Look Ma!

Elise, a born performer, has started what we like to call the "Look Ma!" phase. She wants to make sure that you are watching what she's doing and wants to be told how great it is. "Watch what I can do Mama - I can balance this pea on the rim of my plate!" (this is an actual example). If it was one random pea balance it would probably not be worth mentioning, but the pea balancing act is one of about 40 other "Watch this, Mom!" things that happen just at dinner alone.

We think perhaps someone is feeling a little competitive with her little brother for her parents attention all of a sudden. While at first it seemed like this was starting pretty late in the game (she has been incredibly gracious with him up to this point) it actually does make sense. Lucas is no longer just the baby in the background that sleeps a lot and sits there watching and laughing at everything she does. He is now demanding a lot more attention of his own - crawling around at his pleasure, cruising around furniture, holding on to fingers and walking around - not to mention, he's incredibly adorable, and his "trick" of waving to everyone (including strangers who also eat it up) is adorable beyond words. We think maybe Elise is getting a little jealous of the shear amount of attention he seems to be getting from everyone.

Not that Elise is not adorable, because let's face it, she is pretty darn cute herself. But her desperate attemps to get attention - through Look Ma moments, tamtrums and saucy attitude issues - are not cute at all. This phase seems to have kicked into high gear with a strong dose of separation anxiety as well, after we returned from vacation. We spent 10 full days joined at the hip with both kids and we think that perhaps they got a little spoiled from all that Mommy and Daddy time. Two days after we got back from vacation, I went to a conference in D.C. for two days and when I returned, the attention-seeking-separation-anxiety seemed to hit a new high.

Marty and I work longer days in the summer because we have Friday's off, but it has really been affecting her lately. The other day when we went to pick her up right at 5:30 (which is when the Center closes) she said, "Why did it take so long for you to come and get me?" Heartwrenching. "I was calling for you for sooo long." Gutwrenching. And then the clincher, "Mommy, Daddy, I never get to see you anymore." AAARRRGGGGGHHHHH! Is this girl a natural with the guilt or what? She's like a Catholic AND Jewish grandmother all rolled into one.

Like all phases, we document them because we know they will pass all too quickly and we will barely remember her doing it. That said, I have a feeling she is genetically programmed with the Guilt. "Look Oma, Look Gram, watch me make Mommy and Daddy guilty in less than four words!"