The terrible ones?

Our little girl is growing up. There was a time when Daphne was most content in our arms, checking things out from an adult perspective, happy to be spending time with her two favourite people in the whole world. Naps were a time for cuddles and her constant waking up in the night was an indication of how much she couldn't bear to be without us. Who would have known that in a few shorts months, our once-attached baby would see Dave and me as a merely a means to an end. Who would have known that our little Daphne would become such a user and abuser (well, not really, but keep reading anyway).

"Oh mommy, mommy, please pick me up." her outstretched arms said, and even though I would have loved to oblige her and pick her up right then and there I was in a rush trying to get her lunch ready so we could get outside while the sun was still shining (a rarity in Vancouver at this time of year). So I ignored her and she went away for a minute. Then she came back, whining just enough to be noticed, but not enough to be annoying and her big brown eyes looked up at me and said "I really, really need you, mommy. More than you could ever know. Please pick me up." After a few minutes of this begging, when her whine was finally on the verge of being annoying I gave in and scooped her up into my arms. I gave her a hug big enough for a made-for-tv movie and she handed my heart to me on a platter.

Not two seconds into the hug I saw what Daphne really wanted. She didn't want me, or my awesome hug, she wanted the orange sitting on the counter and she was determined to do whatever she had to do to get to it. Once I realized what she was up to I put her down and tried to explain to her that if she was patient she would not only get the orange but the awesome lunch that I was preparing too. She looked at me, her eyes fixated on my every word and she proceeded to acknowledge what I was saying by interjecting the most sincere-sounding 'yesses' that any 17-month-old could possibly muster. Thinking that I had gotten through to her I went back to preparing her lunch, and Daphne, what did she do? Well, like any reasonable toddler she began to have a meltdown. Luckily, I've gotten so used to these 'episodes' that I've learned to ignore them and leave her be. She was fine within a minute and back to figuring out how to acquire the orange that'd been taunting her all morning. I can't remember if she got the orange in the end; sometimes she's successful and other times she gets so annoying that I end up hiding the object of desire only to find it days later, well past its prime.

So what's the moral of this story? For all you parents out there who think the terrible twos start at two, be warned: the power struggles can start early as the start of their second year and last long, so hang on tight!

For those of you worried that you'll lose your precious little baby, fear not. Daphne's still as cuddly as ever as long as it's on her terms. She's also a super duper good kisser, who's becoming quite adept at the closed-mouth-non-slobbery kiss; definite win.