Turning the Corner

After several months of tough, trying behavior, it seems like things are finally getting better with Asher. Let me first clarify that statement. He is three, so there are still tantrums....still whining...still hard times. BUT it's not nearly as bad as it was. It's, dare I say, manageable (most days)!

I had an epiphany last week when I was thinking about the fact that I was feeling happier and enjoying Asher more, and I realized that these past few months have been very challenging. That wasn't the epiphany because I already knew that. The epiphany came when I realized things were settling down with him because he was finally adjusting to all the major changes in his life.

You see, I had thought that after the first month of us moving, Asher had adjusted to the change and that the ongoing difficulty we experienced was due to the fact that he had just turned three (which I'm sure is still part of it). I hadn't taken into account the fact that he is just very sensitive to disruption and that he actually needed several months to process everything. I also saw this happen with all the visitors we've had, because Asher would act out almost every time. It's too much for him sometimes. Even just having the whole family over to our house leads to Asher crying and hanging onto my leg.

When I sit back and think about all that has happened since August, it really is pretty huge for a little guy. We moved to a new city and new house. Shortly after that, we transitioned Asher to his own bed after 3 years of co-sleeping (although he still ends up in our bed every night!), and then he was potty trained. Lots of major stuff going on there! No wonder he was constantly flipping out.

But recently, things have been improving! Asher has so many wonderful qualities about him. He is charming, funny, giving, kind, sweet, and fun to be around. For a while, it was sometimes hard to see or enjoy those traits because they were literally being drowned out by lots of other stuff (i.e. crying and screaming). I still remember being in Costco a couple months ago, and Asher had a MAJOR meltdown. I was desperately trying to leave the busy store. I was pushing Ava in her stroller, and Asher refused to walk, so I was carrying him (kicking and screaming, mind you) while pushing Ava, so I couldn't walk nearly as fast as I wanted to (really, I wanted to RUN!!). Despite all the background noise, everyone went quiet (at least it felt like it) as Asher screamed bloody Mary, and I could just FEEL the eyes burning into my skull. I think it was one of my most mortifying days ever as a parents.

Granted, that can still happen, but it's a much more rare occurrence lately. And you know what? THANK GOODNESS! Because now Asher and I can have much more fun together, and I can thoroughly enjoy his hilarious moments, his sweet personality, and the great boy that he is.

Because, really, this boy is awesome.