It is no joke that Annabelle has a fiery temper. She is, after all, a product of two fiery parents. Two years ago I wrote all about my ‘tude as a toddler. “She’s obstinate by precious,” my mom would say to strangers before reciting the well-known rhyme: “There once was a girl with a curl…” I was cute on purpose, with a big curly head of hair and porcelain skin to distract people from the fire brewing inside. Annabelle is proving to be cut from the same cloth. Her big brown eyes, long luscious eye lashes, and cheek dimple are so adorable that people can usually ignore her screams and balled up fists when she doesn’t get her way.
Her new favorite word is, “NO NO NO” (in the cutest voice ever) when she doesn’t get her way. She likes to gracefully throw herself on the floor when she is upset, and then do what we call “the upside-down inch worm” all over the room. Our doctor says we are handling her temper tantrums the best way possible – by walking away from her insanity and leaving her to squirm around in a safe place.
She is bossy. She is independent. She is particular and hates crumbs, stray hairs, or hang nails. She is demanding. She is opinionated. She is SUCH a little spitfire with so much sass that I truly fear for her teenage years.
But then she smiles SO big sometimes that I can feel the joy radiating from her tiny body … and she hugs me tight like a spider monkey… and open mouth kisses my cheek…and dances in my arms to the music of her happiness. She goes from 0 to 100 and back to 0 so quickly that sometimes I can’t keep up. Honestly, the change in her personality is encouraging. If she was always happy-go-lucky, I would worry she would be taken advantage of someday. The fact that she is so strong willed as a toddler makes me believe these traits will carry over into her adolescence and she will be a force to be reckoned with. She could be a handful for Mommy and Daddy, or perhaps she will save it for the boys in her teen years who try to give her troubles.
When Annabelle is on the verge of one of her meltdowns, I try to find ways to distract her. Whether its a toy or the promise of “oy-yos,” I’ve found she more so than often succumbs to diversions. I’ve made a few essential oil blends in tiny roller bottles that Annabelle can apply to her feet. One of my favorite blends is called Gentle Babies. From the Lavender to the Ylang Ylang, the combination of sweet scents are aromatically soothing. When mixed with a few drops of olive oil, I’ve noticed she seems to calm down after applied topically, or when its even inhaled. I put a few drops in the palm of my hand and add a small scoop of coconut oil. I’ll rub my hands all over her legs and arms after a tubby or before bed. Sometimes I even put a drop of Gentle Babies on her bunny’s head before bedtime since she sleeps with it so close to her face.
There are so many different essential oils and blends that can be used on babies for so many different reasons. However, Gentle Babies is definitely my favorite for relaxing my temperamental toddler!
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