Them are Fightin' Words

Everything I have read says that being at home with a newborn is one of the most demanding and stressful times in your life, and the key to survival is open communication, patience and acknowledging your spouse's feelings and concerns. But with everyone adjusting to the craziness of having a newborn AND a toddler – which includes sleep deprivation for four and a double dose of screaming and crying – as well as a poorly timed, but great, work opportunity for Andy – which has led to an obscene amount of extra hours both in the office and on the computer at home – we are not following this advise as closely as we should be and have definitely had our share of tense moments in the Muse household.

And when anger builds and tempers flare, we have to remember that we now have an alert and curious audience member who in one moment despises our behavior, but in the next instance mimics our actions. Luckily, on several occasions, Alex has added some much needed comedy and stress relief by playing referee and interjecting with a well pronounced and serious “knock if off,” “stop talking daddy” or “mommy go upstairs.” Once any of those statements are made, laughter takes over and whatever we were bickering about seems irrelevant.

On the flip side, we may be creating a monster, as it seems to be fueling a bad temper already in the works. Alex has began imitating our not so model behavior and has made a few new enemies around the house including, Thomas the Tank Engine, his inflatable pool whale, Casey and the flashing lights on top of Avery’s swing. It seems in each case, they were not cooperating with his likes, so he let out a lashing. He now has a bitter tone – filled with accusation, frustration and disappointment – that resonates with each command and reprimand (i.e. “stay on the track,” “you’re not working,” “stop barking” or “I said turn off”). But despite the fact these disputes should be in his favor, Alex’s sparing partners never seem to give in or say their sorry, which unfortunately leads to more confusion and the every changing moods of our dynamic two year old.