But boy oh boy has she been in a snit lately. We've been spoiled to death with this kid, so her bad phases probably take on amplified importance to us. But still. EVERY LITTLE THING = a fit. And not a little fit. A big fit, complete with screaming, kicking, fist-pounding-on-the-floor, and long resulting stints in time out.
This little phase kicked off, so far as we can tell, on the way home from Florida. Its first manifestation was also its worst, as she screamed so long and loud in protest of a post-flight trip to the potty that she ended up puking in her own pants. That, in turn, resulted in a tragi-cute pantsless (and long) wait for our delayed baggage. Funny in retrospect - not so much in the moment.
This unpleasantness lasted a good week-plus. Just when we were wondering if our sweet little girl was gone forever, we figured it out (we think).
The other night in the midst of a particularly grueling string of fits, Melissa and I both noticed that Sylvie had really, really rosy cheeks - but no fever. Then as Sylvie snuffled herself to bed a little later, she said, "Daddy, my face really hurts."
Quick Google search and there we had it - article after article about how the arrival of the "two year molars" can trigger profound mood and behavior changes in toddlers. Story after story reflecting exactly what we've been seeing from Sylvie. And comfort - most of these stories ended by saying that once the molars "broke through," the kids in question reverted to form.
And just like that, as though she'd timed it to our discovery of the cause of her vexation, Sylvie woke up the next morning in fine spirits and has hardly raised a cry of consternation since.
Seems so obvious now. She was in pain, so she was cranky. Cause and effect. Being a parent = constant learning.
On an entirely separate note, here's what Sylvie said to me last night when I got home from work:
"Daddy. I thought I lost you. But you was only at work. I missed you."
Kid kills me.
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