instant amnesia

I probably should have blogged about all the "button pushing" Oliver did last week but I was usually too fried by the late evening to re-live it. I know 19 month olds should be expected to test their parents and every boundary set by them but he really kicked it into over-drive last week. He pushed buttons I didn't even know I had. My "favorite" was his acting out when I arrived to pick him up at school. He would make sure I was watching and either climb onto a table or hit a friend. By the end of the week I started getting better about anticipating what he was about to do and would turn my back before he could act. It was mostly effective, though exhausting.

It's funny what a difference a few seconds can make. All Oliver had to do was utter two little words and I was stricken with instant amnesia. Last night I put him in his crib and tucked his duvet around him, patted his back twice and said what I always say, "Night night, Bunny. I love you." He doesn't usually say anything but last night he said, "love you." Button pushing? What button pushing? I don't remember any button pushing....

JT, a far more experienced parent than I, reminded me this is akin to why babies don't smile until they are a few weeks old. They wait until their parents are at the end of their rope from sleep deprivation and all the other things that go along with having a newborn. That tiny smile gives them a knot to hang on to. Apparently this concept isn't lost on toddlers.