March 10, 2006

NOISE!!!

A few days ago, my 5-month old started a new sound. It’s something like a deep inhale, a noisy gasp for air, that had me thinking that something was definitely wrong. Granted, I’ve been around the parenting block once before so I should know that new sounds happen. It’s just that "Lil C" is so good at making these sounds that are so unique and LOUD, that sometimes they kind of scare me. "Big I" was a much more quiet baby. So, it’s taken some getting used to, the fact that Lil C is always trying to outdo her sister. It scared me until I noticed the sheer joy on her face after said sound was once again made. I guess Lil C figures she has to keep up with her big sister who has no shortage of "sounds" to put it nicely. It seems that Lil C has to continue inventing new sounds just to try to keep up with her Big Sister who happens to have big sounds constantly lately.

Want to know why??? It’s March. . . birthday March. For at least the past three years, March has arrived with a new temperament for Big I. Last year, when the birthday song singing commenced, my turning 4 year old, disappeared from the dining room with grandeur, screaming at the top of her lungs. As I was pregnant at the time and extremely emotional, I about cried on the carefully prepared Little Mermaid cake before Big I eventually decided that she would come down for cake and to continue her party, but only if we all promised there would be no singing. There was no singing, the party resumed and Big I started the beginning of the terrible 4’s, which are way worse (in my professional parenting opinion) than any terrible 2’s that could ever come my way. No one ever tells you about the Terrible 4’s! Terrible 2’s times two because they come with ATTITUDE!

Now, only nine days into March, Big I has started what I will lovingly refer to as "The Boisterous 5’s." In like a lion, these past few days have been full of all out screaming. The theory behind this one is, "she who screams loudest wins." When she doesn’t like the instructions you just gave her. . .talk louder than Mommy and she thinks she wins. When Daddy and Mommy are having a conversation and she wants to be heard, talk louder than both combined, double points. Big I has forced me to wonder why when children are born, there are not volume controls attached. It certainly would make parenting a bit easier. . .