Elaina

My nemesis. Where to begin. I love this girl, yes it's true. Here come's the but, but man she will be the death of me. Elaina started off easy enough. She popped out on the second push and barely cried. She slept constantly and almost completely through the night from the get go, we were in heaven. That should've been my blazing red flag, but no. She now practice's free will to the n'th degree. Currency she has none. Not monetary currency but psychological. All threats are idle, do/say what you will, take away stuff, put in time-out, swat that little bottom and it's all the same, she will endure and she will win. Later in life this will be her greatest asset, her employer will beat her down and she will come back fighting, life in general will hand her those lemons and she will stomp the last bit of juice out of them. The sky is truly the limit for that girl and I fear for whom ever stands in her way, she will take you down. Luckily some things are starting to click as far as pre-k is going, she is now obsessed w/spelling her name and watching enough Leap Frog movies has led to her knowing alot of sounds the letters of the alphabet make. Elaina loves all animals and Im not remotely exaggerating. This summer I found her pushing her new pet worm on the swing and if Ethan kills a spider she is more than happy to pick it up and throw it away, certainly more than I can say about me! Elaina waited longer to do almost everything, crawling, walking, talking, potty training. But the second she realized she could, she did. There was no transition period, no starting off slow. She waits till she can do it perfectly and she does. She's a thinker aka plotter. I never turn my back with out fully accepting the consequences. Silence is not golden and I doubt it ever will be. She loves to help me, possibly more than I actually want help but Im starting to embrace it more. She will make an entire meal with me start to finish and couldnt be happier. I know she needs to feel useful and can see her glow with pride in her accomplishments. My girl, one day we will go for tea and a mani/pedi. Right now I'll be content with her incessant pleas to go hunting with dad. In every roll of your eyes and every deep sigh you emit, I see myself. In loving you, I am loving me. I want to curl up and hold my little girl tight maybe if I can catch her nodding off she'll let me. Elaina, I love you more than chocolate chips. Grilled chicken w/Penzey's Northwood's seasoning sooooo good and a no brainer, along w/cheesy mashed potatoe's and the last of this year farmer's market corn. There's a Guinness in my future, my husband loves me and brought some home last night.