Monday, June 21, 2010

Dos Kiddos.




I can't exactly say how life with two is going, since we have had the constant (and greatly appreciated) help of both of our parents, graciously stepping in these past few days. So far, Cub's response to Naomi has been good, if not a little better than expected. He has jealous moments, of course, and we make it a point to both spend alone time with him when we can, switching between each child to try and keep things balanced (for example, if I take bath time, my husband takes bed time). While we were still in the hospital, we asked Cub if he wanted to give Naomi a hug. He took one look at her and shyly stepped back. And that was okay with us. We've always agreed that Cub never has to touch anyone or be touched by anyone he doesn't want to, including family (he usually loves hugs or kisses, but you get my point). A high-five or knuckles ("knucks!") is sufficient. So, when he decided he didn't want to touch Naomi, that was fine by us. She was completely new to him, after all--a stranger, basically!

So, over the past few days, it's been so sweet to watch him come around. It started with him shyly waving at his sister and saying, "Hi, Nomi!" in his sweet little voice. Then he decided that, while he himself wasn't going to give his sister a kiss, his toys were, so Naomi received little kisses from Cub's various toy dolphins, turtles, and trucks. And then today I asked Cub if he wanted to give Naomi a little kiss.

And melt my heart, he did. He toddled right over to her, bent down, and pecked her cheek.

I'm so glad we didn't force him to try to "love" his sister. It's wonderful to watch him become more familiar with her. I think we've realized that, besides the obvious challenges that come with adding another baby to the family, this will only be a big deal if we make it one. We love this sweet time.

Tomorrow is my first official day with both kids alone. I've made a to-do list, to keep my head from spinning, and one of the items on the list is Number Four on my Mighty Summer List: Go to Target with both children.

We need milk and toilet paper.

I might also buy a sling. I have a Baby Bjorn and I've borrowed a sling from my friend, but Target had some that looked comfy. What do y'all prefer--baby carrier or sling? Just curious. I know I love the Bjorn, but I've never used a sling.

Anyway. So, as you read this, think of me scrambling around with both kids. Hopefully I will at least put on some mascara. :)

Either way, this is a blessed time.


So bring on the craziness. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Have a lovely day!

9 comments:

  1. That last picture is priceless!!

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  2. Awe...so sweet! You'll be amazed at how much that sibling love grows each and every day without you doing anything. It's so amazing and so very sweet.

    You'll do great at Target!!! I promise... ;)

    ...I tried a sling with E this time and I felt the Bjorn was easier and more comfortable to hold her in, when I also have Sophia's hand to hold. I guess E just felt more secure to me in the Bjorn...esp. for shopping purposes.

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  3. I LOVED my Dr.Sears Balboa sling. I didn't use it until my little guy was a little bigger though. I think a newborn might get lost in it...

    Good luck tomorrow!!

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  4. Honestly slings scare me a little. I'm always afraid they'll have trouble breathing. On another note I really like your rule for not making Cub hug or kiss anyone. I hate it when relatives or friends that my son doesn't know that well want him to hug or kiss them and when he doesn't want to they get offended. I'm not particularly fond of hugging strangers so why is it that so many of us expect our kids to?

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  5. Is he giving her some juice?? So sweet. Two kids. You are Super Mom!! Good luck at Target tomorrow. You'll do great.

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  6. Tomorrow going to Target is TOTALLY an accomplishment! I made my sister meet me when I'd go at first because I didn't think there was ANY WAY I could do it by myself - scientifically, it seemed impossible! ha. You're braver than I was - I think it was at least a month before I tried it alone. But now it's all second nature. I tried the Bjorn once and Noah screamed the WHOLE TIME. What works for us is putting the carrier on top and letting Lincoln sit in the open basket (he LOVES this). Granted we stop a lot and I have to remind him to "sit" but it's worked for us so far. It alos keeps you from overloading on groceries because you just can't fit them in! Good luck!!!

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  7. I LOVED carrying my little guy in a sling (from Didymos), actually much more than the Baby Bjorn. When he was first born, he was too small for the Baby Bjorn, but the sling worked perfectly. I "wore" him around the house first to get comfortable with the sling, but it didn't take long until I started wearing him out of the house, too. I actually never fell in love with the Baby Bjorn - it gave me a backache. So now that he's bigger, we use an Ergo Baby Carrier. With my next little one, I would love to try a Moby Wrap. The Today show just did a review on carriers that might be helpful: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/3041445/ns/today-parenting_and_family#37356559

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  8. That first picture of Cub makes him look so grown up! Sounds like you are facing life with two head-on! I must say that I absolutely ADORE my Moby Wrap! It can be worn a variety of ways and used until they hit 35 lb! It takes a little bit of practice, but once you get the hang of tying it on yourself it is super handy. (But I haven't tried a plain sling, so you might talk to someone who has used both!)

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  9. I'm a big fan of the Moby wrap as well. There is just such a variety of ways to use it. You can look on youtube for videos of different types of wraps you can do. The videos were much more helpful to me than looking at the still images in the pamphlet that comes with it. There are some really cute prints, too. There is an online store (Mom's Milk Boutique) that is actually based out of the town I live in. They've got Moby wraps and all sorts of Nursing bras/tanks, too.

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