My Dear Anna - You'll Either Kill Me or Make Me A Much Stronger Person

Don't let the sweet face fool you!  :-)

Anna...she is, I guess she would be considered, the "middle child". She is 1/2 of the twins and was born 11 minutes before her brother. They were 8 weeks early, I am quite sure it was Anna's idea to arrive early. What Anna wants - she wants, if she doesn't get it - Hell hath no fury.

She is adorable, funny, goofy, playful, shy, smart, fiercely strong willed and stubborn. My oldest was (and still is) strong willed at this age - she doesn't hold a candle to Anna (the banana). I say Anna is smart because I honestly believe she really knows what she is doing, and is doing what she thinks will get the best reaction - good or bad.

When Anna decides she wants something that she can't have she starts this little grunting thing. The grunting starts and I immediately go rigid - I know there is going to be a battle. She is so little and petite but amazingly strong. Lately she likes to pull this grunting thing at bedtime. At the very moment I am anticipating some much needed "me" time, right when I'm closing the door...it starts.

Just to back track a minute here, we separated Anna and Ethan several weeks ago for nap only. Anna, of course, started fighting her nap and was keeping Ethan awake so we thought it best to move Anna in to our room in the pack n' play. Anna calls this her "teddy bear bed" because there are bears on the mattress.

So tonight after reading books Anna announces she wants to sleep in her Teddy Bear Bed. I immediately responded with no you don't, that is only for nap time - you sleep in your big girl bed at night. Plus you can't sleep in your teddy bear bed in mom and dad's bed for nighttime - I would have to put it in here (their room). I seemed to have talked her down from the ledge. Just as I'm closing the door, the announcement comes "I want to sleep in my teddy bear bed" with the infamous grunt. I try to ignore it saying goodnight Anna and Ethan, I love you, see you in the morning - close the door. Seconds later the door opens and Anna stands there with a scowl on her face.

I tell her if she goes in that Teddy Bear bed she is staying there all night. She has actually been pulling things at bedtime now for the last several days and I honestly believe it is a power struggle. So I put the Teddy Bear bed is up in their room, she says she wants her pillow and some stuffy's in there so I oblige. Then starts complaining that they are all not in there. I tell her there is no room for all of them plus her but I have the most important one's in there. Say goodnight, close door. The calling for me starts - Mommy, mommy, etc...

Go back in and she is irritated that she is in her teddy bear bed. I explain that this is what she wanted so now she needs to stay there tonight. Close the door. Some slight cry but more of an angry type of yell. Anna is in her Teddy Bear bed sound asleep.

Poor Ethan, he is always in for some sort of show at night. He is actually quite funny about it though - it's like he's at a tennis match!

Do you think she will learn her lesson and not insist on sleeping in it again for nighttime? Something tells me this is not the end.