Headstrong

My daughter is wearing me out. She is CONSTANTLY on the move, screams about EVERYTHING, and is extremely headstrong (as the pediatrician put it.)

I was just telling Derek about a lady at swimming who's daughter is in Jadons class... she has a son who is around Avery's age. Her son sits quietly, never making a peep, rarely moves from his seat, and I have to envy the girl a little. Jadon was super good like that too when he was a toddler... content to just sit and take in the world around him.

Avery.... very much the opposite. Cant stand sitting still, can't stand being in her carseat since she is strapped down and cant move, and fights being put in her carseat like no other! Has to explore everything and most of the time she explores with her mouth, including food that has been dropped on the floor. (I found her eating a cheeto that was under the bleachers at swimming on tuesday. She was also going for a piece of candy that had been stepped on and squished into the ground, but luckily i caught her before she got to that one.)

Diaper changes have been an extreme challenge lately, she screams and fights them, and many of the times lately, she's ended up with poop in places other than on her bottom (socks, pants, shirt, my hands....) And when I try to distract her with a toy, she takes the toy and chucks it and continues to scream and fight even harder. We just change her diaper on the floor on a changing pad... just easier for us that way.... so, it usually comes down to my leg being placed across her chest and arms to hold her down, and I mentioned already how she hates being strapped down, so this leg on her chest thing does not go over well with her. (I actually read to do that in a book... afterall, she HAS to have her diaper changed, its not optional until she starts potty training.)

And she screams. Oh man does she scream! We've all heard those little girls that scream in such a loud, high pitch that it literally feels like your eardrums are being pierced.... Avery has a scream like that. And she's not afraid to use her scream.... for anything.... for everything.

Its a good thing she is so stinkin' cute, and loves to cuddle with me... because otherwise i'd probably ask if I could trade her in! ;)