By Stacey Skrysak 
It’s a stage many parents dread. A time in life when parents may be found hiding in the kitchen pantry, running the opposite direction as their toddler, or maybe just sitting on the couch wearing ear plugs. I’m talking about the terrible two’s! Peyton turns the big two later this month and her personality sure shows it. For the last few months, I have gotten a preview of what to expect!
Peyton has always been a vocal girl. She may not be able to say words yet, but she gets her point across through screeching and wailing screams that wake up the neighbors and any nearby wildlife. Even before she made a peep, she was vocalizing in other ways. During her 4 month Nicu stay, our tiny princess was nicknamed “diva.” Even weighing only a pound, she found ways to be larger than life. The moment her nurses would sit down, Peyton’s isolette alarms would go off. The nurses would get up to check on her and the alarms would subside. It was a constant routine of Miss P’s, a cycle she went through for several weeks. Peyton was strong-willed and a fighter from day one, so it shouldn’t surprise us that her personality continues to get bigger the older she gets.
Fast forward nearly two years. Every day, I can expect a dramatic performance from Peyton, sometimes so intense she deserves an Academy Award! If P doesn’t get her way, she slowly melts and collapses to the ground, alligator tears rolling down her face. Reason #2487 my child is crying? I won’t let P eat dog food. Reason #5634 my child is crying? I won’t let Peyton stick her hands in the toilet. Reason #9022 my child is crying? I won’t let Miss P play with knives. Welcome to the “trying two’s”….you get the picture! And if she isn’t having a meltdown, then Peyton is trying to push every limit. There’s no time for me to even use the restroom–P has been known to climb and bounce on the couch within a few seconds. 
The last time I tried to do dishes? I found Peyton standing on top of the ottoman, in hopes of getting the perfect view of “The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” on television. And just this week, I caught myself panicking as I yelled out, “No Peyton! Don’t go near that razor!!!” Note to self: everything in the shower needs to be kept out of reach!
It’s been a long journey for my family since our triplets were born. We’ve gone through death and grief, health complications and development issues; it’s exhausting just thinking about our past. Yet, I have to chuckle as I look back at Peyton’s early days. Life was going in slow motion as I watched Peyton develop and grow at a snail’s pace. And while I wanted to savor the extra long baby stage, I was so worried about Peyton catching up to her actual age. Well, look who’s chuckling now! Peyton is getting the last laugh as I try to keep up with our little torpedo. But as we enter the terrible two’s, I remind myself of how far Miss P has come. She’s making up for lost time. And who could blame her for on those extra ornery days? She’s a triplet with two angels above….getting some mischievous help from her brother and sister. Let’s call it the terrible two’s times three!
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