Dear Natalie,
I think that I may have gotten in way over my head.
You’re only just over 14 months old now but you seem to think that you are 14 years old. Actually, I’ve never met a 14 year old in my life that is SO DEMANDING!!! I know why I named you Natalie now because I can call you Natty for short, which can easily sound like naughty!
Everything needs to be done on your terms and timing, and contrary to popular belief from my family and friends, I can actually be rather strict with you. Somehow, at this stage of your life, you have determined that what makes life fun and worth living is causing misery to those around you.
This includes kicking people in the face any time the opportunity presents itself, bonking another child on the head with a toy when they are sound asleep, digging your fingernails into any innocent skin that does not move away in time, and brutally scratching the face of anyone who dares carry you without permission.
Your greatest joy is in finding an injury like a big bruise or a healing scab, and slapping it as hard as you can saying, “Pain, pain” repeatedly. Yes, all of us victims know it’s pain, pain, especially when the hurt is being inflicted on us intentionally.
I’ve heard so many comments about how I’m too lenient on you until I can literally vomit blood. Whenever you hurt or disrespect anyone, I actually sit you down, explain that what you did was wrong, hold out your hand and slap it pretty darn hard two or three times.
Not once have you cried or even cringed a bit no matter how hard I hit; every time I discipline you, you just look away and ignore me completely, pointing to something behind me to try to distract me and shouting “Neh!” Sorry to disappoint as your daddy is still too smart for these tactics, but good try.
If it doesn’t work, you proceed to try to find your nearest victim who is most likely to give you sympathy (usually a grandparent), and run to them with your arms spread wide open. And it’s not a running away from me in fear at all; it’s as though I’m not even there and you just can’t wait to jump into their arms and tell them how much you love them in your very own special ‘bear-huggy’ way.
Which grandparent in the world could ever resist that???
I see some other 14-month olds not even walking yet or barely stumbling a few steps at a time. And then there’s you, spinning, dancing, practically ‘running’ forward AND backward, hanging on objects with your arms where your legs are raised and swinging, and climbing up on every piece of furniture in the home.
Nowadays when I get up from the study table for a quick pee break, I walk out of the toilet one minute later, and I will find that you’ve climbed up on my study chair and have started banging on the keyboard, deleting many important documents in the process. When I walk in the room, you will always look sideways at me with a mischievous smirk that a toddler really should not be having in their repertoire of facial expressions.
Your tantrums are becoming more intentional and pronounced, and to think that the terrible twos haven’t even arrived yet. I can only imagine what kind of disruption and destruction you will be capable of once you reach that stage…you know, like earthquakes, tornadoes, plane crashes, godzilla…
And despite how incorrigible you are during this period, you still seem to find a way to melt my heart every single day.
Sleepily climbing into the bed and rolling into my arms in the morning to let me hold you for a few minutes before I get up for work.
The big, sloppy kiss on my cheek as I carry you to the car. I still haven’t managed to teach you to kiss with closed lips so I have to say your kisses are rather…salivary.
The big bear hug you give me every evening when I see you for the first time after work. You’ll squeeze your arms around my neck as hard as you can a few times with a few short “Mmm” sounds for emphasis.
That clicking sound you make when you want to indicate that something is pretty; the flower, the butterfly, the way you look in the mirror when I’m combing your hair after a shower…
The way you smile. The way you laugh. The way you squeal in delight. No one in the world does it exactly the same way.
Just yesterday, your mommy picked you from grandma’s house without me, and you fell asleep in the baby seat of the car. When I unbuckled you and you woke up, you groggily smiled and whispered, “Papa” so softly I could barely hear it.
Just that one moment alone was enough to remind me that it’s all worth it for my beautiful princess. No matter what happens and no matter what it takes, she…you deserve all the love that mommy and I can give.
Love,
Dad
0 comments:
Post a Comment