Week two of hum-drum autumn life, and things start getting a little less routine. La petite coquinette apparently enjoys herself while at the crèche, but home alone with papa it's an entirely different story. Grumpiness, tantrums, crying for no apparent reason. We put it down to a combination of teething (canines starting to push through), displeasure at being abandoned by papa every other morning, missing mama (away on another taxing, tiring 2 day trip to Brussels), and feeling not very well because of a lingering cold.
All very trying, particularly when she starts making a fuss during nappy changes. First hint is when one of the maternal assistants at the crèche asks me if she is scared of heights because of the problems they've been having changing her couche. Two days later the situation evolves to point blank refusals to lie down. She is quite happy to stand up to be cleaned and have a fresh nappy put on, which is all very well when the old one is just wet, but far from ideal when it's full of foul-smelling stuff and her bum is covered in it. And when there's only one nappy changer there's no way to make her lie down - the shit wouldn't just hit the fan, it would be covering the walls, ceiling, baby and changer too. Lovely, the things parents do for their beloved offspring…
I then discover that they've been doing standing changes at the crèche, for wet nappies at least, almost since she started there, which perhaps explains why she now refuses to lie down at home but not why she's suddenly decided it's an absolute no-no. Hmm, maybe she's ready to start potty training… So, over the weekend, first sign of straining, mama gets out the potty and puts her on it. "Uhuh, not sure about this", thinks la petite, but deigns to sit on it for about 30 seconds before getting up, sphincter firmly closed, and thereafter refusing to go anywhere near it. Toddler psychology, no fathoming it…
