Sometimes It's Just a Phase

I've mentioned in my previous blogs that the past 10 months - really 20 months - have felt very stressful at our house.  We welcomed our 2nd child to the family, which of course, required more sleepless nights (7 months worth) and lots of toddler chasing.  Consequently, our 4 year-old also had some first child adjustments, too - that came in the form of monumental melt downs.  And at the same time, we were starting a new business.
Periodically, when my husband and I clearly must have looked a little exhausted to others, a kind soul would say to us, "It gets easier."  BTW, I always appreciated those comments so much more than the "Enjoy these days.  You will miss them." comments.  Really?
Well, I'm happy to report it is getting easier!  Our now 21 month old does listen to our requests most of the time.  He can walk on his own without constant fear he will bolt into the parking lot.  He's old enough to play on the playground without us being two feet away.  He doesn't get into EVERYTHING in the house (note, that doesn't mean he has given up exploration completely - the toilet is still beyond fascinating).  And our 4-year-old is really mostly delightful now.  She's funny and smart and sometimes even genuinely helpful.  She actually likes to please us (sometimes) instead of just doing the opposite of what was requested.  And last but not least, we launched our business, which has also relieved some stress.
This past weekend I could truly say I enjoyed all of the family activities we did!  So for those of you in a stressful period of your life - my words of consolation are "Sometimes it's just a phase."  Be patient, find as much relaxation as you can and take solace in knowing it will get easier.