Nap skipping.

   Cooper skipped his nap today. So far he's been taking them again for the last couple weeks, but today he refused to sleep, and I'm not the cry-it-out type of mom, so finally I gave in and let him play. Now it's too late for him to get a nap in. Brandon will be home in a little more than an hour, and we'll have dinner, play with Cooper, and then watch a movie with him until his bedtime at 10. Assuming we make it that long. I'm getting frustrated and need to take a step back and breathe. Now is probably a good time to do some dishes and get started thinking about dinner. Something so I can keep an eye on him without being so easily accessible for him to take his frustration out on me. About 5, which is when I would normally wake him up from his nap, he started to act really cranky. Now, a little over an hour later, everything he says is done in a whining voice with tears in his eyes. EVERYTHING. We ran out of apple juice, and he came whining to ask for some, and when I told him it was all gone he started sobbing and kicking and screaming. Ugh.

   I hate that he's throwing tantrums now. Where does this come from? What happened to my little boy? I don't recognize him when he's being this way, when he's hitting me and kicking the dog and scratching my face because I can't give him something. Seriously. The side of my nose was bleeding today where he scratched me. Who is this insane little person?!

   So it's time to step back before it goes from frustration to anger. I won't be the parent that punishes my child out of anger. Then it's not about controlled discipline, it's about control and getting back at a baby. Not ok. He's been in timeout a couple times today for being mean to the dog and hitting me. We have a no-tolerance policy for hitting (other than when we're playing ninjas), so to timeout he went. Clearly he is not ready to ditch the naps yet. We both just end up miserable by the end of the night. My head is pounding from his high-pitched screeching, and he is CLEARLY not happy.

   I can't wait for Brandon to get home. I think it will do Cooper some good to have some daddy time, and I am going to take a long shower to ditch the headache. Cooper adores his daddy, and now that Brandon's working, he doesn't have to be the bad guy during the day that makes Cooper follow the rules. Don't get me wrong, I'm loving being a SAHM, but there are certain benefits to only being home at breakfast and dinner time, and to tuck baby into bed. One of those benefits is getting to come home and save baby from evil mommy and her wicked rules. Hahaha!

   On the other hand, there were so many things I feel like I missed being the working parent. I'm glad I get this time with my son. He's not going to be little forever. He's getting so big, so fast. A rough evening every now and then is more than worth it. He's just so tired, and if I let him sleep now he'll be up all night. I'm so tired, I can't stay up with him. He has to go to bed on time tonight and stay in bed.

   Pregnancy is awful. I had almost forgotten. Now that the puking and the majority of food aversions and cravings have almost gone away, I can eat and start gaining weight. Sweet. The headaches are starting to go away, too. The latest pregnancy symptoms are achy hips. I go to bed, and if I lay on one side for more than a very short time, that hip hurts so bad and is so stiff I have to roll over. It's been keeping me awake. I can't wait until my body adjusts to the relaxin. I've had bad heartburn lately, too. I had that the whole time I was pregnant with Cooper, so hopefully this time it goes away. My skin is clearing up, which is nice. I felt flutters, which my midwife says is normal this early in a second pregnancy because I know what early movement feels like now.

   I'm off to cook dinner. Cooper is calming down. Brandon will be home in half an hour now. Everything is going to be ok.