When You're Two

Friends, I am going insane trying to figure out my two-year-old these days! Last night I went to bed at 11:30 p.m. I promptly fell asleep nursing Anna. Don was at work, and the other three children were asleep in their beds. Or so I thought.

Around 12:45 a.m., Emily Rose wakes me while crawling into my bed. Doesn't say a word--just climbs in and starts fiddling with her security blanket. She was looking for the blanket's satin tag, which she likes to stroke to help her fall asleep.

I decided it was best to say nothing for the time being, so that I could get the baby into her crib without Emily waking her.

Don arrived home soon after this, and he carried Emily back to bed. I then put the baby into her crib and went in to see what was up with Emily. She hadn't previously been a night waker...or at least when she had a crib, we saw no evidence that she was waking to this extent at night. I hadn't locked her door before I went to bed; I planned to be up before her the next morning. Little did I know that her house wandering would include middle-of-the-night escapades.

Don and I discovered--after giving her a lecture and tucking her in--that she had been to the playroom, and had gotten herself a sucker, which she had taken a couple of licks from and then left on the queen bed in her room...sticking to the comforter.

While in the kitchen, she'd tried to put a straw into a juice box, but failed...spilled juice was a clue. Part of me wanted to smile, as I looked at the evidence of her grown-up escapade. I walked all around the house, wandering what surprises I would find. Nothing else looked suspect..this time. Too bad she hadn't thought to put in a load of laundry for me. LOL

I still don't like the thought of locking her door. What if she might have to vomit in the middle of the night (no, she isn't sick, but these things often come on at night), or have some other need for which she would want me? It just seems so risky to lock a child in a room while Mommy and Daddy sleep. We have air filters running in all the bedrooms, so the house isn't silent. The filters drown out some noise, making it hard to hear subtle sounds. But the filters sure help when there is a family history of hay fever, indoor allergy, and eczema.

I've learned that when young children wake in the middle of the night, they often assume it's morning--hence, the getting up and walking around. What's strange to me is that this very independent young lady is the same young lady who has developed a second-stage fear of the church nursery. She wants her Momma. She doesn't want to be left behind when I go to the store, or to the bank, or anywhere--unless there is outdoor water play on the agenda and Daddy is willing to supervise. Otherwise, she likes Momma around. And when I come home from these short errands, she runs into my arms, all smiles, and says, "Mommy! Mommy's home!" Her face displays sheer joy! Oh, how it melts every inch of me!

Is this how growing up is? They have powerful urges to sample a bit of the big leagues, and then they want to run back to Momma's arms?

There's a LOT going on in that little girl's head right now. I'm recording it all here for her benefit. Maybe she'll have a little girl someday who is just like her. My heart wants to cheer her ingenuity--her independence, but my head wants to do everything possible to keep her safe. I just don't think that includes a locked door.