Week 26: It's all a give and take. . .

I distinctly remember talking to friends with older children when Jonah was an infant about how difficult parenthood was physically at the time. The lack of sleep alone was so exhausting. Add to that the carrying, bouncing, burping, etc. and we were just physically shot. One friend assured me that it would get easier - physically - but also warned me that as the physical challenges eased, the mental fatigue would take over. He also warned that the mental wear and tear was far worse than the physical. Now granted, he was referring to the teenage years, but I can already see the wisdom.

Life with Jonah is getting easier - and harder. It's very much a give and take; a push and pull. The physical challenges are easing - so is the pain in my lower back! It's so much easier now to go out and about. If we miss nap one day, it's not the end of the world. (two missed naps in a row might be!) We can go farther away from home on the subway without having to bring a carry on suitcase full of books and toys to keep him entertained. We can also go out to the park at the end of the day, play, and then go to a restaurant on our way home. That's what we did this Sunday - pictured above. Jonah did a nice job, was relatively well behaved, and then proceeded to walk (despite the empty stroller sitting there waiting for him) all the way home. The walk was right at a mile. It was a nice night!

On the flip side of that - we've started full-on potty training. Something we read suggested that when the child has an accident that it's a good idea to have them help clean up. (as an aside - thank God for hardwood floors!) We tried it with Jonah. He got tired of it quickly and rather than make sure he didn't have more accidents, as the advice suggested, he rebelled and started intentionally having "accidents" and then throwing a tantrum when it was time to clean. When we eased off the forced clean up policy a bit, the "accidents" eased as well.

Then there's his new favorite phrase - "want to do it myself." Yep - he's two. Actually, two and a half soon (Sunday). So, the mental fatigue is starting to increase. Nothing out of the ordinary for someone his age - he's just finding himself and finding his limits - and ours.

Photo - This is my 50mm at f/2 and available light. We were sitting outside in the nice covered sidewalk sitting area and the last bit of sunlight was beautifully diffused. Also, this marks halfway of my project! Thanks for following along!