week 23+ and I've never really heard of the terrible 4s and 5s

Oops - sort of at week 23.5 but oh well.  Baby girl doesn't like when I wear the belly band and she thinks mid-afternoon heartburn is a good schedule.  She's beyond active most of the time and Beca got her hand kicked by baby girl one night before bedtime.  It was neat.

I'm already tired of the name question.  We haven't decided completely and probably won't until we see her.  There's so many other things on my mind right now to get done that have to be done (or at least would be a good idea).  At least we told you it's a girl.  So deal.  In the meantime, my grandmother is having the most fun with names - she isn't badgering but she has some sweet suggestions every week - see sidebar.  Now I'm wondering just how long she can keep it up and/or if/when she'll ever pick one of the top choices.

I'm starting to believe that with Beca there is no such thing as terrible twos or threes and that her entire single digit years will all be terrible.  I rarely ever have a sweet and behaved girl.  There is always something with her.  Every morning there's an argument over what she wants to wear (so sorry you can't wear your fancy mostly white dresses to school - its not happening because I paid enough for the Hanna Andersson collection you have and it will actually come clean in the wash with no effort or damage).  Every playdate or birthday party or event comes down to Beca having a meltdown because someone isn't playing with her the way she wants or they aren't doing something the way she wants or they called her a name or today's was they said she couldn't count because she was referring to ordinals rather than straight digits (which was brilliant because she was lining them up but they made her doubt her counting abilities which is one of the things she does well).  Most nights we have to fight her about what we are eating (unless it is taco night).  There's constant whining about everything.  The biggest problem I have is that the girl has limits and boundaries from both of us and from her teachers.  One day something works and the next day it doesn't - we take away TV, computer, dessert and dresses enough - the punishments have an effect of about 1-2 days and then we're right back to taking everything away again.  And I'm too exhausted to have the energy to figure out another strategy.  She is so going to be called a baby and like a hundred other names at school.