Terrible 2s

Matthew has entered the 'terrible 2' phase.  There are some very sweet things about this phase-- he tries to be helpful and he is more independent.  But there are also some ugly things about this phase-- he loses his mind when he's told "no".  He lays on the ground and cries when we have to leave the library. He's into everything.  He leaves a swath of destruction wherever he goes.  He bites his siblings for fun.  He slaps at me when I put him in his crib.  He pulls my hair when I put him in his car seat.  He throws things he shouldn't throw.  He goes the opposite way when you tell him to 'come here'.  He throws a fit when he is confined in his stroller or car seat. Generally, he is still our sweet baby Matthew but he has been pretty difficult of late.  As a result, he has been spending some time in time out, though I'm not sure he ever understands why he is there to begin with.  

We are thrilled that he has entered this phase, as it is 'developmentally appropriate' and therefore a very good thing.  But even though it is a good thing, it doesn't make it any more fun or less frustrating for all of us.  

I have been thinking that Matthew's terrible 2s seem a bit worse than the terrible 2s we've seen before (and they seemed pretty bad then too), but I have been attributing that to my selective memory.  Then I was reminded that in actuality, Matthew's terrible 2s might be exacerbated by his inability to communicate.  Although he has a dozen signs and answers yes/no questions, he needs much more and I can only imagine the frustration he must feel when we just don't understand.  We are praying for patience, for this phase to give Matthew what he developmentally needs, for it to pass quickly, and for Matthew to be able to communicate his wants and needs!