Regression

I think and (desperately) hope that Petra has just come through her four-month sleep regression. She had all the signs of it–she was clingy and wouldn’t let me put her down. She’d go the whole day not napping more than ten minutes. She woke up six times every night.

This lasted for two weeks.

The past couple of days, she’s back to napping a bit, which is very nice. Maybe she’s moving toward the nice long naps she was taking before. She did an hour yesterday morning, and I did a little dance.

In the middle of that, Silas caught a cold. I shouldn’t complain–this is the first cold he’s had since he was four months old, so it’s been two years, almost exactly. But oh, it is so much less pitiful and more disgusting this time around.

Boys are gross. I try not to make too many gender-based stereotypes, and when Petra is bigger, I might just realize that toddlers are gross, but…wow. The gleeful, “Look, Mama! I have snot on my eyelid!” Leaking from everywhere…why is he drooling as well as snotting? I don’t know! On top of that, I have to fight with him every time I want him to wash his hands, and he won’t stay away from Petra. We missed our play date last week and kept him out of Sunday school, so he’s starved for human interaction–but I don’t want him sharing his germs with his friends.

I always hear that other people’s kids get cuddly and sleepy and kind of sweet when they’re sick. Not Silas. He somehow found more energy to throw around. He’s been bouncing off the walls (and snot-bombing them). The cuddly part is true, a little bit, though. He has wanted me to carry him all the time (and so has Petra) (and he wants to snot on me while I do it).

One thing I wasn’t ready for was the serious regressions Silas has experienced while being sick. Solo play? GONE. Potty training? Back to having an accident or two a day. Sharing? Manners? Acting like a person instead of a baby? Gone, gone, gone.

Good signs: Silas actually played by himself a good bit yesterday, and said “thank you” without prompting. There’ been a little less snot. Maybe things are moving in the right direction.