- This morning when we all woke up and started stirring, I had Bailey sitting up with her Daddy while I made coffee and breakfast for Chloe. She had chosen a new cereal at the store yesterday and we were trying it out. She used true toddler thinking to make her cereal choice. Dora was on the box. Those advertisers are smart. Maybe they can help me attract traffic to my blog. Anyway, Surprise. She didn’t like the cereal. Meanwhile, Bailey spits up. Then she spits up some more. It looked like so much. I am amused at myself as a parent. As a RN, by trade, I tend to be very calm and collected, especially when illness/injury is experienced by others. But for some reason when it’s my child, that all goes out the window. I work in critical care and calmly deal with a patient who has no blood pressure or cannot breathe on his own. Yet when my kid spits up, I think “that’s a lot! Is something wrong? I need to watch for dehydration. Could she have aspirated?” It’s hysterical. I question in my mommy brain “why is she sneezing so much?” Then my nurse brain answers, “chill, that’s normal for a newborn.” “Is she eating enough?!” “Yes, stupid, look at the above average amount of voids and stools.” My right brain and left brain are constantly conversing. Between the two of us, this kiddo is getting taken care of.
- Chloe continues what I’m calling her “transitional” phase. Is it possible to develop ADHD overnight? Has anyone heard of them switching the siblings instead of the newborn at the hospital? I swear I came home with two new children. It’s a total “beat me, bore me, just don’t ignore me.” I continue to pour out the love on her. I’m holding her, attending to all her needs, and reading stories, playing games. Earlier she came up as I was nursing baby and wanted me to hold her. Bailey was finished and dozing, so I offered to put baby down to just hold Chloe. After I put her in the bassinet, Chloe was leaned against the couch staring at me. I told her to come here and let me hold her. She declined, stating “I’m gonna go play in my room.” She’s only 3 feet tall. How can she get a knife all the way up there in my heart?! I will continue to hug her, squeeze her, tell her I love her and how pretty she is. I hope this phase passes soon.
- One true blessing during this time is Bailey’s temperament. She is so calm, relaxed, and easy maintenance, so to speak. It allows me the time to attend to Chloe. It would be so much more difficult if I was constantly juggling an infant in my arm as I bathed, fed, dressed, or just held Chloe. I can put Bailey down in her bassinet, awake, and she will just smile at the flower rattle in her eye sight. She completed her third night of sleeping without incident. The spit up I mentioned earlier, is the first time she’s spit up since we brought her home. She is one week old today, so I realize she still has changes to make in her habits, but I am really thankful for her nature at this time. Right now she is in my lap just watching me type. Such a sweetie. Her heart rate was always on the low side, for a girl, while in utero. So perhaps she’s just really mellow. Maybe I’m more mellow as a 2nd time Mommy. Who knows. I’m not going to take it for granted! Chloe and her big sis are visiting their Nonnie, so I’m gonna tackle the laundry. But first, I’m gonna enjoy looking into those curious little slate blue eyes staring up at me.
That is all 🙂