In the last few weeks, I have been undergoing a battle of the wills of sorts with my three month old daughter as I've endeavored to establish boundaries, schedules, and an overall routine. She and I have both cried many tears, endured sleepless nights, and I've prayed through the frustrations that accompany life with a newborn. Especially a strong willed newborn who is as determined to have her way as I am to have mine. I also have a 12 year old son, and as I look back through the years to the time when he was her age, I recall only brief moments of difficulty. He was essentially an easygoing, mild tempered infant who followed direction well and stayed within the parameters of whatever routine I had created. Sure, he went through a brief season of overwhelming colicky upset, but it was short lived and he quickly settled into life as the "perfect baby." My new daughter, on the other hand, refuses to be tamed into any sort of routine and if I dare try, she quickly and effectively makes sure I know she is calling the shots, which usually looks like her yelling and me not sleeping. And crying. And praying. Ironically, my efforts at formatting a schedule are based on the underlying goal of increasing both the quantity and quality of my nighttime sleep. Hasn't happened. The minute I feel I've had a couple of days of success and won the battle of getting her to comply with my way of doing things, she mixes everything up and my accomplishment is no longer recognizable. I've often heard parents say that their children are like night and day, different in every way. I understand the concept well now. My son was easy. My daughter is difficult. My son was quiet and content. My daughter is loud and restless. My son was mild tempered. My daughter is emotionally expressive and already opinionated. My son was teachable. My daughter is the teacher. He came out of the womb without movement or sound. She came out kicking and yelling. My son was and still is predictable in his next step. My daughter is nothing of the sort. The only predictable thing about her is that she is predictably unpredictable. And I wouldn't have it any other way.
