.
At first it was deliciously sweet to have him climb into my bed while I was reading at naptime, stroking my face and talking in his lilting little toddler-talk. He adores me with a million cuddles and wants me near. It's sweet.
It was sweet. It was pure delight until his cloying attentions became slightly manic and overly needy.
I pendulum swing between trying to give him extra hugs and cuddles for reassurance, and wanting to scrape him off me like gum on sneakers. His frantic voice ringing out "Mom! Where a'You!!!??" when I take five steps from him is about to put me over the edge.
He's lucky he's 300% cute.
At least he is in this picture...in real life he is disintigrating into a puddle on the floor crying "I sit-a-yo-lap! Let my in!" And then he pulls out the showstopper "poo poo! Come!" and I do, reassuring him "house won't fall" as we go.
Hopefully it's a quick phase he's going through. Glad he got over his illness, sometimes Mea is extra clingy after a bad illness, maybe this is the case.
Posted by: Kelly | 19 April 2012 at 10:22 AM
Hmmm...so much fun these days! No great wisdom here, except that whatever course you may choose, eventually "this too shall pass". I haven't seen any 23 year olds clinging to their moms so I'm fairly sure the proverb will be true in your case as well. Grace, Wisdom, Patience! and right boundaries when it seems the right time. Sending love!
Posted by: quietstream | 20 April 2012 at 04:42 PM
Yes sending lots of grace your way, I'm sure soon you'll just look back fondly and remember how much he adored you. xo
Posted by: Adelle | 21 April 2012 at 04:14 PM