Silence Isn’t Always Golden*

I’m learning that being a parent of an almost toddler is completely different from being a parent of a newborn.

Ruby is hilarious right now. She is so bright and inquisitive, she absolutely loves to play. In the past week she has taken huge strides in learning how to play independently, which has given me just another piece of my independence back. She’s sleeping better and eating well–life is pretty wonderful where she is concerned.

As I enter each new phase of parenthood, I continue to learn new lessons along the way. Right now I’m having a love / hate relationship with one particular thing: silence.

For months on end that was exactly what I longed for: complete silence. Silence meant that she was fed, happy, and asleep.

I’m now realizing that silence is a double edged sword: if she is in her bed, silence is golden. If she is awake, I’m quickly learning that silence usually means one thing: trouble.

My beautiful wee-bean is a bit of a talker. She babbles and giggles all day long. Even if I’m not right next to her, I always know exactly where she is and what she’s doing by her constant chatter. It gives me a bit of a chance to clean up or work around the house while she entertains herself.

When I see that she’s engaged with something, I try and sneak away to wash a couple of dishes or tidy up. I’m never far–if I can’t see her she is always within my earshot. I’ll listen to her babble while I work, then all of a sudden I’ll notice that the room has gone quiet.

Unfortunately, I know this kind of silence doesn’t mean sleep.

Ruby has acquired a new, wonderful skill–she recently discovered that things can open. She loves to practice on cupboards, lids, drawers, and her personal favourite: the garbage can. She knows that the kitchen cupboards, drawers and garbage are strictly off limits (you should see the guilty look on her face whenever I catch her… ha) but it doesn’t stop her from wanting to practice her new skill.

Any time that she realizes that I’m distracted, the babble stops and she quietly beelines for the “no zones”. She has a jolly time pulling the cloths from the bottom drawer and opening and shutting the garbage. Thankfully she hasn’t tried pulling anything out of that… yet. I know that the real day of reckoning is not far: that moment when she realizes that the toilet lid opens and that things can disappear there.

So, having spent nearly a year craving it, I now find myself apprehensive of that once wonderful silence.

*sigh*

Silly bean. What a kid. :)

P.s. It’s Miss Gentle Nudge’s birthday! WOO WOO! Who knows if I’d even still be writing without her gentle shoves every so often? haha! Have a great one!