Ever since I found out I was pregnant with number two, I've been worried about how this is going to effect my relationship with my number one little girl. She has been a momma's girl with a capital "M" from day one. As a baby, she very seldom would let anyone but me hold her without a huge fuss, and this included her dad. I pretty much held her 24/7 best I can tell because she'd cry every time I put her down, even when sleeping, she'd instantly wake up when I put her down and start crying. I think I managed to survive this by constantly telling myself that I was only doing this once, so I really needed to enjoy every minute of it. So imagine my terror at the thought of doing all over, only this time with another baby! I've naturally been reading all kinds of articles and books about introducing a new sibling with the hope that we'll find something that will ease the transition. Robert has been spending more time with Carter which has really helped them bond more and she's more willing to go to dad for comfort on occasion when mom is busy--something that has been long and hard come by! I know she sounds terribly spoiled, and probably is, but this seems to been what she needed at the time was lots of attention from mom. I read the book about High Maintenance Baby's by Dr. Sears, and it just clicked, this was definitely my little girl to a T. So I followed his advice of giving more to the baby that needs more, but wow, it really took it's toll. But, now teaching her to share her mommy with another baby is going to be our next big challenge. She has never liked me holding or playing with other babies at all. She's getting a little better since we've been working on it, but as soon as I pick up one of her little cousins, she instantly by my side demanding up and saying "MY MOMMY!" We've told her about the baby that's coming, but she doesn't really get it. As far as she's concerned, all women have babies in their bellies (which around here, certainly seems to be true!) and she has a baby in her belly too. Just ask and she'll tell you all about it. I think last I heard, it even has black hair. My mom and I are planning to get her a fun doll with all kinds of accessories, so that when I bring home a new baby, she will have her very own new baby as well. Not sure she's going to buy it, but it's worth a try. I just have these nightmares that she will be like this one friend's little boy who was so awful to his new brother, constantly going out of his way to hit or push the baby. I can't believe his little brother actually survived.
On the plus side, Carter just loves my sister's new baby, Avery. Granted, Avery is not competing for attention from HER MOMMY, but it's a start. She loves to hold Avery and wants to help my sister change diapers and would help feed her if she could. She's constantly asking to go see baby Avery (which in Carter speak sounds like Aby) so she can hold her. She was really disappointed when we had dinner at my mom's on Friday and she couldn't hold her because she was sleeping. My other sister Jessica is home for one last big hurrah before moving to Kiev, Ukraine. It was really good to see her and her baby Keenan who is getting SO big! He is so sweet and happy, I'm almost jealous. Carter never giggled as a baby or coo'd for that matter, and he loves to do both. Sigh. Don't get me wrong, I couldn't love my wild little girl more. Hopefully I'm not in the dog house though. Last time Keenan was here, Carter managed to give him pink eye and give him his first bad cold. When we got home from dinner she had a temperature of 102 and was coughing. It was a long weekend.
We spent today with her home sick--well I think she played sick since she didn't want to go to the sitters. (Yep, learning that one already!) We played on her stick horses, chasing cows around the house, took a long walk and went for a pony ride on Picky (my horse that she has claimed as MY Picky) We jumped on the couch, painted and colored pictures, watched a movie, made banana bread--she mostly made sure I made a big enough mess, gave her a bath in the kitchen sink for almost 1.5 hours. She LOVES bathing in the sink, don't ask me why. It's a nice big farm type sink, so she still fits in it and she will spend hours playing it it, with me periodically draining the water so it doesn't overflow. Oh and somewhere around all this I managed to get in 5 hours of work, before she woke up, during nap and after dad came and rescued me. All in all a pretty good day.
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